MOE Spring 2017 by University Communications

SPRING 2017

CONTENTS The Magazine of Elon | spring 2017

16 COVER STORY

A HISTORIC SEASON BY TOMMY HAMZIK ’17

The recent success of the women’s basketball team solidifies the role of women’s sports at Elon.

THE ODYSSEY FAMILY BY MADISON TAYLOR

Elon’s Odyssey Scholars share a bond that carries them through the campus experience and into successful lives after graduation.

A RESILIENT ELON ACORN BY KATIE DEGRAFF

Tom Spain p’02 has seen his daughter thrive along with the Elon acorn he planted at home 19 years ago.

BY KIM WALKER

FROM THE ARCHIVES: THE ELON MACE DECODED BY SARAH MULNICK ’17

An emblem of authority, the mace incorporates symbols that represent the values of an Elon education.

DRIVEN TO SERVE BY ALEXA MILAN BOSCHINI ’10

With an enthusiastic spirit, Tyson Glover ’17 uses his entrepreneurial shrewdness to help those who help others.

2 Under the Oaks 11 Long Live Elon 14 Point of View

I AM ELON

15 Phoenix Sports 31 Alumni Action 35 Class Notes

Watch the full story at

www.elon.edu/magazine Dora Muratovic ’19 welcomes difference. In her two years at Elon, she has been consistently fueled by discovering people, places and topics that are new to her. Born in Kosovo, Dora emigrated to the United States with her family when she was a child. She says having the opportunity to pursue success in America is a huge motivator. She wants to honor the sacrifice her parents made by leaving their homeland, making them, and her extended family still in Kosovo, proud of her. Although she didn’t realize it before arriving on campus, Elon’s liberal arts model suits her well. “Accounting comes to me naturally but other things don’t. At Elon I get to challenge myself by working on the things that don’t come as easily. It’s helping me expand my brain.” Dora studied abroad in Argentina and Chile with the Business Fellows during her first Winter Term at Elon. The fellows worked with a micro-finance nonprofit, and the experience was transformative for her. “I learned I can make connections with people who I thought were very different from me. To see the relationships I could form with people from different cultures was really eye-opening.” Part of the Odyssey Scholars program, a merit-based scholarship program for students with financial need, Dora credits the program for bringing her to Elon. “I don’t know where I’d be without it. And hopefully one day I can be one of those donors supporting it.” Dora is Elon. Visit www.elon.edu/magazine to see more of her story, part of our “I Am Elon” multimedia series featuring Elon students in their own words.

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▶ from the PRESIDENT

The Chapter Ahead

Concluding my term as Elon’s eighth president

facebook.com/leomlambert twitter.com/headphoenix

ince I announced my plans in February to conclude my term as Elon’s eighth president, Laurie and I have been overwhelmed with messages of congratulations, love and support. We have felt the powerful embrace of the Elon family all over the globe and are reminded anew what a special academic community we have been privileged to be a part of for the past 18 years. Despite the transition ahead, life at Elon is full speed ahead and the achievements of our students, faculty and staff are more impressive than ever. So far this spring, Elon students have been awarded a record seven Fulbright grants and a Fulbright Summer Institute grant, a State Department Critical Languages Scholarship, a Goldwater Scholarship, and our first Gates Cambridge Scholarship, awarded to Leena Dahal ’17

{ From left: Mollie Lambert G’11, Laurie Lambert, President Leo M. Lambert, Dr. Callie Lambert Brown, Anna Brown, David Brown and Caleb Brown. } of Nepal. We were excited to hear of a National Science Foundation grant to physics professor Ben Evans for his research in soft robotics, and proud of Smith Jackson, vice president of student life, who was named Civic Engagement Professional of the Year by North Carolina Campus Compact. What a thrill it was to see the women’s basketball team make it into the NCAA Tournament this 2 the MAGAZINE of ELON

“Leadership is a team sport, and you have been my most wonderful teammates and friends.” spring. (And what I would have given to have seen Dr. Danieley watch the team and coaches cut down the net after winning the CAA Tournament.) We are preparing to welcome the Class of 2021, continuing with the important leadership phase of the Elon Leads campaign, and finishing the work of the Elon Commitment strategic plan. It is marvelous to watch the Schar Center take shape and the residential campus initiative continue to unfold, with the groundbreaking for three new first-year-student residence halls near the Powell Tennis Center taking place this summer, along with the expansion and renovation of McEwen Dining Hall. And of course, the dedication of the spectacular new School of Communications facilities in March was a highlight of the year. On a personal level, Laurie and I are preparing to vacate Maynard House on the Monday following Commencement. We are moving into a home in the same neighborhood that was formerly resided in by our daughter, Callie, her husband, David, and our two grandchildren, Caleb and Anna, so we have already enjoyed many wonderful family memories in our new house. This will give the university time to update some of Maynard House’s original 1950s bathrooms and a kitchen that has serviced thousands of guests per year for more than 25 years. The trustees plan to have it in sparkling shape for the new president before the end of the calendar year. To be honest, I believe our daughters, Callie and Mollie, are more sentimental about leaving Maynard House than Laurie and I are, which is understandable since it has been the place they have experienced as home more than any other place they have ever lived. Callie remarked last Christmastime, “I put on my first prom dress in my bedroom, and I put on my wedding dress in my bedroom. That is my room!” To which I replied, “It’s Elon’s room, honey, and it’s finally time to clean out all the junk you have collected since junior high school.”

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Trustees create Presidential Search Committee

F As you know, I have committed to the board of trustees to serve until my successor can assume office, but have already begun to think about my life after my presidency is concluded. I plan to take a full year of sabbatical { Mollie Lambert’s 1998 diary entry about her leave, which will be family’s move to North Carolina. } principally devoted to writing a new book with my writing partner, Peter Felten, professor of history, assistant provost and executive director of Elon’s Center for Engaged Learning. (Peter and I, along with three other colleagues, collaborated on a book titled “The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most,” which was published by Jossey-Bass last year.) Our new book will examine innovative undergraduate programs and practices at colleges and universities around the country, taking us on some exciting site visits. And of course, Laurie and I look forward to some travels and more time to enjoy our families. Following the sabbatical, I look forward to returning to campus in a new role as president emeritus and professor, serving Elon in new ways. I couldn’t have had better role models on how to be a fine president emeritus than Earl Danieley and Fred Young, and remain grateful to both for their constant encouragement and friendship. I hope to do some teaching, will stay involved on some boards nationally and look forward to remaining connected to the 22,000 alumni who graduated during my years as president. As you have heard me say many times, I am convinced Elon’s alumni base is one of the university’s most powerful assets and the accomplishments of our alumni body are key to expanding Elon’s national and international reputation. Elon University’s future is bright, and I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have forged relationships with thousands of you who have been critical partners in the university’s rise to national prominence. Leadership is a team sport, and you have been my most wonderful teammates and friends.

Leo M. Lambert President

ollowing President Leo M. Lambert’s February announcement about plans to conclude his presidency, the Elon University Board of Trustees formed a committee to conduct the search for Elon’s ninth president. The group will make a recommendation to the board, which will appoint the next president. Board leaders worked with President Lambert to plan a seamless presidential transition. He will remain in office until his successor is in place, then take a sabbatical year dedicated to writing before continuing service to Elon as president emeritus and professor. The 16-member committee includes Elon trustees, alumni, faculty, staff, students and parents. The committee is assisted by one of the leading higher education executive search firms, Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates. Committee members include the following:

Trustees

• Wesley Elingburg p’11 (chair) – Trustee • Noel Allen ’69 p’07 (co-vice-chair) – Trustee • Kebbler McGhee Williams ’98 (co-vice-chair) – Trustee • Kerrii Anderson ’79 – Chair, Board of Trustees • Edward Doherty p’07 – Trustee • Chris Martin ’78 p’13 – Trustee • Edmond Moriarty p’15 p’18 – Trustee • Douglas Spencer ’16 – Youth Trustee

Faculty

• David Copeland – A. J. Fletcher Professor and Professor of Communications • Casey DiRienzo – Professor of Economics • Joel Karty – Chair of Academic Council, Professor of Chemistry • Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler p’16 p’17 – Professor of Psychology

Staff

• Lisa Keegan ’03 – Assistant Vice President and Dean of Undergraduate Admissions

Students

• Morgan Bodenarain – Class of 2018, Executive President of the Student Government Association • Caroline Dean – Class of 2018

Senior Staff

• Steven House – Provost and Executive Vice President The Presidential Search Committee began its work by receiving input from the Elon community about challenges and opportunities facing the next president, as well as the characteristics and experiences most desired in top candidates. More than 6,900 members of the community responded to a survey about the search, and campus forums and meetings were held for faculty, staff, students, alumni and parents. That input was used to produce a position prospectus. Members of the community are invited to nominate candidates for Elon’s presidency and follow the progress of the search on a special website, www.elon.edu/presidentialsearch.

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UNDER THE OAKS The Magazine of Elon spring 2017 | Vol. 79, No. 2 The Magazine of Elon is published quarterly for alumni, parents and friends by the Office of University Communications. © 2017, Elon University ED I TO R

Keren Rivas ’04 D E SI G N ER S

Garry Graham Bryan Huffman PH OTO G R A PH Y

Kim Walker ED I TO R I A L S TA FF

Holley Berry Owen Covington Katie DeGraff Roselee Papandrea CO N T R I B U TO R S

Belk Library Archives and Special Collections Kyle Lubinsky ’17 Sarah Mulnick ’17 Sarah Collins ’18 Madison MacKenzie ’18 V I C E PR E SI D EN T, U N I V ER SI T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O NS

Daniel J. Anderson

{ Supporters who helped make Elon’s School of Communications expansion possible line up for a ribbon cutting on March 31. } ED I TO R I A L O FFI C E S

The Magazine of Elon 2030 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244-2020 (336) 278-7415 www.elon.edu/magazine B OA R D O F T R US T EE S, C H A I R

Kerrii Brown Anderson ’79

Columbus, Ohio

ELO N A LU M N I B OA R D, PR E SI D EN T

Walter “Cam” Tims ’00 Raleigh, North Carolina

YO U N G A LU M N I CO U N C I L , PR E SI D EN T

Andy Fox ’08 Toledo, Ohio

PA R EN T S CO U N C I L , CO - PR E SI D EN T S

Bill & Kristy Woolfolk P’17

Hinsdale, Illinois

SCHO OL OF L AW ADV ISORY BOARD, CHAIR

David Gergen

Cambridge, Massachusetts S C H O O L O F CO M M U N I C AT I O NS A D V IS O RY B OA R D, C H A I R

Michael Radutzky P’12 P’17 Summit, New Jersey

M A R T H A A N D SPEN C ER LO V E S C H O O L O F B USI N E SS A D V IS O RY B OA R D, C H A I R

William S. Creekmuir p’09 p’10

Atlanta, Georgia

PH O EN I X C LU B A D V IS O RY B OA R D, C H A I R

Mike Cross

Burlington, North Carolina

4 the MAGAZINE of ELON

A celebration of philanthropy The university hosted a formal dedication for the new facilities of the School of Communications, which now spans three buildings and 105,000 square feet.

he Elon community gathered in the Snow Family Grand Atrium in March to celebrate the recent expansion of the School of Communications and thank the donors and supporters whose generosity and work helped make the new facilities a reality. The dedication, which brought together hundreds of students, faculty, staff, donors and community members, capped a project that began six years ago to accommodate strong growth of one of the nation’s leading communications schools. The gathering offered a chance to recognize those who contributed the resources and the expertise to an investment that furthers Elon’s School of Communications as an educational leader, providing students with the tools they need to succeed. “We can’t thank you enough

for transforming these facilities, and we know your generosity will echo forward for generations and generations of Elon students,” said President Leo M. Lambert to the crowd filling the atrium.

The new facilities include: Dwight C. Schar Hall, a 45,000-square-foot building made possible by a portion of a $13 million gift from Dwight and Martha Schar, parents of Stuart ’16 and Spencer ’19 Schar. Snow Family Grand Atrium, named for David and Lynette Snow, parents of Lauren Snow ’15. The 5,000-square-foot, two-story glass structure links Schar Hall with McEwen Building. Citrone Plaza, a beautiful pedestrian gathering place outside the atrium

named for Elon Trustee Cindy Citrone and her husband, Rob, parents of Gabriela Citrone ’17. Steers Pavilion, a 7,300-square-foot facility named for Bob and Lauren Steers, parents of John “JP” Steers ’15. Turner Theatre, a 220-seat, high definition digital movie theater on the first floor of Schar Hall named for Parker ’06 and Garrett ’08 Turner and their parents, Toni and Jim Turner. Jane and Brian Williams Studio, a high-definition broadcast studio in McEwen building, named for Jane and Brian Williams, parents of Doug Williams ’13. The expansion, with Citrone Plaza opening onto Williamson Avenue in downtown Elon, has become “the new gateway” to Elon, Lambert said.

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SYLLABUZZ

New health sciences leader

BY KYLE LUBINSKY ’17

COM 250: Journalism in a Free Society

s more people consume media on digital platforms and fake news become more prevalent, it is important the next generation of journalists know all they can about the new developments in the field. That’s what Associate Professor of Communications Anthony Hatcher seeks to do in “Journalism in a Free Society.” The course, which combines in-class discussion and online assignments, requires students to report, but also learn about the history and issues that face the industry today. “I like exploring the ‘big ideas’ about journalism,” says Hatcher. “There is a dearth of media literacy in this country, and confusion about what constitutes news. Sorting out news from commentary, fact from opinion, and distinguishing between the press and that horrible catch-all term, ‘the media,’ is very important to me.” Taught with a sole focus on journalism, the class draws students from a wide variety of other communications majors. Throughout the class, Hatcher emphasizes the importance of finding credible sources. He cites examples of reporters who have been discredited for publishing false information, contrasting their stories with awardwinning journalism. He hopes students will learn to pay close attention to newspapers—they are still the source of many articles that are reposted on sites such as Buzzfeed, Facebook and the Huffington Post. Hatcher stresses the importance of reporting and students are required to cover a wide variety of campus events. Students in the fall section of the course

covered Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward’s convocation speech and were required to rely on their note-taking to write their stories, rather than on live-tweeting updates about the event. “Good reporters don’t lie,” Hatcher says. “They don’t compromise their ethics for a story, they don’t cower when someone tries to bully them off a story. They investigate, add context and they meet deadlines.” Hatcher hopes students develop a better understanding of where journalism has been and where it stands today. He also wants to ensure students are cognizant of reliable sources and have a sense of what it takes to be a good reporter. “I want students to learn and maintain professional standards,” he says. “Journalism, when done correctly, is a noble calling. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true.”

ABOUT THE PROFESSOR Anthony Hatcher has taught at Elon since 2002. An associate professor of communications, he teaches journalism, mass media, media history and public speaking, as well as the capstone class in the communications major. His research interests include religion, media and pop culture, and he is writing a book on the subject.

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

. “Spotlight” movie (2015) . “All The President’s Men” movie (1976) . Daily reading of major newspapers and magazines such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker and The Economist.

Following a national search, Elon University has selected Rebecca Neiduski as the new dean of the School of Health Sciences. She begins her new role on June 1, succeeding Founding Dean Elizabeth Rogers, who retired in 2016. Neiduski comes to Elon from Concordia University Wisconsin, where she has served since 2013 as chair of the Occupational Therapy Department, adding two new graduate-level programs and growing the number of faculty during the past three years. With more than 15 years in clinical settings alongside her academic experience, Neiduski is an award-winning professor and practitioner of occupational therapy with an emphasis on treating the upper extremities. As dean of Elon’s School of Health Sciences, Neiduski will oversee the Department of Physical Therapy Education and the Department of Physician Assistant Studies with nearly two dozen full-time faculty members and more than 250 graduate students. “It is truly a privilege to join the faculty and staff within Elon’s School of Health Sciences, which is a group clearly committed to providing innovative and student-centered education,” Neiduski said. “The next 20 years will be a time of great change and opportunity in health care, and I look forward to collaboration and growth both internally and with our alumni and community partners. I am honored to contribute to the culture of excellence at Elon University.” Elon Provost Steven House said Neiduski has a proven record of collaboration with extensive experience in working with other departments. “Dr. Neiduski is an accomplished and creative educator, scholar and leader,” House said. “Her enthusiasm and energy is contagious. I am delighted that Becky is joining our community and look forward to supporting her as she works with the faculty and staff in the School of Health Sciences to deliver on their commitment to provide a distinctive and exceptional educational experience.”

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“We need to start working on re-establishing the trust of our institutions and rebuilding the civility and the patriotism and the love for America, because our Founding Fathers left the power to the people— they gave them the tools to do the job.”

“I think that the listening skill is the greatest skill that we as human beings can have, and the way one listens is to ask questions.” —Former NPR talk show host Diane Rehm at Elon’s James P. Elder Lecture on April 6.

“I really do believe that the more we learn about the true causes of happiness, the more of it we can get for ourselves and for others in our communities.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

—Retired U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison during Elon Law’s Spring 2017 Distinguished Leadership Lecture on April 13.

Senior Leena Dahal, a strategic communications and international studies double major, has been named a Gates-Cambridge Scholar. Dahal, who was selected for the scholarship as one of 90 recipients from a pool of about 6,000 applicants, is the first Elon student to receive the prestigious scholarship. She will pursue a master’s degree in modern south Asian studies at the University of Cambridge in England with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

6 the MAGAZINE of ELON

—Best-selling author and Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert talking about the science of happiness during his address at Elon’s 2017 Spring Convocation on March 31.

Seven Elon seniors and alumni have been offered Fulbright awards to research, study and teach abroad. Steven Armendariz, a political science and international & global studies double major, and Jacqueline Spencer, a special education and elementary education double major, will be teaching English in Spain, while Lauren Salig, a psychology and Spanish double major, will be teaching English in Argentina. Kelly Richard, an English major, will be teaching English in Indonesia, and Elizabeth Meynardie, an elementary education major, will be teaching English in Taiwan. Casey Morrison ’16 has been offered an English teaching assistantship in Vietnam and senior Jack Doyle was offered a study/research grant in Germany. As of press time, senior Ben Lutz was also in the running for a Fulbright award to conduct research in Oman. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.

Junior and Lumen Scholar Mariana Kneppers has been named a 2017 Barry Goldwater Scholar. The biology and environmental and ecological science double major plans to pursue a doctoral degree in marine ecology at the Duke University Marine Lab. Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation provides scholarships to college students who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, math and engineering. Sophomore Alex Mancuso has received a Critical Language Scholarship from the federal government to study Arabic during the summer at the Arab American Language Institute in Tangier, Morocco. The international studies and cinema and television arts double major is among more than 500 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students selected for the U.S. Department of State’s program.

Several School of Communications students were honored by the North Carolina College Media Association for their work with The Pendulum (the newspaper of the Elon News Network), Colonnades literary magazine and Phi Psi Cli yearbook. Honored with individual awards were Lauryl Fischer ’16, Maddy Keith ’16, Courtney Campbell ’17, Leena Dahal ’17, Tommy Hamzik ’17, Kim Honiball ’17, Hannah Silvers ’17, Alex Simon ’17, Bryan Anderson ’18, Stephanie Hays ’18 and Jack Hartmann ’19. In addition, The Pendulum and Colonnades received Best of Show awards. Sophomore Tyler Seibring was named to the 2017 Academic All-America third team for NCAA Division I men’s basketball. He is the 12th overall Academic All-America selection in Elon men’s basketball history, and the eighth player overall in program history to earn the Academic All-America honor.

CAMPUS

UNCOMMONS BY KYLE LUBINSKY ’17

Brooke Buffington has always had a passion for reading and storytelling. So when her closest friend, Maddy Curley, who is an actress in Los Angeles, approached her about working on a movie, Buffington figured she’d give it a try. That was nine years ago. Today their creation, “Chalk It Up,” is available on Netflix. For Buffington, the Student Professional Development Center’s associate director of career services for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, it was important to write about a familiar topic. In this case, it was gymnastics—she and Curley were both gymnasts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The star of their movie is a college gymnast whose boyfriend breaks up with her. In an effort to win him back, she starts a gymnastics team. While her career services job at Elon and passion for screenwriting might seem an odd combination, Buffington sees similarities between

the two. “Having a career in one area of work doesn’t mean you can’t have passions and hobbies in other areas,” she says. “I often ask students what they enjoy and then help them further define what parts of their interests they want to pursue as a career.” She meets regularly with students to offer support in their career exploration process and helps them identify careers that best fit their future aspirations. Screenwriting is rewarding for Buffington. Looking at a completed draft is fulfilling and makes the long hours of work worth the effort. “Chalk It Up” premiered at The Varsity Theatre in Chapel Hill in the fall, bringing the whole experience full circle for Buffington—a decade after she met her writing partner, they were sitting and watching the fruits of their labor on the big screen. But Buffington is just getting started. She is co-writing a television pilot and has already completed more than a dozen movie scripts and six television pilots. Despite her busy lifestyle—when she is not working she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and running marathons—she doesn’t see herself slowing down. “I used to think that writing something 100 pages long sounded impossible, but now I can’t wait to get started,” she says. What faculty or staff member do you think is uncommon? Send a suggestion to themagazineofelon@gmail.com.

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CULTURAL CALENDAR

PREVIEW For a complete list of events, check the E-net calendar at www.elon.edu/e-net/calendar.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 Senior Class Picnic with Faculty and Staff A farewell picnic for all graduating seniors and Elon faculty and staff hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement.

FRIDAY, MAY 19 Baccalaureate Message by Rabbi Irwin Kula, an internationally renowned speaker and scholar on spirituality and the president of Clal, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.

FRIDAY, MAY 19 Legacy Reception for Graduates and their Alumni Parents, Grandparents and Siblings Alumni who are parents, grandparents or siblings of 2017 graduates are invited to this reception hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement.

SATURDAY, MAY 20 127th Commencement Ceremony Award-winning Univision Network journalist Maity Interiano ’07 will deliver the Commencement address for the Class of 2017.

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron to headline Fall Convocation Elon will also host Pulitzer Prize-winning author and oncologist Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, as part of Elon’s Baird Lecture Series.

avid Cameron, who served six years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and 11 years as Leader of the Conservative Party, will be the featured speaker at Elon University’s 2017 Fall Convocation on Oct. 5 in Alumni Gymnasium. Cameron comes to Elon after stepping down as Prime Minister in July 2016. In 2010, at the age of 43, Cameron became the country’s youngest Prime Minister in nearly two centuries, taking office during a time when the United Kingdom was in a period of economic crisis. He is credited with reducing the nation’s deficit by more than two-thirds while leading a period of record-breaking job creation. Internationally, Cameron developed a foreign policy in the post-Iraq era that addressed the new challenges of the Arab Spring, as well as a more aggressive Russia, while ensuring that Britain played a full role in the global fight against ISIS. Since leaving government, Cameron has focused on bettering the lives of young people as Chairman of Patrons at the National Citizen Service, the U.K.’s flagship youth development program that brings together teenagers from around the country for a part-residential experience that focuses on a local community project. Elon’s fall Baird Lecture will feature Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a leading oncologist and researcher who has received wide acclaim as an author for his examinations of cancer and the human gene. His first book, “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer,” received a Pulitzer Prize in 2011 and was named one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time by Time magazine. Mukherjee’s second book, “The Gene: An Intimate History,” uses the history of mental illness in his own family to understand human heredity and its influence on our lives. Mukherjee’s talk, scheduled for Sept. 20 in McCrary Theatre in the Center for the Arts, is part of Elon’s Baird Lecture Series, which was endowed in 2001 by a gift by James H. Baird and his late wife, Jane M. Baird, of Burlington, N.C.

CORNER

FACSTAFF

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North Carolina Campus Compact, a coalition of public and private colleges and universities, has named Elon’s G. Smith Jackson its 2017 Civic Engagement Professional of the Year. The award recognizes a staff person in the state for efforts to institutionalize a campus-wide vision of service, support the engagement of faculty and students, and form innovative campus-community partnerships. Jackson, vice president for student life and dean of students at Elon, has been a champion of civic and community engagement on campus for more than 20 years. He is the second Elon professional to be honored since the award was first presented in 2006. Mary Morrison, director of the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement, was recognized in 2011. Elliot Engstrom, a Legal Method and Communication Fellow in the Elon University School of Law, received the 2017 Sunshine Award for Advocacy from the North Carolina Open Government Coalition in recognition of his public interest work to help uncover records related to a mismanaged North Carolina town police department.

8 the MAGAZINE of ELON

Assistant Professor of Sport and Event Management Cara McFadden was presented the National IntramuralRecreational Sports Association’s Annual Service Award at the organization’s February conference. McFadden also hosted a preconference workshop and co-presented an educational session during the conference.

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Recognizing innovation and creativity

{ Louis DeJoy & President Leo M. Lambert }

lon trustee and business leader Louis DeJoy was honored in March with the Elon University Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The award honors individuals who possess integrity, innovation and creativity, a passion for lifelong learning and a commitment to building a dynamic community. DeJoy took a small trucking company started by his father and built it into New Breed Logistics, a national contract logistics handler that employed close to 6,000 people in 2014 when it was sold to Connecticutbased XPO Logistics. After the acquisition, DeJoy served as chief executive officer of XPO’s supply chain business in North America. “I was an entrepreneur, once,” DeJoy said about focusing his career on growing a single company. “The rest of my life has been implementing and operating my plan, and that is where the success comes.” The Elon University Medal for

# 1 HIGH MARKS E lon University’s quality of education, sustainability efforts and commitment to diversity were recognized by national organizations this spring.

Entrepreneurial Leadership is an annual award supported by the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, named for Elon trustee Ed Doherty and his wife, Joan, entrepreneurs from New Jersey whose daughter graduated from Elon in 2007. Ed and Joan Doherty established the center with a gift to the university and have been longtime Elon supporters. “I am thrilled to be here today at Elon to honor and recognize Louis DeJoy,” Ed Doherty said during the ceremony. “Louis is an active leader in the community and a loyal supporter of Elon.” DeJoy left XPO Logistics as an executive at the end of 2015, but continues to serve on its board, as well as the Elon University Board of Trustees and the board of the PGA’s Wyndham Championship. He has launched a new company, LDJ Global Strategies, which make private equity and real estate investments.

Follow the progress of Schar Center construction online

> For the third consecutive year, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named Elon a top producer of Fulbright Student Scholars for 2016-17. During that year, four Elon graduates received Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grants and the university tied for ninth on the list of American master’s-level institutions. Seven Elon students and alumni have been selected as Fulbright Student Scholars for 2017-18 (read more on page 6). More than 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English and conduct research annually. > The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business is among the country’s top leaders in enrolling under-represented minorities, according to data released by business education news outlet Poets&Quants. Eighteen percent of the students enrolled in the program during fall 2016 were under-represented minorities, the 13th-highest percentage among the country’s top 50 business schools. Among the private schools in the rankings, Elon had the fifth-highest percentage. > In March the Piedmont-Triad Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council awarded Elon its “A Green Apple a Day” award for integrating sustainability into the curriculum, culture, operations and student lifestyles, as well as the surrounding community. Besides implementing many energy efficiency and conservation initiatives and having numerous LEED certified buildings on campus, the university offers opportunities for students to learn about sustainability in the classroom and through the Environmental Center at Loy Farm.

new website allows the Elon community to follow progress on construction of Schar Center, the university’s new convocation center scheduled to open in fall 2018. The site, www.elon.edu/scharcenter, includes a live construction webcam and photo galleries that are updated periodically with aerial pictures and details about the builder’s work. The

5,400-seat Schar Center will be the venue for major campus events and the new home for Phoenix basketball and volleyball programs. The facility is located across Williamson Avenue from Rhodes Stadium in Elon’s north athletics complex. It is named for Elon parents Dwight and Martha Schar p’16 P’19 of Palm Beach, Florida, who made a major gift to support the facility. spring 2017 9

UNDER THE OAKS

A RECORD-BREAKING DAY In a show of support fitting for this year’s #ElonDay theme of “We are Elon,” donors surpassed all previous Elon Day records on March 7 by making 4,299 gifts totaling $1,075,025. “Elon Day is a time for our entire university community to come together as one,” said John H. Barnhill ’92, assistant vice president for university advancement. “‘We are Elon’ is more than a theme—it is the embodiment of Elon’s spirit that lives inside each of our partners, advocates and investors.” A series of donor challenges and matches throughout the day encouraged widespread giving participation. Jon and Nina Graves, parents of Megan Graves ’18, kicked off the excitement by offering $50,000 in challenge funds if donors reached 1,000 gifts by 9:30 a.m. At the College Coffee event later that morning, the university announced that an anonymous family of an Elon junior would create a $250,000 student scholarship if donors contributed 2,000 gifts by 2:50 p.m. The response to the midday challenge prompted the same family to launch a second $250,000 challenge if the Elon community made 4,250 gifts by midnight. By the end of the day, donors had surpassed each of the goals to secure a total of $550,000 in scholarship support for the university. Challenges and matches from Clayton and Beverly Hollis p’13, Elon trustee Christopher Martin ’78 p’13 and son Nicholas Martin ’13, Stephen and Susan Paneyko p’20, and members of Elon’s Young Alumni Council also generated excitement for the day. Students, faculty and staff participated in several on-campus events while Elon Law hosted events on the Greensboro campus. Hundreds of alumni also attended regional alumni chapter events that took place in 37 cities around the world, from London to Los Angeles (see photos on page 32 and inside back cover).

Honored for their loyal support

lon trustee Jeanne Swanner Robertson and her husband, Jerry R. Robertson, were honored with Elon Medallions, the university’s most prestigious honor, in February at the 10th annual Night of the Phoenix, Elon’s athletics department main fundraising event. Among the university’s most loyal supporters, the Robertsons, of Burlington, North Carolina, have a special affinity for Phoenix athletics. In 2014 the university named the Jerry and Jeanne Robertson Track and Field Complex in their honor following their gift to fund improvements of the facility. In 2010 they made a lead gift to fund renovations of Alumni Gymnasium where Elon’s basketball and volleyball teams compete. The gym’s Robertson Court is named in their honor. They have also supported development of the Schar Center, a 5,400-seat convocation center scheduled for completion in fall 2018. The couple also made gifts to honor retired

10 the MAGAZINE of ELON

ELON DAY 2017 On March 7, the global Elon community came together to celebrate #ElonDay 2017, the university’s annual day of giving. Donors met every challenge of the day, helping to secure three new student scholarships for the university. Below are some figures from this successful annual celebration.

$1,075,025 The total amount raised to support students, scholarships, athletics and faculty, making it the single-greatest day of giving in the university’s history.

4,299

The number of gifts the university received in honor of #ElonDay. Of that number, 62 percent came from alumni, 21 percent from parents and grandparents, 8 percent from faculty and staff, and 7 percent from students.

69%

The percentage of gifts in the amount of $50 and under.

Elon athletics director Alan White and his wife, Norma. Jeanne Robertson, who has gained a national following for her speaking engagements, YouTube videos and programs on Sirius XM Radio, was elected to Elon’s board of trustees in 2003. In 2007 the Robertsons were honored with the Southern Conference Distinguished Service Award. Their son, Bailey “Beaver” Bowline, is a 1989 Elon alumnus and a former basketball player, and their grandson, Ryder Bowline ’17, is a member of the men’s basketball team.

3,650

The approximate number of people who attended the 42 #ElonDay events held on campus and around the world.

#ELONDAY

The hashtag used on social media during the 24-hour celebration by members of the Elon community that became a national trending topic for the fourth consecutive year. Source: Office of University Advancement, Office of University Communications

LONG LIVE ELON

Citrones endow

Odyssey Scholarships

lon trustee Cindy Citrone p’17 and her husband, Rob p’17, of Southport, Connecticut, have supported one of the university’s top priorities by endowing two Odyssey scholarships, making an Elon education possible for promising students with significant financial need. The Citrones’ gift will create the Horizons National Odyssey Scholarship, which will be awarded to students who have completed the Horizons National program prior to enrolling at Elon. Horizons National is a tuition-free, academic and enrichment program that serves low-income, public school students at sites throughout the country. “Rob and I believe in supporting great causes and great people and organizations that have a vision and think outside the box, and we believe Elon and Horizons are a perfect fit,” Cindy Citrone says. “There is no student more perfect to receive these Odyssey scholarships than a Horizons student. Horizons provides an excellent k-12 experience for students

{ Cindy Citrone P ’17 & Gabriela Citrone ’17 }

BY JALEH HAGIGH

who might not otherwise have had such an opportunity, and Elon provides the same excellent experiential learning opportunities and support for these students through the Odyssey program.” Citrone has been { Rob & Cindy Citrone P ’17 } associated with the Horizons program in New Canaan, Connecticut, and has been impressed by its results serving disadvantaged students. Elon parent Jane Stoddard Williams p’13 serves as chair of Horizons’ national board of directors. Citrone sees an equally strong commitment to this work in Elon’s Odyssey program, which serves students who are frequently the first members of their family to attend college and have achieved academic success while overcoming challenges. “It just made sense and gave us the ability to knock it out of the ballpark and support two of our best investments and to maximize our investment,” Citrone adds. “Both Horizons and Odyssey help students be more successful, and isn’t that the dream of both of these programs?” In addition to annual tuition assistance, the selective, four-year Odyssey Scholars program includes a stipend for books and supplies, and a one-time, $4,000 global study grant to be used for an approved study abroad or Study USA experience. The Odyssey program is part of Elon’s Center for Access and Success. This is the latest philanthropic commitment from the Citrones, who are among Elon’s most generous donors. In 2016 the couple made a major gift to fund a Design Thinking initiative at Elon, enabling the university to infuse this innovative approach to problem solving into academic courses and student experiences outside the classroom. The Citrones were also lead donors to the recent School of Communications expansion. The spacious Citrone Plaza welcomes visitors to the new communications facilities and seamlessly connects the campus to the Town of Elon. The couple previously contributed significant matching gifts during the annual #ElonDay programs, helping to ensure the largest single days of giving in Elon’s history. Their daughter, Gabriela, is an Elon senior. spring 2017 11

LONG LIVE ELON

lso supporting the Odyssey program with a major gift is Elon parent Katie Simon p’19, of New Vernon, New Jersey, and her family foundation, the William E. Simon Foundation, which supports initiatives that strengthen education, faith and family. This gift will provide annual financial assistance to enable Odyssey Scholars to participate fully in the Elon student experience, including the university’s engaged learning programs. Simon is a member of Elon’s President’s Advisory Council. “Education has been a very important passion of mine,” said Simon, a former teacher whose daughter, Maddie, is an Elon sophomore. “I feel it’s very important to give to scholarships and to make education accessible to a wider range of students, particularly first-generation college students. Education helps to break the cycle of poverty and gives those students the ability to affect change in the world.” A third lead gift to this program was made by an alumnus from Elon’s Class of 2000 who has been a loyal donor to the university and wishes to remain anonymous. The donor’s generous estate gift will establish several Odyssey scholarships in the future.

{ Maddie Simon ’ 19 & Katie Simon P ’ 19 }

Alumnus, parents support Sankey Hall

A gift from Elon alumnus and parent Sam Burke ’89 p’19 and his wife, Kelly p’19, of Hellertown, Pennsylvania, is helping the university reach the $9 million fundraising goal for Richard W. Sankey Hall, the new facility planned as part of the expansion of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. “The way the business school is growing, you can see the need for expansion,” says Sam Burke, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and a member of the Love School of Business Board of Advisors. “It’s exciting to be part of that momentum and upward trajectory.” 12 the MAGAZINE of ELON

{ Kelly Burke P’19 & Sam Burke ’89 P’19 }

Burke has been instrumental in opening the doors of PwC to Elon students and alumni. Recognizing the growing connections between Elon and PwC, Burke has teamed up with Ryan Rate ’06, Dana Blaney ’09 and other Elon alumni at the firm to garner support for Sankey Hall, the new three-story, 30,000-square-foot facility to be located on the north end of the McMichael Science Center parking lot. Burke says he’s been impressed by the Elon students who have worked at the firm. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to hire so many top-rated students,” he says. “They are equipped with the tools for success and are willing to invest in doing what it takes to be successful.” The Burkes have been dedicated donors to the Love School of Business and Elon athletics, and made a major gift to the Inman Admissions Welcome Center. They also previously established the Samuel L. Burke Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business. Sam Burke received the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award and is a member of Order of the Oak, recognizing donors who make estate or other planned gifts to the university.

Estate gift to fund scholarship

Retired Elon faculty member Jim Drummond and his wife, Brenda, of Burlington, North Carolina, are giving back to the university through a generous estate gift. Their gift will endow the James P. and Brenda W. Drummond Scholarship, which will assist bright, engaged students with financial need who are involved in a variety of community and school activities in addition to their academics. The couple feel strongly about helping those students find a place at Elon.

“We were concerned that oftentimes scholarships are based purely on merit, including SAT scores, which, as we’ve seen, are not always accurate indicators of academic success in college,” Jim Drummond says. “We didn’t want a deserving student who is well-rounded and had to work during school and who would greatly benefit from a wonderful Elon education to be overlooked.” “I don’t think finances should ever be an obstacle to education,” Brenda Drummond says. “Young people have goals of becoming doctors, lawyers and engineers to help their communities, and being able to give them a scholarship allows them to pursue their education and further their careers.”

{ Jim & Brenda Drummond }

Jim Drummond retired from Elon in 2012 as associate professor of sport and event management. His 25-year career at the university was highlighted by a strong commitment to teaching and community engagement, including his work in the field of parks and recreation. Drummond also led efforts to launch and sustain the Elon Sport and Event Management Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 2005 and supports 1 to 2 students each year. “Elon has been very good to us and this is a good way for us to leave what little bit we have to the institution,” he says. “I served as department chair for years, and I felt like treating people fairly and going to class and making students the number one priority was extraordinarily important to me. This gift seemed like the right thing to do, and it made us feel good.” “Making the estate gift was easy to do,” adds Brenda. “When we’re no longer here, we’d like to be remembered for doing something for Elon and a community that has meant so much to us.”

LONG LIVE ELON

making a difference

‘I want to do my part’ BY MEGAN MCCLURE

t’s not every day you meet someone who counts fundraising as a hobby, but for Janetta Tolliver Randolph ’01 her role as a volunteer for Elon feels like second nature. In fact, the Atlanta resident has discovered that she isn’t shy at all when it comes to raising support for the university that means so much to her. “Simply put, I believe in the culture and values of Elon,” says Randolph. “I think everyone who has ever gone to Elon has this great love and affinity for the university. It seems natural to want to give back and do more. I couldn’t think of a better way to pay back the institution that I hold so dear to my heart.” Of course, it helps that Randolph is herself a sustaining Elon donor. Her monthly gifts support the university’s Black Alumni Scholarship and she is a member of the 1889 Society, which recognizes alumni donors who support Elon every fiscal year. She’s also found that a

The 1889 Society honors loyal alumni donors who have given annually for two or more consecutive fiscal years. For more information, please visit www.elon.edu/1889.

sense of humor and a little persistence don’t hurt, either. “I figure the worst thing a person can say is ‘no.’ Then I say, ‘Did you really think about that no?’” she laughs. Jokes aside, Randolph’s dedication to serving Elon as a volunteer comes from a place of deep admiration for her alma mater. After coming to campus by way of Wilmington, Delaware, her time at Elon included a broad range of experiences and opportunities. She studied abroad in Spain for a semester and was a founding member of the women’s track and field team during her senior year. She also joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, an organization that helped develop her passion for service and volunteerism. Academically, she credits Elon with exposing her to a mix of students and perspectives. “Elon gave me that real balance of the type of people you are going to encounter,” she says. “I was also very prepared for the real world, because the academic expectations at Elon taught me to keep up that work ethic from undergraduate into graduate studies and then into the professional world.” These tools have served her well throughout her career, including in her current role with State Farm Insurance. Her journey as a volunteer for Elon began when she joined the committee for her 15th class reunion, which took

place at Homecoming 2016. “It was really just me identifying a way to help and give back, because I have so much to be thankful for from attending Elon—not just the education, but the friendships that I’ve gained. I was looking for ways to help and thought, ‘That would be fun. Let me throw my name out there.’ It was a great experience.” So great, in fact, that it led her to seek out an additional volunteer opportunity with Elon. She now serves as an alumni peer agent, reaching out to fellow alumni in her Elon network to ask them to join her in supporting the university. The goal of the program is to increase overall alumni giving participation, and outreach takes places throughout the year with three “sprint outreach” periods for calendar year-end, Elon Day and fiscal year-end. She says the role has brought her pride in helping move Elon forward, as well as a better understanding of the university’s long-term goals and strategy. “I want others to be able to experience Elon and with a great donor base and alumni support, many will,” says Randolph. “I want to do my part to bring that to fruition.” Learn more about Elon’s sustaining donor program, which includes both annual and monthly gift options, by visiting www.elon.edu/makeagift. spring 2017 13

Minding the gender gap in STEM fields BY ALEXANDRA SOLENDER BOYD ’12

y senior year in high school was coming up fast and I remember picking my courses, hoping to take AP Environmental Science. I was told it wouldn’t fit in my schedule, but if I wanted another science class I could take physics instead. Physics was not a class I wanted to take, especially since at that point in my life I wasn’t particularly taken with the sciences. I honestly don’t remember why I decided to sign up for it in the end, but I’m glad I did because I’ve never looked back. Becoming a teacher had always b e e n my g o a l , though I figured I’d become a math teacher, like my dad. Once I started learning physics, I fell in love with the subject and knew I wanted to keep learning, so I switched my focus to physics education. My high school teacher changed the way I looked at science and opened a door to a world that has been mostly dominated by men. I never felt like I was at a disadvantage or unable to learn the material. Little did I know my experience was not the norm. This gender divide is a real problem for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. While women have earned 57 percent of all undergraduate degrees and about half of all science and engineering undergraduate degrees in the United States since the late 1990s, the proportion of women in physics averages about 20 percent, the lowest of all the physical sciences, according to a recent report by the U.S. National Science Foundation. In a special 2016 issue of the Physical Review Physics Education Research journal, researchers point to several factors that account for why few women enter the field of physics or complete their degrees. These include a lack of role models, gender stereotypes and a sense that they don’t belong in the field. That was certainly the case for me when it was my turn to become a physics teacher. It became clear to me there was

14 the MAGAZINE of ELON

some gender bias I had previously not encountered. As a female “I don’t expect teacher, I received pushback from of my male students who every student I some truly believed I couldn’t possibly teach to become teach them anything about physics. It was disheartening at times. a physicist, I Women in physics already battle with impostor syndrome, the idea simply strive to that you’re a fake and really don’t belong. At times I questioned facilitate and myself and my abilities, but I always reminded myself I was a expand their perfectly capable, and talented, understanding physicist. From that point on I made it of the world and a goal to make sure my female students stifled in the help them break classroom.weren’t I work hard to encourage female students to enroll in any gender any level of physics, and then to barriers, just support them to be successful. Being female allows me to be a like any other role model to remind them every day that they can do physics. teacher.” Studies show that even before high school, boys and girls decide if they are good at something or not. By the time they get to high school, girls may already be convinced they can’t do math or science. My hope is to be that person in their corner who helps them recognize their potential in STEM. Physics may not be everybody’s future, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be successful at it if they try. Providing everyone with the opportunity to explore physics allows me to open the door to new possibilities the same way my physics teacher did for me. I don’t expect every student I teach to become a physicist, I simply strive to facilitate and expand their understanding of the world and help them break any gender barriers, just like any other teacher. Alexandra Solender Boyd ’12 graduated from Elon with a degree in physics. A physics teacher and science department chair at Holly Springs High School in North Carolina, she was named the 2017 National PhysTEC Teacher of the Year for her efforts to increase the number of physics offerings and boost the number of female students in physics classes at the school.

PHOENIX SPORTS

▶ elonphoenix.com

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FELIPE SARRASAGUE ’19 BY SARAH COLLINS ’18

elipe Sarrasague ’19 has proven himself a true rising Phoenix. Since he started his journey with the Elon men’s tennis team one year ago, the Buenos Aires, Argentina, native has taken the court by storm. In addition to winning the 2016 caa Rookie of the Year Award, he was named to the 2016 All-caa First Team for Singles. Last March Felipe was named the caa Player of the Week, and at the end of the season his Elon teammates pronounced him “Most Improved.” The Magazine of Elon spoke with Felipe to get the inside scoop about his life on and off the court.

He speaks three languages. Felipe speaks Spanish, English and a bit of French. While Spanish is his native language, he picked up the others from playing tennis abroad. Although his coaches and teammates jest that his English has gotten worse since coming to Elon, he has ultimately learned a lot from his team.

He used to have a pet rabbit. Felipe’s family used to own a pet rabbit—until it grew too big, that is. “We had to give it to a farm,” he says. “It just got way too big to take care of.” After this experience, his family decided not to have any other pets.

He once played an entire match with his teammate’s racket. Thankfully, the match was just a practice round against teammate Chris Humphreys ’17, so no real damage was done. “Something felt off the entire match, and at the end I realized that my racket wasn’t my racket,” he says. “It was a really funny moment.”

He’ll spend the summer playing tennis professionally in France. Two years ago, Felipe was hired by a club team in France and spent two months playing in Europe. He looks forward to returning to France this summer, and since he aims to play professionally after graduation, he hopes to make some additional connections overseas.

His favorite TV show is “Vikings.” He can’t get enough of the drama, which first aired in 2013. “A friend from Argentina recommended it to me,” he says. “I love shows about wars and human conflict.” In the same vein, he’s also a huge fan of “The Walking Dead.”

SPRING 2017 15

COVER STORY

A HISTORIC

16â&#x20AC;&#x192; the MAGAZINE of ELON

SEASON C

THE RECENT SUCCESS OF THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM SOLIDIFIES THE ROLE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS AT ELON.

{ The Elon women’s basketball team made school history this spring by clinching a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. }

BY TOMMY HAMZIK ’17

harlotte smith was in an arts and crafts store when a pair of scissors caught her eye. The golden scissors, as she calls them, reminded her of her time as a player and a coach under Sylvia Hatchell at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And in that moment, the scissors were the perfect symbol of the Elon University women’s basketball team’s own vision. Smith, the head coach, purchased the scissors, which have a special meaning in the sport. Teams use them every year to cut down the nets after winning a championship, or advancing to the game’s grandest stage, the NCAA Tournament. That’s where she wanted to take Elon. The Phoenix hadn’t been there, and in 18 years as a Division I program had never won a conference title nor been to the NCAA Tournament. She wanted her players to be thinking about that, to be thirsting for that in each minute of practice and every second during games. So Smith went the extra mile, creating a shadow box that included the golden scissors and a photo of this year’s team. She placed it inside the film room, where she’d nitpick the details of each game with her players, where everyone could see. Consider the message received. Aligning with Smith’s vision, fulfilling the goals set at the start of the season and making history for the program, the athletics department and the university alike, the team used those scissors this year— twice. The Phoenix routed the University of North Carolina at Wilmington on March 1 in Alumni Gym to claim the outright Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title, the first for the program in the Division I era and first overall in 35 years. The players and coaches proceeded to cut down the nets in their home gym. Then the icing on the cake: Elon won three games in three days at the CAA Tournament in Harrisonburg, Virginia, ending in a 78–60 triumph over three-time reigning champion James Madison University to clinch the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The success was a culmination of Smith’s vision for the program since she arrived from Chapel Hill six years ago and, in particular, the work of this experienced, driven team that bought into all of what Smith said, right down to her philosophy of focusing on defense and rebounding. On a grander scale, the team’s success was also the result of the great lengths spring 2017 17

EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW YOU COULD BE A CHAMPIONSHIP “ TEAM, WHEN IT FINALLY HITS HOME, ‘WE REALLY DID THIS. WE’RE REALLY CHAMPIONS,’ I WAS LITERALLY PINCHING MYSELF. IT’S SO SURREAL.

”

{ Members of the Elon women’s basketball team used the golden scissors to cut the net twice this season. } pioneers of the sport went through decades ago to bring women’s athletics to Elon. “There’s a saying, ‘Without a vision, the people perish,’” Smith says. “You have to have a vision. You have to have goals. You have to constantly remind yourself of those. It was really cool to see it all come to fruition.”

humble beginnings

Janie P. Brown, professor emerita of physical education, understands that all too well. She was the director of intramurals when she first arrived at Elon in the 1960s, when there weren’t very many women on the faculty and no opportunities for women’s athletics at the varsity level. She remembers Elon and other schools in the area hosting “Sport Days” and “Play Days,” where they’d either divide all the women up into different teams and compete in sports like volleyball, basketball or tennis, or compete interscholastically. Elon was invited one year to one of the first invitational volleyball tournaments, hosted at Appalachian State University. Brown coached the group, and after countless practices, they felt they were pretty good. The team didn’t win a single game. It was then that President J. Earl Danieley ’46 hired Kay Yow as a coach, and that Elon’s first women’s basketball and volleyball teams were created. At the time, Elon was a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which offered no women’s athletics. So women across the country formed the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), which Elon joined. Elon’s first official game was in January 1972, a two-point loss to Wake Forest University. The early teams faced their share of struggles. They didn’t have uniforms, but, according to Brown, one of the players had a sewing machine in her room, so they sewed numbers on the back of T-shirts for uniforms. The track team loaned 18 the MAGAZINE of ELON

them their warm-up shirts. The team drove their about the success this year’s team had. She says own cars to games, and packed their own bagged the teams that helped create women’s athletics at lunches. One year, when the team desperately Elon dreamt big, but never could have imagined needed leather basketballs, Yow told her players this day. “We were just happy to have teams, a to ask for leather basketballs for Christmas. They conference to play in, uniforms to play in and to did, and all returned to Elon with a new collecbe recognized on campus,” she says. “To think tion of basketballs. “When I think about how that we have been able to succeed in all of these far we have come since that time, it’s amazing,” sports ever since then, it’s very exciting for me to Brown says. “I’m grateful that I’ve gotten to see see that. It makes me smile.” that process.” Women’s athletics, both nationally and at laying the foundation Elon, have grown exponentially in the years lon’s journey to the NCAA Tournament since. Yow led Elon to a 20–1 overall record in began on the other side of the globe. As the 1973–74 season, winning the women’s state part of Elon’s commitment to diversity tournament and advancing to the regional playand global engagement, the team travoffs. In June 1974, she led a group of American eled to Italy for 10 days in August to women’s players in an exhibition against the study and play against Italian club teams. Joyce national women’s team from the U.S.S.R. in Davis, a professor of exercise science, led the Alumni Gym. The volleyball team went 31–8 class “Globalization of Contemporary Sport,” in 1974, advancing to the final of the Southern and the team traveled to eight cities and played Regionals. The university added women’s slowthree games. This gave the Phoenix a jump on pitch softball to the athletic program in the getting its four first-year players acclimated spring of 1977, with the inaugural team going to its offensive and defensive systems, while 12–5 and the 1979 group winning the AIAW state also allowing ample time for the group to jell title. Women’s tennis became an official sport at together well before the actual season began. “It Elon in 1979, and women’s soccer was added in was a really strong bonding experience for our 1986. Elon moved to fast-pitch softball in 1990, and fielded a women’s cross country team for the team,” says senior Lauren Brown. “It really did set the stage for a lot of the success we were able first time in 1993. Today Elon’s women’s teams to have this season.” have won three of the four CAA team championElon was impressive in the early going, ships the school has claimed since joining the playing Wake Forest, UNC and Duke tight league in 2014. The women’s lacrosse team is in while beating Rutgers and Hall of Fame coach the midst of its fourth season on campus and seeing great levels of success, too. “I’ve seen great C. Vivian Stringer at home in November. The Phoenix played a competitive schedule with progress in our women’s programs, culminating those teams and a season opener against perenin championships,” says Dave Blank, director of nial mid-major power Green Bay. When CAA Elon athletics. Brown received the Daniels-Danieley Award in 1995, and the Elon Medallion in 2006 while also endowing the Dr. Janie P. Brown Women’s Athletic Scholarship. She serves on the board of directors of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and is a staple at athletic events on campus to this day. Each year, before the season, she invites the women’s basketball team to her home for dinner. She { Elon won three games in three days to clinch the CAA Tournament in Harrisonburg, Va. } gets teary-eyed thinking

A HISTORIC SEASON

Elon returned home to be greeted by the band, cheerleaders and fans. The next night, hundreds gathered in Alumni Gym to watch the Selection Show, when it was announced on ESPN Elon was a No. 11 seed and set to play No. 6 West Virginia in the first round in College Park, Maryland. And, of course, there was a team ceremony to rip down the picture of James Madison from the locker room door. “This was the first time I’ve been a part of a team in my career where people really did buy in,” Brown says. “It was a different level of focus this year.”

lasting impact

{ Coach Charlotte Smith became the first Elon head coach to earn Eastern College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors. } play began, the Phoenix was regularly appearing in national mid-major polls and rising up in the Ratings Percentage Index, one of the tools used by the NCAA Selection Committee to evaluate teams. Elon was excelling particularly both on defense and on the boards, Smith’s two areas of emphasis. Since she arrived at Elon, she’s been preaching that defense and rebounding are the two keys to the game that a team can control. This group bought in, and the results showed. Elon reeled off a program-record nine-game winning streak after the loss to Duke as it began CAA play. During that stretch, the Phoenix beat Drexel twice—the first victory coming when Drexel was atop the ESPN Mid-Major Poll, and the latter coming against a packed house at Alumni Gym in a game that solidified Elon’s spot as a contender for the CAA title. During the season, Smith harped on her players to look like a championship team. Not only should they be constantly improving their play and striving to win a title, but they need to prepare for the national stage they sought to be on. “That was something we preached all year, preparing yourself for where you want to go,” Smith says. Elon won the CAA title at home, sending its seniors off from Alumni Gym in ideal fashion, but had one last hurdle to clear—one it had never conquered before.

claiming a title

Since Elon joined the CAA, James Madison has been the crown jewel of the league. It has had multiple CAA Players of the Year, and

had won the league title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament each of the past three years. And before the teams’ match-up in the CAA Championship, Elon had never beaten the Dukes. That was well-known among the players and coaches. Smith laminated a picture of last year’s James Madison team holding the CAA Championship trophy and placed it in each player’s locker, a constant reminder of excellence and achieving excellence in all you do. She placed the same photo with the caption, “Who’s working harder: You or them?” on the locker room door, and instructed the team not to take it down until they had beaten James Madison. “It was definitely a good reminder,” Lauren Brown says. “We were surely working hard.” Because the CAA moved its championship back to pre-determined campus sites, Elon, despite being the No. 1 seed, was playing a road game against No. 2 James Madison in the CAA Championship game. That didn’t matter. Elon fittingly produced its best defensive performance of the season, building up a 22-point lead en route to a commanding 78–60 win, solidifying its first trip to the NCAA Tournament and a spot in Elon history. They broke out the golden scissors, cut down the nets and launched into a celebration that included dozens of hugs, a dogpile of the team and Smith making confetti angels on the court. “It’s one of those situations where you’re kind of pinching yourself,” Smith says. “Even though you know you could be a championship team, when it finally hits home, ‘We really did this. We’re really champions,’ I was literally pinching myself. It’s so surreal.”

Though Elon lost that game to West Virginia 75–62 after trailing by just one in the fourth quarter, the impact of the team’s success is wide-ranging. For one, the support the team drummed up during the course of its season was unprecedented. Three home games were attended by more than 1,000 people, including the 1,412 that watched Elon’s loss to James Madison and set an Alumni Gym record for a women’s basketball game. Blank says the team’s success will rub off on other sports. “At Elon, it’s an advancement of all athletics,” he says. “Our teams adopt each other. If you come to one of our athletic events, you’re probably going to see other athletes there watching a team play.” For her part, the successful season led Smith to be named the 2016–17 CAA women’s basketball Coach of the Year and the Eastern College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, becoming the first Elon head coach to earn the honor. The impact for the university cannot be understated, either. Blank acknowledges Elon is building itself into a national university with national recognition, and the exposure that comes with a championship in athletics can help with that. All week leading up to the NCAA game, Elon’s logo and name were on ESPN. In addition, Inside Higher Ed, the leading media company serving the higher education space, named the team a Final Four All-Academic team for its academic prowess. “The marketing value, I don’t know how you put a price tag on it,” he says. “It’s very valuable in the eyes of the institution.” Lauren Brown still looks back at the season in awe of what the Phoenix was able to accomplish. She had no idea where Elon was when Smith first invited her to a camp, but now the school is certainly on the map. She was also amazed at the level of support the team received all year. “I see my teammates now, and it’s like a nonstop celebration,” she says. Next year, Elon will hoist a banner in Alumni Gym celebrating this team and its accomplishments. Every day Smith walks in, whether for practice or a game, she’ll see a tangible sign of her vision fulfilled. “Our hearts will be full,” she says. “It’ll be a very gratifying feeling to see them hang those banners in our presence.” spring 2017 19

The Odyssey family Elon’s Odyssey Scholars share a bond that carries them through the campus experience and into successful lives after graduation. BY MADISON TAYLOR

he stories almost always start the same way. Students who become part of the Odyssey Scholars program at Elon University do so almost by accident. First they hear about Elon from a high school teacher, guidance counselor, admissions recruiter or even an alumnus. They browse the university website and like, or often love, what they see and decide Elon is the perfect choice—their “dream school.” But getting to Elon is a dream in more ways than one. They all face a substantial financial hardship, so attending any college, especially a private school such as Elon, is a practical impossibility without help. These students are different in other ways, too. They’re high achievers and future leaders, even though they might not yet be aware of it. Take Justin Brown, for example. A senior from Silk Hope in rural North Carolina, Brown is the first person from his family to attend college. Raised by a single mom, he had no idea how to even start the application process, much less obtain financial aid. He had little idea such help was even possible. “I started from square one,” he says. A teacher and Elon graduate at JordanMatthews High School told him about Elon. He used Google to find more information and liked what he saw enough to learn more and visit the campus five times. He found out about Odyssey scholarships while researching the Honors Fellows program. “I just happened upon it while rummaging through the site to find information,” he says. In the same week he was accepted to Elon, he also received notice he would not only be an Honors Fellow but an Odyssey Scholar, too. Four years later, Brown is completing his major in religious studies and planning to attend graduate school. He’s been accepted into Harvard University, but decided instead to attend Indiana University Bloomington, which offered him a full scholarship. He never thought he would be where he is today. For Brown, it’s an interesting journey. Along the way he gained more than an Elon education. He was part of something much larger. “Odyssey and Honors Fellows take over your life, in a good way,” he says.

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“Being an Odyssey Scholar gave me the selfassurance that I can do the things I want to do.” — Justin Brown ’17

spring 2017 21

The family plan Talk to any Odyssey Scholar and the words “support” and “family” come up often. Senior Chann Little, a communications major from Mount Holly, North Carolina, a small town near Charlotte, calls his fellow Odyssey Scholars “my family away from my actual family.” Little is a blogger, videographer and social media presence who already has starred on an MTV reality show, “True Life: I Have a Pushy Parent.” His goal upon graduation from Elon is to land a job in social media for a corporation and ultimately work his way to Los Angeles where he can be an influencer.

{ Chann Little ’17 }

For Little, a first-generation college student whose father died when he was 9, the Odyssey program was essential to his success in ways well beyond the financial benefits. “I was able to meet so many students coming from the same backgrounds,” Little says. “Through Odyssey I was able to find a group of people like me. It led to people I could relate to. I was with people I could trust and that was important.” Brenna Humphries is an Odyssey Scholar who graduated from Elon in 2013 with a degree in business administration. She’s now pursuing an MBA at Washington University in St. Louis. She arrived on the Elon campus from Marietta, Georgia, as the second member of her family to attend college. Her family migrated to America from Saint Vincent, an island in the Caribbean. “Elon was difficult at times [for Odyssey Scholars] because we were from different social and academic backgrounds. We had challenges our other classmates didn’t,” she says. “We were able to bond. It was a sense of community that’s mattered the most. The friendships were great. That honestly outweighs the financial support.”

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Yousaf Khan is a first-year Odyssey Scholar. Originally from Pakistan, his family arrived in the United States in 2003. He learned English after they moved to Newark, New Jersey, and eventually attended private school in Delaware at St. Andrews School. He was accustomed to meeting new people and encountering different experiences. Still, the cohesiveness of his fellow Odyssey Scholars stands apart. “Odyssey Scholars are like my family here. They were the first people who I came in contact with. I think we all relate on a certain level. We’ve all had certain struggles that we’ve had to go through,” Khan says. “We take care of each other. I never got a sense of that with any other organization. We’re always hanging out, we’re always doing

{ Yousaf Khan ’20 }

stuff together. It’s hard to describe until you’re in it.” Joanna Salerno, a junior Elon student and Odyssey Scholar from Wyckoff, New Jersey, is majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience and biology. She says the Odyssey Scholars program paved the way for her to attend “an amazing university.” It also provided a good bit more. “The { Joanna Salerno ’18 } Odyssey Scholars program is not simply a scholarship program, it is a support system and a family,” she says. “The directors and staff of this program helped me tremendously my freshman year in adjusting to life as a college student, and the support did not stop there. They have been there for me throughout my time at Elon and are always available whether I need guidance and advice or just want to talk about life.” That’s exactly how the program is structured.

Reaching full potential Part of Elon’s Center for Access and Success, the Odyssey Scholars program is tailored for academically gifted students who face overwhelming financial issues or have no real experience in how higher education works. Odyssey Scholars are chosen based on academic strength, critical thinking, community participation and high financial need. It’s a program meant to develop future leaders who might otherwise be unable to reach their full potential due to financial constraints. The students come from all walks of life and a variety of backgrounds. Many are the first in their families to attend college but a

THE ODYSSEY FAMILY

the Pacific Rim, a global perspective that aided his future career at Citigroup. “Odyssey opened my life up to a bunch of experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Burke says. “The program gave me the tools to succeed after college. I don’t know that I would have had that foundation without it.” For students, the economic needs are all different, Freeman says, but the ultimate goals are remarkably similar. “The common bond is their academic achievement and leadership capabilities. They’re ambitious,” Freeman says. “Their drive is not only making themselves and their families better but the world better. Their passion is not just for themselves but for the community. They leverage each other’s strengths.”

— Brenna Humphries ’13

large number come from families facing new financial issues that make higher education more of a strain than a viable option. “There are lots of reasons people have financial trouble,” says Esther Freeman, who along with Marcus Elliott directs the Odyssey Scholars program. “So many things happen in life that can derail a college education. All it takes is one job loss and now a family is on food stamps and one step from losing their homes.” Sean J. Burke understands what Freeman means. Burke, of Rumson, New Jersey, graduated from Elon in 2014 with a degree in finance. He now works in New York as an analyst for Citigroup. Odyssey made it possible. Burke’s family was financially devastated by the economic downturn in 2008 followed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. His brother, Alec, is currently an Odyssey Scholar at Elon. “When I visited Elon I was automatically drawn to it and knew I wanted to come here,” Burke says. “I looked at the Elon website for financial aid options and found the Odyssey program.” Through the Odyssey program, Burke took part in a service trip to the Mississippi Delta where he worked with at-risk middle school students. He also studied international business in Barcelona and

Outside the bubble Humphries says she applied to Elon as a “reach” school after learning about it from an alumnus. After reading about the university, she “fell in love with the campus, the programs and the number of students that study abroad.” While scholarship money was available for her at state universities in Georgia, Elon was her No. 1 choice. She knew her parents couldn’t swing the cost financially but they encouraged her to apply anyway. “It took a while to get the scholarship money but when I did, it was my dream school,” Humphries says. “I got an Odyssey scholarship and a lot of financial aid. I graduated from Elon completely debt-free.” Jean Rattigan-Rohr, director of the Center for Access and Success, which oversees the Odyssey Scholars program, says the program meets 100 percent of a student’s demonstrated need. In many instances, the scholarship is combined with Elon grants, Pell grants, Stafford loans and work study. Each Odyssey Scholar receives a $2,000 stipend that may be used to buy books, a laptop computer or other school-related expenses, including new clothes for job interviews. And significantly to students, Odyssey Scholars receive

spring 2017 23

a $4,000 stipend that goes toward global education or a Study USA experience. More than 90 percent of Odyssey Scholars participate in global travel, Rattigan-Rohr says. Brown, for example, augmented his study of Hinduism by traveling to India. Salerno is spending this spring in Queensland, Australia, an experience she says is already having a profound impact on her life. “I have met people from all around the world and am learning daily about different cultures and traditions,” she says. “My mind is being expanded and I am seeing the world outside of the little bubble I grew up in.” The Odyssey program is wide-ranging and engaging. Over their four years at Elon, Odyssey Scholars will be offered networking opportunities with industry professionals and Elon alumni. They participate in a first-year summer orientation week that acclimates them to the college environment before fall studies begin. It’s a basic

{ Jazmine Langley ’19 }

tutorial about what life on a college campus is like. Each Odyssey first-year is assigned a mentor. The program also includes annual retreats, monthly class meetings and one-on-one academic and career counseling. During spring break this year, the Odyssey Scholars traveled to Atlanta for networking and tours of corporations such as Coca-Cola. It’s a program that works. Odyssey Scholars are among Elon’s top-performing students. They are regularly represented on the President’s and Dean’s Lists and have received prestigious honors such as the Lumen Prize, Elon’s highest award for undergraduate research and creative achievement. There are currently 118 Odyssey Scholars at Elon. Ultimately, the university would like to raise that number to 400—100 in every class. The success story stands in contrast to similar scholarships offered at other universities. The retention and graduation rates of firstgeneration and high-financial need students are traditionally very low across the country. The retention rate for first-year Elon University

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Odyssey Scholars is 94 percent, and 100 percent for the Class of 2019. The four-year graduation rate stands at 85 percent for Odyssey Scholars and 78 percent for all Elon students. Nationally, even very high-achieving students from low-income households are far less likely to graduate than students from high-income homes by a wide margin, Rattigan-Rohr says. The Class of 2017 provides an example. Freeman and Elliott call it “one of our highest achieving classes.” It began with 26 students and 23 remain. Many are going to graduate school. One plans to study law. Another has developed a system for hydroponic farming. “My class is doing some amazing things,” Brown says.

Band of brothers and sisters The bonding process for Odyssey Scholars starts with the summer orientation prior to their first year on campus. They not only learn about the intricacies of collegiate life but begin the process of building relationships—not just with other Odyssey Scholars but with leaders in the program who serve as mentors. It’s a cohort-based process that continues throughout their studies at Elon. They study, talk and socialize together, bound by the experiences they shared before arriving on the Elon campus, where so many students come from far more privileged upbringings. Jazmine Langley is a sophomore Elon student from Wake Forest, North Carolina, and the first in her family to attend college. She and Khan are Gates Millennium Scholars, a program that covers any need not met by their Odyssey scholarship, as well as any cost associated with pursuing a graduate or doctoral degree in computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science. In considering their options to go to any school they were accepted into, they both felt Elon was the right place for them, in great part because of the Odyssey program. In all, Langley applied to 13 schools but only toured Elon, and the Odyssey program played a big part in that decision. “They are very support-based. At any other school where they have cohorts and bring in students from disadvantaged backgrounds, they usually just give them the financial component. With Odyssey, there’s constant support surrounding every tenet of the college experience,” Langley says. “That definitely made the difference in why I chose Elon.” During her orientation session, Langley interacted with other students in a series of exercises she calls “emotionally intensive.” Students addressed often personal questions about poverty, homelessness and hunger. They discussed the impact of having more or less privilege than other students in the group. The Odyssey program pays for all expenses for students to attend the orientation, including airfare if necessary. It’s a critical part of forging a cohesiveness that will help sustain them when school officially starts. “They bond with each other and we teach them about using the library, available services, how to shop at the bookstore and save money,” Freeman says. “It’s meant to give them food for thought.” It doesn’t end there. Freeman’s and Elliott’s third-floor offices in the Mooney Building are almost like a second home for the students. During the short break between Winter Term and spring semester, the directors made sure food was available in Mooney for students who couldn’t make it home for the long weekend when cafeterias on campus were closed. It’s a gathering point. Group events are held throughout the year. “Odyssey always provides the space for us to come together and for us to get closer,” Langley says. “There is so much closeness in the cohort; you just tell these people any and everything.”

A part of Elon life The same bond that makes Odyssey Scholars become a tightly knit family turns them into campus leaders, Rattigan-Rohr says. “The program provides this talented group of students with both the professional and peer support needed to navigate the campus community. This has had an impact in their engagement on campus,” she adds. Beyond structured events that are part of the Odyssey program, students participate in Fellows programs, conduct research and serve as teaching assistants. Rattigan-Rohr says Odyssey scholars bring unique perspectives as they participate in campus leadership roles such as resident assistants, student government and orientation staff. In the community outside Elon, they serve as volunteers for agencies such as the Boys & Girls Club and Allied Churches of Alamance County food pantry and homeless shelter. “They’re engaged in every

THE ODYSSEY FAMILY

facet of the campus community working towards strengthening Elon,” Rattigan-Rohr says. “In so doing, they provide undeniable context for challenging and transforming long-held deficit beliefs about people from low-income households.” First and foremost, Rattigan-Rohr says the Odyssey Scholars program is offering gifted students the chance to improve their lives and, in turn, their families and communities. “Moving forward our scholars have access to a wide array of opportunities thanks to the fact that they leave Elon with a robust résumé showing both a depth and breadth of experience,” she says. “This has opened the door for our alumni in a variety of sectors.” Brown, whose career goal is to one day become a university professor at Elon, agrees. “Being an Odyssey Scholar gave me the selfassurance that I can do the things I want to do. It taught me that I can do all the things a typical Elon student does and be just as successful or more successful,” he says.

The Odyssey Scholars program at a glance Odyssey scholarships are endowed by and named for benefactors who believe an Elon education can make a difference in the life of a young person.

The Edward W. Doherty and Joan K. Doherty Scholarship – designated for Hispanic or African-American students.

The Horizons National Odyssey Scholarship – designated for students who have completed the Horizons National Program.

The Honorable Thad Eure North Carolina Achievement Scholarship – designated for students from North Carolina.

The Gail H. LaRose Scholarship – designated for education majors.

Current Scholarships

The John L. Georgeo Scholarship – undesignated.

At present, there are 14 Odyssey scholarship endowments that combine to support 118 students at Elon University. They are:

The Lorraine Fogleman Grant and Muir William Grant Music Scholarship – designated for students majoring in music performance or music education.

The Anonymous Odyssey Scholarship – undesignated. The Marvin and Eva Burke Clapp Scholarship – undesignated. The Elon Commitment Scholarship – designated for students from North Carolina.

The Margaret Ann Hall Endowed Scholarship – designated for women from Virginia. The Jessie Thurecht Hook ’46 Scholarship – undesignated.

The Mac Mahon Family Scholarship – designated for students from Alamance County, North Carolina, or specific counties in New Jersey. The Susan Scholarship – designated for women. The Leon V. and Lorraine B. Watson North Carolina Scholarship – designated for students from North Carolina. For questions or to discuss opportunities to establish an Odyssey scholarship at Elon University, contact 336-278-5851 or visit www.elon.edu/odyssey. spring 2017 25

A resilient acorn Tom Spain p’02 has seen his daughter thrive along with the Elon acorn he planted at home 19 years ago. BY KATIE DEGRAFF

e didn’t think much of it at the time. As Tom Spain toured Elon’s campus in the spring of 1998, he scooped up several acorns and put them in his pocket. Tom and his wife, Susan, were accompanying their daughter, Betsy, as she searched for her ideal college. Back home in Gainesville, Florida, Tom planted the acorns in pots. The chances of an oak tree thriving in the humid Florida climate weren’t great, but he figured it was worth a shot. Meanwhile his daughter made her college selection. Even though the trip had taken her family to nearly 15 colleges, Betsy decided Elon was the only school for her. She says it only took 10 minutes of being on campus for her to fully commit to the university. “There was just something about Elon’s personality that was so apparent—the energy, the focus on students—it was something I felt in all of the conversations I had during my visit,” she says. She applied early, was accepted, enrolled and arrived at Elon in fall 1998. She moved into Staley Hall and was happily surprised at how easy it was to acclimate to life away from home. Her parents were also pleased with Betsy’s choice and stayed in regular contact with their daughter. Back in Gainesville, against the odds, one of the acorns sprouted. Tom nurtured it into a sapling, moving it into larger pots and finally, after five years, into the ground. During the course of 15 years, the tree continued to thrive and grew 20 feet tall. In 2013 the Spains built a new house, and decided to try to move the tree, even though the arborist Tom consulted thought it had little chance of survival. The tree was moved in the winter, and the Spains waited anxiously to see if it would leaf out in the spring. After much delay, it did. As the tree continued to grow, Betsy grew her own Elon legacy. In 2002 she graduated with a business administration degree, rounded

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{ Above: Susan Spain, Betsy Spain Barbao ’02 & Tom Spain. Right: The Elon oak tree the Spains replanted in 2013 after building a new house in Florida. }

out with concentrations in marketing and management information systems. The relationships she built during those four years have endured. “Elon is where I became the person I wanted to be; it’s where I met the friends I’d always wanted to make,” she says. The people she met were driven, open-minded and helped propel her to success. Betsy has spent her career in digital advertising, and now lives in Atlanta, where she’s a program manager for Razorfish, an international advertising firm. She met some of her very best friends at Elon and is still in regular contact with a few of her most influential professors. And the tree? It’s doing just as well. It’s grown another five feet since it was replanted in 2013. This spring marks 19 years since the acorn first sprouted. “I walk by that tree every day on my way to get the mail,” Tom says. “We loved our time as Elon parents and Betsy loved her time as an Elon student. Seeing that tree is a pleasant reminder of a place that’s very dear to us.”

From the ARCHIVES

The Elon mace decoded An emblem of authority, the mace incorporates symbols that represent the values of an Elon education. BY SARAH MULNICK ’17

he Elon mace made its first appearance on April 25, 1989, when the late President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46, the senior faculty member at the time, carried it during the school’s Centennial Convocation. The tradition started that day continues today. At official campus events such as convocations and commencements, a senior member of the faculty is chosen to carry the mace and lead the procession. A symbol of authority, the Elon mace was designed by graphic designer Gayle Fishel ’78. It was gifted to the school by the estate of E. M. Martin in memory of Elon professor Alonzo L. Hook, who graduated from Elon College in 1913 and joined the faculty in 1914. During his time at Elon, Hook taught a variety of science and mathematics courses and served as registrar and dean of the college. He attended every Elon commencement from 1910 to 1982, and died on commencement day in 1983. The ornamental staff, which weighs 12 pounds and is approximately 40 inches in length, was handcrafted in Portugal and incorporates some of Elon’s most representative symbols.

In gold at the top is the Elon seal, which includes the motto Numen Lumen, Latin words meaning “spiritual light” and “intellectual light” that signify the highest purposes of an Elon education. Other symbols represented in the seal signify strength and power and other values upon which the institution was founded and built.

A gold acorn, representing the seed of learning, is carved at the end of the shaft.

The shaft of the mace has four distinct sections, representing four years of study at Elon. It is decorated with fluted silver bands that alternate with bands of oak leaves and bright silver.

Crowned by the seal is a fivesided, sterling silver replica of the brick colonnades, including archways. This represents the strength and stability of the university. The pentagon shape is also the Greek symbol for “universe.”

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{ Senior Tyson Glover's can-do attitude has driven him to engage in numerous organizations during his four years at Elon. }

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to serve

With an enthusiastic spirit, Tyson Glover ’17 uses his entrepreneurial shrewdness to help those who help others. BY ALEXA MILAN BOSCHINI ’10

or Tyson Glover, there is no “can’t.” He never learned how to swim, but that didn’t stop him from joining the club swim team in his first year at Elon. He hovered tentatively by the pool, surrounded by expert swimmers. When it was his turn for a time trial, he dove headfirst—and belly-flopped spectacularly. He floundered to the deep end, his muscles cramped and he slowly sank. A lifeguard dove in and pulled him to the surface. Without changing out of his swim trunks, Glover ran through the frigid February air back to the refuge of his dorm room. But to the team’s surprise, he returned to practice the next day. Armed with floaties, Glover began to swim, and even earned a tongue-incheek award for “best anchor on the team.” This can-do attitude has guided much of Glover’s journey at Elon. He is not afraid to “fail forward.” In his experience, it’s better to try, fail, learn and adapt than to avoid pursuing new opportunities, even those that present the greatest obstacles. He speculates that he’s set a record for the most failed auditions for Elon’s Finest, the university’s hip-hop dance team. And when an epiphany hit him, almost literally, after he narrowly avoided a student driver’s car while sprinting to class last fall, he reshaped years of work toward his nonprofit startup, We Can, so a good idea could become a great one. “I know pretty well from being in entrepreneurship and being involved with We Can, you experience failure every single day,” says Glover, a senior strategic communications major with minors in entrepreneurship and leadership studies. “We don’t talk about it. It’s always seen as negative, but the only true failure is when you don’t learn from it.”

The idea Glover grew up in Kensington, Maryland, in a house with a big dining room table made for working through big ideas. His parents, Bill and Cinda,

started their own graphic design firm when he was a child, and they always encouraged him and his older brother to brainstorm. “Growing up in a household of entrepreneurs, my dad always pushed me into creative thinking,” Glover says. “I grew up in a really cool situation of sometimes being woken up at 2 a.m. when they were looking at two different logos and asked which one I liked more, and I would have to tell them why. I thought that was a normal childhood. I’ve learned since that it’s bizarre in the best way possible.” Glover first realized the power of combining creative thinking and philanthropy in high school when his senior class raised $80,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “Even in second and third grade, he always seemed to stick up for people who couldn’t stick up for themselves,” his father, Bill, says. His passion for humanitarianism followed him to Elon, where he kicked off his college career with the Gap Experience program. Glover spent his first semester embedded in service and leadership, from the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming to hands-on service in South Dakota, St. Louis and Washington, D.C., to six weeks of study in Costa Rica. It was an experience in Washington, D.C., that sparked Glover’s idea for We Can. He was volunteering at Miriam’s Kitchen, an organization dedicated to ending homelessness, when a homeless man requested a small winter jacket. Glover’s heart sank when he realized the organization, which relies on donations, was out of coats. When Glover broke the news, he learned the jacket was meant for the man’s 9-year-old son. After he watched them leave that late October afternoon, Glover couldn’t get the boy out of his head. He volunteered at another poverty-focused organization the next day and asked if they had winter jackets. They had a closet full of them. “All of these people are working for the same cause, and they’d never heard of each other,” Glover says. “There was no communication. SPRING 2017 29

PHOTOS: MORGAN COLLINS ’20

If I had to take something from Elon and bring it into my next chapter in life, I want to take that can-do mentality. I don’t think the world needs another person talking about how many problems we have. I think the world needs people who are going to go out there and do something about it.

{ Tyson Glover ’17 volunteers with his Live Oak Communications team at Loy Farm. } This was happening in St. Louis, Kentucky and D.C. I was just at a loss for words.” Glover wondered how nonprofits in the same region could communicate better. What if they could share resources, charity to charity?

The problem When he arrived on campus in the spring, Glover immersed himself in all things Elon. He was accepted into the Leadership Fellows program, and later joined the Fire of the Carolinas drumline, Live Oak Communications, Phoenix Phanatics, Elon Volunteers! and the Office of Admissions as a tour guide. But the desire to help nonprofits lingered in his mind. He decided to pursue the idea for his Leadership Fellows project, which would ultimately morph into We Can—Charity Assistance Network. We Can’s mission was to maximize communication among nonprofits and volunteers via an online platform. If one group needed jackets, for example, We Can would help them find another organization with a surplus. By sophomore year, Glover had assembled a team of students and found faculty mentors. They won grants, developed a website and conducted interviews with Alamance County nonprofits. “We met every Monday,” Glover says. “It wasn’t for class credit or anything. It was just people believing in this idea. The passion you put into it is more than a grade or a check box on your transcript.” But as the project evolved, Glover’s mentors questioned the logistics of how this broad concept would operate. His run-in with a student driver on the way to class triggered some creative problem solving. “People who are learning how 30 the MAGAZINE of ELON

to drive are always on the road, and a lot of times don’t have a specific destination,” Glover says. Driving instructors, he theorized, could direct students to a location where they would pick up donated goods and drive them to a nonprofit that needed them, such as delivering excess food from a grocery store to a food bank. Glover initially continued work on We Can while developing his new startup, Food Drivers, as his entrepreneurship capstone project. But assistant professor Sean McMahon, the Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, convinced him to merge the two ideas. “I try to get students to realize they are the best idea,” McMahon says. “They don’t have to stay married to one thing when it could lead to a better thing. When he realized that, it was a real evolution.”

The solution After years of hard work, it was difficult to pivot away from We Can. But Glover agreed the new direction was a more effective way to solve his original problem of connecting nonprofits to the goods and services they need, while removing the roadblocks the We Can team faced with its online platform. “My knee-jerk reaction was I had worked on this project for two years—I wasn’t going to just end it,” Glover says. “But I came to the conclusion that was actually the best route. That was the most feasible thing to do if I wanted to get something done, if I really wanted to help people.” Food Drivers’ momentum accelerated quickly. The organization won best in category and second place overall at Elon’s Innovation Challenge pitch competition. A Williams High

School driving instructor agreed to a test drive. A website is in the works. And Glover hopes to pitch the concept to the North Carolina Driving School and ultimately replicate Food Drivers across the state. The Food Drivers team also completed a test drive with the Salvation Army during winter break, retrieving holiday stockings from dropoff points at local restaurants. Elon junior and the Salvation Army’s Leader in Collaborative Service Student Coordinator Annie Segal says the two organizations are discussing ways to partner further. “One of our biggest issues is we don’t have enough volunteers to pick up all of the donated food, bring it back to the Salvation Army and unload it,” she says. “The idea of having a consistent group of students to help us with these pickups was appealing to us. It’s a huge need in the food pantry world to have those extra hands.” Glover’s post-graduation options are as varied as his Elon experiences. He is considering pursuing his MBA at Elon, or perhaps applying for a job at a nonprofit or design thinking firm. He’s confident the rest of the Food Drivers team can grow the organization in the coming years. Beyond that, Glover hopes to keep the initiative alive in Alamance County through Elon Volunteers! And if he does leave the area, he hopes to expand Food Drivers wherever he goes. “If you’re going to work on something, just go all in,” Glover says. “You’ll be really proud of what you create. Even if it fails, you’ll be really proud that you gave it your all. “If I had to take something from Elon and bring it into my next chapter in life, I want to take that can-do mentality. I don’t think the world needs another person talking about how many problems we have. I think the world needs people who are going to go out there and do something about it.”

ALUMNI ACTION

An ever stronger alumni network Dear Elon alumni,

hen I look back at my time as president of the Elon Alumni Board, I compare my experience to Elon’s beautiful gardens during spring. First there was the hard work of planning and digging. But as time passes, we are able to witness our fantastic programs bloom from their successes. I am certain that what we have accomplished over the past several months will continue the upward trajectory of Elon, and I am proud to have served during such an important time. A recent success story that highlights the impact of Elon’s partners, advocates and investors is #ElonDay 2017. On March 7, we once again broke giving records by making 4,299 gifts totaling more than $1 million. Energized alumni, parents, friends, seniors, faculty and staff unlocked $550,000 in scholarship funds throughout the day. Thank you to all who made a gift and helped create life-changing scholarship opportunities. We also continued to build on Elon’s fantastic Homecoming experience with the additions of the Rock the Block party and Classes Without Quizzes last fall. The inaugural Rock the Block celebration turned East Haggard Avenue into a hub for food trucks, live music and lawn games, which provided fun for alumni of all ages. As part of the new Classes Without Quizzes program, many alumni headed back to the classroom to learn from their favorite professors. This new offering provided alumni with additional interactions with faculty and the chance to relive their Elon academic experiences. In addition the Office of Alumni Engagement created Alumni 360, a

new digital volunteer program. Through brief quarterly surveys, alumni are empowered to share their feedback and input on important topics such as Homecoming, alumni communications and future initiatives. The information we have received is already shaping the alumni experience. An infographic about the latest survey results can be found on page 33 and more information about past surveys is available at www.elon.edu/alumni360. The board continues to be dedicated to the inclusion of a diverse range of alumni from many graduating years, locations and backgrounds. Accompanied by the leadership of the Young Alumni Council, representing alumni who are 10 years or less from graduation, the board’s view is broader than ever. It is our deepest and most sincere hope that you experience the improvements we strive for so passionately. It has been rewarding to serve as your president over the past year, and I think you are being left in very good hands. Chris Bell ’92, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and serves as president of the Triangle East Region for SunTrust Bank, is rising to the challenge of leading the alumni board for the next year. At the same time, Michelle Wideman Snavely ’00, a resident of Boulder, Colorado, and regional sales director for Dell, Inc., has agreed to serve as vice president. As your voice to the university, reach out to any of us at any time so that we can continue to serve you and Elon the best way possible. Long live Elon! Cam Tims ’00 Elon Alumni Board President

Brick by brick: Investing in Elon’s future Proud Elon alumni: Help pave the way for generations of students to come. Set up a sustaining gift of at least $5 per month or $60 per year for three years by May 31, and Elon will install a personalized brick in your honor. Alumni who make a gift to Elon every MAKE YOUR MARK BY VISITING fiscal year (June 1–May 31) www.elon.edu/bricks increase Elon’s alumni participation rate and, in turn, the university’s national rankings—helping maintain the value of an Elon degree. Invest in the future of Elon by becoming a sustaining donor. Your gift to any area of Elon will also automatically secure your place in the 1889 Society, which honors loyal alumni who support Elon every fiscal year.

#ELONDAY

For more information, contact the Office of Annual Giving at giving@elon.edu or (336) 278-7447. spring 2017 31

on the town

ALUMNI ACTION

Alumni chapters host third annual #ElonDay parties In its biggest year yet, more than 900 alumni around the world attended 37 #ElonDay parties in March hosted by Elon’s alumni chapters and volunteers. These events provided alumni with a way to celebrate #ElonDay where they live, and participate in the day by making their annual gifts to Elon. For more information about the success of this year’s event, see page 10 and this issue’s inside back cover.

{ Atlanta }

{Kernersville, N.C. }

{ Washington, D.C. }

Elon Latinx Hispanic Alumni Network launches in September

reated to support Elon’s Hispanic and Latinx community, the Elon University Office of Alumni Engagement will formally launch the Elon Latinx Hispanic Alumni Network—or ELHAN, for short—during Hispanic Heritage Month in September. Latinx is an inclusive term used in place of the words Latino or Latina. ELHAN is the latest addition to the growing number of alumni affinity networks at Elon, which now include the Elon Black Alumni Network and the LGBTQIA Alumni Network. With an increasing number of Hispanic and Latinx students studying and graduating from Elon, ELHAN will act as voice for this historically underrepresented population. The net-

32 the MAGAZINE of ELON

work will also assist with recruiting a more diverse body of incoming students. By empowering these students through mentorship and financial support, ELHAN is directly reflecting the Elon Commitment, a university initiative to better reflect the world’s socioeconomic, ethnic and cultural diversity. The network is planning its first official gathering during Homecoming 2017 in November to provide various events and programs to their constituents. “I have always dreamed of seeing Elon’s Latino and Latina alumni come together in support of each other and of the university that we so love,” said Nikki Morillo ’12. “I am so excited this dream will soon become a reality.”

ALUMNI ACTION

U P CO M I N G E

V E NT S

✪✪ Atlanta Alumni Chapter Golf Tournament Friday, May 12 The Golf Club at Bradshaw Farm

In January Alumni 360 participants shared feedback about their volunteer experiences as part of a survey regarding volunteerism. Below are the highlights from the survey’s results. The Office of Alumni Engagement looks forward to enhancing its alumni volunteer programs in response to this insightful input. For more results from the survey, visit www.elon.edu/alumni360.

✪✪ Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter’s 8th Annual Golf Tournament Monday, June 12 Reston National Golf Course alumni@elon.edu to register. ✪✪ Summer Socials Each year Elon’s alumni chapters gather at baseball games to enjoy the summer warmth and often meet up with students completing internships in their cities. Be on the lookout for information about upcoming chapter events in your area.

TO FIND A CHAPTER NEAR YOU, GO TO www.elon.edu/alumni.

KEEP ELON IN THE KNOW If you have recently moved or changed jobs, make sure to update your information at www.elon.edu/alumniupdate to receive information about upcoming events in your area. spring 2017 33

ALUMNI ACTION

TOP 10 UNDER 10 YOUNG ALUMNI EXCELLENCE RECOGNIZED

{ Back row from left: Rob Marnell ’06, Al Drago ’15 and Reginald Hall ’07. Front row from left: Lauren Durr Emery ’08, Kristen Kennedy Howard ’08, Julie Morse ’13, Ana Marie Jaramillo ’08, Amanda Clark ’11 and Damon Ogburn ’07. } Surrounded by family, friends and their Elon mentors, 10 extraordinary young alumni were recognized April 1 for their professional achievements with the 2017 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Awards. In its seventh year, the program highlights and celebrates alumni who have graduated within the past decade and are distinguished in their professions and invested in the future of Elon and their community. Recognized were: ✪✪

Rob Marnell ’06, Broadway actor New York

✪✪

Reginald Hall ’07, senior venture architect, BCG Digital Ventures New York

Ana Marie Jaramillo ’08, vice president, Global Business Transformation, J.P. Morgan Asset Management New York

✪✪

Damon Ogburn ’07, doctoral candidate (epidemiology), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Amanda Clark ’11, internal medicine resident, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina

✪✪

Ginna Claire Mason Moffett ’13, Broadway actor New York (in absentia)

✪✪

Lauren Durr Emery ’08, assistant attorney general, Ohio Attorney General’s Office Columbus, Ohio

✪✪

Julie Morse ’13, producer, Breaking News and “The 11th Hour with Brian Williams” – MSNBC New York

✪✪

Kristen Kennedy Howard ’08, reporter, WKYT-TV Lexington, Kentucky

✪✪

Al Drago ’15, photojournalist, The New York Times Washington, D.C.

For more information about the recipients or the Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Awards program, contact Jill Hollis ’13, assistant director of alumni engagement and special events, at jhollis@elon.edu.

34 the MAGAZINE of ELON

CLASS NOTES

CLASS 63| NOTES

Charlie Frye took home gold

and bronze medals at the North Carolina Senior Games’ state finals in September. He and his partner won bronze in shuffleboard, and he took the bronze in the individual football throw. He also won a gold medal in a game of horse in basketball shooting, making it the 16th gold medal he has won since he started competing in the senior games. In all, Charlie won nine medals in the local and state senior games in 2016. He has already qualified for the 2017 National Senior Games in Birmingham, Ala.

75|

After seven years, Neal Howes has retired from performing at the Carolina Renaissance Festival as the town crier. He continues to work in film and television and lives in Mooresville, N.C.

79|

John Atkinson has retired

after 27 years of service to the Volusia County Schools in Florida. During that time, he served as school principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels. John also served 27 years in the Navy, earning the rank of captain. His wife, Dianne McAllister Atkinson ’81, also worked for the school system as a teacher, reading specialist and assistant principal. The two recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary and are looking

77|

In May, Kirk McClure was honored with the Cole Sydnor Giving Back Award at the 2016 Shining Knight Gala held by the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center’s Level I trauma center. Kirk has served as a volunteer for Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors soar Program since 2015 and a Trauma Survivor Network peer visitor since 2016. As a burn survivor, Kirk says it’s important for him to encourage patients who are going through a similar experience. In 1981 Kirk spent 9 1/2 months recovering after an electrical fire in his home that left him with third-degree burns over 55 percent of his body. “Through horrific tragedy and much pain and suffering, I learned I was given a gift, a second chance in life—the gift of survival,” he says, “and the best part about having this gift, this precious gift, is being given the opportunity to share it with others and that is what makes this gift priceless.” Now retired, Kirk lives in Mechanicsville with wife Clare, who was one of the nurses who cared for him when he was recovering from his injuries 36 years ago. They have two grown children, Allison and Tommy.

ALUMNI ALBUM

forward to returning to campus to celebrate Homecoming 2017 and Sigma Pi’s 40th reunion. They live in DeBary.

91|

Tom Nikles reports he and John Rabun ’90 and Britt Deviney ’93

spent two weeks in Okinawa, Japan, visiting Dean ’89 and Elizabeth ’95 Goad. Dean is currently stationed in Japan with the U.S. Navy. Tom lives in Chester, Va.

92|

Charlie Frye ’63

From left: John Rabun ’90, Britt Deviney ’93, Tom Nikles ’91, Elizabeth Goad ’95 & Dean Goad ’89

has published his third book, which is also his first novel, “Yoga Pants, Minivans, & Selfies.” The humorous book details the experiences he encountered while working at his children’s school Parent Teacher Organization. The book is available in paperback and e-book through Amazon. Dean is thankful to Elon for laying the foundation that allowed him to fulfill his dream of becoming a writer. He lives in Mooresville, N.C.

94|

William “Dean” Washburn ’92 (right)

Jeffrey L. Walters ’94

William “Dean” Washburn

Jeffrey L. Walters has been

named vice president of business development–Americas at Polymaker, a company that produces materials for the 3d printing industry. An expert in the field, Jeffrey brings six spring 2017 35

CLASS NOTES

BEYON D

physical

healing BY KYLE LUBINSKY ’17

{ For the past 11 years, Tatum Robinson ’99 MPT ’02 has built a successful practice and strong relationships in her community. }

ifteen years ago, Tatum Robinson ’99 MPT ’02 graduated from Elon with a master’s degree in physical therapy with the hope to one day open her own practice. Since that time, she has managed to not only realize her vision but also create meaningful relationships with members of her community. “We have been able to help people feel better and move better in their daily lives and in their sports,” she says. “Helping patients meet goals they thought may never happen is pretty awesome.” Four years after graduation, Robinson opened Phoenix Physical Therapy and Sports Performance with the help of her partner, Lisa Ciaravella ’98. Originally leasing a small space in Denver, North Carolina, the business has grown into two outpatient physical therapy facilities in the Lake Norman-Denver and Terrell areas of North Carolina. It provides physical therapy, aquatic therapy, fitness training and sports performance training to a varied clientele that includes MLB and NBA players as { Tatum Robinson ’99 MPT ’02 } well as high school athletes and everyday people. Robinson works closely with patients who have musculoskeletal dysfunctions, sport-specific injuries, post-operative orthopedic surgical repairs and varying neurological and deconditioning disorders. While she is passionate about her work, Robinson is especially appreciative of the opportunities afforded to her outside the office. Knowing her patients as people regardless of their level of physical fitness is perhaps just as important to her. “The most rewarding part of opening and running Phoenix is the awesome relationship we have developed with our community,” she says. “We have been able to meet incredible people

36 the MAGAZINE of ELON

from all walks and abilities of life.” Phoenix provides multiple outreach programs for the community, including the weekly Brew Run, a 5K–10K run and walk held in the summer. All participants meet after the event at a local restaurant to enjoy different products by area microbreweries. “[It’s a] great way for the community to come together for something fun that is fueled by fitness first,” says Robinson. “We encourage local businesses to get involved as a way to network.” Robinson knows opening a business has put her in a position to help those in her community. Physical fitness helps her patients feel better and live healthier lives; her most satisfying work is helping patients regain functionality. The practice also offers a welcoming environment for people from different backgrounds, something Robinson takes pride in. Her work is an extension of the positive personal growth she experienced while at Elon. As both an undergraduate exercise sport science and a physical therapy student, her professors pushed her to try new things. “Elon provided me with opportunities both academically and through volunteer experiences to really get exposure to many areas of interest for me,” says Robinson, who remains involved with the university by serving on the board of advisors for Elon’s School of Health Sciences. “I had some amazing professors who served as mentors and helped fine-tune my interests to physical therapy.” Despite all she has accomplished so far, Robinson has no plans to slow down. “We hope to continue growing and developing our relationship with our town and surrounding communities,” she says. “We have just opened a second location to further meet the needs of the community, and look forward to future growth.” Visit www.phoenixptsp.com to learn more about Robinson’s practice.

CLASS NOTES years of 3d printing experience and a wealth of knowledge in the global filament market to his new job. He and his family live in Bluffton, S.C.

98|

Dana Obrist was promoted

to vice president of corporate communications at Wells Fargo Bank in 2016. In that role, she manages media relations for Wells Fargo Middle Market Banking, East. She and her husband, Patrick, live in Charlotte, N.C., with their two children.

00|

Dawn Williams and Kenneth Evans were married 4/23/16. Alumni in attendance included Erika Johnson Hawkins ’99, Kenisha Walton ’99, Stacey Mahoney, Tamika Johnson Maisonet and Akilah Owens Harris ’01. They live in Washington, D.C., where Dawn works as a wedding sales manager at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

02| 04|

scholarship. The association also focuses efforts on black and African American lgbtqia students. Darris has been involved in the organization for 10 years and serves as the director of research for its Coalition for lgbt Awareness. He is an assistant professor in the department of counseling and human development services at the University of Georgia. • Stan Smith and wife Katie welcomed son Stryker Paul on 9/20/16. Stan is the athletic director at Oak Grove High School. The family lives in Wallburg, N.C.

06|

Danielle Morrow Dowling

and husband Michael Dowling welcomed daughter Keira on 10/11/15. The family lives in Chesapeake Beach, Md., where Danielle works as the

core lead teacher for the science department at Northern High School. • Christine Hopewell Fenn and husband Austin Fenn ’07 welcomed son Cannon Robert on 11/23/16. He joins big brothers Hudson and Nolan. The family lives in Charlotte, N.C.

07|

Taylor Barr and wife Melissa

welcomed daughter Olivia Jean on 10/03/16. Taylor is a global affiliate management leader with GetResponse. The family lives in Durham, N.C. • Jaclyn Immordino and Christopher Wollett were married 10/15/16 in Princeton, N.J. Alumni in attendance included David Passerell ’92, Sarah Devlin ’03, Kelly Knowles Edge, Monica Houseworth Emerson and Alisa Petitt. Jaclyn was also promoted to manager for

engagement and administrative services at Princeton University. She and Christopher live in Lawrenceville. • Justin Mann has joined Alston & Bird llp as an associate with the firm’s health care team. He and wife Ginny Mann live with their son, Warner, in Arlington, Va. • Elizabeth “Liz” Nagy has been promoted to general assignment reporter at wls-tv/abc 7 in Chicago. She previously worked at wsvn-tv in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market. Liz married John Hendren, a Chicago-based Al Jazeera English journalist, in June.

08|

Kristen Kennedy Howard

and husband Lee Howard welcomed daughter Margaret Bly on 9/30/16. The family lives in Lexington, Ky., where Kristen works as a news anchor for wkyt-tv.

ALUMNI ALBUM

Andrea “Andi” Henderson Smith welcomed daughter

Calliope Renee on 9/28/16. The family lives in Greensboro, N.C. Colleen Minnock Chulis

has been promoted to vice president of sales at TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held provider of language services and technology solutions. She and husband Matthew have three children. They live in Charlottesville, Va. • Scott Moore and Jill Haden Moore welcomed son John “Jack” Kenneth on 11/14/16. He joins older siblings Haden and Beth. Both Scott and Jill are teachers with the Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. The family lives in McLeansville.

Andrea “Andi” Henderson Smith ’02 & daughter Calliope Renee

Colleen Minnock Chulis ’04, Matthew Chulis & children

05|

Adam Davis and wife Ashley welcomed daughter Addison Marie on 9/27/16. Adam is a senior manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers’ consumer finance group. The family lives in Ashburn, Va. • Casey Harris and V. Antoinne Pratt were married 11/15/16 in Playa Danta, Costa Rica. Casey was also promoted to director of data and evaluation of Say Yes Guilford, a nonprofit organization that promotes college access for lowincome North Carolina high school students. They live in Durham. • Darris Means has been selected as an Emerging Scholar Designee by the American College Personnel Association, which honors early career individuals emerging as contributors to higher education

Dawn Williams Evans ’00 & Kenneth Evans

Scott Moore ’04, Jill Haden Moore ’04 & children Adam Davis ’05, Ashley Davis & daughter Addison Marie

Casey Harris-Pratt ’05 & V. Antoinne Pratt

Darris Means ’05

Stan Smith ’05, Katie Smith & children spring 2017 37

CLASS NOTES • Kim Leighty and husband Scott Leighty ’09 welcomed son Dennis “Denny” Murray on 12/14/16. Scott is a campaign manager for United Way of Greater Greensboro and Kim works as a personalized learning coordinator for Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. The family lives in Greensboro. • Lauren Offord and Jacob Wright were married 11/5/16 in Asheville, N.C. Alumni in attendance included Sarah Sims Chesson, Phil Collins, Carly Johnson, Erin Jones, Adrianne Manzelli and Robert Olson. They live in Raleigh, N.C., where Lauren

works as a real estate attorney. • Christopher Swartz recently left the White House Counsel’s Office after serving six months as an ethics counsel on loan from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. During his assignment, Chris supported the Obama administration’s ethics program and helped establish the Trump administration’s ethics and compliance program. He and wife Natalie live in North Bethesda, Md.

09|

Caleb Beyer and Evan Beyer were married 7/30/16. Alumni in attendance included Bryce Blackford, Bobby

Duke, Alex Nickodem, Katie Hlavinka Duke ’10, Conner Gregg ’10 and Katie Hadobas Arms ’14. Caleb

and Evan live in Greenville, N.C., where Caleb works as a firefighter and emt for Greenville Fire and Rescue. • Erin Moffet has been named communications director for Congressman Charlie Crist’s Capitol Hill office. She previously spent seven years running the press operations for Florida members in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Alcee Hastings, Lois Frankel and Patrick Murphy. • Chelsea Peabody and Brad Bohannon were married 5/15/16.

FINDING his ROOTS BY KYLE LUBINSKY ’17

{ An active member of Hillel at Elon, Ron Yardenay ’11 continues working with the Jewish community. }

ndergraduate research provides many opportunities for Elon students. In the case of Ron Yardenay ’11, the experience not only allowed him to delve deeper into a topic surrounding his field of study, but also shaped his identity beyond graduation in ways he did not expect. Born in Israel, Yardenay moved to North Carolina in 1994 at a young age. As the business administration and history double major was completing his last year of college and preparing for his final senior seminar project, he decided to look into his own family’s history after being encouraged by history professor David Crowe. Yardenay was taking a class that focused on Nazi Germany taught by Crowe, who retired in 2015 and is internationally recognized for his expertise on the Holocaust. That summer, under the guidance of his mentor, Yardenay embarked on researching the story of his ancestors who had migrated to Israel between 1910 and 1947, with a specific focus on his grandfather. The result was “The Story of Avraham Fogel: An Escape from the Holocaust,” a thesis that through a historical lens follows the story of how Yardenay’s grandparents escaped from concentration camps and eventually returned to Israel. “I grew up very far from my grandfather, he in Israel and I in the USA,” Yardenay recalls. “I knew him as my grandfather, but

38 the MAGAZINE of ELON

I never knew him personally.” Revisiting his life after conducting research on the subject, and after becoming an adult, Yardenay adds, granted him the opportunity to better understand the struggles his grandfather endured. “I know him now on a very deep level.” Besides leading him to be in better touch with his family heritage, the project opened new career opportunities for Yardenay. An active member of Hillel at Elon, he was impassioned to continue his service to the Jewish community after college. He serves as Jewish life coordinator at High Point University, where he works with a board of students to plan for regular community programming as well as holiday celebrations according to Judaic traditions. He is also very active in the area’s Jewish community. “This project, in many ways, has shaped my identity,” he says. “It allowed me to uncover my family roots and, to a broader point, the roots of my people.” Working on the project also had a profound effect on Yardenay’s worldview—it has given him a new lens through which to process life events. “I would encourage others to recount and reflect on their experiences,” he says, “or even better, the experiences of others, and to do so in a personal and scholarly method. Only then we will understand rather than react to those around us.”

CLASS NOTES ALUMNI ALBUM

Danielle Morrow Dowling ’06, Michael Dowling & daughter Keira

Christine Hopewell Fenn ’06, Austin Fenn ’07 & children

TURN YOURSELF

IN!

www.elon.edu/classnotes

Help us keep you in touch with your Elon classmates. Elizabeth “Liz” Nagy ’07

Charitable Gift Annuities Can Provide Income for Life a charitable gift annuity of $10,000 or more to Elon will guarantee a fixed income for the rest of your life. With market interest rates near historic lows, a gift annuity is an attractive way to increase your income and make a gift to Elon at the same time. You will receive immediate tax benefits and can defer capital gains. The payment rate of a charitable gift annuity depends on your age at the time of the gift—the older you are, the higher the rate.

CURRENT RATES ONE BENEFICIARY

TWO BENEFICIARIES

AGE

ANNUIT Y R ATE

AGE

ANNUIT Y R ATE

4.4%

60/65

4.0%

4.7%

67/67

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5.1%

71/73

4.7%

Annuity rates are subject to change. The annuity rate remains fixed once your gift is made.

To explore a gift annuity for you, your spouse or a family member, visit ELONLEGACY.ORG. Talk with us today about how you may benefit from a life income gift to Elon and other gift planning opportunities. please contact: Carolyn DeFrancesco, Director of Planned Giving 336-278-7454 ■ cdefrancesco@elon.edu ■ elonlegacy.org.

Jaclyn Immordino Wollett ’07, Christopher Wollett & friends

Kristen Kennedy Howard ’08, Lee Howard & daughter Margaret Bly

Kim Leighty ’08, Scott Leighty ’09 & son Denny Murray

{ Female students playing soccer in the 1960s. } spring 2017 39

CLASS NOTES They live in Atlanta, where Chelsea is an strategic and media relations manager with AmericasMart Atlanta.

10|

Martha Browning

represented Elon well as she traveled to Vietnam during the Christmas holiday to visit her younger sister. She made sure to wear her Elon gear as she took pictures in Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. When she is not traveling, Martha is in Raleigh, N.C., working as a fundraiser specialist for WakeMed Foundation. • Caroline Deal and Walt Yates were married 11/5/16. Many alumni were in attendance, including Ray Deal ’76, father of the bride. Caroline works as a marketing manager for Glen Raven, Inc., and Walt works in sales for Weatherby Healthcare. They live in Greensboro, N.C. • Sara Kwolyk and JD Reichenbach were married 9/10/16. They live in New York City,

DA R E

where Sara works as an associate sales manager for Schwartz & Benjamin– Kate Spade New York Footwear and JD works as senior customer success manager at Fundera. • Catherine Melendez Ramsey and husband Matthew Ramsey welcomed daughter Isabella Sofia on 8/31/16. The family lives in Naples, Italy.

11|

In December Evan Davis earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He works for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and lives in Raleigh. • Kristen Fackler and Billy O’Riordan were married 10/14/16 in Simsbury, Conn. Alumni in attendance included Blake Fackler ’06, Allie Dennis Fackler ’07, Cam Ball ’10, Lauren Bogardus, Jackie Cabral, Molly Campbell, Zane Campen, Vanessa Carey, Shannon Crawford, Greg Flis, Alex Leedy, Eliza Pope,

Brian Stevenson, Max Carter ’12, Shane Strom ’12, Bri Taft ’13 and Meghan Fackler ’15. Kristen works

as a marketing manager for All Campus and Billy works as an account manager for Oracle. They live in Chicago. • Abigail Baumann Garcia and husband Angel Garcia welcomed daughter Luna June on 10/11/16. Abigail and Angel work at Georgetown University in the Division of Student Affairs. The family lives in Washington, D.C.

12|

Amanda Rice and Clayton Sankey were married

9/17/16 at Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, N.C., surrounded by family, friends and fellow Elon student-athletes. Even the coordinator at the inn, Shayna Bigazzi ’02, was an Elon alumna. Amanda and Clayton live in Charlotte, N.C. • Danielle Whitman and Seth Beeson were married 5/29/16 in their home church,

SUCCE E D

BY MADISON MACKENZIE ’18

ong before coming to Elon, Rob Orr ’14 had entrepreneurial ambitions. Orr began working on the businesses in his free time outside of class, His parents own and run the popular Jolly Roger Pier and Motel in and by the time he graduated, both enterprises were up and running. Topsail Island, North Carolina, and were always motivating him to try Since then, he has continued to work with various partners to found three new challenges. “Growing up, my siblings and I were encouraged to take other companies, all of which he manages. He believes the most successful initiative and part of that initiative included starting, growing, selling and entrepreneurs are the ones who take risks in their business ventures. “So operating businesses,” recalls Orr. many people spend their lives waiting for the ‘perfect opportunity’ but I At age 9, he began teaching fishing lessons at the family fishing pier, contend that there is no such thing,” he says. “Every business has unique risks and by age 14, he was offering duck hunting adventures along the North and challenges. It is up to the entrepreneur to effectively overcome those Carolina coast. He became a U.S. Coast Guard-certified captain at age challenges in order to succeed where others are unwilling to try.” 18 and opened his own offshore charter Orr’s achievements motivate him to fishing business. When he came to Elon, continue designing new ventures. His latest Orr enhanced the creativity and confidence project is the renovation of an old motel that was instilled in him at a young age and in eastern North Carolina, Mattamuskeet began building two seasonal businesses Outpost, which opened in the fall. He says in the Outer Banks: Dare to Hyde Outdoor he couldn’t have gotten this far without Adventures, an ecotourism company that the lessons he learned at the Martha and provides customers with a wide variety of Spencer Love School of Business. “Whether activities, and The Berkley Manor, a popular it is relationships with peers in the business destination wedding venue. Although these community that I can call on to solve may seem like two very different businesses, problems, or a faculty member whom I Orr focuses on the multiple similarities can consult with or draw from, I utilize the between them. “First and foremost, they relationships, experiences and knowledge are part of the tourism industry,” says Orr, a gained at Elon each and every day,” he adds. finance major. “Both depend on outstanding Learn more about Orr’s ventures at hospitality and customer service and both www.daretohyde.com. are seasonal.” { Phoebe Kot ’14 & Rob Orr ’14 }

40 the MAGAZINE of ELON

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI ALBUM

Lauren Offord ’08 & Jacob Wright

Martha Browning ’10

Abigail Baumann Garcia ’11, Angel Garcia & daughter Luna June

Amanda Rice Sankey ’12 & Clayton Sankey ’12

Caleb Beyer ’09 & Evan Beyer

Sara Kwolyk Reichenbach ’10 & JD Reichenbach ’10

Erin Moffet ’09

Caroline Deal Yates ’10, Walt Yates ’10 & friends

Kristen Fackler O’Riordan ’11, Billy O’Riordan ’11 & friends

Alexandria Weller Palombo ’13, Michael Palombo & friends

Danielle Whitman Beeson ’12 & Seth Beeson

Bobby King ’16 (center) spring 2017 41

CLASS NOTES Bethesda United Methodist Church, in Lexington, N.C. Alumni in attendance included Lesley Cowie ’10, Freda Thompson Sigmon and Emily Wappes. Adele Mebane Gibson ’06 served as wedding photographer. Danielle works as email marketing and content coordinator for National, an online and catalog retailer.

13|

Darien Flowers has joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s government relations department as a policy advisor. Prior to that, Darien was

a legislative aide to Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and served as a research assistant to Ohio Sen. Rob Portman. He lives in Washington, D.C. • Alexandria Weller and Michael Palombo were married 10/8/16. Alumni in the wedding party included Charley Costa ’11, Lizzie Johnson ’12, Melanie Catts, Stephanie De Roo, Sarah Kowalkowski, Stephanie Lindeman, Danielle Baker ’14, Jeff Baldetti ’15 and Kaylyn Weller ’15. Other alumni and students in attendance included Marty Weems ’89, Evey Wooten ’91, Jonathan

Citty ’10, Michael Hesch ’10, Cece FitzGerald Hesch ’11, Kelly McIsaac ’11, Peter Dempsey ’12, Grant De Roo ’12 {MBA ’15}, Katie Seringer ’12, Cody Benoit, Gretchen Cundiff, Paul Flieger, Mary Jackson, Nick Seckerson, Ben Walker, Chris Welch, Rachel Bowden ’14, Patrick Creghan ’14, Jordan Duffey ’14, Michael Koenig ’14, Kavi Shelar ’14, Lauren Tavares ’14, Catherine Falvey ’15, Kristin Shapiro ’15, Rachel Robertson ’16, Emily Stone ’16, Emily Berg ’17 and Cohlmia Caracio ’17.

Alexandria and Michael are both attorneys in Wilmington, N.C.

Uplifting BY SARAH MULNICK ’17

PHOTO: TERYN O’BRIEN

hen Alex Lewis ’16 moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, after graduation to work with YoungLife, the national Christian youth organization he had been involved with while at Elon, he wasn’t expecting to start a movement that would span the world. New to the city, Lewis sought ways to creatively encourage and educate the students in the program. He immersed himself in the poetry community in his new home, and soon began drawing inspiration from what others were accomplishing. One day in August, he went home and felt a desire to start something to empower others. “Really the inspiration was the people that I was interacting with on a daily basis,” Lewis says. He took that inspiration to create a website, www.carwindowpoetry.com, and Car Window

42 the MAGAZINE of ELON

PHOTO: EVA RETTIG

words

Poetry was born. The idea is quite simple: to inspire students and members of the community to take a moment to make a positive change by writing poems and sharing them with others. People can use a form on the website to write a few lines of poetry on it, print it and then place it on a stranger’s car. By doing this, Lewis says, he hoped to “create something that would spread to other people and cities.” He wasn’t involved with poetry while he was studying strategic communications at Elon University, though from time to time he’d collaborate writing a rap lyric for a friend’s song. “I wouldn’t have classified myself as a poet,” he says. He couldn’t have known then his project would spread around the world, but after attention from national news outlets and the dedicated efforts of those inspired by the attempts to improve their communities, that’s exactly what has happened. When “NBC Nightly News” picked up his story in November, he had already distributed hundreds of cards to complete strangers. His success shows the truth behind his mantra, “words matter,” which is at the heart of his Car Window Poetry project. Lewis hopes to not only

brighten someone’s day with the gesture, but to also show them that even the smallest piece of paper can make a difference. It has the added bonus of turning around something negative— most people associate slips of paper on their car with a speeding ticket or an annoying brochure—and making it a positive moment. Since then, other local and national outlets, including CNN, have shared his story. Because so many have heard about Car Window Poetry, chapter leaders in YoungLife from nearly all 50 states, to Canada and Australia, are adopting the movement. “That’s really where a lot of the beauty of the project has been,” he says, referring to the people of all ages and backgrounds who have adopted his idea to make a difference in their communities through their own acts of kindness. The blank poetry cards are being downloaded in places like Malaysia, India and South Africa, he adds. Lewis’ goal now is to continue promoting the project in any way he can. “People need someone who is there for them,” he says. “They need someone who is willing to encourage them, to speak to their life in some way. I see Car Window Poetry as a small way to do that.”

CLASS NOTES

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In March Bobby King finished a six-month internship with the African Union’s Peace and Security division. He spent that time in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, assisting staff with post-conflict reconstruction and development work. In particular, he organized meetings and helped write reports to assess the best ways to assist populations that have emerged from or are struggling with conflict in the continent. He is based in Washington, D.C.

16|

Mia Watkins produced an award-winning music

video for Handbook, a United Kingdom-based music producer. Filmed in her hometown of St. Louis, the video put Mia’s cinema and television arts major to the test, including one scene that portrays artist Supreme Sol, who is featured on the song, with six arms. The project recently amassed two accolades—a Platinum Award (second place) in the music video category at the Minefield Film Festival in Los Angeles, as well as being selected for the Toronto Short Film Festival. Mia lives in San Diego and works for Sony Playstation.

IN MEMORIAM Mattie Pickett Edwards ’39,

in Chemistry in 2006. A research lab in the Dalton L. McMichael Sr. Science Center also bears their name. Joan received the Elon Distinguished Alumna Service Award for her service to Elon in 2008.

Asheville, N.C., 12/22/16.

Nancy Louise Pender ’40,

Burlington, N.C., 12/8/16. Nellie Margaret “Nell” Aldridge ’42,

Burlington, N.C., 11/20/17.

Edna Truitt Noiles ’44 gp ’17, a proud

alumna and long-time benefactor of Elon, passed away 2/9/17 in New Cannan, Conn. Edna played a key role in Elon’s growth during the past several decades, with her philanthropic efforts leading to the creation of the Vera Richardson Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and the launch of the Elon Academy. In honor of her consistent support of Elon throughout her life, she was presented with the Elon Medallion in 2016. Sarah Florence Rice Poindexter ’44,

Roxboro, N.C., 1/3/17.

Margarette Webster Hurdle ’47,

Burlington, N.C., 12/4/16.

John E. Clayton, Jr. ’49, Burlington, N.C., 1/6/17.

John was inducted into the Elon Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 for his outstanding play in baseball and basketball. Helen Spivey Brown ’51, Richmond, Va., 12/4/16. Joan Summers Drummond ’52, a

distinguished alumna and generous Elon supporter, died 1/7/17. Together with husband Jim, Joan established the Joan and James Drummond Endowed Scholarship

Elbert “Eb” L. Peters, Jr. ’52,

Raleigh, N.C., 2/12/17.

Megan Liane Mitchell ’94,

Alexandria, Va., 12/31/15.

Katherine “Katy” Asbury Branston ’09,

Whitefish, Mont., 11/9/16.

Nicole K. Dennion ’16, Trenton, N.J., 11/5/16.

V. Carlton Langston ’54,

Timmonsville, S.C., 2/4/17. Charles Richard “Dick” Routh ’57,

Colfax, N.C., 12/24/16.

Clayton Cashwell ’59, Oxford, Pa., 2/19/17.

Ralph V. Anderson, professor emeritus of eco-

nomics, died 3/1/17. He taught at Elon for 25 years. Malvin Artley p’78 p’81 p’85, a noted violinist and

Judge J. B. Allen, Jr. ’63 p’84, Burlington, N.C., 11/27/16. He provided more than 40 years of public service, including as chief district court judge and senior resident superior court judge for the North Carolina 15A Judicial District.

longtime member of Elon’s music faculty, died 2/4/17. Malvin joined the Elon faculty in 1965. During his tenure, he founded the Elon College Orchestra and served as its first conductor. He retired in 1986 but continued teaching as an adjunct faculty member for many years. In recognition of his outstanding service to the university, Malvin was awarded the Elon Medallion in 2001.

Rebecca “Becky” Webster Graves ’66,

William Hawksley Barbee, a former math profes-

John Avila ’60, North Franklin, Conn., 12/4/16.

Burlington, N.C., 2/9/17.

Jackie Marie Watson Jones ’71,

Durham, N.C., 1/7/17.

Robert Jackson Patterson ’71,

Graham, N.C., 12/29/16.

John H. Dawson ’73, Richmond, Va., 1/8/17. Gary Wayne Overfelt ’73, Winston-Salem, N.C.,

12/22/13. Gary was a member of the men’s golf team and served as team captain his junior and senior years.

sor, died 2/14/17. He joined Elon’s faculty in 1970 and retired in 2003. In 1974 he received the Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also served as the chair of the mathematics department for two years. Edwin L. Daniel, an associate professor emeritus

of art, died 1/10/17. He joined Elon in 1963 and served as a faculty member until his retirement in 1988.

Mary Ann Martin Inabnit, retired library public

South Boston, Va., 2/3/17.

services clerk, died 3/27/17. Mary Ann started working at Elon in 1984 and retired in 2014. She received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award during the Omicron Delta Kappa Ceremony in 2004.

Barbara Stephanie Brown ’79,

Frances McKenzie, coordinator of database man-

John Schoderbek, Jr. ’73, Mebane, N.C., 12/7/16. Clarence William “Diffy” Ross ’76,

Burlington, N.C., 1/7/17.

Michael “Mike” Wayne Chavis ’81,

Pembroke, N.C., 12/6/16.

Dr. Robert M. “Bob” James ’82,

agement for Elon, died 2/23/17. She started at the university in July 1985 as coordinator of alumni giving and held various positions in the Office of University Advancement.

Graham, N.C., 12/31/16.

spring 2017 43

WE ARE

ELON #ELONDAY 3 7 17

Elon students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends came together March 7 to celebrate #ELONDAY 2017 on campus and around the world. Here are some of the images they posted on social media to share their pride in Elon.

Office of Alumni Engagement PO Box 398 Elon, NC 27244 Toll Free: (877) 784-3566 www.elon.edu/alumni Change Service Requested

{ Students dance, laugh and toss colorful powdered paint as Elon celebrates Holi, a Hindu holiday that marks the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. }

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