Debate Over Afghanistan Comes to Elon

Elon student Lauryn Johnson knows what it’s like to have a loved one overseas. Her boyfriend expects to be deployed next summer.

“I worry about him getting deployed, but I’m very supportive so he has to do what he needs to do.”

She believes that the U.S. military should do whatever it takes to win.

Lauryn Johnson supports her loved one’s decision to go to Afghanistan; however, Dr. Ann Jones believes that sending more troops to Afghanistan might not be the best decision.

Dr. Jones is a writer who lived in Afghanistan for four years. She came to Elon on Wednesday to speak to students about US involvement in the war.

“ Each passing year, as the Afghans found that we were not really going to help them, they’ve turned more and more against us,” Jones said.

She knows this war first hand. And when it comes to sending more soldiers overseas, she says enough damage has already been done.

“ I believe it’s a really stupid move,” Jones Said.  “I think we should send no more troops.”

Dr. Jones told Elon students to keep up to date with developments in the Middle East, but also to be careful not to trust everything we hear.

-Becca Tynes

Award Winning Rocking Chair Sign of the Economic Times

It’s Tuesday night and Jeff Clark is working in his garage.  As a hobby, he makes tables, clocks and basically anything made out of wood.

“ I enjoy challenges, so I look at things based on the challenges it’s gonna’ provide, and it doesn’t matter if I’m going to be successful, it’s all about meeting the challenge,” Clark said.

But his greatest piece yet is what he’s sitting on in his living room: a rocking chair he made from scratch.

“It was sort of a labor of love to build it.”

Clark submitted this piece to a woodworking competition at the State Fair. He considers himself an amateur and didn’t think he had a chance.

But Clark took home more than just his rocking chair.  He won two major awards, including Best in Show.

“Well I mean I was shocked you know because they had some beautiful work there that was actually I think better work than what mine is,” Clark said.  “I think it just appealed to the judges.”

Clark learned how to do all this at Community College.  But due to recent state budget cuts, some of those classes are starting to disappear.

So far $129 million have been taken away from community colleges this year. It’s hitting arts and crafts hard.

Clark hopes his win at the state fair will bring awareness to these budget cuts.  In the meantime, he’ll keep working in his garage.

-Chelsea Caplan

Watch the Full Nov. 2, 2009 Show

http://stream.elon.edu/etv/estv/news/09-10/shows/11-2-09.mov

Alamance County Kids Receive H1N1 Vaccine

The Alamance County Health Department received a second shipment of H1N1 vaccines last week. They hosted a clinic to distribute the vaccines, but only to children between the ages of two and 18.

John Pickard brought his family to get vaccinated.

“We just thought it would be better to get vaccinated than to wind up with the swine flu, just trying to take care of the kids,” Pickard said.

People started lining up four hours before the clinic was set to open.

Eric Nickens works for the Alamance Conty Health Department, they only have 400 doses, so they had to choose who would get them wisely.

“We felt that we could have the most impact by vaccinating the children first,” Nickens said.

Schools in Alamance county are seeing more kids taking sick days, and 114 children nationwide have died from H1N1 complications. And Elon should be in the next group to get the vaccines

“We can expect a big push of vaccine to come down probably in the next week,” Nickens said.

When the campus does get it, students will probably line up just like these kids did.

-Monica Yantosh

I-Team Investigates Greek Life Facebook Allegations

As a member of Tri-Delta sorority, Laura McCabe knows the buzz surrounding Facebook. That’s why she uses caution when putting things on-line.

“I try to use common sense,” McCabe said. “If you don’t want your grandma to see it don’t put it up.”

But not everyone on campus uses these same rules. That has lead to several Greek organizations facing a total of eight charges before the honor court.

Assistant Dean of Students Jodean Schmeiderer said that she is obligated to follow up on any tips we get that investigation includes using tools like Facebook.

“I can look at anyone’s pictures, if you think they’re private, they’re not,” she said.

But the controversy over using Facebook to catch students breaking the rules went a step further last week.

McCabe said she got a text message warning her about adding the suspicious student.

Last week a group of Greek students discovered a Facebook friend who had added hundreds of Elon sorority members but who didn’t go to Elon herself. Some students alleged that it was really Director of Greek Life Shana Plasters posing as a student. Plasters said that rumor isn’t true.

“I’ve got better things to do with my day then spend it on Facebook looking at pictures.”

And she has the support of Greek student leadership. The Pan-Hellenic Council sent out an email last week to sorority presidents telling them to stop spreading the rumor.

Even though plasters and Greek presidents have reached an understanding on this issue, she still recognizes the tension that exists.
Laura agrees… but said that tension between the administration and Greek members is inevitable.

“Any time you have authority, there’s going to be tension.”

-Nick Ochsner