The Pendulum March 3, 2009 Edition by The Pendulum

MarCh CoMes

A look insid e Elon’s ‘gre enest’ buildin g:

IN LIKE A LION

LINDNER HALL

early March snowstorm cancels class, creates power outage

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Check online for photos and video about how Elon handled Monday’s snow day

The Pendulum ELON, NORTH CAROLINA

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2009

VOLUME 35, EDITION 7

www.elon.edu/pendulum

North Carolina nonprofits suffer in recession Margeaux Corby News Editor While North Carolina commercial businesses continue to flail against the unrelenting waves of economic decline, nonprofit and volunteer agencies have become the newest victims of the statewide recessional tide. The state’s revenue records are the worst they have been since the 1950s when records started being kept. Gov. Bev Perdue has announced she will most likely cut more than $3 billion from the budget recommendations for the next fiscal year. Many nonprofits fear a slash of this severity will not only limit but eliminate nonprofits funded by the state. “I think that a lot of people don’t understand that with these cuts, they will affect what we now consider pretty core services in our community,” said Pam Kiser, human services professor and board member of Family Abuse Services. “These are not fluff services.” Kopper Top Life Learning Center, which is a local nonprofit that uses a nonclinical atmosphere and techniques such as therapeutic horseback riding and horticulture for those with disabilities, is supported by several agencies which are funded by the state government. Even for those nonprofits not directly financed by the state, budget cuts could still be a blow to the organization. “They’d be hurting the clientele and participants in the program, which would be lower income people with disabilities,” said Deborah Meridith, director of Kopper Top. “It would be devastating, not just to our program, but to participants we serve and to our animals. We’re not just a program that just has four walls but also animals and mouths to feed.” In response to this potential financial threat, more than 60 state nonprofits formed “Together N.C.,” a group hoping to persuade legislators

to leave nonprofit budgets intact. Despite the group’s various efforts, which included a press conference and delivering letters to lawmakers last week, getting out of the red is the legislature’s main focus. “Obviously the number one priority is simply balancing the budget,” said Andrew Dugan, legislative research assistant to Senator Linda Gerou, co-chair of the North Carolina appropriations and budget committee. While Dugan made it clear the specific nature of budget cuts — whether it be the amount or departments affected, is still being determined — he emphasized state-funded programs need to be practical. “We’re still in the very preliminary stages of the budget,” Dugan said. “If you’re receiving funds from the state, you need to be realistic about it and modify your expectations about it.” According to Kiser, nonprofits not only have to contend with the possibility of state cuts but the reality of decreasing individual donations. “If people are losing their jobs, and with just the general economic downturn, the general public does not have (money) to spend and support causes,” Kiser said. “The nonprofits are really getting it from both ends. It sort of leaves us with nowhere to turn.” Dugan said many agencies have developed various savings techniques unique to their organizations but the bottom line is that nonprofits need to have a reasonable view of their finances. “You just have to know your own budget,” Dugan said. According to Kiser, for nonprofits to know their budget means knowing there is no money to spare. “We’re vigilant about controlling cost and we’ll try as hard as we can but there is not a lot of wiggle room there,” she said. “These are the types of organizations that are already operating on a shoe string.”

DAviD WellS | Photo editor

Matt evans, diagnosed with down syndrome when he was a baby, has been a participant at Kopper top life learning center for more than 18 years. evans and his twin brother, John, have benefited from the services at Kopper Top, including the HOOVES program,

Students charged with marijuana possession, stolen property Laura Smith News Editor

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Eight Elon University students were charged with possession of marijuana Feb. 26 after two search warrants led several local police departments to ultimately discover 552 grams of marijuana, an indoor grow operation, paraphernalia and stolen property, the Town of Elon Police Department said Friday in a press release. In an article released Monday in the Times-News, a few students, who remained unnamed, have withdrawn from school. The Gibsonville Police Department, Graham Police Department and Alamance County Sheriff’s Department, in association with the Town of Elon Police, executed the warrants that led them to the students. Sophomores Dylan Barbash, Ryan Fletcher, Emily Gauthier, Tyler Hegamyer, Andrew Mayo-Smith, Sean Smith,

Nicholas Wilt and Anna Zavala were all arrested, but under various counts of possession. Sophomore Lewis Hoss was also issued a citation for possession of a fraudulent identification card at the time. The charges are as follows: Gauthier was charged with aggravated possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver, maintaining a dwelling, possession of a schedule II drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of stolen property. She was placed under a $45,000 secure bond. Wilt was charged with aggravated possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver, maintaining a dwelling, possession of a schedule II drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was placed under a $45,000 secure bond and $6,000 secure bond from Gibsonville Police for breaking

See BUST | PAGE 3

cArOliNe FOx | Graphic Designer

FOr tHe lAteSt iNFOrMAtiON ON elON NeWS, viSit WWW.elON.eDU/PeNDUlUM

Page 2 // WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009

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The Pendulum

Elon Outdoors offers exercise with adrenaline rush Photos and story by Bryce Little Staff Photographer “I’m scared of heights,” junior Emily Albert said as she sttod eclipsed by the climbing wall she just successfully scaled. A few times a month, Elon Outdoors takes students to Tumblebees indoor rock climbing facility in Greensboro, where students like Albert are able to scale walls that reach as high as 40 feet in the air. Trips cost $10 and are for students of all skill levels.

bryce little | Staff Photographer

Junior Emily Albert repels down the wall after she completes her 40-foot climb to the top.

bryce little | Staff Photographer

When not climbing, junior Nick Dioguardi spots other students to make sure they get to the top safely.

bryce little | Staff Photographer

Elon senior Maggie Zimmerman checks her footing as she quickly makes her way up the wall. Elon Outdoors took students Feb. 27 to Tumblebees

bryce little | Staff Photographer

Tumblebees indoor rock climbing facility in Greensboro offers climbs that reach up to 40 feet in height. Elon students took turns climbing and spotting for one another.

neWS

The Pendulum

WedneSdaY, march 4, 2009 // Page 3

State and local

UNC g considers North Carolinians respond pharmacy school positively to stimulus plan Margeaux Corby News Editor Greensboro is about to have yet another addition to its large collection of graduate schools now that UNC Greensboro is in the midst of tentative talks about a school of pharmacy. “An academic and research program in pharmacy would enhance the research profile of UNC G while addressing one of the primary goals of UNC Tomorrow, economic development of the Triad, region and state of North Carolina,” said David Perrin, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNC G. Director of Greensboro Economic Development Alliance Dan Lynch echoed Perrin’s words, stating the school could attract business to not only Greensboro but the entire state. “It’ll be beneficial not only for the university but for the entire region,” he said. “There is a shortage of pharmacists nationally. If we can have a school of pharmacy where we are producing licensed pharmacists, that helps us go out and recruit companies that can give those students work.” Both Lynch and Perrin argue the establishment of a pharmacy school in Greensboro would not only improve economic growth of the city, but provide opportunities for undergraduates in the area. “Recruitment of pharmacy students from the highly diverse undergraduate population at UNC G would help address the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the pharmacy profession, while at the same time creating an outstanding career option for these students,” Perrin said. Several local foundations, including the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation and Weaver Foundation, will work closely with both the university and Greensboro Partnership in order to privately fund the construction of the school. “The economy is our biggest resistance,” Lynch said. “It’s difficult for private and public

Margeaux Corby News Editor According to a 2002 study by the Sheps Center for Health Services Research, there is “an imbalance in the supply of, and demand for, pharmacists practicing in retail, rural and hospital settings” in North Carolina. The report suggests the establishment of a pharmacy school in those locations, since “placing a program where there is a shortage of pharmacists (in the rural, northeastern and eastern parts of the state) will draw students from the local communities who are more likely to stay and practice there organizations to allocate funds for expansion right now.” Lynch said Elon’s law school proves how successful establishing a graduate school can be to city development. “We thought it was a good long term investment and now ,three or four years later, the law school is full," he said. "Around 300 students are in the downtown area as well as faculty and staff. All the influences are in a positive way.” According to Steven House, Elon's dean of the college of arts and sciences and associate vice president for academic affairs, Elon explored the idea of either creating an interdisciplinary science and business graduate program or establishing a research-based pharmacy school. House said UNC G’s decision to establish a pharmacy school would influence choices the Elon administration will make about the university’s own establishment of a pharmaceutical graduate or doctoral program, but that the university supported UNC G’s newest graduate initiative. “It would impact what we do but we’d be interested in having arrangements with our student going there,” he said. Last month, UNC G submitted a “request for authorization to plan” to the UNC general administration and plans to submit the “request to establish” proposal in May 2010. The university hopes to accept the pharmacy school’s inaugural class in August 2011.

North Carolinians are still hopeful. According to the Elon Poll released Feb. 27, 52 percent of respondents support the federal government stimulus and 54 percent said they believe the stimulus will positively affect the economy. “The economy is of the upmost importance for North Carolinians,” said Hunter Bacot, director of the Elon University Poll. “They do have hope for the stimulus bill, but it’s not overwhelming.” Bacot said the results indicate people North Carolina are relying heavily on President Obama to fix the current economic situation and the majority view current efforts being made by the commander-in-chief in a positive light. “In situations like this, people look to the executive because you have one person. It’s easier to look for one person for guidance than to Congress which has 500,” Bacot said. “Based on these numbers it looks like he’s leading well.” Bacot said such strong support despite grave domestic troubles may merely be attributed to Obama’s short time in office. “Early on presidents usually do enjoy higher numbers but those numbers are critical because he needs that support to push initiatives through Congress,” Bacot said. “He uses that as credibility for his issues.” The results mirror what many polls across the nation have found, although Bacot admitted he was surprised at the amount of support for Obama’s actions since North Carolina is often a rightleaning state. “I didn’t expect it would break 50 percent,” he said. “It reflects that people are really worried and that they see that the government is the agent that has to do something. They’re trusting the government to do something because they don’t trust banks.”

iNFOrMAtiON cOUrteSy OF elON POll

The poll also asked respondents where they would be most willing to see state government cuts. Respondents overwhelming opposed slashing funding to crime and public safety, elementary and secondary education and the community college system. Individuals polled seemed more willing to see cuts to parks, recreation and cultural services and the state general fund. There was wider support for increases in “sin taxes,” which included 78 percent of respondents supporting an increase in liquor tax, 76 percent for wine, 73 for cigarette and 72 for beer.

MArGeAUx cOrby | Graphics

Poll results released Monday indicated that while 80 percent of respondents believe talking on a cell phone while driving is hazardous and can decrease highway safety, 54 percent of those cell phone users still talk on the phone while driving. Only 51 percent of those polled believe restaurants and bars should ban smoking although 82 percent believe second-hand smoke is a health threat and 87 percent said employees have the right to a smoke-free working environment. For results concerning North Carolinians views on transportation, the death penalty and health care, visit:

Eight busted for drug possession, some withdraw from school from BUST | PAGE 1 and entering of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor larceny. Fletcher was charged with misdemeanor possession ofmarijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of stolen property and was placed under a $750 bond. Smith was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of stolen property and placed under a $750 secure bond. Barbash was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of stolen property. He was placed under a $750 secure bond. Zavala was charged with possession of a schedule II drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was placed under a $2,500 secure bond. Mayo-Smith was charged with felony possession of marijuana, maintaining a dwelling, manufacturing marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a fraudulent identification

card. He was placed under a $25,000 secure bond. Hegamyer was charged with felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver, maintaining a dwelling, manufacturing marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and was placed under a $35,000 bond. The search began when reports of stolen property and breaking and entering of a motor vehicle were made by Gibsonville residents in October. Gibsonville police investigators contacted the Burlington Times-News with the vehicle’s description and a partial tag belonging to the vehicle, asking for community assistance to help locate the car. According to an article in the Times-News Feb. 26, police discovered it was not a partial tag number, but a complete tag number from an outof-state plate. Information received from the community’s calls led to an investigation of 203 Colonnade Dr., which resulted in information for the search warrant. Gibsonville Police Detective Rebecca Dixon said her department helped assist the Elon Police Department in the

operation. “I was working on a case that involved a larceny and breaking and entering that led me to this residence,” Dixon said. The warrant led them to recover 31 grams of marijuana as well as stolen property at this location, according to the release. The investigators received supplementary information that directed them to an additional search at 735 E. Haggard Ave., where police seized approximately 491 grams of marijuana and also found an indoor grow operation. According to Captain Craig Andrews from the Town of Elon Police, all eight students were taken to Alamance County Jail and have been placed on bails ranging from $750-$45,000. “Some have posted bail and some have not,” Andrews said. Students had their first court appearance Friday. Andrews said after the court reads the charges a court date was set. Director of Campus Safety and Police Chuck Gantos said his department was not involved in the investigation since

the incidents were off campus. Smith Jackson, vice president and dean of student life, said penalties from the university will not be decided until Judicial Affairs meets with the students to hear what they have to say. The students will be given approximately three days to decide what they want to say to the board since time for preparation allows the students to fully gather their thoughts and give them time to calm any emotions they may have, Jackson said. “We want to be fair and give the students time to prepare,” Jackson said. “We want to hear what you have to say.” Jackson said the students who stay at Elon will continue to attend class but are encouraged to dedicate their time strictly to educational purposes. They will continue to face the repercussions of this incident for the coming months through court dates, trials and university involvement. “I’m worried about the impact on the individual more than anything,” Jackson said. “I hope that people are doing better things for their future. People just really need to think about the choices they make.”

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The Pendulum

Campus news THIS WEEK WITH SGA

Student forum discusses EverElon, Lighthouse and residential improvements Emily Silva Senior Reporter SGA met Feb. 26 and started their meeting with a presentation of EverElon by James Piatt, vice president of University Advancement. “The stronger that Elon’s reputation becomes, the more valuable a degree from Elon is,” Piatt said of the benefits of EverElon. The second item on the agenda was a presentation by representatives from Lighthouse Tavern, an on-campus music venue and bar. The staff is trying to improve the reputation of Lighthouse among Elon students and the local community and brought ideas to the SGA board of how to make the location more enjoyable. Elon bought Lighthouse in 2008 and since then students have showed reservations about attending events there because it is a university-owned location. They are concerned primarily about getting caught drinking. It was affirmed that Lighthouse's policy is if an underage person is caught drinking, they will simply be escorted out, rather than sent to Campus Safety and Police, as some students think. The new Lighthouse staff is also working on having student organizations participate in open nights, rather than just closed parties. One student also proposed having patio furniture and grills installed in The Oaks. The student said every other residential area on campus has these additions and Oaks residents would like the same, especially since they pay more money than other on-campus residents. Over 130 Oaks resident signatures have been collected for this proposal and it passed at the meeting. Other topics discussed were the 2009 Homecoming, a Web site for SGA and recognition of the new SGA executive board.

Greek housing review committee moves two organizations Alexa Milan Managing Editor A committee composed of faculty and staff determined one fraternity and sorority will lose their houses and one fraternity and sorority will gain houses in last month’s Greek housing decision process. While many students on campus have yet to go through the housing process, Lambda Chi Alpha and Phi Mu were already informed that next year they will be moving from Loy Center to Maynard suites, while Kappa Alpha will be moving to Loy Center from Maynard and Delta Delta Delta will be moving from a Loy Center duplex to a full house. Zeta Tau Alpha is also moving into a Loy Center duplex from Maynard, and Alpha Phi Alpha, which previously did not have designated housing, will move into Maynard. “(The decision process) is becoming a lot more challenging because we have 21 organizations and essentially, just looking at Loy Center, 13 spaces,” said Jay Anhorn, director of Greek Life. In the mid-1980s, there were only six Greek houses at Elon. As the community grew in the 1996-97 academic year, the Loy Family donated five additional houses and one duplex. The Greek housing review has occurred every three years since then. According to Anhorn, the process is reviewed every time it is conducted and changes slightly each time. But the committee always contains 14 faculty and staff members to provide an unbiased perspective. The committee takes its decisions to Smith Jackson, vice president and dean of student life, who then takes them to President Leo Lambert and the senior administration,

who make the final decisions. “There are no students on the committee, mostly for confidentiality purposes,” Anhorn said. “Because students that are Greek might have difficulty separating, or those that are not Greek might have trouble understanding.” This year the housing criteria was modified to more closely resemble Greek Life’s annual review process for foundations of leadership, which is based on factors such as scholarship, service, leadership and risk management. At the start of the review process, the office of Greek Life educates the committee on Greek Life’s history and provides it with statistics on each organization’s judicial sanctions, recruitment numbers, academic profiles, damage reports, awards and philanthropy reports. But Anhorn said Greek Life did not have any involvement in the process beyond that. “We found out moments before we had to spin around and tell (the students) the results,” Anhorn said. The committee reviews the fraternities and sororities in nine weighted categories. Facility upkeep and occupancy, scholarships and judicial discipline are weighted the highest. The middle group consists of community service and philanthropy, membership education, chapter functioning and campus involvement. The last two criteria are a free space for members to write in responses and supporting documents from faculty, alumni and the fraternity or sorority’s national organization. Anhorn described the process as “elaborate, very thorough and very confidential.” Ultimately the

organizations do not know what they score or where they rank among the other organizations, but they do receive feedback from the committee on what they did well and what they need to improve. “What would cause someone to lose a house would be their overall score being lower than everyone else, but I think those top three categories would be the ones that mean the most,” Anhorn said. According to Anhorn, Kappa Alpha lost its house in 2006 but has gotten increasingly stronger during the past three years, so it was granted a house again this year. “I’m really thrilled,” said junior Jeff Criswell, Kappa Alpha’s president. “It took a lot of hard work over the past three years.” Criswell said he’s happy with the decision because it will increase his fraternity’s visibility on campus. But he said it is unfortunate other organizations have to lose houses in the process. Anhorn said he thinks it’s a good thing to have fewer houses than organizations so the students have something to work toward, and he said he hopes the recent decisions serve as a motivator for those without houses. He also said he thinks Greek Life is fortunate to have houses at all, but it would be great to have three to five more since there are currently eight fewer houses than organizations. “The feedback from the committee was that the process was very structured,” Anhorn said. “I personally think it was very fair, very well-done, confidential. The only thing that’s not ideal is that we just don’t have enough houses and our community is growing.”

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WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009 // Page 5

Campus news Law students place second in Moot Court Competition Ashley Barnas Online Editor-in-Chief A pair of students from Elon Law placed second out of 24 teams at the J. Braxton Craven Moot Court Competition, which focuses on public advocacy. To begin the competition, Luke Spencer and Melanie Crenshaw, third-year law students, were given a case and a set of facts and had to make a judicial opinion based on those facts. "The students spent the better part of a month researching the legal issues involved and drafting their brief," said their coach, Alan Woodlief, associate dean of the Elon law school and director of law school admissions. "After the brief was submitted, we spent almost two weeks practicing for oral arguments, meeting several hours each day to go over their arguments and anticipate the questions the judges were likely to ask them about their positions." The two issues included in the brief, centered on Fourth and 14th Amendment issues, were divided between Spencer and Crenshaw. Spencer tackled the Fourth Amendment issue on how far a police officer can go when searching a person. And Crenshaw took on the 14th Amendment issue of whether the Due Process Clause prohibits the termination of a police officer for his private, intimate conduct. In the brief, they were assigned to take the position of the police department: They argued the person’s rights were not violated. But once they got to the competition and started to argue the case, the stance they originally took on each of the issues was switched. The side they took — Petitioner (police) or Respondent (person saying his or her rights were violated) — depended on a coin toss. Spencer said he and Crenshaw did their best on the first night when they argued two rounds. They finished in the top eight after the first day, earning them a bye into the fourth round against Charleston School of Law. They went on to win the quarterfinals against Boston College and the semi-finals against George Mason University. Spencer and Crenshaw competed against Florida State in the finals and took second. The competition, hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, was held from Feb. 25 to 28. On Feb.25, the team participated in prelimary rounds, which consisted of two rounds of arguments. Feb. 26 and 27 marked elimination rounds three, four, quarter-finals and semifinals. The final round took place on Feb. 28 in the Graham Kenan Courtroom, the student supreme court at UNC Chapel Hill. “(Dean Woodlief) was absolutely spectacular the entire time,” Spencer said. “He was critical to the team’s success.” It was nerve wracking for Woodlief to sit back and watch, but he said he was "very happy to see their hard work yield such an excellent result." Scott Gaylord, associate professor of law, also made invaluable contributions in helping the team prepare for the competition, Spencer said. All the teams in the competition were talented, Spencer said, and he was grateful to have the opportunity to compete against them. “It will be the last Moot Court Competition that I’ll compete in, but it’s a really wonderful way to finish up that last phase in my legal education,” he said. “I feel really blessed. I’ve really enjoyed my time at Elon and I really encourage anybody else to do the same in their education.”

Psychology student to present education research on Capitol Margeaux Corby News Editor Playing games and baking rice crispy treats may seem an odd way to increase math literacy in prekindergarten classes, but psychology majors are currently conducting honors research projects using such playful methodologies. Senior Larrisa Ferretti’s honors fellow research, which investigates the affects of parental guidance during their child’s play with math-related games, was invited to share her project with lawmakers in Washington this May by the Council on Undergraduate Research. The council hosts an annual “Posters on the Hill” event, where students from all disciplines have a chance to show legislature the accomplishments of various undergraduate studies. “I’m pretty excited,” Ferretti said. “I think this is a big time of change in America and it’s great to have time with senators and representatives and show what undergraduates do for research.” Ferretti’s research, “Effects of Parent Guidance on Preschoolers’ Numeracy Skills,” concentrates on how parental guidance, through positive reinforcement and prompt after-error techniques, can enhance children’s basic math skills before they enter the school system. This concept of having a basis in math knowledge is officially referred to as emergent numeracy. “Numeracy is the study of math in everyday life, like understanding buying something,” Ferretti said. “Emergent numeracy is numeracy a child learns before entering formal schooling. It’s important because if they’re going to gain any emergent numeracy it’s going to be in the home.” Ferretti’s mentor, psychology professor Maureen VandermaasPeeler, said that increasing children’s basic math skills before they are sent to school is imperative in order for America to successfully compete with foreign countries whose students exhibit higher math scores. “Increasing parents’ focus on the use of numbers in daily interactions

angie lovelace | Staff Photographer

From left, Margaret Peeples, her 4-year-old daughter Natalie and Larissa Ferretti play an educational board game. Ferretti’s research studies the role of parent guidance on nuwith preschoolers might enhance children’s understanding of numeracy and hopefully their subsequent academic performance,” VandermaasPeeler said. She said that the lack of current literature on the subject of math literacy in the United States contributed to their decision to conduct this particular type of research. “Very few researchers have examined early numeracy development, especially in the United States, despite data showing that children in the United States have relatively poor math performance compared to other industrialized nations,” VandermassPeeler said. “Larissa and I talked about how to study parent-child interactions related to numeracy in the context of daily activities performed at home.” Ferretti said she chose to use games as a learning tool since the idea of play is universal and could be applicable to

families of various backgrounds. “If you’re able to perform in math, it’s able to impact all other disciplines as well, so it’s important to get a good base in math,” she said. “Since we’re looking at how children learn in everyday activities with their parents, and children play games with their parents in all cultures and do so naturally in the home.” Both Ferretti and VandermaasPeeler were surprised by the recently bestowed honor since the council usually recognizes more researchbased schools nationally, but Vandermaas-Peeler never doubted her mentee’s ability. “Larissa did all the actual data collection herself and that was a huge endeavor,” she said. “I’m very proud of what she has accomplished. She has incredible initiative and skill.” Ferretti still has a lot of data analysis to conduct and her senior honors

University to purchase DNA sequencer Laura Wainman Senior Reporter Elon was recently selected to receive an $84,000 grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. The grant will be used to purchase a DNA sequencer and a Real-Time PCR thermal cycler, both of which will be housed in the McMichael science building. The machines will aid students and faculty conducting research in the biotechnology department. “The goal was to get some really advanced, high-tech equipment here at Elon, and give students hands-on access to the technology,” Biology Professor Anthony Izzo said. The DNA sequencer will be used to analyze the composition of DNA strands and obtain the genetic sequences of samples. Other uses include as microbial community profiling and determining population genetics. The Real-Time PCR thermal cycler will help researchers target, amplify and quantify specific genes in a sample. “The practical side is that having this equipment available on campus brings down the cost of running samples, which previously had to be sent to outside companies to be processed,” Izzo said. “This also takes some pressure off students because it is not as big of a deal if they mess

up the first sample or two. The tighter your budget is, the less room you have for error. A large part of the research process is failing and adjusting, and students can do this more easily now.” One student who is particularly excited about the addition of this equipment to Elon is junior Laura Segars. Segars is an Elon College Fellow and is required as part of the program, to do an undergraduate research project. With the help of her mentor, Izzo, Segars is studying mushroom toxins. “This is really going to affect my research in a positive way,” Segars said. “I am going to be able to get my results so much faster. Plus, it is going to be a great tool for all students to have. It gives us an opportunity to get hands-on experience with advanced technology that biotech companies all over America are using.” Izzo said the timing was very right for applying for this grant. “Elon has made a strong commitment to continuous progress in name recognition and they have been very successful in moving the school forward,” Izzo said. “People are becoming more and more aware of the great work being done at Elon and now we are reaping the benefits.” Though the equipment purchased will primarily be aiding the biotechnology department, it will be used in other science classes as well.

david wells | Photo Editor

Biology professor Anthony Izzo examines bacteria cultures in the McMichael science “This equipment will represent a considerable upgrade in the molecular biology capabilities of research and lab teaching here at Elon,” Izzo said. “However, we intend to integrate these machines into as many of the science classrooms as possible, including the science classes for non-majors. Working hands-on with this advanced technology is a good skill for any student to possess and we are always seeking to improve the lives of as

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WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009 // Page 5

Psychology student to present education research on Capitol Hill Margeaux Corby News Editor Playing games and baking rice crispy treats may seem an odd way to increase math literacy in prekindergarten classes, but psychology majors are currently conducting honors research projects using such playful methodologies. Senior Larrisa Ferretti’s honors fellow research, which investigates the affects of parental guidance during their child’s play with math-related games, was invited to share her project with lawmakers in Washington this May by the Council on Undergraduate Research. The council hosts an annual “Posters on the Hill” event, where students from all disciplines have a chance to show legislature the accomplishments of various undergraduate studies. “I’m pretty excited,” Ferretti said. “I think this is a big time of change in America and it’s great to have time with senators and representatives and show what undergraduates do for research.” Ferretti’s research, “Effects of Parent Guidance on Preschoolers’ Numeracy Skills,” concentrates on how parental guidance, through positive reinforcement and prompt after-error techniques, can enhance children’s basic math skills before they enter the school system. This concept of having a basis in math knowledge is officially referred to as emergent numeracy. “Numeracy is the study of math in everyday life, like understanding buying something,” Ferretti said. “Emergent numeracy is numeracy a child learns before entering formal schooling. It’s important because if they’re going to gain any emergent numeracy it’s going to be in the home.” Ferretti’s mentor, psychology professor Maureen VandermaasPeeler, said that increasing children’s basic math skills before they are sent to school is imperative in order for America to successfully compete with foreign countries whose students exhibit higher math scores. “Increasing parents’ focus on the use of numbers in daily interactions

angie lovelace | Staff Photographer

david wells | Photo Editor

Page 6 // WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009

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The Pendulum

National and international

Grade inflation plagues many universities

Loan department not affected by economy Elon has not seen a dramatic increase in applicants Olivia Hubert-Allen Reporter

Margeaux Corby | Graphic

INFORMATION COURTESY OF ELON UNIVERSITY

Margeaux Corby News Editor While the country’s economic woes have been the centerpiece of many administrative decisions made at Elon in recent months, another troubling trend not involving Americans’ wallets is beginning to be investigated by university senior staff. Administration in all of higher education is exploring the idea of grade inflation, the increase of grades without any real increase in student standards, which is becoming more prevalent in schools across the nation. Grade inflation, which works similarly to the concept of monetary inflation, is considered by some to be an indicator of institutionally lax grading standards and many believe it leads to a sense of ‘entitlement’ among students that an “A” grade is the norm and not the exception. “You reserve an “A” for excellence,” said Steven House, dean of Elon College, the college of Arts and Sciences and vice president of academic affairs. “An “A” is a distinctive grade.” Elon’s institutional GPA has risen from 2.88 during the 1998-1999 academic year to 3.17 in 2007-2008, resulting in an almost 5 percent increase in less than 10 years. Last fall semester, there were 5,863 “A’s” assigned to students, making the “A” letter

grade the highest percentage grade assigned at Elon. Only 2 percent of Elon students during the fall received a “C,” the letter grade that is considered average. “We don’t have many classes that end with 'F’s',” said Mary Wise, assistant vice president of academic affairs. House argues that while the university’s GPA increase is startling, the academic profile of students entering Elon continues to rise as well. “The percent of 'A' grades has gone up significantly,” House said. “But at the same time the average SAT of students coming in has gone up and that could be part of the explanation.” House also cited that teaching at the collegiate level has changed over the years and that faculty have become better educators and have explored new teaching methods that are beneficial to student learning and comprehension. He acknowledges a system where an “A” grade is given out fairly ubiquitously can contribute to students feeling that good grades are a perogative rather than something to be earned. “It is possible that students feel entitled, that they deserve better grades,” House said. Education Professor Mary Knight-McKenna, who is chairperson for the academic standing committee, believes student expectations may arise

from high school success, and many don’t realize the different level of work collegiate studies require. “When you’re used to a steady diet of receiving 'A’s,' an 'A'- can be surprising,” she said. “I try to so hard to emphasize learning instead of grades but I’m not always successful.” Last year the academic standing committee brought about policy that increased the GPA required for students to be considered for the Dean’s List. Instituting higher GPA requirements for academic honors is what Knight-McKenna considers “one small step” to beating inflation. The committee is beginning to conduct inquiries of both student and faculty behavior, in an attempt to see if grade inflation is a real problem or merely a result of a more scholarly student population. House will still be attempting to implement more stringent standards for faculty to consider when assigning grades. Suggestions he has presented to faculty include an emphasis on differentiating between quality and quantity, effort and quality and increasing the grade value of individual assignments while decreasing the grade value of group work. “Faculty aren’t trying to hurt students,” House said. “They want to reward excellence and fairly and appropriately grade students' work.”

Sources of student aid

The current economic crisis has students across the nation scrambling to find new sources of funding to support their college educations. But here at Elon, the office of Financial Planning has seen little change among students compared to previous years. “What we’re going to see is a few more students applying for financial aid than before, just to be able to get their eligibility for their student loan,” said Pat Murphy, director of Financial Planning. “There’s a lot of Elon students who never apply for anything. But this year, at least they’ll do their FAFSA, which means they’re at least eligible for their Stafford Loan.” Most changes in the loan market have affected private loan companies, instead of the federal loans like the Stafford Loan. Murphy said Elon students depend primarily on the government loans, so the office of financial planning is experiencing few changes. Because of the federal stimulus package, Elon students who receive the federal Pell Grant can expect an increase in aid for next year assuming their personal financial situation has not changed. This represents roughly 7 percent of Elon students. This week a staff of six at the office of financial planning will begin to go through the 6,000 rising freshmen that Elon has accepted and begin awarding aid for the 2009-2010 school year. They don’t foresee any changes in how the aid awarding process will go this year. “We give our best offer upfront,” Murphey said. “We don’t have the internal money to deal with negotiation. We give them the best we can the first time. If there is something in the family situation that changes we will look at that, but we’re going to go out with our original

-Federal Pell grant -TEACH grant -Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant -Academic Competitiveness Grant -Federal Stafford Loan -Private loans -Merit-based scholarships -Athletic scholarships -Other institutional grants -Private scholarships

award being what we can do.” Murphy has no concern about filling the freshmen class at Elon next year. New and returning students who aren’t able to afford tuition can still turn to private loans for help. “Too many families are picking up the pieces from depleted home values, retirement plans and college savings accounts only to realize that they still need a solution to pay for their child’s education,” said Albert L. Lord, chief executive officer of loan company Sallie Mae. “We are closely monitoring our customers’ needs and actively looking at additional steps we can take to help both students in school and graduates in repayment.” Private loans are offering financial literacy tools to help students find other sources of funding. Sallie Mae recently launched a number of Web sites to help students plan for college, understand how credit works and search for scholarships and grants. “(These tools will) talk about the true cost of buying something on a credit card, financing a car and various ways of establishing savings accounts,” Murphy said. Though Murphy thinks some of these financial literacy tools are marketing tools for the loan companies, he thinks the information can still be valuable to students looking to learn more about finances.

50 years under Chinese rule, Tibetans still oppressed David Koontz Reporter It was difficult for the people of Tibet to celebrate the Losar, the Tibetan New Year, this year. March of last year was a bloody month in Tibet when pro-independence riots were quelled violently by Chinese forces. The Chinese government said that 19 people died as a result of the unrest, though pro-Tibetan groups based outside of China said the real death toll was between 100 and 200. “The U.N. condemned China’s actions, but didn’t really do anything to step in and stop it,” said junior Tess Kukovich. “The United States doesn’t approve of China’s actions either but hasn’t really done anything besides that.” Kukovich said economical interests are a reason why the United States has not interfered. Kukovich has been a long-time follower of the ongoing crisis in Tibet. As a child growing up in the Washington

D.C. area, her family has been involved with the International Campaign for Tibet, the main organization that works for Tibetan rights. Her parents would bring her to war protests and candlelight vigils outside of the Chinese Embassy. For more than half a century, the people of Tibet have been under the forced rule of Chinese occupiers. Next Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against China, the same one that led to the Dalai Lama’s exile to India. Pro-Tibetan protests, like the ones from last year, could spark even harsher Chinese crackdowns. What some fear Tibet faces is a cultural genocide. Chinese enforcers are stricter against Tibetan traditions and encouraging Tibetans to abandon their identity for a pro-Chinese attitude. “No one ever thinks about what happens in China and Tibet as genocide, which is unfortunate,” Kukovich said. By now there are more Chinese in Tibet than there are Tibetans. According to Kukovich, the Chinese government

encourages Chinese people to marry Tibetans, have children and start families with them. These policies are all leading to the loss of Tibetan culture. The biggest issue is that there is not a great deal of international publicity for the Tibetan people and their plight. “Not enough people know about it,” she said. “You have to get people behind it. People started caring once Darfur got really big.” Unfortunately the political strains are much more tense in the situation with China than they are with Sudan. Just as William Schulz, the former executive director of Amnesty International, said when he visited Elon last week, it is easier to exercise influence over a country like Sudan. An economic powerhouse like China, though, is much more resilient to international disapproval. Still, as Schulz recommended, globally enforcing pressures on China through a unified collaboration between countries like the United States and countries in the European United could

photo submitted

Next Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of yield results for the Tibetan people. “There’s not a lot of publicity around it, so I think you really need to get public support for it,” Kukovich said. “That’s how you get the government to do

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events and people a look at future leaders visting campus to speak about global and national issues and those who have already left their impact in doing so.

Freedom of the press

Historic Founder’s Day celebration to take place next week

freedom of religion

Elon honors Isabella Cannon as first woman to be part of Founder’s Day

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Five speakers to visit Elon to discuss relationship between religion and the media

get invovled to register for lunch or dinner, contact Pamela baker at bakerp@elon.edu lunch with William lobdell: $8 Dinner With leonard Pitts: $12

Neel Arora Reporter Elon University will host a daylong seminar “Faith, Doubt and the Media” March 9, featuring five renowned journalists and writers from across the country. The event, sponsored by the School of Communications, the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Liberal Arts Forum and the Society of Professional Journalists, encompasses a great variety of perspectives centered on the emphasis of religion in the media. This will be the first time an event of this magnitude will take place at Elon. All sessions, with the exception of meals, are free for students, staff and faculty to attend. Associate professor of communications Anthony Hatcher, with the encouragement of the dean of the School of Communications Paul Parsons, has been planning the project for nearly a year. The event began to take shape when Chaplain Richard McBride and the Truitt Center invited Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts to give a talk on how the media deals with religion. Hatcher and McBride collaborated to design an event fashioned around Pitts, inviting speakers whose careers and writings are focused, to a greater degree, on religion and the media. Pitts will give his keynote address later in the evening after his reception dinner. Brett Younger, an acquaintance of Parsons, will be the first speaker. Currently an associate professor at Mercer, Younger is a movie enthusiast who enjoys talking about faith. Parsons said his talk, “Reel Religion: Faith and Doubt at the Movies,” will be entertaining and humorous. Next in line is Yonat Shimron, writer for the Raleigh News and Observer and winner of numerous religious news writing awards. As the focus of her discussion, she will take a stand on the a documentary, “Obsession” and its depictions of Islam. She is the past president of

Non-elon student, staff or faculty: $50 registration includes sessions, speakers, lunch, dinner and admittance to keynote address

the Religion Newswriters Association of which Hatcher is an active member. William Lobdell, a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times and a personal friend of Hatcher, has in part inspired the title of the seminar “Faith, Doubt and the Media.” He will focuse on his own “doubt” with religion. As a member of the Roman Catholic Church, Lobdell investigated the pedophilia scandal among priests. He will discuss his memoir, “Losing My Religion: How I Lost my Faith Reporting on Religion and in America — and Found Unexpected Peace,” at a lunch session. Jason Byassee, also an acquaintance of Hatcher, will discuss “Committing Faith in Public.” Byassee, the director of the Center for Theology, Writing and Media at Duke University, is the contributing editor to Christian Century, the oldest faith magazine in publication. A panel discussion moderated by Hatcher and featuring all five speakers will follow the speeches. In between the speakers, McBride will speak on the natural study of spirituality. Communications professor Brooke Barnett will later show a documentary about progressive religion in the south, which she produced with Elon students in the School of Communications. McBride said this is a great opportunity for students to learn about the expanding fields of religion and media and draw connections between the two. “In America, politics and religion have separate spheres but they converge,” McBride said. Parsons echoed the sentiment. “Religion and media are two of the most influential aspects of our lives,” Parsons said.

David gergen to deliver School of Law inaugural commencement address Jake Martin Senior Reporter David Gergen, a former adviser to four U.S. presidents and currently a senior political analyst for CNN, is set to deliver the inaugural c o m m e n c e m e nt address for the law David Gergen school May 24. Elon Political Consultant University will also present Gergen with an honorary doctorate during the ceremonies. But ceremonies are scheduled for 3 p.m., May 24 at the Carolina Theatre in downtown Greensboro. Gergen has been an active participant in American public life for more than 40 years and has served as a commentator, editor, teacher, public servant, best-selling author and presidential adviser among several other callings. Gergen is also director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy

School of Government at Harvard University and chair of the Elon University School of Law Advisory Board. He has contributed to Elon University academics on numerous occasions, whether through interviewing legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite at the Convocation for Honors in 2003 or participating as the Isabella Cannon Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership in 2004. A chair on the law school’s advisory board since its inception in 2005. Gergen also played a key role in developing a partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro. A native of Durham, Gergen is an honors graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School. He holds 17 honorary degrees from universities across the country and is a member of the Washington, D.C., bar. The commencement will be followed by a processional from Carolina Theatre to Center City Park in Greensboro, where a reception for the first graduating class of the law school will be held at 4 p.m. For more information about the School of Law and commencement exercises, visit: www.elon.edu/e-web/law.

Pam richter Sports Editor One afternoon in May 2000, a train zoomed by, and the sound echoed throughout the Elon University campus. In the middle of her national television interview with Bryant Gumble of the CBS Early Show, Isabella Cannon told him to wait as the train went by. Gumble was left stunned by this 96-year-old woman telling him, the interviewer, to stop his interview. Jo Williams, who is the special assistant to the president at Elon University, routinely tells this story to give people an idea of Isabella Cannon’s personality. Cannon will be honored on campus next week as part of the Founder’s Day celebration, which has events throughout the week. “(Founder’s Day) recognizes people who have impacted the university,” Williams said. The first Founder’s Day was held Sept. 14, 1939, as a way for Elon College to commemorate its first 50 years of existence. Last year, William Long, the first president of Elon, was honored in the Founder’s Day celebration. Cannon will be the first woman to be honored as part of Founder’s Day. Cannon's presence can be noticed throughout campus with the Isabella Cannon Centre for International Studies, and the Isabella Cannon Pavilion in the Academic Village, both named after her. Cannon graduated salutatorian from Elon College in 1924, but almost didn’t attend Elon. Cannon and her family immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1916 and after graduating from Winecoff High School in Concord, N.C., she received a scholarship from Trinity College, which is now Duke University. Williams said Cannon’s mother insisted she enroll at Elon because they emphasized the local community. Later Life In 1922, Cannon married Claude Marcus Cannon, who was Elon’s registrar and business manager. After this she had several jobs, including teaching high school at Elon High School, working as a cashier at the Elon Banking and Trust Company and helping as a worker for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in Washington, D.C. Her husband, C.M., was employed and his job job took he and Isabella to many countries across the globe. During this time, Isabella participated in foreign service. C.M. passed away in 1954 in Raleigh. Williams said Cannon had no pension left to her after her husband died. “She invested wisely and was very frugal,” Williams said. After several other jobs, including volunteering on campaigns, Cannon ran for mayor of Raleigh. At the age of 73, she was elected the mayor of Raleigh in 1977. With this victory, she became the first female mayor of a capital city in the United States. “Her motto was the little old lady in tennis shoes,” Williams said. “It was impressive that she unseated the incumbent.” Cannon served one term as mayor of Raleigh until 1979. Think Globally Act Locally In her later years, Cannon received recognition for her accomplishments by Elon University. She was the first woman to be awarded the Elon Medallion by President J. Fred Young in 1991. This same year, she made a gift to Elon College that established the Isabella Cannon Leadership Program. “Ms. Cannon believed that everyone had the potential to contribute,” said Rex Waters, the associate dean of students at Elon. 1999 marked the year when Cannon gave an endowment gift to Elon College that created the Isabella Cannon Centre for International Studies. “Her passions were international studies and leadership,” Williams said. “She always led by example.” Shortly after this endowment, she gave another one in 2001 that funded the construction of the Isabella Cannon International Studies Pavilion. This became the first building in Elon University’s Academic Village. With several buildings and programs named after her, Cannon made an impact on the university before she passed away Feb. 13, 2002. Before her death, Cannon coined the phrase “think globally act locally,” a phrase that is still used by the

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The Pendulum

Speakers Visitors to elon’s campus share their insight and a window into their world.

Global supply chain speech Lifestyle choices can delay relates to Elon as institution Alzheimer’s symptoms Jack Dodson Reporter The three main points that James A. Tompkins made in his talk on global supply chain issues Feb. 24 were that the world is flat, the world is in fact Europe, North America and Asia, and it is all about the supply chain. Tompkins is the president and CEO of Tompkins Associates, which is a company that helps clients develop a stronger and better supply chain design. He holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering, has contributed to or written 25 books and frequently speaks to a variety of audiences. John Burgridge, the former dean of the Love School of Business, called this a “timely and current subject” as he introduced Tompkins to a full LaRose Digital Theatre. Tompkins stressed with a business based on supply chain, “If you want a premium peach, you’ve got to handle it like a premium peach. You need to design a supply chain that will do that.” He defined this concept as the acquisition of materials for a company and its resources. Many companies use industry in southern Asia, where the labor is cheaper. But there is a trick that Tompkins Associates helps people understand. For example, getting all the materials in one place is more important than just whether it’s cheaper somewhere else or not. The cost of transportation has a larger impact than most realize. “The key to globalization is to optimize all your resources worldwide, not just to buy,” Tompkins said. But concept is larger than just money-saving ideas. It bases itself on the globalization of the business world

and turns that into a motivating factor for capitalism. It is working more indepth with the vendor to create a stronger, worldwide business model. One subject in particular earned some attention from Tompkins. “If you don’t pay a lot of attention to China, you’ve got a problem,” he said. “It can be the end-all or be-all for a business, due to varying practices. The trick is to know how to use it for benefit only.” Tompkins said the challenge facing Elon is to take this and learn to use it advantageously, just as Tompkins teaches his clients. “There has been interest in the business school taking more emphasis on supply chain,” Burbridge said. This is because the globalization felt even in the Triad. Elon has particular interest in these concepts, as ARAMARK is a client of Tompkins Associates. “Supply chain affects everything,” Tompkins said. Graduating students face not only a troubled economy, but also a dramatically changing business world, which Tompkins offered his advice on. “Stay loose. It’s difficult out there. It’s important to gain experiences,” he said. He recommends building and securing a resume. "Numerous opportunities will arise as a result of globalization and discontinuities occurring from our recent economic downturn," said Gary Palin, senior lecturer in entrepreneurship. "Supply chain is an important and rapidly growing area in which entrepreneurs will launch ventures seizing these opportunities.”

Keegan Calligar Senior Reporter Despite icy conditions and a university-wide snow day, psychology researcher and professor Arthur “Art” Kramer spoke to a packed crowd in Moseley Center on Monday night about aging and ways to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Kramer, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, said in his “The Aging Brain and Mind — Use it or Lose it!” presentation that education, certain lifestyle choices and exercise can delay symptoms of Alzheimer’s, a neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss, decreased cognition and disorientation. Citing a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center, Kramer said education can help Alzheimer’s patients retain cognition. “We can think of education as being more neuroprotective," Kramer said. "The more education you have, it provides cognitive reserve, it provides brain reserve. So even in the face of pathology of a really nasty disease like Alzheimer’s ... you can function quite well. So get as much education as you can.” Kramer also said lifestyle choices can affect one’s cognitive reserve. In one study, researchers assigned different point values (from one to three) to different activities, such as watching TV, going for a walk and going to an exhibit at a museum. Those activities researchers deemed more intellectually stimulating were assigned higher point values. The study’s participants were then

given a score based on what activities they took part in. “We actually see that there’s a 44 percent reduction in the probability of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s if you just get eight points. Eight points isn’t a lot of points,” Kramer explained. “A 44 percent reduction in being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years in the future. That’s amazing. That’s a ... simple lifestyle choice we make that can be quite neuroprotective.” “Maybe not,” he said. Kramer also explained researchers have concluded individuals who get more exercise have less of a chance of suffering from Alzheimer’s. “The bottom line is, just with exercise ... you can decrease the probability of Alzheimer’s by about 40 percent,” he said. As a result of all the studies on Alzheimer’s, Kramer said that individuals can take a proactive approach in reducing their probability of acquiring Alzheimer’s. “There’s no need to wait any longer for the pharmaceutical companies,” he said. “If we come up with that ‘wonder drug,’ I’ll be the first in line.” Kramer closed his talk by advising students to continue their education. “For you, be educated, because education is one of the best neuroprotective agents we know of in the literature,” he said. “Your brain can look like Swiss cheese, but you’ll still function well.” Kramer also recommended other proven strategies for keeping Alzheimer’s at bay. “Maintain high levels of physical activity,” he advised. “Have friends. Be intellectually engaged. Go through cognitive training.”

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WSOE uses webcasting to reach wider audience Christina Edwards Copy Editor In a world where radio broadcasts have to compete with iTunes and Pandora, many stations - both professional and collegiate - have been turning to online webcasting to reach wider audiences. Elon’s own radio station, WSOE, is no exception. Webcasting uses streaming media technology to distribute a media file of the radio broadcast over the Internet. “It has definitely increased our audience because it allows us to reach way beyond our radius,” said Ryan Sweeney, general manager of WSOE. While the WSOE radio tower reaches a mere 10-mile radius, the Internet has no such boundaries. “Your grandmother back in Ohio can listen to your show or someone halfway around the world who you don’t even know,” said Erin Fox, former general manager of the station. “Personally, nine times out of 10 I listen to WSOE at my computer, the tenth time being in my car. It’s more convenient and appealing in this Internet age.” Fox said WSOE caters to the independent and alternative music scene, which lives and breathes through online conversation at oultets like blogs, MySpace and message boards. “By adding a webcast to your college station you are able to reach the niche audience that the music on your station calls for,” Fox said. UNC Chapel Hill’s WXYC became the first college radio station to use a webcast in 1994. In the years since then, colleges and universities around the country have followed suit. WSOE’s webcast launched over four years ago. “The greatest advantage is that it allows us to reach anyone, anywhere as

WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009 // Page 9

NEWS IN BRIEF Sex offender’s bond lowered Nearly two weeks after Scott Dewante Moore was charged with an alleged sex offense in Belk Library, his $100,000 bond has been reduced to $50,000, the Alamance County District Attorney’s office said Feb. 25. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Thomas Nadolski said the next step for Moore will be an indictment by a grand jury. So far, no more updates have been released. Elon currently in 172nd place for RecylceMania This week, RecycleMania is in its fouth week of competition. Last week, Elon collected more than 6,300 pounds of material. This currently brings the total up to 27,506 pounds of plastic, glass, cardboard and paper, putting Elon 172nd out of 408 reported schools for total weight volume.

david wells | Photo Editor

Sophomores Stephen Lorenzo and Andy Dispensa host WSOE’s Snake and Aces Rock Block 89.3 on Saturday from 4-6 p.m. playing alternative, classic, psychedelic and other long as they have access to a computer,” Sweeney said. “It is especially helpful since we are doing work with local bands in the Triangle and Triad areas, and both are out of our broadcast radius.” While the ability to webcast works to the station’s advantage in terms of reaching an audience, the technology also has its nagging disadvantages. “Our webcast is buggy and many have issues connecting,” Fox said. “If you try to market your station through the webcast and the webcast doesn’t work, not only will the attempted listener not be able to hear the station, but they may be turned off to the station in general.” Online radio stations, with their ability to reach even the farthest location, still find competition from Web sites such as Pandora and Last.fm,

which allow users to specifically tailor their music stream to their tastes. “I would say there is some competition,” said Sweeney, “but they lack personality. College radio has a personality and edge that you can’t get from an automated system.” Competition or not, radio is moving forward and embracing new technologies and the staff at WSOE has an eye out for the newest trends. “Webcasts are not the only way that radio stations can take advantage of the Internet,” Fox said, citing Facebook, Twitter and other social networking Web sites as resources. “Adding video content and photographs to Web sites is another way to interact with listeners, and today if a station doesn’t have these things then they are not staying competitive in the media the way that they should be.”

One year later: Eve Carson’s murder remembered

file photo

Last year, UNC students comforted one another after hearing about the tragic death of classmate and Student Body President Eve Carson. Carson, then 22, was mur-

Thursday will mark the one year anniversary of the murder of University of Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president, Eve Carson. The murder, which occurred only 45 minutes away from Elon, affected the surrounding community and woke students up to the reality that even a beautiful college campus can be dangerous. Carson was found lying on a street about a mile from the UNC campus after having been shot five times, including once in the temple, according to an autopsy report released last summer. Laurence Alvin Lovette, 18, and Demario James Atwater, 22, were both charged with firstdegree murder in Carson’s case. The university will hold a memorial ceremony Thursday in remembrance of Carson. It will include remarks by UNC’s chancellor, Holden Thorp. “For many of us, the loss of Eve Carson continues to occupy our thoughts,” Thorp said in a news release. “This ceremony gives us a chance to remember and celebrate Eve together after a difficult year.

PRSSA Regional weekend

Activity

this

“PR Outside the Box,” PRSSA’s Regional Activity, will take place Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $30 for PRSSA members and $35 for non-PRSSA members. The event will consist of presentations by Ron Smith who began his own PR firm, Cherokee Communications; Kristin Foster from Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide; and Rob Coleman with The Chief Communications. Former Elon professor John Guiniven will also talk about his PR work at Chrysler and International Paper. The event will hold an interactive activity as well and will give students a topic on which they will create their own PR campaign and win prizes for the best campaign. Contact Lianna Catino at lcatino@elon.edu to register. Prendergast speaks tonight John Prendergast will speak tonight in Whitley Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Prendergast is an activist for ending the genocide in Darfur and has recently written the book, “Not On Our Watch,” with Don Cheadle. He is also the senior adviser to the International Crisis Group and is the co-founder of the ENOUGH campaign.

Correction In last week’s news story “Campus aims to go ‘paperless,’” it was incorrectly reported that the university went from spending $10 million to $2.8 million after the implementation of the print management system. The university actually went from printing 10 million sheets of paper to 2.8 million sheets of paper.

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Editorial THE PENDULUM Established 1974 The Pendulum is published each Wednesday of the academic year. The advertising and editorial copy deadline is 5 p.m. the Friday before publication. Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome and should be typed and e-mailed with a telephone number for verification. Submissions are accepted as Word documents. The Pendulum reserves the right to edit obscene and potentially libelous material. Lengthy letters or columns may be trimmed to fit. All submissions become the property of The Pendulum and will not be returned. You can reach The Pendulum by e-mail at pendulum@elon.edu. If you have questions or concerns about an article contact a section editor. Please do not respond to reporters directly.

Editor-in-Chief Andie Diemer Managing editor Alexa Milan Adviser Colin Donohue Section Editors Margeaux Corby, News Laura Smith, News Morgan Little, Opinions Hannah Williams, Special Projects Rachel Cieri, Features Amanda Kennison, A&E Pam Richter, Sports Samantha Calvert, Asst. Sports Senior Reporters Keegan Calligar Chris King Jake Martin Emily Silva Laura Wainman Online Ashley Barnas, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Longo, Programs Director Camille DeMere, Multimedia Editor Derek Noble, Multimedia Editor Alex Trice, Multimedia Contributor Dan Rickershauser, Multimedia Contributor Copy Jennifer Clements, Copy Chief Christina Edwards, Copy Editor Luci Strauss, Copy Editor Rebecca Wetherbee, Copy Editor Victoria Doose, Copy Intern Elizabeth Roberts, Copy Intern Photo Desk David Wells, Photo Editor Andrew Dodd, Staff Photographer Lindsay Fendt, Staff Photographer Bryce Little, Staff Photographer Angie Lovelace, Staff Photographer Design Caroline Matthews, Design Chief Alyse Knorr, Design Editor Miriam Williamson, Design Editor Caroline Fox, Graphics Editor Business Chris Dorsey, Business Manager Chelsea O’Hanlon, Asst. Business

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The Pendulum seeks to inspire, entertain and inform the Elon community by providing a voice for students and faculty as well as a forum for the meaningful exchange of ideas.

What’s the world to do when nonprofits lose their funding? The safety net for the disadvantaged that stretches across the country, discrectly interwoven into all branches of business and government, is fraying. The North Carolina unemployment rate hit 8.7 percent Jan. 27 and is continuing to rise. Foreclosures increased 66.5 percent from 2006 and 135 percent from 2005. Though interspersed throughout society, a great majority of the work is handled by nonprofit organizations. Organizations as local as the Alamance County Meals on Wheels or the Alamance Partnership for Children or any of the multitudes of local churches of all denominations have long been dedicated to assisting those in need. After years of success, the very survival of such organizations is in jeopardy. In December 2007, nonprofits accounted for close to 213,000 jobs in North Carolina — 6 percent of the workforce — and provided $25.8 billion for North Carolina’s general economy. Nationwide, the trend is even greater. Nonprofits employ 11 million people — 10 percent of the workforce — more than both finance and transportation. Such contributions often go unnoticed. When job losses are reported, they rarely contain nonprofits. Sectors such as finance, banking, insurance and real estate all provided fewer jobs in North Carolina as of 2007. Elizabeth Clawson, communications and development associate of the National Council of Nonprofits, attributed the problems facing nonprofits to a squeeze on both sides. On one end, there is a rapid decrease in revenue, a decline in grants and corporate sponsorships coupled with less state and local funding. The other end is composed of an increase in service needs. The effects have been immediate. The Delaware Association of Nonprofits combined with its counterpart in Maryland because having its own headquarters became too expensive. Other nonprofits are beginning to do the same. Joseph Mann, chair of the board of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, has witnessed joint efforts beginning to take hold. “They’re finding a way to collaborate, finding out what their essential areas are. Those that are not central are going to be honed down,” he said. Returning to contributors who in the past have consistently sustained nonprofits and reminding them just how needed they are is another strategy, but ultimately there are going to have to be losses no matter what course of action is taken.

ILLUSTRATING THE ISSUES:

“With so few dollars, only those acting effectively with a long history are going to be able to stay in business,” Mann said. That is, unless a third party jumps in. The National Council for Nonprofits posted a description of various allocations imbedded in the recent federal stimulus package. “Federal, state and local government officials will be severely challenged to deploy this volume of funding with such rapid deadlines — not because they are inept, but because few have ever experienced such demands in their careers.“Therefore, nonprofit leaders need to step forward now to claim a seat at the policy table,” the report said. The list is lengthy but contains several highlights: $53.6 billion for the State Stabilization Fund, $3.95 billion for job training and employment services under the Workforce Investment Act, $2 billion for the emergency assistance of foreclosed or abandoned homes, $19.9 billion for food stamps, $24.7 billion in subsidies for COBRA coverage for the unemployed, $160 million for the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and another $50 million for a new initiative in nonprofit capacity building grants. Obviously, federal measures are mostly focused on alleviating costs for states and, indirectly, nonprofits. The link between government and nonprofits in regard to executing the goals of these stimuli cannot be forgotten in the spending splurge. About 29 percent of the nonprofit sector’s revenues comes from government, after all. Money alone cannot solve a problem. Cash only momentarily feeds and clothes, and eventually, like any resource, it runs dry. The key is making the most of those limited resources, and to do so requires initiative and training, something the nonprofit sector can readily match to the government funds. Nonprofits, Mann said, reflect the genius of American society. They’re born when an individual sees a need or a cause and immediately begins to formulate a solution. What must be kept in mind during this reorganization is the spark that brings about solutions: the human element. Both Clawson and Tim Delaney, president of the National Council of Nonprofits, highlighted the importance of this. There must ultimately be recognition of needs and a realization that it is the issue of how the economy is affecting individuals and communities, not organizations and sectors, that is most important.

Letter to the Editor As a member of the Student Government Association at Elon and a communications major who values accuracy and fairness in reporting, I am compelled to respond to “Removing the Veil from SGA” (Feb. 25, 2009). The article called for more students to be involved in their student government and encouraged greater communication between SGA and the students it represents. I couldn’t agree more. However, there are a number of errors of fact and of interpretation that need to be corrected. First, I must correct two errors of fact. The article says that when asked about my platform in last year’s campaign, I didn’t know what a platform was. This is untrue on two counts. First, I was never asked this question. If I had been, I would have gladly discussed my platform, which I outlined in my election speech that is available on YouTube. The article also seems to imply that the only reason I won that election is that I ran unopposed. I did not run unopposed in that election or the previous election my freshman year. Second, while I agree with the reporter that having multiple candidates for office is ideal, I cannot agree with the implication that somehow the legitimacy or effectiveness of candidates who run unopposed is questionable. The article states, “Whether or not Baker has adequately represented the class of 2011 is less important than the fact that competition decreases the chance for complacency.” I disagree heartily. The fact that I have more than adequately represented my class is important indeed. I have coordinated and organized the Freshman Outreach Event, where our class held pumpkin carving activities and prizes in an attempt to help new students meet one another and acclimate themselves to Elon. This year, I coordinated the Sophomore Class Event, which invited the entire class to learn about the underappreciated yet useful aspects of Elon. I constantly ask students what modifications and improvements they hope to see in Elon and ensure that I can put these things into action. Yes, I think that competition is desirable in our SGA elections. But I think it is unfair to denigrate the accomplishments of those of us who are willing to serve just because no one else has stepped up to run against us. Like the author of the article, I wish more students would be willing to serve in SGA. But until they do, it serves no good purpose to disdain candidates who run unopposed or to imply that their accomplishments are tainted if they do. Sara Baker Junior Class President-Elect Editor's Note: This letter is in response to last week’s staff editorial “Removing the veil from SGA.” It mentioned Baker ran unopposed during her campaign for junior class vice president this year, which is true, and that Baker did not know what a platform was. The latter assertion came from first-hand reporting. The Pendulum stands by its story.

To comment… We appreciate original responses to Pendulum articles. Feedback of 500 words or fewer can be sent in several ways. Letters to the Editor and columns can be e-mailed to pendulum@elon.edu or sent to 7012 Campus Box, Elon, N.C. 27244 Content will be edited for clarity, length and accuracy. All submissions must include a name and phone number. A message board also accompanies each article online at www.elon.edu/pendulum where commentary can be quickly posted.

The Pendulum

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opinions Mexico is burning

U.S. funds, addictions fuel the fires As you’ve heard from Vice President Smith Jackson’s e-mail, Elon has joined the long list of colleges and universities warning their students about traveling to one of the most popular spring break destinations. Mexico is at war with five major drug cartels Dan rickershauser that have been responsible Columnist for a detiorating situation that has made brutal beheadings, kidnappings and corruption all too commom. It is a problem that goes well beyond canceling this year’s spring break trip. According to The Associated Press, 6,290 people were killed last year in drug-related violence south of the border. This year, more than 1,000 people have already been killed. The violence is no longer just “Mexico’s problem”, it has found its way north to the United States. In 2007, Phoenix reported an average of one kidnapping a day, all related to criminal activity in Mexico, making it the unofficial kidnapping capital of the United States. According to the U.S. State Department, Mexican traffickers operate in 230 American cities, making it the largest organized crime threat in the U.S. With the worsening situation in Mexico steadily moving north, the U.S. has pledged $1.4 billion to help fight the drug violence. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said aid would come in the form of military hardware, training and intelligence support. But this amount is petty at best when considering the threat Mexico’s deterioration now poses to our national security. Mexico, today, poses more of a threat to our national security than Iraq ever did, but the $1.4 billion isn’t even a week’s

worth of expenditures in Iraq. $1.4 billion is also measly when you consider that drug trafficking from Mexico makes as much as $38 billion from the United States alone. In addition to the black market funding of Mexico’s drug cartels, we supply the weapons these cartels use to overpower Mexico’s police force. According to “60 Minutes,” 90 percent of the guns used in drug-related crime are purchased in the U.S. By purchasing drugs from the drug traffickers and then allowing them to use the proceeds to purchase weapons in our own country, we’re ultimately funding both sides of the war tearing Mexico apart. Mexico’s situation requires a much closer look at our own methods and involvement. Can we honestly say we are winning the war on drugs? Given the levels of violence in countries heavily involved in the creation and trafficking of drugs, it’s hard to say yes. A careful analysis of how we can change our policy to prevent perpetuating violence around the world is in dire need. The way we fight the war on drugs has taken its toll on the U.S. as well. More than two million people sit behind bars in America, the largest incarcerated population in the world, both numerically and as a percentage of the total population. This is largely in part to the tougher penalties on “crack cocaine” enacted during the 1980’s. The deteriorating situation in Mexico requires our immediate attention, and the solution doesn’t lie in an action as simple as constructing a wall along the border. America needs to take a hard look at itself and its counterproductive policies and ideologies. The drug cartels are riddling the streets of Mexico with gunfire, kidnapping and taking their government hostage. As Americans, we must have no right to point the finger south, but at ourselves. Without serious change in our own policy, in how we fight the war on drugs and enforce our border security, Mexico will only slip further into mayhem.

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An ‘A’ still means an ‘A’ Morgan little Opinions editor There is a degree of ease in condemning a university for showing signs of grade inflation. Arbitrary rewards do little to create forward momentum, regardless of the setting. Now and then, someone blusters about this institution and that institution, grumbling about how things were better back in their day, how lazy the modern student is and how little their instructors challenge them. Other universities may be guilty of these charges, but not Elon. Stuart Rojstaczer contended in the Raleigh News & Observer that Elon is involved in a statewide horse race to propel grades upward to gain a leg up on the competition. Perhaps Duke and UNC are engaging in such activities, but Elon’s inclusion in the article is questionable. What Rojstaczer fails to recognize is that Elon’s progression since becoming a university is not the result of grade inflation but a greater commitment to academic performance. It sounds hokey, but it’s true. The statistics on incoming classes since 2001 serve as sound evidence. The class of 2005 hosted an average high school GPA of 3.54 and an average SAT score of 1125. Just five years later, the class of 2010 arrived with a GPA of 3.9 and 1216 on the SAT. The class of 2012 continued this progression. The middle 50 percent achieved a GPA of 3.5 to 4.4, with the middle 50 percent of SAT scores ranging from 1730 to 1960 out of 2400. A sizeable 33 percent ranked in the top 10 percent of their classes. To understand why something occurs, it’s not sensible to merely look at the occurrence in a vacuum and then make conclusions. But that’s exactly what Rojstaczer did with his article in

regard to Elon. The average GPA at Elon has not increased because the university is artificially ensuring that its students receive A’s. Instead, by drawing students from the top of their respective high schools and pulling in applicants with progressively higher and higher scores, a natural increase in Elon’s GPA is occurring. Incoming classes are used to high grades, and in working to maintain that status quo they create a degree of competition with the higher classes to do the very same, leading to a more professional environment. Elon isn’t manufacturing this rise in GPA’s. President Leo Lambert isn’t calling professors into meetings and demanding “A’s.” The students are merely working harder and more efficiently. Rojstaczer belittles students just as much as he accuses professors of inflating them. In an entry on his blog, he smugly contends that up to one half of the undergraduates he taught had no interest in learning at all. The consumption of alcohol, he said, is their only driving force. “Higher education right now is a rather wan and pathetic enterprise. It’s so pathetic that it’s easier than suburban high school,” Rojstaczer said in the same post. Again, generalization takes hold of his argument, his hyperbole rendering his argument limp. What is the data he draws to support such a bold claim? Where are the figures and comparisons? Rojstaczer only cites two student e-mails, which both preach to the choir. Praising the efforts of every class at a university may not draw as much attention as placing an asterisk beside them and writing them off as the results of grade inflation. But at Elon, such praise is deserved and was lamentably overlooked by Rojstaczer.

Jindal tries to teach nation the ABC’s of the Republican Party On Feb. 24., President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress to discuss his stimulus plan. Republicans have criticized the plan since its introduction, calling it costly, wasteful and unlikely to help the economy. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal offered the Republican response following Obama’s speech. Jindal, the son of Indian immigrants, is widely regarded as the next big name in the Republican Party and is often mentioned as a possible 2012 presidential candidate. He was a natural choice to deliver the response Kevin Clang speech. The stimulus is Columnist obviously something worth debating. The economy desperately needs help, but such an expensive endeavor must be guaranteed to work. Unfortunately, Jindal offered nothing new to the important argument. He merely restated the same Republican talking points we have been hearing for the past month (small government, tax cuts, bad spending, etc.) instead of offering a constructive argument with new ideas. Worse, pundits called his tone “hokey,” “amateur” and “awkward.” Dozens of videos have already emerged on YouTube comparing Jindal to the dimwitted southern character Kenneth from NBC’s “30 Rock.” The speech was a missed opportunity for both Jindal and the Republican Party. In his defense, minority response speeches are very hard to pull off. With no audience to feed off of, one must get his tone exactly right early on. Former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius endured an equally poor showing offering the Democratic response following President George W. Bush’s final State of the Union address. Plus, Jindal was following Obama, a very gifted speaker. Even ignoring his poor delivery, Jindal’s words rang hollow. Jindal talked down to the American public. His slow pace and lack of any substantial criticism for the Democrats suggests that maybe he isn’t ready to lead the nation after all. There is a lot of overspending in the bill, yet the only example Jindal could come up with in his speech was volcano monitoring. It seems to me that common sense dictates volcanoes are something we should keep an eye on. He has also been hypocritical in his approach to the stimulus package. Jindal publicly stated his plans to refuse stimulus money, which is only partly true. In the current plan, Louisiana is due to receive $3.8 billion. Jindal plans to accept $3.7 billion, 97 percent of what the state will be offered. Even so, such claims must frustrate larger, wealthier states such as New York, California and Texas that will pay much more in taxes than they will receive in stimulus money. With 50 states, some are naturally going to contribute more revenue than others. A state like Louisiana, devastated by natural disasters, should absolutely receive some extra money to help recoup. For a governor to say that he or she does not want that money because they disagree with what it is for is the wrong way to go about politics. Democratic leadership should not have inserted pet projects such as birth control into the package, but a governor refusing stimulus money — cash specifically allocated to improve a state’s economy — is just stupid. Jindal’s stances are simply misguided attempts to advance his party’s policies and toot his own horn at the expense of his state and its people. There are many ways to protest a bill that you don’t like, and refusing to follow it once it has passed should not be one of them. The only name Jindal’s speech ended up boosting for 2012 was Sarah Palin’s, who right now looks increasingly attractive to the GOP. A poorlywritten and delivered speech is by no means a career-killer, and Jindal is relatively young. This is probably not the last time we will hear about him in any capacity. But if Jindal wants to set himself up as a potential leader of this country, he will need to start offering new ideas to the American people instead of recycling the old ones.

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The Pendul

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STArT AT ELON

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e r e h f o ride time

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IrAZÚ COffEE 2.1 miles

GLEN rAVEN, INC.

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4.7

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6 minutes

Visit The Pendulum Online for more directions, photos and an interactive

sports & outdoors

DAN RICKERSHAUSER | Photographer

Joyce Marie Dickey, owner of GlenMarie vineyards

IrAZÚ COffEE 3336 S. Church St. Burlington, N.C. 27215 Carolyn VanBrocklin Reporter Irazú Coffee is a small, Costa Rican coffee shop in Burlington that gives customers a nice break from chain stores like Starbucks. Rod Salazar opened Irazú Coffe in December 2005. “I’ve been wanting for a while to open my own business,” Salazar said. “I really like coffee and saw a market in Burlington for it.” Irazú is owned and operated by Salazar and his family. His mother and sister help Salazar run the coffee shop. “We make each cup by the customer,” Becky Villalobos, Salazar’s sister, said. At Irazú, all drinks are brewed fresh to meet the customer’s exact specifications. Even coffee is made by the cup. “We always want to give the customer what they want,” Salazar said. “One of the things we really take pride in is serving really good coffee.” The coffee shop has a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, complete with cushy sofas, free high-speed, wireless Internet and a 32-inch LCD television. Various performers entertain patrons with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. “The process is enhanced, the atmosphere is different. It tends to give off more of a cozy, at-home feeling,” Salazar said. On Tuesdays, students can bring in their Phoenix Cards and receive a 10 percent discount. Irazú also offers frequent coffee cards, where customers earn stamps for each specialty drink purchased, earning a free drink once

ANDREW DODD | Staff Photographer

rod Salazar, owner of irazú coffee,

DAN RICKERSHAUSER | Photographer

BurLINGTON BMX 1450 Graham St. Burlington, N.C. 27217 Lindsay fendt Reporter Around the courthouse, across the railroad tracks, past the Cruz-Thru and next to the Burlington Royals Stadium sits a series of large dirt mounds illuminated by huge white lights. This 1,000 feet of red clay track is home to Burlington BMX, Burlington’s most extreme unknown attraction. “You start at the gate, the gate falls, you go as hard and as fast as you can to the finish line,” said Jennifer Kincheloe, treasurer of the BMX Parents’ Association. And that’s exactly what the riders aged 5 to

17 do every Friday when the track holds races. As part of the American Bicycle Association, the Burlington track can send finalists to state and national championships. The BMX track was built in the 1980s by the Burlington Department of Parks and Recreation and has been growing in popularity ever since. Kincheloe and her husband, Brad, the track manager, have been involved with BMX for the last four years. “I’ve seen it get bigger every year,” Kincheloe said. “The Summer Olympics last year was the first time they had Olympic BMX. I feel that really helped a lot of people who had never seen it before.” Burlington BMX attracts racers from all over North Carolina and from other states in the region as well. “We get a 3-year-old who comes down

PArAMOuNT THEATEr 128 E. front Street Burlington, NC 27215 Sarah Costello Reporter A trip to downtown Burlington is a step back in time. There is an old-fashioned drug store, an Andy griffith-like barbershop and Zack’s Hotdogs resembles an old diner, but the Paramount Theater holds a special place in downtown Burlington history, located between the old train depot, Company Shops Station, and Mi Casa on East Front Street. “I think (the Paramount) is a real treasure in our county,” said Deborah Cobb, co-owner and director of the Arts Alive Fine Arts Studio in downtown Burlington. “It’s a wonderful facility steeped in the rich history of our county that very few have experienced.” The building originally existed as a movie house in the late 1920s, charging just 10 cents for admission. During its heyday, the movie house was known as “The grand” and was one of several local movie theaters in the area. In 1929, the owner of The grand, J.R. Qualls, changed the name of the movie house to “The Paramount.” The theater provided Burlington with cinematic entertainment through the great Depression and World War II, but came across hard times in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, all three theaters in the area were slated to be demolished, but the Paramount survived and remains the only 1920s-era theater left in the county. The gallery Players leased the Paramount in 1977 and began using it for live-stage productions. The gallery Players purchased the theater for $1 in 1986 to establish a permanent home for community theater in Burlington, thanks to a bill passed by the state legislature that made the low selling price legal. More than 80 years since its first inception as The grand, The Paramount still provides entertainment in downtown Burlington. gallery Players continues to thrive. They produce and perform several stage productions each year and are currently performing “The King and I.” Acting troupes and drama organizations have taken advantage of the accessibility of the theater as well.

LINDSAY FENDT | Staff Photographer

bMx bikers race at the burlington bMx track.

three of GlenMarie’s

BurLINGTON rOyAL 1450 Graham St. Burlington, N.C. 27215 Michelle Longo Online Programs Director

The Burlington Royals is the of Major League Baseball’s Kans The Royals play a 34-home g August at the Burlington Athle opened in 1960 and seats about 3 the famous minor league movie, Dan Hostetter, the Royals’ a average attendance during the s game. Tickets range form $3 - $8 The Royals are part of the Ap the Bluefield Orioles, Danville Mariners, Bristol White Sox, Eliz Johnson City Cardinals and King “We have different players usually only have them for a ye rivalries in this league to develop one another because they are com from overseas. It is really just guy and a chance to work themselves From 1986 to 2005, the tea Indians, the rookie league affilia Indians won their last division a not been a title run in Burlington “It was a pretty easy transition team’s change of affiliation. “W City really wanted to get into Indians were looking to move

ACE SPEEDWAy

3401 Altamahaw race Track rd Elon, N.C. 27244 Camille DeMere Multimedia Editor

ANDREW DODD | Staff Photographer

the burlington Athletic Stadium, where the burlington royals play, opened in 960, seats about

Behind a line of mill-era hous exactly that – a racetrack. ACE oval raceway that is home to late Since the new management o greg Davis swept in about four

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NC ASA SOfTBALL BurLINGTON BurLINGTON MOuNT COMPANy SHOPS rAILrOAD STATION HALL Of fAME TEr BMX rOyALS

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GLENMArIE VINEyArDS & WINEry 14.8 miles 28 minutes

e destinations, driving e map. DICK AND JANE’S TAPAS AND MArTINI BAr GLENMArIE VINEyArDS & WINEry 1838 Johnson rd. Burlington, N.C. 27215 Keegan Calliger Senior Reporter

DAN RICKERSHAUSER | Photographer

s wines recently won bottles placed

e rookie-level minor league affiliate sas City Royals. game schedule from June through etic Stadium. The stadium, which 3,000 fans, appears momentarily in “Bull Durham.” assistant general manager, said the summer months is 1,000 fans per 8. ppalachian League, which includes Braves, Princeton Rays, Pulaski zabethton Twins, greenville Astros, gsport Mets. every year,” Hostetter said. “We ear, so there is really no time for p. The players have no history with ming out of high school, college or ys getting a taste of professional ball s up.” am was known as the Burlington ate of the Cleveland Indians. The and league title in 1993. There has n since then. n,” Hostetter said of the Burlington We didn’t have to do much. Kansas the Appalachian league, and the e closer to Cleveland. So when

ses on Altamahaw Race Track Road is Speedway is a four-tenths-mile, paved e model and stock car races. of Kathy Thompson, Sean Holley and r months ago, the speedway has been

glenMarie Vineyards and Winery in Burlington offers visitors the opportunity to spend a weekend afternoon sampling locally produced wine. glenMarie’s owners, glendale and Joyce Marie Dickey, began making and bottling wine in 2000 as a hobby during retirement. “We were each retiring and we thought selling wine was the best way to do it,” Joyce Marie said. glenMarie boasts two and a quarter acres of different grapes, and its owners bottle 13 different types of red and white wine. Three of glenMarie’s wines, golden Nugget, Chambourcin and Muscadine, recently won prizes at the North Carolina State Fair. Part of the Haw River Wine Trail, glenMarie is one of four local wineries in the heart of North Carolina following the length of the Haw River. For $3 per person, visitors can taste all of glenMarie’s wines in the winery’s tasting room, where they can also purchase any of the vineyard’s wines. Though the amount of wine produced each season depends on how many grapes are grown during the year, Joyce Marie said that she and her husband will likely produce about 600 cases of wine this year. “We made about 300 cases (of wine) last year,” she said. “We’ll probably double that this year.” The winery also hosts special events, including Dog Days in the Vineyard. On Dog Days visitors can bring their dogs to play in the GLEN rAVEN, INC. winery’s dog park, browse dog jewelry, view an agility demonstra1831 N. Park Ave. Glen raven, N.C. 27217 Michelle Longo Online Programs Coordinator Founded in 1880 by John gant as a simple textile mill in small-town glen Raven, N.C., glen Raven, Inc. has transformed into a nationally recognized, multi-talented company. In its third century of operation, glen Raven is under its third generation of gant family management. Allen gant Jr. serves as the current president and CEO. “The company reflects the ethics of the family,” said Chan Chandler, vice president of human resources. “It is a good company because it is a good family. It has been family-owned and operated for 129 years.” Once known as being the company that invented pantyhose and manufactured the fabric of the American flag that was taken to the moon in 1969, glen Raven has withstood time and adapted to the changing culture of the city. “The primary thing that keeps us going is a very strong brand,” Chandler said. “We are very diverse too, so when one thing is down, the other things are up. People will continue to buy our brand as opposed to a commodity product. Again, it is that strong brand name.” glen Raven is now corporate head of three businesses: glen Raven Custom Fabrics, glen Raven Technical Fabrics and Tri Vantage, a distribution company. The list of fabrics employed by glen Raven is endless. It produces fabric for virtually everything including cars, planes, boats

turned completely upside down. They have overhauled the speedway’s image, recruited new sponsors, added new racers and garnered a fan following. The ACE Speedway management team aims to broaden the focus of Ace Speedway to include the entertainment side of racing for fans in addition to the experience for the racers. “We’re talking to a team of drifters who put on exhibitions to come out here,” said Thompson, director of marketing and public relations. “And this space is perfect for concerts.” ACE Speedway is currently marketing a reality show called “My green garage” to networks like the Discovery Channel and SPEED. The new management team recently brought in a production crew to film the pilot episode of its reality show at the racetrack.

109 W. Clay St. Mebane, N.C. 27302 Lindsay Eney Reporter Just down the road from Elon is a hidden gem on the streets of downtown Mebane. Nestled on West Clay Street among a few unique shops and taverns, Dick and Jane’s Tapas and Martini Bar offers a great alternative for those looking to break the bubble for a night of fun. Owner Jane Hochreiter opened the bar with her husband Phil, an Elon alumnus, in October 2007. She said they based the restaurant on what they like to do and they made sure to include a lot of the little touches that make the experience worthwhile for patrons. The relaxed, smoke-free environment encourages conversation among the customers. The welcoming staff is just the beginning, as the bar offers games for patrons to play as well as crayons with which they can color on the tablecloths. Dick and Jane’s also hosts Wii and Rock Band nights on the side patio during the warmer months. Hochreiter said the bar draws a mixed crowd, but she’s noticed the younger crowd that comes in is more mature than some of their peers. Because of that, she thinks they appreciate all Dick and Jane’s has to offer. “Really, we just want to have fun,” she said. “Once you reach a certain age, you realize that stuff like coloring on the tables is fun again.” Senior Amy Kisko celebrated her birthday Feb. 28 at Dick and Jane’s. “I knew I wanted to go to a martini bar for my birthday, so I started searching for some in greensboro, but nothing really looked great,” she said. “Then I found this one in Mebane and thought we would check it out.” The bar offers a variety of martinis and the menu changes with the season. Beer and other mixed drinks are also available, as is a selection of tapas.

COMPANy SHOPS rAILrOAD STATION 101 N. Main St. Burlington, N.C. 27215 Derek Noble Multimedia Editor

Whistlestop is an exhibit that chronicles the history of the North Carolina Railroad and is housed in the former engine house of Company Shops Station in Burlington. In the late 1850s, Company Shops, now Burlington, was built to supply the needs of the North Carolina Railroad Company in Alamance County. The town sprung up around the tracks as a center of industry. Whistlestop houses two life-sized trains and also has a scale model of the town in the railroad’s heyday. The exhibit also features a history walk, taking visitors through the journey of how the North Carolina Railroad Company has changed the state. “It’s the true tale of how a steel track built more than 150 years ago generated enough economic energy to transform the state into the modern region it is today,” the Whistlestop Web site said. The townspeople voted to change the name of the town to Burlington in 1887 after the North Carolina Railroad Company headquarters left the town and Company Shops no longer seemed appropriate. In 1918, a fire swept through Burlington, burning many of the original buildings that comprised Company Shops. Only the engine house remained.

N.C. AMATEur SOfTBALL ASSOCIATION SOfTBALL HALL Of fAME 1419 Overbrook road Burlington, N.C. 27215 Pam richter Sports Editor The North Carolina Amateur Softball Association Softball Hall of Fame was built adjacent to Burlington City Park in the early 1990s. This statewide softball hall of fame extends recognition to a league of softball greats, not just members of the ASA. “We honor former players, coaches, team sponsors, umpires, administrators and anyone who has played softball,” said Tony Laws, the director of the Burlington Recreation and Parks Department. The hall has inducted nearly 90 members since its founding. New members are inducted every two years, joining the rest of the Hall-of-Famers in October. “Each person gives some memento of their career,” Laws said. “There’s a lot of different stuff – uniforms, bats, balls, gloves.” In addition to player memorabilia, hall of fame visitors can learn about the history of softball, the process of making a wooden bat and the proper way to construct a softball, among other things through a variety of exhibits. Call ahead though, because this hall of fame is not staffed regularly. Law said the Recreation and Parks Department opens the museum to visitors upon request and on special occasions, like softball tournaments. The department can be reached at (336) 222-5030.

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The Pendulum

Style DanceWorks 2009: expressing spirit through dance Amanda Kennison A&E Editor Last weekend, Elon hosted DanceWorks 2009, which was organzied and performed entirely by Elon students, and welcomed everyone from the Elon community to its performances. The show was well received by audiences. And at all five show times performers danced in a packed Black Box Theatre. “I was so pleased with the performances and the turnout of the shows,” sophomore performer Kara Griffin said. “All of them sold out with people standing or sitting on the floor. The audience has had a great energy and was very receptive to our work.” Until this fall, DanceWorks was previously recognized as “Just Dancin’ Around.” In 2004, dance majors Rebecca O’Quinn ('07) and Alena Johnson ('06) organized the first performance. After five years, DanceWorks remains the only entirely student-run production that allows any type of dance and any student to perform. DanceWorks 2009 boasted a one-hour and 20-minute runtime and included 14 pieces. Auditions for the show began in late November, before the selections for the spring show were made and a tentative cast was set. A second round of auditions was held after the first week of spring semester. At this time, final selections for the show were made and the overall design of the show was decided upon. The 14 pieces performed at DanceWorks 2009 created an eclectic mixture. From the opening flag dance to “Tom’s Diner,” a contemporarytap fusion, to traditional ballet pieces, the show offered something for dance lovers of all types. “We collectively chose pieces that we were confident would create a performance of diversity, craftsmanship and artistic integrity,” senior Elizabeth Easterly said. “We chose pieces that would create a collectively entertaining, technical yet kaleidoscopic show.” Equally important were the long months of rehearsals put in by the performers. From the first audition in

david wells | Photo Editor

Freshmen Maggie Mial and Jessica Duffy battle in ‘The Only Truth’, a fight between good and evil with dancers junior Sunny Smith, freshman Matthew Meigs, freshman Allison Zmozynski and sophomore Stephanie Lloyd. November — and in some cases even 2009 left both audience members choreography, and it’s unusual to see as early as September — individual and performers more than pleased. this kind of teamwork and trust at a performers began practicing. Just as “I was so excited to perform in this collegiate level. There was so much the dances were varied in style and show, because it has a very different positive energy during this process, execution, so were their inspirations. feel to it,” Griffin said. “All of the works that no matter what happened, we knew DanceWorks vice president, junior are our own, so we’re not just dancing we were going to have an amazing show Rachel Perlman, choreographed and to perform. Our hearts have been in and a great time working together.” performed in the piece “The Human these pieces for a while since the roots Perlman said shows like DanceWorks Heart has hidden treasure, in Secret of them come from within ourselves.” are important to dancers, because they kept, in Silence Sealed; the thoughts, In addition to the excitement allow a performer to practice and hone the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, performing in DanceWorks brings, skills, as well as be able to demonstrate whose charms were Broken if Revealed.” the organization helps students it to the public. DanceWorks also “It’s a contemporary group dance, hone professional skills, and it allows dancers from all backgrounds inspired by the idea of how a secret and provides an opportunity for them to come together, learn from each gossip are spread through the metaphor to showcase their talents and get other’s styles and put together a of a rose and rose petals,” Perlman said. a taste of what is yet to come. creative, cohesive performance. Other pieces gained inspiration “I was completely impressed While the performers benefited from everything from songs to specific with the core concepts and layers of from showcasing their talents friendships — which was the case for meaning behind each piece,” Easterly for people outside of their field, Griffin’s “The Fire in Your Heart is Out.” said. “There was a huge amount of Easterley, Griffin and Perlman The careful audition process and professionalism in everyone’s attitude all enjoyed seeing the audiences' rehearsal time paid off as DanceWorks toward design as well as to their spirited responses to their pieces.

david wells | Photo Editor

TOP LEFT: Freshman Jessica Duffy and sophomore Bill Commander perform “Growing Bones” to the music “Prelude No. 20 in C minor” by Chopin. TOP CENTER: Junior Stuart Richie opened up the program with ‘Parallels,’ a flag number with fellow dancer senior Meredith McNeill. TOP RIGHT: Junior Casey Castine and sophomore Erin Keim perform “Get Ready” to Fergie’s “Here I come.” BOTTOM LEFT: Dancers junior Rachel Perlman, junior Rachael Fine, sophomore Kara Griffin, freshman Emily Falconer and senior Kasey Waters conclude DanceWorks with their performance of “The human heart has

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50/50 Film Festival explores ‘The Other’ Alex Trice Reporter Elon’s second 50/50 film festival took place last weekend, and teams of student filmmakers were given the chance to compete for prize money of up to $500. The task? Simple: Create a short film centered on the theme of “The Other.” “‘The Other can be someone of a different sexual orientation, race, culture, age, social class or background than the majority,” said Tom Arcaro, the director of Project Pericles. “Everyone has been ‘The Other’ at some point or another. We want the filmmakers to explore ‘The Other’ — the dynamic between being on in the inside and on the outside. What does it mean to be part of ‘The Other?’ What are our responsibilities as global citizens with respect to our response to ‘The Other?’ How should you treat ‘The Other?’” Student teams were given no limitations on the style or genre of their piece. They could make anything from a comedy to a drama, or even a sci-fi piece as long as their video touched on the given theme. But they were given restrictions on other aspects of their films. One such regulation was the film had to be entirely planned, prepared, produced, directed, written, shot and edited in just 50 hours. Additionally, they were limited to the use of

just 50 words. According to Arcaro, this is to put premium emphasis on visual storytelling. Students should be influenced to make their images as telling as possible. Ten teams competed in this year’s event, he said. But one of them wasn’t even at Elon. Junior Peyton Lea, who is currently studying abroad in Ireland, signed up for the competition as a one-man crew and hopes to make a special entry to the contest. “I’m really excited about being able to participate from across the pond,” Lea said. “It’s a unique opportunity only Elon could provide or allow. Mostly, I hope to make a piece that doesn’t need to be set in Elon or Dublin or the North Pole to make sense and allow people to understand the message. I have a unique opportunity to be outside of the college realm and make something that could apply to anyone in any place.” This year marks the second 50/50 Film Festival event. The first one, held in 2006, was centered on the theme of what it means to be a global citizen. The festival first came about as a way to keep a strong connection between the school of communications and Project Pericles, Arcaro said. “We’ve had a great relationship for the past eight years,” said J. McMerty, communications professor and video projects coordinator. “Dr. Arcaro wanted to do something else to keep communication

See the screening and awards ceremony When: 8 p.m. monday Where: Yeager recital hall Cost: Free

students still involved in Project Pericles and so we developed together this 50/50 festival based on the 48-hour film project that happens nationally.” The 50/50 Film Festival is now a joint collaboration not just between the communications school and Project Pericles, but among other branches at Elon as well. While the school of communications provides the cameras, editing labs and filmmakers, Project Pericles sponsors the event and generates the themes. The theater department provides the acting talent and Student Affairs provides some of the funding. Arcaro said he purpose of the festival is to present students with the opportunity to participate in a fun project outside of class and work together with students of other qualifications while promoting civic engagement and global awareness within their work. “This idea of making media with a message is something that we want to instill in our students while giving our students experience in making a film, but encouraging them to do it in a way that helps others,” McMerty said.

liNDSAy FeNDt | Staff Photographer Sophomore Joshua chagani sets up the camera in one of the group exercise classrooms in Koury Gym. chagani and his partner, senior colleen callahan, worked all weekend on their 2-minuteA team of judges will to student evaluate the submissions. documentaries Along with a council from the are posted on theater arts program, three www.elon5050. special judges were enlisted for wordpress.com this competition. Guest judges and viewers can include Charity Apple from the vote for their favorite. Burlington Times-News, Elon’s Results of the 50/50 Scholar-in-Residence Ahmed Film Festival will be Fadaam and Bill Bonderant, a revealed on March 9. Cash trustee of the Park Foundation, prizes will be given for which promotes scholarship the top three short films. in higher education. Viewer’s Choice, Best Male The public will also be Lead and Best Female Lead involved in the judging. Links choices will also be awarded.

Student-run festival showcases up-and-coming ﬁlmmakers Jack Dodson Reporter On UNC Greensboro’s campus, the Carolina Film and Video Festival was tucked into a back room in Elliott University Center. Here, from Feb. 25 to Feb. 28, the school hosted its annual film festival. The festival has been going on sporadically for about 30 years, provides benefits unique to many other festivals. Specifically for UNC G students and North Carolina filmmakers, cheaper entry fees and a variety of award sections raise the potential for submissions. It also showcases high school filmmakers, university student films and international films alike. In addition to its diverse entries, the film festival proves itself even more unique based on its setup: The festival is entirely student run. UNC G actually offers a course on the Carolina Film and Video Festival at the 100 and 400 levels, in which students learn how to plan, manage and execute the event. From screening entries to setting up and working at the festival, students oversee every aspect of the four-day event. “Last semester we screened the films, and it was decided by students what films were accepted into the festival,” said John Boschini, a UNC G sophomore and festival publications co-chair. “There was no safety net. If the festival got screwed up it was our fault, not the faculty’s or administration’s.” The film festival consisted of two categories. Filmakers could submit their work in either the competitive category — in which films were juried and eligible for awards or the special screenings section — where for filmakers that were not submitting for award recognition. Between 10 and 12 hours of video were chosen as “official selections” for this year’s competition. A crowd gathered to watch this year’s submissions at first, with interest gaining as the week progressed. The turnout of the 2009 CFVF included some of its filmmakers— the winner of the screenwriting

2009 Carolina film and Video festival Winners north Carolina: nathan Bezner, “altar” north Carolina (honorable mention): Joshua gibson, “The Siamese connection” unC g student showcase: edward Tyndall, “Sadie’s Waltz”

GrAPHic cOUrteSy OF WWW.cArOliNAFilMANDviDeOFeStivAl.OrG

the 2009 carolina Film and video Festival which took place from Feb. 25 to Feb. 28 showcased documentaries from high school, college and international films. competition, Lukas Hassel — workshops her dissertation for the competition. with industry experts and many While she is focusing more on teaching students who just appreciate film. now, Triche still has films in progress. Hassel, an actor trained in Dublin She is currently in pre-production on at Trinity College, tried his hand as a an animation short that she hopes to screenwriter. His film, “Girls on the Run,” move to post-production this summer. won the screenwriting competition. “Whenever I get into a festival, I’m Previously, Hassel wrote and happy,” Triche said. “Film festivals directed a few shorts, but he says “Girls are where you can see true innovation on the Run” is the first feature he’s and creativity on screen. Also, written that he has been happy with. CFVF was a great opportunity to “The festival is going to be work with undergraduates on a one of the notches on ‘Girls on project outside of the classroom.” the Run’s’ belt,” Hassel said. CFVF 2009 was managed by UNC G He was excited to attend the graduate students Cara Clark and Rick festival, attend workshops, ask Dillwood. With a time commitment that questions and get to look at things averages between 10 and 20 hours a week, from a different perspective. the event has required a lot of focus. Asking many questions “We both work more than that,” at the workshops, aspiring Dillwood said. “It has dominated our filmmakers took advantage of the time since the second week of January.” speakers’ industry connections. The work seemed to pay off, though. Matt Decker is a UNC G junior They were pleased with how the festival majoring in cinema. Throughout the turned out, but they are already festival, he watched and discussed looking forward to next year’s event. films and attended the workshops in “I imagine there may be order to supplement his classwork. changes,” Dillwood said. “I’m enjoying it so far,” Decker With another year ahead, and said. “It’s fully interesting.” plenty of films to be made and Elon had particular ties to this year’s screenplays to be written, there is festival. Instructor of communications ample time for Clark and Dillwood Nicole Triche earned her Master's of to make those changes. Strong Fine Arts through the cinema program support from submissions and at UNC G. For three years, she ran CFVF speakers means the festival has as a graduate student. This year, Triche the potential to increase students’ submitted two experimental films from in-depth experience with films.

independent narrative short: lin Oeding, “Interpretation” independent narrative short (honorable mention): richard gale, “The horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon” Independent Narrative feature: Brandon Beckner, “Remarkable Power!” Student Narrative (tie): Jason Sokoloff, “Mr. Brooklyn” and Khen Shalem, “On the Road to TelAviv” Documentary: Bestor Cram and Judy Richardson, “Scarred Justice” Experimental/Animation: Erick Oh, “Symphony” High School: Youn Kim, “KH1” High School (honorable mention): gabrielle Lui, “Sweet Seduction” Screenplay

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: A&E F ILMIN PBRIEF REVIEW The Russian National Ballet Theater: March 5 See the classic fairytale “Cinderella” performed through dance. As the Russian Ballet Company performs for their twist on the old favorite. Tickets for the show are free with $15 or Elon ID. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. in McCrary Theatre. John Baker opening reception: March 9 Arts West welcomes artist John Baker as part of the James H. McEwen Jr. Visual Arts Series. Baker’s multi-panel works aim to make viewers questions the importance of artist intent and how it affects viewer response. The exhibition continues through April 15 and the opening reception lasts from 5-6:30 p.m. in Arts West Gallery. ‘Wannabe’ lip sync competition: March 9 RSA will host its annual lip sync competition Monday night. Teams have the chance to impress judges with their best 5-minute routine. The top three teams will win cash prizes up to $500. Step Afrika: March 10 This high-energy group infuses its step routine with lessons of teamwork, commitment and discipline. SUB has booked the team to perform at 7:30 p.m. in McKinnon Hall. The show is free for Elon students and the public.

DIRECTOR DISCUSSION:

‘Knowing’

Nicolas Cage stars in Alex Proyas’ new film about the prediction of global disasters Amanda Kennison A&E Editor Nicolas Cage’s newest film, “Knowing,” hits theaters March 20. Described as a “spiritual quest” by director Alex Proyas, “Knowing” isn’t a typical disaster movie. The film tells the story of John Koestler (Cage) and his young son Caleb (Chandler Canterbury). After his elementary school digs up a 50year-old time capsule, Caleb comes into possession of a sheet of paper filled with apparently random numbers. But John soon discovers the numbers aren’t exactly sporadic. The sheet of paper actually holds an encoded message predicting every major disaster, containing death tolls and coordinates from the last 50 years. Ignored by the authorities, John must find a way to stop three additional events, the last of which threatens to bring global destruction. Along the way John and Caleb receive help sorting through the events from Diana (Rose Byrne) and Abby Wayland (Lara Robinson), the daughter and granddaughter, respectively, of the message’s author. On Feb. 25 Proyas held a nationwide college conference call to discuss his new film. He discussed what it was like to work with Academy Award-winner Cage, how “The Knowing” is much more than a sci-fi flick and how advancements in technology are reshaping his craft.

Sophie Duensing Reviewer a joyous performance by michael Franti & Spearhead shook raleigh’s lincoln Theatre, Feb. 25, heavily involving the audience in a show that highlighted their unique sound. The group blended new hits with blasts from the past. michael Franti & Spearhead is led by creator, vocalist and guitarist michael Franti. The passionate, vibrant man with dreadlocks down to his waist has a presence capable of capturing an audience. When backed by his band, his energy is defiant. carl Young plays bass, david Shul guitar, manas Itiene drums and raleigh J. neal II covers keyboard. The diversity of the band is represented in its style, which has been described as a mix of hip-hop that blends reggae, african beats, folk, jazz and funk. reggae and dub are the most notable styles present. Itiene is from West africa while the other band members hail from San Francisco, where the band was formed. Besides being a musician, Franti is a political activist and a supporter of peace and social justice issues. his music reﬂects much of his outspoken political activism. In “Stay human,” released in 2000, Franti sings about the death penalty, mass media and globalization, among other matters. released in 2006, “Yell Fire!” was recorded after Franti’s trip to the gaza Strip, Baghdad, Israel and the West Bank. a strong anti-war theme is laced throughout the album. These moving political records will capture those not previously introduced to michael Franti & Spearhead. along with their inspiring messages, the music is one of the most enjoyable sounds

“(The film) isn’t really about the disasters per say,” Proyas said. “I see it as a spiritual quest on the part of (Cage's) character. He starts out believing that the universe is meaningless, just random chaos. But he comes to find that he may have a reason, a place on Earth. What I found refreshing is that there is a course (the film) takes that will take the audience by surprise.” Many of Proyas’ previous works have followed a more routine sci-fi approach. He tends to make films that make audiences question the boundaries of life and death and good and evil through blatant, otherworldly ways. “The Crow,” “Dark City” and “I Am Legend” force viewers to redefine their ideas of normalcy, but in a typical fantasy genre way. What makes “The Knowing” different from his past works is its degree of naturalness. The film stays fairly rooted in the realm of real-life possibilities. “I had to force myself out of my comfort zone a little,” Proyas said. “I feel very comfortable working in the (sci-fi) genre. But this film was more grounded in the rules of the real world.” Tying himself to a more realistic world wasn’t the only change Proyas made while filming “Knowing.” This was the first film he shot as an entirely digital film. The new digital technology never felt right to Proyas before, but its advances served this particular film well. With the newly-

PHOtO cOUrteSy OF tHeFilMNeSt.cOM

developed Red Camera, Proyas was able to capture shots that gave “Knowing” a much more natural feel — something that Proyas wanted to really emphasize in this movie. Proyas’ goal of naturalness meant making some sacrifices. For someone who enjoys meticulously mapping out scenes and waiting for the perfect shot to happen, Proyas had to step away from his normal boundaries. “I didn’t want this to feel contrived,” Proyas said. “I redefined my methodology. I wanted ‘Knowing’ to feel very naturalistic and raw. I forced myself — which was very hard to do — not to come up with shots and shoot scenes, taking away the safety net so to speak.” While “Knowing” stands out from Proyas’ previous films, it promises some of the same high-action and mind-stretching sequences. As with any doomsday piece, the movie pays homage to past apocalyptic ideas. But despite the suspense and hints of conspiracy theories, Proyas wants his audiences to take away something deeper from the film. At its core, “Knowing” is much more than a chase movie trying to stop the destruction of the world. “It really is a very intimate story about father and son,” Proyas said. “I realized that it was all about the cycle of life. It’s about the hope we pass down from our generation to our next generation. This film is all about the discovery that the universe does, in fact, have meaning.”

Non-ﬁction essayist present nature’s two-sided nature

CONCERT REVIEW

Rocker feelgood band lights up Raleigh venue

The Pendulum

Paul Mirek Reporter

SOPHie DUeNSiNG | Photographer

released in recent years. Perhaps the inauguration of President Barack Obama has cooled down Franti’s fire, but his newest album, “all rebel rockers,” is a step away from the passionate energy of the michael Franti of the past. The singles released from the album like “Say hey (I love You)” and “hey World” still have the reggae and dub inﬂuence and are undeniably catchy, but are a little too sweet. It seems the pop element has been upped in their newest album, diminishing much of their previous edginess. despite their disappointing new sound, michael Franti & Spearhead undeniably rocked the house at their Feb. 25 concert. The audience spent the entire show dancing and clapping along to the music. Franti kept the crowd involved throughout, making one too many “how you doing, raleigh!” shout outs. at one point he even had the audience singing a synchronized version of the ’80s hit “Our house” to a reggae beat. The reason behind the singalong remains unclear, but the audience seemed to enjoy it. most of the show consisted of songs off “all rebel rockers.” But the band did throw in some old favorites, even mixing in some grateful dead. Franti and his bandmates were joined on stage by reggae musicians cherine anderson and courtney John. They helped mix up the set. anderson’s voice, in particular, was incredible and added a nice female vocal touch. michael Franti’s diverse career is one interesting enough to follow and the group is certainly worth seeing again. hopefully their next album will have a little more passion, even if they are happy with the president.

At 7:30 p.m. tonight Elon will host d i st i ng u i shed nature writer and essayist David Gessner in Yeager Recital Hall. But “nature writer” may David Gessner not be the best Non-fiction writer and description for essayist him. His 2004 book “Sick of Nature,” for example, is a self-explanatory series of essays in which Gessner questions and satirically condemns the boundaries of the genre. Nevertheless, most of Gessner’s works are associated with the flora and fauna of the world. According to his Web site, Gessner’s latest book is an “irreverent, absorbing and insightful” story of the “7,000-mile osprey migration across two continents.” Associate professor of English Cassie Kircher headed the quest to bring Gessner to Elon. She first became acquainted with Gessner’s work through other Elon professors. “It was (English Professor) Kevin (Boyle) who saw an article in the New York Times Magazine by Gessner about a year ago,” Kircher said. “It was a feisty little piece that we both liked. About a month later, Gessner was interviewed in ‘Poets and Writers,’ and that’s when I really started to think about inviting him. Also, I’d always wanted to get a nature writer to campus, and Gessner sort of is one — although he doesn’t especially like that label.” Gessner is the author of six books. His works range from commentary on his time living in Cape Cod (“A Wild, Rank Place”) to dealing with the

osprey series (“Return of the Osprey”). Gessner has also written a number of essays, many reflecting his dedication to wildlife and nature preservation. Currently, Gessner works as an assistant professor at UNC Wilmington and edits the national literary magazine “Ecotones.” Gessner isn’t afraid to get personal in his writing. In 1999’s “Under the Devil’s Thumb,” Gessner intertwines the story of his battle with cancer with Boulder, Colo. His Web site describes this particular work as his discovery of the “mysteries of the Western landscape and the landscape of the soul.” Gessner is the recipient of several prestigious literary awards. In 2006 he won a Pushcart Prize, which is given to literature published in small presses, and the following year he received the John Burroughs Award for Best Natural History Essay. His essays and articles have appeared in magazines such as the Boston Globe, the Georgia Review and New York Times Magazine. With this kind of variety and prestige behind his work, tonight’s reading should be a compelling experience. Students may hear about his current projects, such as the graphic novel of his memoir “Wormtown” — described by Gessner as a “black humor memoir of testicular cancer in Worcester, Mass.” — or his novel “The Adventures of Mr. Id,” based on the Jekyll and Hyde story. “He seems to have an amazing amount of energy,” Kircher said. “He’s prolific.” For more information visit: www.davidgessner.com. The essays published in journals such as “Orion Magazine” and “OnEarth Magazine.” Want to go? Where: yeager recital Hall When: 7:30 p.m., tonight cost: Free

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Performers let loose with no rules, expectations in talent showcase Angie Lovelace Reporter No restrictions, no pressures — just performances. Strangers became friends on Feb. 26 when, in Dance Studio C in the Center for the Arts, Elon students came together to express their artistic talent. In a manner reminiscent of coffeehouse poetry nights, Elon artists took to the floor to perform. Music, poetry and visual arts came together at the event, titled “Dazed and Confused.” From a step show to a musical performance on the 10-string cuatro — the national instrument of Puerto Rico — the night was filled with a wide variety of talents. “In true hippie fashion, the outcome was what it was,” senior Elijah Martinez said. Martinez planned the event along with senior Anna Kimmel. Since most similar events do not allow people to perform in such a nonjudgmental environment, Martinez and Kimmel wanted students to have the freedom to do what they love without any expectations, and believed that “Dazed and Confused” would provide the opportunity. “This was really a night of selfexpression and celebration of how talented this school actually is, away from the confines of academia and in the watchful eyes of our peers, friends and rivals,” Martinez said. In the spirit of the show’s “gowith-the-flow” attitude, Martinez improvised when the multimedia screen would not set up. He and senior Matt Keffer held up a shower curtain for the projector’s image to display, and the shifting curtain gave the multimedia production more movement than was originally intended. Junior Laura Barnick sang “One Voice,” accompanied on guitar by junior Kevin Manship. Throughout the song she was intermittently joined by junior Lynnae Vana and sophomore Sabrina Bradley, and poster-sized note cards were provided so the audience

ANGie lOvelAce | Staff Photographer

Senior elijah Martinez, left, plays the guiro (scrape gourd) alongside junior luis Sanchez on the Puerto rican (5 doublecould join as well, bringing the group together as one. “It’s a way for students — whether they know each other or not — to come together and share their love of art in all its forms,” Barnick said. Sophomore Georgia Warner Freed took the stage and read a poem titled “Questions.” The poem, which she wrote when she was in 7th grade, urges people to not get carried away in seeking life’s answers. “I often have trouble forcing myself to be creative, and events like this help to give artists that extra push to create new artwork,” Freed said. ANGie lOvelAce | Staff Photographer

TH EATER REVIEW

Closing the distance

Photojournalist presents African AIDS awareness art Lindsay fendt Reporter Some choose a career for money, some for a passionate love of the job and others, like Kristen Ashburn, for a profound sense of duty and desire for change. Ashburn, an accomplished photojournalist, spoke to an auditorium of students, professors and photographers at the University of North Carolina’s Photo Night on Tuesday about her project “Bloodline,” which focuses on the effects of AIDS in Africa. Ashburn created the project in spite of criticism that it had already been done. “I really felt with what I had been reading, and with the statistics that are out there, that if I didn’t go, and I didn’t work on it in my lifetime and cover this crisis, which I consider to be one of the largest crises of our time, then I won’t have done my job,” Ashburn said, while her photos flooded the screen behind her. “Bloodline” covers various parts of Africa, with specific focuses on Zimbabwe and Malawi. The photographs range from portraits of families to bedside hospital visits and follow individuals through their personal struggles with HIV and AIDS. Because of the personal nature of the photographs, Ashburn would usually spend some time with her subjects before beginning to photograph them. She became close with many of her subjects, and she even keeps in touch

through e-mail. Because of these close relationships, Ashburn said at times it was difficult to keep her distance and not interfere. “It’s hard,” she said. “Sometimes people would ask for help, and I would explain that I couldn’t, but I regret that now. I realize that I could have helped them in some way.” Despite Ashburn’s desire to show the world the devastation of the AIDS crisis, she has difficulty providing awareness beyond the publication of a few photos. “I was literally about to put my images on the top shelf,” she said. “I’d done what I could with this work. It had been published in various magazines, and I’d gotten grants for it. I didn’t know what else to do.” “Bloodline” went on exhibition in 2006, was turned into a multimedia piece through MediaStorm — a multimedia production studio — and was eventually scooped up by Madonna for her project “I Am Because We Are.” “‘ I Am Because We Are’ is a clarification of the phrase ‘Ubuntu,’ which means ‘I am who I am because of who we are,’” Ashburn said. “It really illustrates the African sense of community.” In the face of all the hype and coverage Ashburn’s work has received, she still believes people need to learn more about the AIDS crisis. “I don’t really believe that my work has changed anything,” Ashburn said. “I just hope that it will bring people to action.”

(left to right) Junior Kevin Manship on guitar, junior lynnae vana, junior laura barnick and sophomore Sabrina bradley sing “One voice” with the audience.

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Micro-lending through Kiva connects Elon to entrepreneurs in developing countries rachel Cieri Features Editor In the tiny Middle Eastern country of Tajikstan, single mother Madina Mamadjonova struggled to provide for her 5-year-old daughter by selling traditional dresses she made herself. With her husband unable to find work, she became the sole supporter of her family and had little time to be with her daughter. Now, all that has changed because of an Elon alumna in Charlottesville, Va. Until Kelli Palmer sat down with communications professor Ocek Eke, she had never heard of Kiva, the microlending organization that introduced her to Mamadjonova. Eke and his global experience class had been raising funds to make a small loan to one of the thousands of entrepreneurs in developing countries that Kiva supports. The world’s first person-to-person micro-lending site, Kiva.org, works to connect U.S. citizens to individuals and groups around the world by facilitating no-interest loans. The organization’s partners and field agents travel through some of the most remote regions of the world to find local business owners who lack the credit history to secure traditional loans. “The cool thing about Kiva is that you can see the profiles of the people you’re lending to and see their progress,” Palmer said. Kiva volunteers record the entrepreurners’ stories, post their information and photos online and allow lenders to browse through their “profiles” to select the person to whom they lend. Each entrepreneur asks for a certain dollar amount for a specific purpose — one might need to buy a donkey to transport his goods, another could

need equipment to mass-produce his product or, in Mamadjonova’s case, the collateral would help buy garments from other clothing-makers for resale. Each loan is repaid over a period of six to 12 months The loans are typically small, but lenders need not provide the entire loan. Instead, they can lend in $25 increments so that several users might contribute to the same loan. The process of lending is as simple as buying a product online — Kiva lets lenders contribute through PayPal or a credit card and when the loan is repaid the money can either be put toward another loan, donated to the Kiva organization itself or withdrawn for the lender’s personal use. “When they told me about it, I immediately pulled money out of my purse and said ‘This is my contribution,’” Palmer said of her conversation with Eke and his students. Because she was the child of a single mother, she feels a special connection to the struggling single mothers around the world and has supported women from several continents. She is currently lending to eight entrepreneurs, each in a different country. “Some people give 10 percent of income to church. I give 10 percent of my income to helping people,” she said. Kiva allows lenders to connect with one another by forming groups, and Elon University’s group currently has 15 members who have contributed a total of 82 loans to people in almost 20 countries. Sophomore Catherine Reynolds is not a member of this group, but jumped on the opportunity to get involved after being invited to a Facebook group in support of the organization. “I’d never heard of it before, but it seemed like a really good way to help get people on their feet,” she said. Reynolds has made two loans, using

the same $25 she contributed for the first loan to pay for the second. “We’re college students, so there’s not a lot of money to go around,” Reynolds said. “But $25 can go a long way." Right now, Madina Mamadjonova has repaid about $500 of her $1,000 loan, the equivalent of 3,400 somoni, Tajikistan’s national currency. As

Palmer finds out through progress reports, Mamadjonova has been able to expand her business and increase her profit, allowing her to spend more time with her daughter. Palmer loves seeing her borrowers prosper. “It’s great to have that sense of interconnectedness,” Palmer said.

THE KNOCKOUT

tiM JOHNSON | Photographer

Mebane resident Anthony crabtree knocked out elon senior chris champney in the second round of the fight.

Elon student competes in Mebane’s boxing match, ‘The Brawl’ Patrick McCabe Reporter The lights shook and the crowd went wild as Elon senior Chris Champney entered the ring Friday night. Opponent Anthony Crabtree, a Mebane resident, took the first swing but Champney dodged and secured the first hit. When Crabtree bounced back and started swinging, Champney had him against the rope, but Crabtree pulled free. Round two: Crabtree was ready for the fight while Champney was a little shaken. Crabtree struck and Champney was unable to hold him off. Champney fell down for the count. Total knockout. Spectators roared as Champney hit the floor and was helped out of the ring. While he put up a good fight, Champney was the first knockout of the night, something many crowd members were anxiously awaiting. Champney was a part of “The Brawl” that took place in Mebane, N.C., this past weekend. “The Brawl” is a boxing match for any man who thinks he is tough enough to stand up to the challenge. The only catch is that participants can’t have boxing experience of any kind. Sponsored by the Mebane Sports Center and Gold’s Gym, the competition had a $35 entrance fee with a first prize of $1,800 The and drew about 400 adults, children and teens. The participants were divided into

three weight classes: light, medium and heavyweight. The opponents were then paired based on their weight within the class. Champney, who weighed in at 205 pounds, and Crabtree, who weighed in at about 215 pounds, were in the heavyweight group. After the match, Champney met up with some friends who had come to see him take the ring. “Did I get knocked out?” Champney asked spectators as he struggled to remember the last few seconds of the match. “I feel fine,” he said. “I thought it’d be fun, and it was.” Champney was the only Elon student to compete in “The Brawl” and drew in a crowd of about 15 other students. “I needed this,” Champney said. “It was a wake-up call — this isn’t Elon. It’s the real world, and I was not ready yet.” “The Brawl” continued on Saturday but Champney opted out of the second night. “It was cool to see him up there,” said senior Tim Johnson. “He put up a good fight, but (Crabtree) had the upper hand. I hope in the future more Elon students will participate in local events like this.” While Champney may not have left Mebane the victor, he certainly left with the respect of his fellow students. “I never would have had the guts to get in the ring,” junior Scott Hendrix said. “I was proud of him regardless of how the match ended.”

STYle

The Pendulum

WedneSdaY, march 4, 2009 // Page 19

WHAT’S HOT:

Eco-friendly, aluminum bottles

WHAT’S NOT:

Nate Acosta Reporter

liNDSAy FeNDt | Staff photographer

lindner Hall is located at the head of the Academic village, and is expected to be completed by July 10, 2009.

Lindner Hall progress continues Ashley Barnas Online Editor-in-Chief The Academic Facilities Plan submitted to President Leo Lambert in December 2006 included the creation of Lindner Hall. More than two and a half years later, that part of the plan will finally see its completion. Lindner Hall, set at the head of the Academic Village, has a contract completion date of July 10, 2009, but at least a four to six week improvement is expected according to Matt McArthur, project superintendant. “I started the project—it was just a piece of grass—in May of last year,” McArthur said. The 30,000-square-foot building will house the history, geography, sociology and anthropology departments, and will be the new administrative home of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. “The majority of the building is four departments,” McArthur said. The second floor is all classrooms, but the end of the hall has space for faculty offices. Different subcontractors were used for the Koury Business Center and Lindner Hall, but the same architect and design team created the two buildings. “Building the building itself, after I’ve come off the KBC, which is three times the square footage, it’s almost (like) you can do it with your eyes closed,” McArthur said. McArthur’s company also built Belk Library, the Moseley Center, the apartments on Elon East, the Danieley Center and the track.

Landscaping, brick walkways, grass and elimination of most of the parking lot will be the final touches to the area once Lindner Hall is complete. In the future, covered walkways will connect all the pavilions to one another and to the Lindner building. For now, the balcony is wide open with large round columns under construction. The view opens out into the Academic Village. While the most aesthetically pleasing part of Lindner Hall is the view offered from the second floor, the most exciting part of the building for McArthur is the third floor. “Most people will never see the third floor. Most people will never know there’s a third floor in the building,” he said. “It’s really the guts in what makes the actual building work.” The third floor houses air handlers that heat and cool the floors of the building, pumping units that move water throughout the building, and a ladder that gives access to the cupola if a light bulb ever needs to be changed or if the clock needs to be adjusted. Those things can also be done electronically, so access will probably not be necessary, McArthur said. “For me it’s a small project—$8 or $9 million,” McArthur said. “I think I average about $18 to $25 million on most buildings. The Koury Business Center was the last building I built up here as the

Plastic water bottles

Silver aluminum water bottles and new water filtration systems in dining locations continue to provide refreshment seven months since their installation, signifying another step in Elon’s sustainability efforts. In August, all on-campus residents and off-campus students with meal plans received an aluminum water bottle. Five thousand aluminum bottles were purchased for $15,000 and approximately 3,800 were distributed to students, while another 1,200 were available for purchase by faculty, staff, and other interested community members. The bottles and the accompanying water filtration systems in dining locations more than paid for themselves, according to Colonnades manager Ryan Moore, because the savings accrued from the purchase of fewer plastic water bottles. The installation of water filtration systems in dining locations is reducing the campus’s use of plastic water bottles. By refilling reusable bottles with filtered water from the machines, students can enjoy the same clean taste of filtered water found in disposable, plastic water bottles without being environmentally unfriendly. In the 2007-2008 school year, plastic water bottles were a common beverage choice for many of the 200,000 meal plan swipes. Octagon cashier Tiffany Williams-Cobleigh said more people are now choosing water over other beverages. “Minus the Dasani water bottles, since they are off the meal plan this year, I have noticed an increase of people buying water— mostly filtrated water—with their meal plans,” she said. Williams-Cobleigh also said the low or no cost options for filtered water are an incentive for

people choosing water. “It’s free and I think that helps them in choosing to get water sometimes. You have to pay 15 cents for the cup, but if you bring your bottle, it’s free,” she said. At Koury Fitness Center, Elon aluminum bottles and other reusable beverage containers are being used more than plastic water bottles. Fitness supervisor Jackson Coppock said he observes more people using reusable containers than plastic water bottles. ARAMARK updates students about the progress of the program through traditional marketing tactics. The Colonnades marquee, along with table tents in the dining areas, display information about reduced plastic water bottle consumption,” senior food services director Laura Thompson said. The program will continue to grow next year. Incoming freshmen will receive aluminum water bottles, ARAMARK resident district manager Jeff Gazda said. He attributes the small attachment of coupon books for popular dining locations to the bottles to the new bottles’ success. “I’ve found in my career that if you don’t introduce freshmen to the facilities and amenities available to them they may never use them,” he said. Aluminum water bottles and water filtration systems are only a part of Dining Services’ sustainability efforts. Reducing the amount of waste generated from containers is also a top priority. “Only in a few instances do we have something that’s not biodegradable in our grab-andgo-options,” Moore said. Elon provided students with other beverage containers in the past, but none were as successful, Gazda said.

Another kind of psychedelic Study links heavy caffeine consumption to hallucinations Sarah Costello Reporter Her brow was wet with beads of perspiration. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold the coffee pot. Leaning against the counter, it took everything in Jasmine Willis’s being to keep from passing out. She felt her forehead—warm, very warm. The shakes were growing stronger, her body was beginning to sweat and Willis began hyperventilating uncontrollably. Willis’s symptoms are similar to the symptoms expected after a drug overdose. But this Stanley, England teenager wasn’t high on drugs. Surprisingly, she had overdosed on double-shot espresso and was experiencing the repercussions. As tempting as it is to reach for an extremely caffeinated beverage after a long night of studying, students may want to think twice before rebooting their bodies with a temporary solution, according to a recent study at Durham University in the United Kingdom. The study indicates heavy caffeine intake is highly dangerous and could potentially result in hallucinations and delusions. While caffeine often increases alertness, brightens moods and even acts as a painkiller, the downsides to

caffeine are disturbing. Caffeine acts as a drug in the body that increases energy by increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. Too much caffeine could result in a visit to the emergency room. An estimated 90 percent of adult Americans seek some form of caffeine on a daily basis. The Live Science Journal published a new study in January about the potential hallucinogenic side effects from excessive caffeine intake. According to the study, hallucinations can occur after the ingestion of the equivalent of three cups of coffee, which can include soft drinks, energy drinks and chocolate. This may seem like a lot of coffee, but according to the Coffee Business Statistic Report, the majority of Americans drink an average of three cups of coffee each day. The study was sponsored and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Medical Research Council. Two hundred college students were tested according to regular caffeine intake and their “propensity to have hallucinatory experiences” was assessed according to stress levels. Researchers discovered that those who drank at least three cups of freshly brewed coffee daily were more

GrAPHic by rAcHel cieri

information courtesy of the National Softdrink Association, United States Food and Drug likely to encounter hallucinations than those who drank half a cup of brewed coffee. Many participants in the study claimed to hear voices and, on occasion, experience visions or hallucinations. Some even “sensed” the presence of dead people. Why such intense reactions? The researchers at Durham University concluded caffeine actually increases stress levels. The stress hormone cortisol is naturally released when the body is under stress. The intake of caffeine increases the release of hormones, which can temporarily impact the physiology of the body. There are always potential outliers in a study. A childhood trauma or personal habits can affect one’s

reaction to caffeine and hallucinations. The leader of the study, Simon Jones, and the other researchers concentrated the study on a healthy population under the assumption that “healthy” individuals are not as likely to normally hallucinate. Most coffee-drinkers do not regularly experience hallucinations or “visions” of nonexistent images. Despite the hallucinogenic reactions, it is important for those seeking an energy boost to know what they are putting into their bodies. Though caffeine is not completely bad for the body, it is a drug that can cause harm and the studies suggest moderation is the key in order to prevent serious side effects and even death.

Page 20 // WEDNESDAY, march 4, 2009

SPORTS

The Pendulum

Challenging schedule prepares team for league play Conor O’Neill Reporter Basketball coach John Wooden once said winning a championship takes talent, but repeating that feat takes character. This season the Elon Phoenix baseball team will try to repeat their success as Southern Conference champions and once again advance to the NCAA baseball tournament. This season the team will not settle for just a birth into the tournament. The Phoenix has set its sight on not only winning the SoCon crown but also winning a regional tournament and advancing to a Super Regional, which would make Elon one of the top 16 teams in the country, Elon head coach Mike Kennedy said. “We’ve won our league two out of the last three years and we look toward taking the next step and advancing to a Super Regional,” Kennedy said. The players echo Kennedy’s hope. “There’s pressure to win a regional and advance," sophomore infielder Neal Pritchard said. "We won’t settle for anything less. Being picked to win the SoCon, it would be a major disappointment not to win the SoCon Championship." The team moved closer to that goal over the weekend, sweeping a double header Friday from league foe Appalachian State. There was no difficulty in scoring runs in the Boone environment as the team won with scores of 8-6 and 14-10. The third game of that series was to be played Sunday but was postponed due to inclement weather. In that double header, the team combined to bat an

david wells | Photo Editor

The Phoenix cheers on teammate senior Pat Irvine as he steps to the plate in last Wednesday’s game against N.C. State. average of .383 with 10 doubles and three home runs. The team also drew six walks and stole five bases. For the season so far, the team has a .320 batting average and has hit eight home runs with 10 stolen bases. “Offense is our biggest strength. Going through our lineup there is nobody that is an easy out,” Kennedy said. “Our sixth, seventh and eighth hitters have just as much power as our third, fourth and fifth hitters.” The key offensive players, preseason All-Americans senior Cory Harrilchak and senior Bennett Davis, have both picked up where they left off from last season. Davis has begun the season with 12 hits in 26 at-bats and six runs batted in while Harrilchak is 12 for 27 with a team-high nine runs scored. Offensive dexterity will be needed when facing teams such as College of Charleston, Western Carolina, The Citadel and Georgia Southern, all of whom Kennedy lists as the other top teams in the SoCon. Kennedy said the team can’t

look past anyone this season. Just as Elon took on Auburn and N.C. State before entering league play, other SoCon teams have challenged themselves with tough non-conference schedules. Georgia Southern earned a victory over Georgia Tech (6-5) and Western Carolina traveled to Los Angeles and defeated the University of Southern California (3-2). “When you play the smaller schools, there is not as much of a challenge compared to when playing powerhouse schools from the ACC and the SEC,” Pritchard said. Elon was able to win two of three games against Auburn but was shut down against North Carolina State, losing 3-1. Other key out-of-conference matchups for the Phoenix include Duke (April 1, 22), Clemson (March 24-25), UNC Chapel Hill (May 5), UNC Wilmington (April 14) and a rematch with N.C. State (March 18). The only home game of these is the April 22 matchup with Duke. Upcoming games for the Phoenix include a matchup

david wells | Photo Editor

at Latham Park against Wake Forest today before the team travels to Charleston to take on The Citadel for a three-game

weekend series. The first home SoCon games will be played March 13-15 when Davidson College comes to Elon.

Kennedy’s experience carries into the coaching box This year, Mike Kennedy celebrates his 13th year as head coach of Elon University’s baseball team. Before becoming head coach, Kennedy was staffed as the team’s pitching coach for four years and was recently appointed to the USA National Collegiate Baseball Team coaching staff as a pitching coach. Kennedy who is recognized as the most successful coach in Elon baseball history - credited with more wins than any other coach at 395 victoriesis - said his favorite thing about coaching is the relationships he develops with his players. “It is neat to see how they stay in touch and come back to support the program because they had a good experience,” Kennedy said. Growing up in Fayetteville, N.C., Kennedy played baseball, basketball and football. When Kennedy began looking at colleges, he knew he wanted to play either football at Wake Forest University or baseball at Elon as a catcher. Coming out of high school, scouts told him he had a better shot at playing baseball. But it was Elon’s former head coach Rick Jones who persuaded him to play baseball at Elon while majoring in physical education. After college, Kennedy went on to play in the minor leagues for the Oakland Athletics in Scottsdale, Ariz., Medford,

“

He’s a very player-oriented coach. He’ll be the first one to get on you, but he’ll also be the first one to give you a pat on the back. - Mike Hill ELON BASEBALL ALUM

David Wells | Photo Editor

Men’s baseball coach Mike Kennedy gives signals to a batter during Elon’s opening game. Ore.,and Medesto, Calif. with Kennedy’s depiction of Kennedy said he hopes himself. other people would describe “He’s a very player-oriented him as energetic with a Type A coach," Matt Hill, an Elon personality. baseball alumnus, said of “I like to think I’m outgoing Kennedy. "He’ll be the first one and friendly, although at times to get on you, but he’ll also be I’m not,” he said. the first one to give you a pat His players seem to agree on the back.”

Kennedy also said he has a very competitive nature. “I can’t stand to lose at anything, whether it’s a game against Auburn or a game of free throws,” he said. He coached 11 of his 12 teams to winning records, 10 of which had seasons of 30 or more victories. During his last 12 seasons, he has coached the Phoenix in 18 victories over opponents ranked in the top-25. Last year, Kennedy led the team to become the 2008 Southern Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions with a 19-8 conference record and a 44-18 overall record. Kennedy was also named the Southern Conference’s Coach of the Year. One of the keys to Kennedy’s success is working well with the players and their motivations. “He’s incredibly competitive,” Hill said. “His teams that have been very successful have been teams that have matched his competitiveness and his personality. He used to tell us, ‘You can’t just enjoy

“

Megan Wanner Reporter

winning, you have to hate to lose.’ There’s no one on the field who hates to lose more than him.” Kennedy said the best piece of advice anyone ever gave him came from Tom Pound, the Elon tennis coach during Kennedy’s years of attendance. He told him whatever happened in his life would reflect what happened to his children. “He told me to make sure I did the right thing and put myself in the right position to do the right thing down the road,” Kennedy said of Pound’s advice. In order for Kennedy to be successful, he said he knew he had to continue to do well in school and make good decisions. “Whatever you do today will impact your family down the road. I was 17 and was just worried about having fun,” Kennedy said. “When you’re in college, you’re not ready for those types of statements. But for some reason it hit home with me.” Kennedy is currently married with two children, a daughter and a son.

Sports

ELON SPORTS THIS WEEK Wednesday 3/4 Baseball vs. Wake Forest - 4 p.m. Softball vs. East Carolina - 4 p.m., 6 p.m. thursday 3/5 Women’s Basketball vs. Georgia Southern (Southern Conference Championship) - 8 p.m. friday 3/6 Women’s tennis @ Samford - 11 a.m. Men’s Tennis @ Samford - 3 p.m. Softball @ North Carolina - 4 p.m. Baseball @ The Citadel - 6 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Wofford (Southern Conference Championship) - 7 p.m. Women’s basketball (Southern Conference Championship )- TBA saturday 3/7 Women’s Tennis @ Chattanooga - 10 a.m. Softball vs. Princeton (@ Chapel Hill) - 10 a.m. Men’ Tennis @ Chattanooga - 1 p.m. Baseball @ The Citadel - 2 p.m. Softball vs. Georgetown (@ Chapel Hill) - 3 p.m. Men’s basketball (Southern Conference Championship) - TBA Women’s basketball (Southern Conference Championship) - TBA sunday 3/8 Baseball @ The Citadel - 1 p.m. Softball vs. Michigan State (@ Chapel Hill) - 4 p.m. Men’s basketball (Southern Conference Championship) - TBA Women’s basketball (Southern Conference Championship) - TBA monday 3/9 Baseball vs. LaSalle - 4 p.m. Men’s Golf (Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate) - All Day Women’s Golf (Eagle’s Landing Invitational) - All Day Men’s basketball (Southern Conference Championship) - TBA Women’s basketball (Southern Conference Championship) - TBA tuesday 3/10 Baseball vs. LaSalle - 4 p.m. Men’s Golf (Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate) - All Day Women’s Golf (Eagle’s Landing Invitational) - All Day

ATHLETIC RESULTS FEB. 25 – Mar. 2 Women’s basketball Feb. 27 Elon 54 UNC Greensboro 47 Men’s basketball Feb. 26 Elon 75 Georgia Southern 61 Feb. 28 Elon 66 UNC Greensboro 74 Mar. 2 Elon 78 Davidson 90 Men’s tennis Feb. 28 vs. Radford Postponed until March 29 Women’s tennis Feb. 25 Elon 6 Gardner-Webb 1 Baseball Feb. 25 Elon 1 N.C. State 3 Feb. 27 Elon 8 Appalachian State 6 Elon 14 Appalachian State 10 Mar. 1 vs. Appalachian State Cancelled Softball Feb. 26 Elon 5 Siena 2 Elon 6 Siena 1

WEDNESDAY, march 4, 2009 // Page 21

Indoor Track concludes season, prepares for spring Sam Rinderman Reporter The women’s indoor track team finished its season last weekend after finishing in seventh place at the two-day 2009 Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship at Clemson University’s track. On Saturday, sophomores Justine Robertson and Emily Fournier led the Phoenix to a good start as the team finished day one of the competition in sixth place out of the 12 teams competing. Robertson’s third-place finish in the shotput and Fournier’s fourth-place finish in the 3,000-meter run were among the better performances the Phoenix had during the day. Sophomore Lauren Hawkesworth broke the school record in the triple jump in the tournament (37-6.00/11.43). Day two of the event was highlighted by freshman Amy Salek’s performance in the 400-meter dash, where she finished in third place. Her score of 56.85 seconds had her finish behind a Western Carolina duo of Jane’t Carothers (56.06) and Shaylon McMichael (56.48). Robertson and Salek were both named to the All-SoCon Team. Appalachian State won the event, finishing with 211 points, while Elon’s seventh-place finish posted 36 points, just behind College of Charleston (44 points) and Chattanooga (42 points).

“ For the spring, I’m hoping for a lot of growth...If we keep healthy and train hard, we’re going to continue to get better competing against a very strong Southern Conference. - Mark Elliston INDOOR TRACK COACH

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The Pendulum

The team’s performance on Sunday faced a big setback on the final event of the weekend as the team had a false start in the 4x4 meter relay, which cost the team a possible fifth-place finish in the event. Coach Mark Elliston said he was very satisfied with the girls’ performances from the SoCon Championship. “Overall it was a really good performance,” Elliston said. “We had a lot of nice highlights, a couple of records were broken and we had a few all-conference performances. We had a lot of great effort from such a young team. Many girls had personal bests this weekend and that shows great improvement.” This past weekend’s performance concludes a successful indoor track season which includes broken records, three titles and more than a dozen top-three finishes. After finishing the indoor season, the team looks to move

forward and improve for the outdoor season, Elliston said. For Robertson, an all-conference indoor performance is not enough. “It’s really exciting to receive the honor. I had some goals in mind,” Robertson said. “I’m coming along and continuing to improve. I would like to finish better than last year in the outdoor events and hopefully repeat an allconference performance.” The all-conference thrower is just one of many girls on the team looking to improve, as the Phoenix has a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the roster. Elliston is hoping Elon track and field can crack the top five in the outdoor SoCon Championship. “For the spring, I’m hoping for a lot of growth,” Elliston said. “A lot of these ladies are trying to figure out how to compete at the college level, so if we keep healthy and train hard, we’re going to continue to get better competing against a very strong Southern Conference.” Elon track and field looks to build on its indoor success in roughly two weeks as the team kicks off its outdoor competition March 13 at the Coastal Carolina Invitational. After that the team is just a month out of competing again in the Southern Conference Championship. This time the Phoenix looks for success at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga.

Page 22 // WedneSdaY, march 4, 2009

The Phoenix flies into the SoCon tournament Pam richter Sports Editor The playoffs serve as an opportunity for a team to start new. In the Southern Conference, every team makes the tournament and the regular season record is only used for seedings. The Elon women’s basketball team begins the Southern Conference tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday against the fifth-seeded Georgia Southern. The Phoenix is the 11th seed in the tournament with a 2-18 SoCon record and a 4-25 overall record. The Eagles have an 11-9 conference record and 16-13 overall. The Phoenix lost against Georgia Southern 67-58 on Dec. 6. and lost again on the road Jan. 26 with a score of 5929. “We’re just a lot better (now),” Elon women’s basketball head coach Karen Barefoot said. “We’re excited and anything can happen.” The team is coming off a 54-47 win Friday night against UNC Greensboro. Sophomore guard Julie Taylor had a careerhigh 17 points. Down low, freshman forward Erica Keto grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds in the winning effort. Barefoot described Keto’s rebounding as tenacious. This win gives the team more confidence heading into the tournament, she said. Junior guard Tiffany Davis has had the most minutes in tournament play from the current Phoenix roster. “She knows she can lead this team. She’s helped the team step up,” Barefoot said. Last season, Davis started for the Phoenix in the tournament as the team reached the semi-finals in the SoCon tournament. Barefoot said Davis has battled a

SPOrTS

nagging shoulder injury throughout the entire season. Junior forwards Urysla Cotton and Amber Wall also provide tournament experience for the youngest team in the conference. “It is important to be optimistic because we’re growing and learning with a young team,” Barefoot said. The team, which has seven freshman, is lead by freshman guard Tiara Gause, who was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year by the Southern Conference Sports Media Association. This was the first time in program history that a player was awarded this honor. Gause averages 10 points per game, which ranks her 20th in the Southern Conference among all scorers. She started 25 games for the Phoenix and scored in double figures 13 of those games. In a Feb. 16 game at Western Carolina, Gause scored her career-high 20 points. For a young team, Gause has been a bright spot with her consistent scoring. In the midst of the coaching change, Gause was Barefoot’s only signee. “I love coaching a young team,” Barefoot said. “They haven’t given up.” The team hits the road to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the tournament. Barefoot said the team is ready for the game on and off the court before the tournament, and it has done a good job in preparation for being away from campus in terms of academic work. The team is trying not to let its regular season record affect its play in the tournament. Barefoot said the team early on didn’t know how to win, but that the benefit of having a young team is that there isn’t any pressure. “They just don’t have any fear right now. Anything can happen,” Barefoot said.

The Pendulum

ANDreW DODD | Staff Photographer

freshman guard Aiesha Harper takes a shot over her Wofford opponent feb. 21. The Phoenix kicks off its appearance at the SoCon tournament Thursday against Georgia Southern.

ONE ON ONE A-Rod’s mistake: What does it mean for him and the sport? Adam Lawson and Stephen Lorenzo Sports Commentators Everyone knows about the Dodger’s left fielder Manny Ramirez rejecting three offers to sign with the Dodgers, the first one being a two-year, $45 million deal, the second one a one-year, 25 million dollar deal, and the third a two-year, $45 million deal with a player option. What do you think of this entire situation? ADAM Manny turned around the Dodgers last year. That being said, he is being spoiled now. He is not worth the offers that have been proposed to him. He’s 36 years old, so he’s not going to get a long-term deal. There is only one team interested in his services, so he has absolutely no leverage. Now, agent Scott Boras is trying to revisit the two-year, $45 million without any deferrals. My advice to the Dodgers is to just let him sit at home. STEPHEN I agree that he is being incredibly spoiled. However, when Manny is happy, as much as it pains me to say it, he is the best hitter in the majors. Last season is evidence enough. He was unhappy in Boston and didn’t perform. Then he goes to Los Angeles, has to deal with contract issues and basically carries the Dodgers to the pennant. The bottom line is— if you want the real Manny, you have to give him what he wants. The MLB regular season is just 32 days away. What are you looking forward to the most this year?

ADAM I’m going to stay away from mentioning my Atlanta Braves and their young guns like Tommy Hanson. The biggest thing I am looking forward to is seeing how the Mets and Yanks will choke this year. The Mets gave away their last two seasons, and the Yankees haven’t won a World Series since the turn of the century. STEPHEN It’s nice of you to keep your hopes up about the Braves, who haven’t won since I was six years old. I won’t take any pleasure in seeing the Braves lose because it’s expected. But I love how anti-Yankee fans root against them because of their 26 championships. You’ve got only 23 more to go. The pinstripes have actually won more championships since 1996 than Atlanta has won in its history. Who did they beat in that World Series again? ADAM Okay, well I won’t deny that the Braves probably should have won the World Series more than once. However, they have nowhere near the payroll that the Yankees do. Nobody but the Red Sox approaches that payroll. There’s nothing funnier than seeing two teams with enormous payrolls lose a division to a team as underpaid as the Rays.

The Pendulum

SPOrTS

WedneSdaY, march 4, 2009 // Page 23

Men’s tennis swings into conference play Justine Schulerud Reporter The men’s tennis team will travel to Samford Friday to open its Southern Conference season before taking a trip to Chatttanooga, Tenn., the next day. The Phoenix currently has an overall 5-4 record, with its only losses to nationally-ranked teams. “We just have to concentrate on keeping that,” head coach Michael Leonard said about the team’s success so far this year. “It’s a little bit of a challenge.” The team was supposed to face No. 70 Radford in a nonconference matchup last Saturday, but due to inclement weather it was postponed. The match was rescheduled for 2 p.m. March 29 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. Last year the team finished second in the Southern Conference with a 7-2 record and an overall record of 17-9. The team will return eight of its varsity letterwinners and only lost two letter-winners from last year. They have added two freshmen to the team this year, Alex Crockford and Carlin Murray. Over the past three years the team has won 24 of its 27 regular season Southern Conference matches, followed by six of its eight tournament matches. Within the past three years the team has captured two regular season SoCon titles and one conference tournament title. But the team looks to build off past success for the 2009 Southern Conference season. As for the upcoming season, the team is ranked among the top three teams in the conference, along with Furman and the College of Charleston. Leonard said Samford is seen as a great addition to the conference, and its quality athletes will make the conference stronger. In regards to their first two matches against Samford, Leonard said it will be good to open up against such a strong team. “It’s hard to know where (we are) in the conference,” Leonard said. The team has great prospects for its season, including the doubles team of senior Damon Gooch and sophomore Philip Nemec, ranked in the top 20 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national doubles rankings. Gooch is also ranked No. 61 in

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DAviD WellS | Photo editor

Senior Damon Gooch is ranked nationally for his continued victories. continue early season success. national singles rankings. Both of these are the highest rankings in Phoenix tennis history. “We are capable of playing with anyone, (we) just have to control getting better and having quality wins,” Leonard said. This year’s Southern Conference tournament will

Sophomore Oscar Podlewski tries to

be at Elon’s home court, the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The tournament starting on April 23. The team is looking forward to having the tournament here, Leonard said. “We are excited and want support from the Elon community and students,” Leonard said.

Kensrue aces on and off the court Sam Calvert Assistant Sports Editor Time is a valuable thing to a college student, and it is something a collegiate athlete has very little of. Junior Paige Kensrue knows the feeling of being short on time all too well. Kensrue plays No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Elon Phoenix while also being an Honors Fellow. “She does an incredible job balancing school and tennis,” said Laura junior Graybill, Kensrue’s roommate and cocaptain. “If she’s stressed out, she never shows it. She’s always so composed.” Kensr ue doesn’t just

participate in a Division I sport. She leads. The rest of the tennis team elected Kensrue, as well as Graybill, to be a co-captain of the team. “I always strive to be the best teammate on and off the court,” Kensrue said. “As captain, I try to be the best leader I can be, to make this the best time of their lives.” It is not just her leadership that makes her a valuable member of Elon’s women’s tennis team. Every time Kensrue steps out on the court, she said she leaves nothing behind. She posted a winning singles record in both of her spring seasons with the team, with a record of 4-5 so far this season playing three ranked teams: No. 36 North Carolina State, No. 60 Virginia Tech and No. 13 University of North Carolina. Head coach Elizabeth Anderson is just one of the many people that sees this enthusiasm. At the end of 2008, Kensrue won the “Heart and Hustle” award, given by the team. “Paige has a lot of passion for the sport and likes to be successful in all areas of life,” Anderson said. “She doesn’t expect anything less, and that radiates to the rest of the team.” Although athletics occupies a great amount of Kensrue’s time, it does not take away from her academics. Instead, she claims tennis actually improves her ability to finish everything. “Being an athlete really helps me,” Kensrue said. “It helps me organize myself. I know I only have a certain amount of time to get things done, so it makes me do it.” She works to make every minute count and brings schoolwork to do between matches, said Anderson. Her hard work has paid off so far, as she currently has a 3.84 GPA as an exercise/sport science major and Honors Fellow. Three weeks ago, the Southern Conference recognized Kensrue’s academic and athletic success by naming her the “SoCon Student Athlete of the Week.” She was the first women’s tennis player in Elon history to win the award and only the second Phoenix athlete this year. “Paige always sets a good example,” Graybill said. “When she’s down, she’s always fighting. And when she’s up, she’s cheering for everyone else. Everyone looks up to her.”

DAviD WellS | Photo editor

Junior Paige Kensure balances her commitments as the

DAviD WellS | Photo editor

Kensrue and her doubles partner, junior Anna Milian,

get to know paige hometown: tampa, Fl height: 5'7" Major: exercise Sports Science gpa: 3.84 accomplishments: Honors fellow, No. 2 singles player and No. 1 doubles team for the Phoenix, winner of 2008 Phoenix “Heart and Hustle” award, and co-captain of the Phoenix tennis team.

Page 24 // WedneSdaY, march 4, 2009

The Pendulum

sports

BIG GAME, BIG NAMES

Curry leads Davidson, Sanders shines on Senior Night with 17 points Michelle Longo Online Programs Director Unfortunately for the Phoenix, there are two halves to a basketball game. Fourty minutes, not 20. If there were 20, Elon, trailing 37-33 at halftime, might have pulled off an upset that was as magical as its run through the Southern Conference Tournament last season. But the extra 20 minutes added angst rather than celebration, as Elon fell to Davidson College Monday night, 90-78. Still, players said the confidence from arguably one of the Phoenix’s best showings this season is bound to run over heading into the SoCon Tournament on Friday, where the fifth-seeded Elon Phoenix is set to take on fourth-seeded Wofford College. “It’s good to take a step forward going into the tournament,” senior forward Monty Sanders said. “Going into the tournament we will play each game one game at a time and we fully expect to be playing (Davidson) a week from Monday. We will be

Check out the pendulum online for video coverage of elon v. davidson game disappointed if we are not.” In the loss on Senior Night, the box score treated well the three men in maroon who have now played their last games in Alumni Gym.

Sanders tied his careerhigh with 17 points, forward Brett James tallied 16 and forward Ola Atoyebi scored 13 to round out Elon’s top-three scorers. The three seniors accounted for 59 percent of the Phoenix’s offense. “I just tried to shoot it when I was open, and when my teammates gave me the ball and yelled at me to shoot it,” Sanders said. “It was probably more luck than anything else.” That luck struck at precisely the right time for Sanders. He netted all five of his 3-pointers at key moments during the game, providing an emotional and physical boost for his teammates and the sold-out crowd. The second Atoyebi to grace the Phoenix hardwood (his brother, Jackson, also played), Ola has been Elon’s consistent offensive spur throughout the 2009 season. He leads the Phoenix with 14 points and six rebounds per game. At Davidson earlier this season, Atoyebi knocked down a season- and careerhigh 27 points. James, the leader of the Phoenix for the past two years, toughed it out to play on his Senior Night. He was sidelined for Saturday’s game against UNC Greensboro with a foot injury that has plagued him all season. For the two games prior to that, James only averaged 17 minutes per contest because of his foot. “It started hurting a lot at halftime,” James said. “I felt 100 percent after Saturday. It if stays like this it wouldn’t be a problem. As long as it doesn’t get worse.” The All-SoCon player is just one of 32 Elon players to eclipse 1,000 points in his career. With 1,276 career points, James currently sits 16th on Elon’s all-time scoring list. He also sits among Elon’s career top-10 in blocks,

year,” freshman guard Josh Bonney said. “I really do want to do it for (Sanders, James and Atoyebi). I saw the seniors’ faces last year at the end of the game and I don’t want to see my teammates like that this year.”

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Senior forward Monty Sanders tied his career high with 17 points. Monday night’s game was Sanders’ last at elon. steals, 3-pointers made and 3-pointers attempted. “It (stinks) to lose (on Senior Night),” James said. “When I come back, I’m going to think that the last thing I did here was lose. It’s going to be touching to go back into the locker room and know I will never suit up for a game again. I’ll have to look back on it and everything will be a memory.” Although the regular season has come to a close, the post-season is just starting. Friday night in North Charleston is a win or go home situation for Elon. Playing such a close game against Davidson, the best team in the SoCon, gives Elon a huge confidence boost going into the tournament, Sanders said. He said the team now knows it can play with the best teams, and even beat them. “I am going to be feeding off (my older teammates) energy and what they earned from the tournament last

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Junior guard Devan carter drives past Davidson’s Stephen curry. carter finished with seven points while Curry led all scorers with 26 points,

Phoenix tournament expectations set high Pam richter Sports Editor last season the Phoenix defi ed the odds by advancing to the Southern conference championship on eSPN2 against Davidson. the team looks to have a similar tournament run this season, as it travels to chattanooga, tenn., for Friday night's opener against Wofford. the Phoenix is 7-13 in the Socon and 10-19 overall. the team will come into the 7 p.m. game as the No. 5 seed in the Southern conference’s North Division, while Wofford stands as the No. 4 seed in the conference’s South Division. “I’m confi dent going into (the game), maybe because we had success last year,” senior forward Monty Sanders said. “i know that there’s 13 guys in that locker room

that expect to win thursday, that expect to win Friday, and so on.” in the previous match-up against Wofford this season, elon lost a 74-71 overtime game Jan. 26 in Spartanburg, S.c. Wofford’s Junior Salters, a junior guard, scored a game-high 20 points in the victory. Salters averages 15 points per game, which is second on the team. Sophomore forward Noah Dahalman leads Wofford in scoring with 17.9 points per game. elon has three seniors this year: forward Ola Atoyebi, forward Monty Sanders and guard brett James. these three seniors, in addition to fi ve juniors, will provide the Phoenix with strong leadership heading into the tournament, players said. “everyone is essentially zero and zero when they go into the

tournament. On any given night, anybody can beat anyone,” James said. James gives the Phoenix a perimeter scoring option, as he's averaged 13 points per game this year. Under the basket, Atoyebi is a force, averaging 14 points and almost six rebounds. Against Davidson on Monday, Sanders had a strong performance, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds. To reach the finals last year, the Phoenix had to win three games in a row. Elon was the fi rst team to make it to the final with a losing regular season record since 1988. “We fully expect to be playing (Davidson) on Monday,” James said. the Southern conference championship game will be held at 7 p.m. Monday.

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During Monday’s game against the Wildcats, the Phoenix celebrated Senior Night and thanked its senior players, including forward Ola Atoyebi. Atoyebi was joined by his family, including his brother and