January 25th, 2010 Web Update

January 21st, 2010 Web Update

Watch the Entire January 18th, 2010 Show

Barnes and Noble Begins Renting Textbooks

Last week, Barnes & Noble announced their new plan to rent textbooks to college students for 50% less than they’re paying now.

“I’m a biochemistry major so that means that my books are way more expensive than anyone else’s on campus,” Hilary Srsic said.

The National Association of College Stores says the average college student spends $667 on textbooks per year.  This program could cut that in half.

“I’m on a bit of a scholarship right now, but that certainly doesn’t help all the way,” Srsic said.

The store’s new program pledges to save students money and time.  Barnes and Noble will make it possible to ship their books to their campus bookstore or their mailbox.
“I think freshmen year my parents spent $800 on books,” Srsic said.

And when the semester ends students often scramble to sell back their books with hopes of receiving any substantial amount of money back.

“Rarely do you ever get more than $100 back, which is sad,” Srsic said.

But when selling back your books is no longer an issue, students will have cash right where they want it: in their pockets.
I think students will love it.

“As long as they run the program correctly,” said Dan Kock. “I don’t see how they will have any problems. I think it will be fairly successful because no one wants to buy their books.”

Chegg.com, launched in 2007, has a similar program that allows students to rent textbooks versus buying them.

“If Barnes and Noble’s doing it for the same price, it’s going to be so much easier next semester, or the fall semester of next year because it will be right here,” Koch said.  “I won’t have to order my books online and wait for shipping and everything, not that that’s that much of a hassle, but it will make things even easier.”

-Becca Tynes

New Restaurant Seeks to Bring Town Around the Table

In the next six to eight weeks changes will be made to Brown and Co. and it will now be owned by Chris Russell, a local entrepreneur.

He plans to call it The Town Table, Food and Drink.

“Really be a communal type atmosphere where there will lots of tables and high energy in here.

” Chris said.

He gave us a tour of the restaurant and the plans he has to change the space.

“We’ll bring in a stage, big color splashes on the wall, and a brick pizza oven.” Chris said.

He is also going to tear out the bar and all the booths and get new furnishings. It is going to have a very community oriented feel to it.

Chris Russell is an Elon alumni and he has owned other local restaurants in the area such as B. Christopher’s, so he is well-known to the area.

“There are some good memories and good moments in here so I have a good feeling about this space.

” Chris said.

He wouldn’t disclose any foods he plans to bring in, but he ensured me that the food will be very tasty. And, if your wondering where your killer cookie will be you can find it on other on-campus dining facilities.

-Bill Powers

With the New Ban, Smokers Sent Outside

The smoking ban in North Carolina became effective on January 2nd, and not being able to smoke in bars is causing frustration for many smokers.

“It’s just annoying, because once in a while when you go out to the bar, it’s nice to smoke in the bar, and I’m just kind of upset you can’t anymore,” said Glynis Ewing.

But she is not the only one who is upset over the ban.

Andrew Reed may be a smoker, but he’s not completely against the new law.

“I mean I think it’s kind of ridiculous in some ways, but then in other ways, I agree,”  Reed said.

Greg Saldanha is the manager of Sandy’s Italian Grill, and since he doesn’t smoke, he is happy to have the ban in place.  To keep patrons who smoke happy, Sandy’s is building a patio so  people won’t just have to go out the front door.

Andrew Jones believes it will be hard for many to break the habit of lighting up inside.

“Usually smoking and drinking go hand in hand for most people, so then that, you know, this kind of ruins it,” Jones said.

With this new law, smokers will just have to deal with the winter temperatures if they want to smoke.

“It just sucks when it’s cold out.  That’s really the only reason I can complain right now,” Reed said.

-Monica Yantosh

Legendary Western Alamance Coach Leaves After 18 Years

Right down the road from Elon, Western Alamance is your average, quiet, North Carolina high school.

But their football program has been anything but quiet.  The Warriors have become one of the biggest names in North Carolina high school football. They won the state title in 07’.  But about 20 years ago, the Warriors were hardly the champions they are today.

“They had been struggling for a few years, and were definitely looking for a change,” said Head Coach Hal Capps.

Capps became the head football coach and brought out the fight in the Warriors.

Athletic Director Peter Gerlach may not have been with the program since 92’, but he knows the story well.
“He came about eighteen years ago, and pretty much built it from the ground up,” Gerlach said.

Fast forward 18 years or so, and Capps has a career record of 168 wins and only 69 losses.  

And you wouldn’t think it by looking at the school’s trophy case, but winning is often the last thing on Capps’ mind.

“Winning is not the most important thing at all,” Capps said.  “It’s the relationship we build with kids and helping them become productive citizens”.

And Capps has made clear that being a good person can go a long way towards being a good football player.

“We don’t always have the best talent, but we always have the best kids, and I always believe that good guys win,” Capps said.
And although the trophies he won with his teams won’t be going anywhere, Coach Capps is.

After eighteen years, Capps has resigned as head coach and is following his faith to nearby Mooresville High School.  And just like he did at Western Alamance, Coach Capps is ready to turn Mooresville’s program around.

Last year, the team didn’t even win a game.
“They need me.  I think the time is right, and I think God is saying, ‘hey you need to go do what I need you to do,” Capps said.

And although coach Capps is ready to move on, he knows the legacy he left at Western Alamance goes far beyond the gridiron.

“This guy came in and made a difference in kids’ lives, not just the program.”Capps said.

-Jacob Selzer

January 14th, Web Update

Watch the Entire January 11th, 2010 Show

Break-ins Over the Holiday Season

At The Sigma Chi fraternity house in the Greek Courts, a usually empty house during the holiday break, was occupied by some unwelcome intruders.

“You can get in downstairs if you really want to, I feel like. But they just busted in everyone’s doors,” said Sigma Chi house resident Ben Pascale.

But while the doors have been replaced, some of the brothers are still missing some treasured possessions.

“The first thing I said to myself when I got the email like that our house had been broken into but nothing seems to be taken, I said they better not have taken my guitars. And that was the only two things they took from me, and my amp,” Pascale said.

But the break-ins did not just occur on campus. The Trollinger Apartments off of West Trollinger Avenue were also broken into over the holidays. Marshall Beringer was one of the residents who had his place broken into

“And when I stepped in the door the living room was pretty much empty, there was just nothing there. And I kind of realized “Oh God I’ve been robbed,” said Beringer.

Marshall and his roommates left their apartment December 23rd and returned the 29^th.

“In those six days there was a robbery where we lost about five thousand dollars worth of electronics,” Marshall’s roommate Caleb Jones said. “It appears they just walked right in through the front door. Don’t know if it was locked, don’t know if they had a key, not sure how they got in”.

But while Caleb and Marshall came back to a nearly empty apartment, other break-ins in the Trollinger apartments had a completely different outcome. Just across the parking lot Alex Walton returned to a apartment that was busted into, but very little seemed to be bussed out.

“The only thing so far we notice that have been stolen are two boxes that had change in it. So they both probably had about ten dollars worth of change,” Walton said.

Alex also reported missing a pair of glasses and several pieces of gum. But the burglars didn’t even touch their TV (an older model), Nintendo 64 or Play station 2, making it seem that the robbers were only interested in expensive and new electronics.­­­ Regardless of what they did take Elon students who were affected by this crime spree are sure to be more careful the next time they leave campus on a break.

-David Hodges