Communications instructor Melody van Lidth de Jeude died Friday

By Nicole Chadwick

Melody van Lidth de Jeude, a communications instructor at Elon, died Friday, May 27^th.

Melody van Lidth de Jeude

According to a family member she died from a brief illness. No one knew about her illness except her family. Her husband told the university of her death Tuesday morning.

Van Lidth de Jeude is best known for teaching public speaking.

She taught at Elon for the past four years, and was well-liked by students and faculty. Paul Parsons, Dean of the School of Communications, estimates she taught nearly 250 students each year.

“She was one of those professors who connected to her students on a personal level and I definitely feel as though she and I connected as friends,” said first-year student Katie Hockaday.  “She was one of my favorite professors at Elon and I will miss her dearly.”

Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.

**UPDATE**

The memorial service for Melody van Lidth de Jeude is June 25 at 11 a.m. It will be held at the Orange United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Dean of the School of Communications Paul Parsons told Phoenix14News the school is planning to host a gathering in memory of Professor van Lidth de Jeude at the start of Fall semester when students return to campus. He said the school will begin securing instructors to fill her Fall classes later this week.

 

Elon ’08 graduate missing in DC, found May 29

By Jason Puckett

May 29 Update: According to the “Praying and searching for Matt Hill *Missing*” Facebook page, “Matt Hill has been found and is alive.” In another post the Facebook page clarifies that he is unharmed and left on his own will, but it is unclear why.

Elon class of 2008 graduate, Matt Hill, went missing Tuesday after leaving the Verizon center outside of Washington D.C. He was last seen driving his black, 1996 Honda Civic ( DC plate: DT2747).

The 26-year-old, former member of Elon’s Phoenix baseball team, is a Christian outreach worker in DC and was last sighted dropping off a George Washington University student who he was mentoring.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Hill’s friends and family started a Facebook page titled “Praying and Searching for Matt Hill *missing*” with more information being constantly added.

Hill is a white male, approximately 6′ 0″, 165 pounds. He has blue eyes and dirty blonde hair.

Friends  say that his cell phone has been off since he disappeared and no one has heard from him yet.

DC police were calling this a critical missing persons case, and Hill’s father and brother have flown to DC to meet with the FBI.

If you have any information about Hill, or his whereabouts please contact:

Family Contact: Holger Hill 704-839-9699
DC Metro Office Contact: RW Kennedy- 202-715-7300 (precinct number)
Detective McClam: 202-730-1903
Missing Persons Case # 073-157
Detective in Montgomery County: Rod Stevens

A Way That Students Influence The Cost Of Tuition

By Don Granese

Next year’s tuition prices are the smallest increase in twenty years, but that increase will still cost you an extra thousand dollars. According to Gerald Whittington, Elon’s Senior Vice President of Business, Finance and Technology, there are things that students can do to prevent prices from getting higher.

Sustainability has been one of the key Elon initiatives as the school put’s it’s 10 year plan for the future in action. Whittington says that the consumption of resources isn’t only bad for the environment, but it’s also driving up prices.

“At a base line, you’ve got to get to the point where you can just second nature… go out of a room and turn off a light,” said Whittington. He further explained that students should be “aware of how you’re consuming the resources, because quite frankly, you’re paying for them…you wouldn’t have to pay for them if we conserved them better.”

For some students, lower tuition prices are a reassurance that they will be able to continue their studies without having to worry about running themselves into debt.

“I sometimes have trouble getting the money together and I always spend the time having to look for loans and scholarships and outside resources to help me pay for it,” said Elon first year student Jillian Somero. “The only reason why I would transfer would be a money issue…but I’m staying positive and hopefully it works out,” she explained.

For students like Somero, tuition isn’t just an expense, it’s the deciding factor as to whether she can continue her academic career at Elon.

Lawsuit filed against Bayer Corporation by Michelle Pfleger’s mother

By Joe Bruno

Joan Cummins, Michelle Pfleger’s mother, filed a lawsuit against the Bayer Corporation Tuesday alleging that its oral contraceptive, YAZ, caused the Elon freshman’s death.

Michelle Pfleger died on her way to her morning class on September 24. Medical examiners determined that Pfleger died as a result of pulmonary thromboemboli, also known as blood clots, in her lungs.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, claims the fatal blood clot in Pfleger’s lungs was caused by YAZ. According to the suit, Cummins seeks $50,000 in damages and applicable fees.

“One day she was a freshman at college so full of hope and promise and the next she was gone,” Cummins said in a statement released by her lawyer. “I can only hope that by publicizing what happened to Michelle, I can keep another family from having to go through this.”

The filing of the lawsuit follows studies published by the British Medical Journal on April 22 stating that oral contraceptives with the hormone drospirenone have an increased chance of developing fatal blood clots.

Bayer’s YAZ and Yasmin both include drospirenone.

“All birth control pills, including Bayer’s, carry an increased risk of blood clots, stroke and heart attack,” a Bayer Corporation official said following the publications. “These serious side effects are rare.”

Phoenix14 attempted to reach Cummins, but she was unavailable.

Pfleger was an Odyssey Scholar and recipient of the MacMahon Family Scholarship.

May 11 Wednesday Update

May 11 Wednesday Update

Phoenix14News: May 9th Newscast, Part 1

For part two,

Phoenix14News: May 5 Thursday Update

Arrest made following Sunday’s flashing incident

By Laura Levitt

A Burlington man is charged for flashing two Elon students. Keary Branson Davis was arrested on May 1 and charged with misdemeanor peering and second-degree trespassing.

Keary Davis

According to an email from Smith Jackson, two female students called campus police after being flashed near Lake Mary Nell.

Davis was arrested the same day.

He was booked into Alamance County Jail on a $5,000 secured bond. His trial is in July.

This is not Davis’s first offense. According to court records he has previously been charged with:

• a probation violation
• felony hit and run with failure to stop at the scene of an accident
• driving without a license
• failure to stop at a stop sign
• reckless driving
• indecent exposure

Nick Ochsner and Jason Puckett contributed to this story

LSD arrest leads to another search and arrest of student

By Nick Ochsner

Elon University Campus Police arrested freshman Zachary Kelly on multiple drug charges Wednesday.

Freshman Zachary Kelly

Town of Elon Police Chief LaVell Lovette tells Phoenix14News that Campus Police officers executed a search warrant on Kelly’s apartment in Danieley Center.

Yesterday’s search comes as a result of information obtained from the arrest of sophomore Jacob Lang on Tuesday.

“We did another search warrant yesterday with Campus Police,” Lovette said, “both were connected.”

A copy of the search warrant was not immediately available at the Alamance County Clerk’s Office on Thursday morning.

Kelly is charged with felony posession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and felony possession of cocaine.  He is also charged with possession of marijuana up to 1/2 ounce, which is a misdemeanor.

Records obtained from the Alamance County Jail show that Kelly was held on $30,000 secured bond.

Elon sophomore arrested on LSD, other drug charges

By Nick Ochsner

Town of Elon Police arrested sophomore Jacob Lang Tuesday on multiple charges, including drug possession and other violations.

Police records show that Town of Elon Police executed a search warrant on Lang’s apartment in Oak Hill on Tuesday.

Sophomore Jacob Lang

Electronic court documents show that Lang is charged with possession of LSD and possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver, both are felonies.

Lang is also charged with several misdemeanors including maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or other place for sale of a controlled substance; possession of marijuana up to 1/2 of an ounce; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

An investigation report provided by Town of Elon Police says police found “grinders, glass container for marijuana distribution, pipes, bongs, plastic containers, rolling papers, and two digital scales for weighing marijuana.”

According to the report, Lang also admitted to having LSD stamps in a refrigerator.

Police did not expect to find the LSD stamps.

“The LSD was kind of a surprise,” Chief LaVell Lovette said.  “We didn’t realize there was a resurgence around here.”

A court docket shows that Lang was booked into the Alamance County jail and held on a $30,000 secure bond.  His first court appearance was Wednesday.