Volunteers Go Homeless for a Night

It’s Friday night and these students aren’t in their cozy beds. They’re, here, on the wet grass.

Rebekkah Goodman-Williams is an Elon Volunteer Coordinator. She’s trying to get students to walk in the shoes of the homeless.

“What we’re really pushing people to do is challenge themselves,” Goodman-Williams said.

Amanda Maddalone spent a good five minutes building her home for the night.

“We’re almost done, so this is pretty much how it’s going to look,” Maddalone said.

She knows it’s not much, but it’s what the homeless use to get by, and it’s only for one night.

“My bed tonight is basically some cardboard and a sleeping bag, and that’s pretty much it,” she said.

At 7 p.m. students were planning on staying on the Mosely lawn for 12 more hours. The low was 38°F and cardboard is not very good for warmth.

“So it’s definitely going to be tough; it’s definitely going to be cold; we’re going to get tired; it’s not going to be comfortable,” Goodman-Williams said.

However, Amanda doesn’t seem too worried; she came prepared.

“Yeah, I have nice layers on, tall sock. I should be good,” she said.

A handful of students on Friday sacrificed their night for a cause.

“We’re used to looking away when we see someone on the street. We’re used to ignoring the problem,” Goodman-Williams said.

But, on Friday, volunteers hope that the entire student body would see this problem.

-Caroline Mescon

Philosophy Class “Frames Family Future”

The building at 206 North Fisher Street is not just any other place; for some, it’s their temporary home.  Allied Churches Shelter is an organization that works with people struggling to make a living.

“They help people that want to help themselves,” resident James Carrick said.

But the residents weren’t the only ones occupying the facility last Saturday. A class from Elon was there, too.  Professor Weston teaches the “Ethics and Decision Making” class at Elon, which has been working on a project called “Framing Family Futures.”  One part of this assignment was helping to build beds for the shelter.

“It would be nice to have these beds replaced, they’re a little bit rickety, and I know for the people that work here, that’s always been a goal, and so I just mentioned it to the class and they ran with it! And now they’re building 66 new beds for us!”  Elon Volunteers Leader Lauren Caldwell said.

“They’re trying to improve the looks and the comfort here,” resident Wayne Goff said.

With the help of the residents and other volunteers, the philosophy class students took on this new kind of school assignment.

“We’re not master carpenters, we’re not bed builders, we’re just a bunch of college students,” student Nick  Dioguardi said.

Whether experienced or not, the students made a difference, and the people at the Allied Churches Shelter appreciated it.

“I like their spirit, I definitely like their spirit,” Wayne Goff said.

Professor Weston’s goal for this assignment was for the students to realize there are many ways to help serve the community.

“ I get excited about projects like this, because I can see how excited it makes them,” Lauren Caldwell said.

-Katherine Wise

Elementary School Children Run for Charity

The girls of Altamahaw-Ossipee Elementary were getting their carbs with a pasta party to prepare for the big race.

The fourth and fifth graders from A.O. Elementary have been training hard for eight weeks. The day before the race, fifth grader Kayla Edwards was pumped for the Eve Carson Memorial 5K.

“I’m nervous but I kind of like challenging myself to do things,” Edwards said.

The girls ate platefuls of pasta to get energized on Friday but more importantly, they raised 450 dollars to go towards Eve’s charity.When race-day arrived on Saturday, they stretched and made sure their shoes were tied, and then got ready to run.

Assistant Principal Michele Woodson surprised the girls and reminded them how important charity is.

“They actually have raised money for this particular cause. It has been a great thing for them to not only learn some things about being healthy but to learn some things about how to give back,” Woodson said.

The girls are excited about raising money, but they’re just as excited to get to the finish line.

“I knew that I had people watching for me and that felt pretty good,” Edwards said.

Lauren-Kelley Devine, Vice President of Philanthropy for Pi Beta Phi, and the rest of Eve’s sorority sisters were impressed by the girls’ dedication not only to cross the finish line but also to make a difference.

“We’re just so happy about it. It really shows that her legacy, impacts people who haven’t even met her. They know what she stood for,” Devine said.

Running club coach and teacher Megan Thomas could not be more proud.

“The girls did a great job, they’ve been working hard the last eight weeks and I think they all finished running so it was a great time,” Thomas said.

-Julie Morse

Community Helps Elon Academy Students Excel

While most people go home at night after a long day on the job, at Kramden Institute the work is just getting started.  Volunteers come to fix up donated computers and get them working again.

Mark Dibner is the organization’s founder. “They come because they have fun, because they’re geeks”, he said.

In 2003, Mark and his son bought a motherboard Ebay.  Dibner is a biologist, so he had no tech experience.  But they managed to make a computer from scratch. 

“Ned turned to me and he said, This was a lot of fun, but there’s a whole bunch of kids at my school who can’t afford computers,” Dibner said. “How about if we build a few more, and we’ll give it to them?”

Behind each of the computers is a story.  Once they’re refurbished, they are sent to a child who can’t afford to buy their own, giving them the chance to keep up in school. 

This summer, Kramden brought their generosity to Elon Academy students.  It’s a program for academically gifted high-school kids with financial difficulty.

“I think that gives them one step to being one step closer to filling that gap, that technology gap that exists in our society,” Academy diretor Darris Means said.

And these days it’s crucial to have a computer at home.

Ethan Glenn was lucky enough to grow up with a computer at home. He volunteers at Kramden now to give back to the community.

“Participating in society, you need to know how to use a computer,” Glenn said, “and having one at home is how you really get familiar with it.”

Kramden hopes to grant that familiarity, helping students to excel both in their schoolwork and in society.

-Molly Dougherty

Local Webmaster Provides Cell Phones to Soldiers

Between cell phones and the Internet, students at Elon are able to talk to their families every day. But soldiers fighting overseas do not have this convenience. They may go for weeks or months without any contact home.

Alamance County web-master Scott Ward is trying to change that by bringing Cell Phones for Soldiers to Alamance County.

“I’ve had family in the military. I’ve had friends in the military and I know how hard it can be for the soldiers overseas to be so far away from their homes,” Ward, said.

Founded by two teenagers from Massachusetts, Cell Phones for Soldiers is a simple process. People donate old phones, which are sent to a recycling center. The recycling center pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each phone. One phone can provide about one hour of talk time to a soldier.

Since 2004, Cell Phones for Soldiers has received more than 2 million cell phone donations and have turned those cell phones into more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards for soldiers.

Scott Ward brought this fundraiser to Alamance County. “[It was] an opportunity that I presented to our former county manager who really appreciated the idea and liked the project,” he says. “I certainly have had a heart for our soldiers for most of my life.”

If you’re interested in donating a cell phone to Cell Phones for soldiers, there are drop boxes at the Alamance county office in downtown Graham and at the AT&T store at Alamance Crossing. For more information, log on to www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

-Laura Levitt

Challenges Await Phoenix in the SoCon Playoffs

The Phoenix landed a matchup against the University of Richmond for their first round FCS playoff game.  The Spiders are seeded fourth in the FCS, and the battle is set to take place at the University of Richmond Stadium.  The announcement was made on ESPN News on Saturday, as both fans and the team gathered to witness this historic event.

As Head Coach Pete Lembo made clear, “It’s a great opportunity to get into this elite status and be considered one of the top sixteen teams in the nation.”

The Phoenix will have their hands full with the Spiders.  Elon lost to them in a rough season opener, and the Spiders went on to win the national championship.

“We didn’t come out last year when we played them, and we didn’t play out best.  We’re excited about the chance to get to play those guys again.” Said Junior Quarterback Scott Riddle.

Despite this challenge, Lembo sees it as nothing more than another chance to move forward.

“This will be a great opportunity for us.  You just have to bring your A-game.”

The Phoenix have definitely come a long way in this huge season.  Scott Riddle and star wide-out Terrell Hudgins led the team to an impressive 9-2 overall record.  With their 27-7 win over Samford on Saturday, the team clinched their first-ever FCS playoff spot.

“It’s been an exciting ride for four years, building to this moment” said Lembo.

Riddle feels similar, and recognized that “You got to beat the best to be the best, so we’re looking forward to the opportunity for that.”

Even beyond the gridiron, this game has major significance for both the program and the University.  A huge game like this means national exposure.  Coach Lembo sees it as a symbol for how far the phoenix have progressed.”

“To have a chance to play them in a tournament for the national championship, that’s real special for the entire university community” he said.

-Jacob Selzer

State Says Crosswalk Unsafe

The crosswalk that bridges the road between Elon’s campus and the Pendulum’s office is a battleground where cars and pedestrians face off every day.

The battle came to a head recently when sophomore Alex Trice was struck by a car crossing the street on a dark and rainy night, less than a year after junior Allie Bower was hit at the same intersection.

The most recent accident got the attention of officials state Department of Transportation.

Kelvin Jordan is a traffic engineer with the DOT and is responsible for the crosswalks in this area.  He said his office was notified of the recent accident.

Jordan says he didn’t know who put the crosswalk there.

“Traffic and Engineering Service did not install it,” Jordan said.  “But that’s something we’re looking into currently, to see who made the recommendation at the time.”

But Dean of Students Smith Jackson says that the crosswalk may have been laid down by the school without the DOT knowing.

“There’s a rumor, anyway, that the crosswalk is actually something that was laid down by the school many years ago.” Jackson said, “But I can’t confirm that”.
Jordan says the D-O-T typically doesn’t use crosswalks like the type at this intersection.A crosswalk with that pattern can be dangerous.

“If you’re going at an angle, you actually have to look back over your shoulder in some facet to actually get a good visual of the vehicle that’s approaching you,” explained Jordan.

-Nick Ochsner

Nov. 19, 2009 Web Update

Turnout Lower Than Expected at Swine Flu Clinic

Elon had been waiting to get the H1N1 vaccine since August.  Thursday the health center got the nasal mist form and distributed it at 8am.  But it turned out the students were not as anxious as the administration.

“I mean I had fully expected them to be done by noon.  I really figured we would get rid of them all because we had such a small number,” Student Life volunteer Amanda Brown said.

At noon Student Life Dean Jana Lynn Patterson sent an e-mail that told students “We still have several doses of the H1N1 vaccine,” and that “Right now there is no wait!”

“Students were coming up to the table and being like oh ‘what’s this for?  This is H1N1?  Oh, I don’t need that– that’s going to get me the flue,” Brown added.

“It’s just the whole vaccine in general– I was just a little hesitant about it until my uncle convinced me of it otherwise,” Sophomore Evan Glover said, whose Uncle is a doctor.

Students like Evan are thinking of not taking it because they are unsure of the consequences and because the nasal mist is a live virus, unlike the shot form.

Some students who wanted the spray were being pulled out of line. Sick students and those immunized for yellow fever going on study abroad were told not to take it because officials say the live virus may be more harmful.

“Although it is very weakened and it shouldn’t cause any sickness in people who are healthy we just don’t recommend that for people whose immune systems wont be able to handle something like that,” Brown said.

Health director Kitty Parrish says students can call the Health Center at (336) 278-7230 to make an appointment for the H1N1 vaccine.  They still have 100 left.

Elon vs. Appalachian State Highlights