Oct. 29, 2009 Web Update

Watch The Full Oct. 26, 2009 Show

http://stream.elon.edu/etv/estv/news/09-10/shows/10-26-09.mov

H1N1 Vaccines

This weekend while President Obama declared the H1N1 Swine flu virus a national emergency, Elon health director Kitty Parrish waited for her order of 7,000 H1N1 vaccines to arrive.

“We signed up back in August, but we don’t have any idea when we will get our vaccine,” Parrish said.

The vaccine is produced the same way as the seasonal flu, by growing weakened viruses in eggs, but it is taking longer to make. The delay is causing the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to have 10 million fewer vaccines than expected by the end of the month.

“We share the frustration with people who have waited on line or called a number or checked a website and haven’t been able to find a place to get vaccinated,” CDC Director Thomas Frieden said.

When Elon receives the vaccines it will give them to priority groups like pregnant women, health care personnel, and children from 6-months to 24-years who have health issues. This flu is deadlier for younger people because they have not been in contact with prior influenza outbreaks like older people have.

“You want to give it to people first who are at greatest risk of dying from it and then you give it to people who are the next greatest risk and that is going to be the college population,” Associate Dean of Student Life Jana Lynn Patterson said.

Patterson added that if Elon receives a large amount of the vaccine they will open a clinic in Mosley much like it did with the seasonal flu.

“We are just waiting,” Parrish said.

-Tim Barber

Group Asks Commissioners For 287(g) Oversight

Tension over the 287-g program in Alamance County spilled over into the commissioner’s meeting last Monday night as resident packed into the hearing room.

Human rights group Fairness Alamance made a presentation with a list of suggestion to improve the program.

David Blair, who made the presentation on behalf of the group said that the group hopes to, “move forward in creating a model 287-g program for Alamance County.”

The presentation comes just days after County Sheriff Terry Johnson signed a new agreement with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to continue the program.

Among the requests… the group asked commissioners to bring more oversight, more transparency and more financial accountability to the program.

But Johnson countered saying that he already provides all of the information that the law allows him to.

After the presentation Blair voiced additional concern for the program.

But the sheriff says that he’s just enforcing the law.

“If the people don’t want us to enforce those laws, there’s two things they can do: change that law or get another sheriff because as long as it’s on the books I’m gonna enforce it.”

Fairness Alamance says it will draft resolutions to implement their suggestions to bring to the commissioners in the coming months. All of the commissioners, though, seemed reluctant to place more restrictions on the sheriff.

-Nick Ochsner

Halloween Sales Down

Halloween is in just five days, and last minute Halloween shoppers are trying to find a deal at Halloween and More in Greensboro. One costume is pretty popular.

“Michael Jackson has been doing pretty well, we’ve got a whole section devoted to Michael Jackson,” says John Sirigusa.

But the economy is slimming sales. The National Retail Federation says consumers are spending less on Halloween this year. A billion fewer dollars will be spent.

“People are actually coming out in full force and just getting everything,” says Sirigusa. “They are going pretty crazy on it this year. We’ve been actually pretty impressed with it.”

And with just five days till treat or treat last minute shoppers are just scrambling to find something to wear.

HALLOWEEN AND MORE: Friendly Center, 3118 Northline Ave., Greensboro – (336) 852-3255

-Randy Gyllenhaal

Duke Shows Off His Guns

When the Elon football team scores it’s the sound that electrifies the stadium. Six points means a big bang from the Elon Cannon and the man who shoots it off gets a big kick out of his job.

“Yeah well they love it they love it the spectators love it too,” Justice said. “I mean I go around all the time, ‘hey man I see you shooting that canon, man that’s neat’ and it is.”

Duke Justice has been working at Elon for nearly 40 years. And his most visible role on campus is also the loudest.

“Yeah it’s a little ten gauge and Kyle wanted me to start shooting it so this is how it become you know it’s a big thing here,” Justice said.

But the cannon isn’t the only responsibility Duke has on game day.

“I started in ‘71 when I came back from Vietnam and I started doing the chains then and after 10 years I took over the whole thing.”

Duke literally means everything. Every game Duke looks after the officials and his chain gang. He makes sure that they have everything they need before during and after the game.

“Yeah I look after the officials I make sure they get in on time on game day,” Justice said.

And Duke understands the importance of his work. He was a ref for both high school and college sports and he knows how much his help means.

“I called high school football for 35 years we didn’t have nobody to take care of us,” Justice said.

He’s helping out Elon in the pocketbook too. He does his job for absolutely free.

Duke is just another man in the background who makes a loud difference at Elon University.

-David Hodges

Donated Scooter To Help Handicapped Man Get Back To School

Life hasn’t been easy for Charles Pennix.

The Burlington man has trouble getting around because of a disease he’s had since birth. He’s pursuing a degree in computer information technology and he needed a better way to get around campus at Alamance Community College.

One night Charles and his mother finished a day of raising money for a wheelchair in Gibsonville. As he was packing up, a man stole all the money.

After Charles’ story ran in a local paper he received an outpouring of support including a donation from an area company.

Advanced Home Care specializes in mobility services and has a branch in Burlington.

Within two days of hearing Charles’ story, the company delivered a motorized scooter to his home.

Charles’ mother is still working to get a ramp and a van to get Charles back to school.

“I thank the whole community for the love that’s been shown unto us,” Helen Pennix said.

She says there is a greater lesson that came out of this situation.

“Most people think that when a person is handicapped that they can get anythign they desire but its not like that.”

Now Charles can move around with ease, and scoot back on track toward his dream of finishing college.

-Drew Smith

Male Cheerleaders Are Athletes

In a school that practically bleeds maroon and gold, Phoenix cheerleaders energize both our players and our fans.

Whether in the air and on the ground, this squad can always be heard. And this year is no different.

“We’re looking really good.  We had a lot of new girls which was a concern at first, but we worked very hard in the offseason and I think we’re actually better than we were last year,” Kelsey Norkett said.

The girls that fly through the air aren’t the only ones who have helped this program get off its feet. Behind the glitter and glamour is pure muscle.

“Guys are a huge part of the team. Obviously for the coed team the girls wouldn’t get in the air if the guys weren’t underneath them,” Norkett said.

It’s not the first time these guys have been out on the field.

“I was a three sport athlete.  I was a wrestler, baseball, and soccer,” Billy Utasi said.

Even for a three-sport athlete cheerleading is more than enough of a challenge. Freshman Billy Utasi learned this quickly.

“Workouts are very intense.  We work out four times a week, varsity gym with personal trainers,” Utasi said. “We just run through for two hours, one and a half hours, of just intense- we do bench, squats, deadlifts, everything.”

The guys on the team have been athletes for most of their lives.  They work as hard as anybody out here, but still face stereotypes that other athletes don’t.

But despite this stigma, sophomore James Connolly doesn’t let it hold him back.

“A lot of people give me weird looks and they don’t believe me, but I’m proud to be a cheerleader.  It’s a lot of work,” Connolly said.

-Jacob Selzer

Cinema Bans Cell Phone Use

Theaters are taking a stand on cell phone usage during movies. The regulation at the Grand Cinema in Greensboro implemented last month requires moviegoers to leave the theater to take a call or type a text message.

Culprits of the policy will be escorted out without a refund.

There is not yet a set policy on cell phone usage at the Carousel Cinemas at Alamance Corssing.

-Crystal Moyer

Local Teacher Appears On “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”

Last Thursday at the Piedmont Ale House, Charles Patton and his group of friends gathered to watch the airing of his episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Charles was on the show three months ago, but Thursday was the first time his friends got to watch him. He was not allowed to talk about how far he got on the show until it aired, so he had to keep that secret from his family and friends.

Charles is a local band teacher at Southern Alamance High School. He has been an avid Millionaire fan from quite some time and he finally was able to appear on the show.

He reached the twelve thousand dollar question, but was stumped by a question about the Memoirs of James Bond. He decided to walk away with the money he won.

-Bill Powers