CONTENTS problems. Haydn says that’s basically what T M of E | I AM ELON engineering and computer science really are: BY KIM WALKER math concepts repurposed to help people and to build new things. As an Honors Fellow double majoring in Haydn’s interests aren’t only tied to !" computer science and engineering, Haydn mathematics, and he gets excited when he Stucker ’!" wants to put a rocket into space. talks about trying new things. In fact, he cites A CIVIC MINDSET Or to be an astronaut on that rocket. Although his $rst-year honors seminar course, Politics BY PATRICK WRIGHT that sounds like a dream, he may actually make of Erasing History taught by Professor Laura A name change, a new strategic plan and a it happen thanks to his tenacious work ethic. Roselle, as his favorite course so far. Beyond new director are positioning the Kernodle After applying for close to !"" internships, o%ering insightful lessons about how history Center for Civic Life for even greater Haydn’s persistence was rewarded with a can be skewed by politics, the class broadened community partnerships in the future. semester-long position in the spring as a manufacturing engineering intern at Precor his thinking about teaching methodology. in Whitsett, North Carolina. He impressed his “On day one, Dr. Roselle says, ‘You guys are !# supervisors and before the semester was over, picking what you want to learn within this he landed a three-month summer internship at theme,’” he says. “In STEM, it’s expected that A MILLION!DOLLAR IDEA the company’s o#ce in Seattle. a subject like thermodynamics is going to be BY KATIE PEOPLES ’06 “I’m learning things that you don’t learn about certain things in certain order. It was What began as a desire to help support Black in classrooms and making connections with awesome to have a class that wasn’t structured students has evolved into a quest to grow Elon’s really cool people who want me to succeed,” he like that. I experienced learning in a totally new Black Alumni Scholarship endowment to !" million. says. “I’m glad I’m doing it now rather than in way, and my thinking went $ve feet wider on my $rst job.” both sides.” A self-described “math addict” since junior COVER STORY high, he worked as a math tutor through Haydn is Elon. $" high school. At Elon he loves investigating Visit elon.edu/magazine to see more stories WHAT WE LEARNED how math can be used to solve real-world that are part of our “I Am Elon” series. EDITED BY KEREN RIVAS ’04 Members of the Elon community share what they’ve learned this past academic year as the university and people across the globe have grappled with a changing world. $# ADVOCATING FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE BY ERIC TOWNSEND Funded by the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, Elon Law’s Emergency Legal Services Program plays a key role in helping those who turn to family justice centers for protection from abuse in Guilford and Alamance counties.
%" FROM THE ARCHIVES WHAT’S IN A COLOR? BY KEREN RIVAS ’04 A look at the meaning behind the colorful robes and special garments faculty and students wear during academic processions.
2 Under the Oaks 42 Point of View 12 Phoenix Sports 43 Alumni Action 14 Elon LEADS 47 Class Notes
UNDER THE OAKS ▶ from the PRESIDENT
PREPARING FOR “NORMAL PLUS”
wo days before the Class of "#"$ graduated, the university hosted an evening celebration in Rhodes Stadium. %e warm spring temperatures and Tbeautiful North Carolina sunset o&ered the more than $,### students who attended an opportunity to take o& their masks and enjoy an evening of games, food, music and 'reworks. Smiles were everywhere and o&ered a sense of comfort and familiarity. %e outdoor event was inspired by ()*+, in that it provided a healthy way to be mask free and together. %e gathering was the second new event associated with graduation; the 'rst was facebook.com/ElonConnieBook a “senior College Co&ee” that allowed faculty, sta& { President Connie Ledoux Book talks with students during the senior celebration. } twitter.com/ElonConnieBook and students to o&er congratulations before parents arrived and the festivities began. groups that allowed us to get to know one another We all agreed that we wanted to keep these new more fully and created a less hectic environment. commencement events as “traditions” in future Our future “Normal Plus” operations will also years. %ey are part of a growing list of lessons embrace what we witnessed about the Elon commu- learned and new operational undertakings we nity. We looked out for each other. We masked, we want to carry forward out of the pandemic. I’ve tested and tested again, we vaccinated, cleaned our recently called this new era at Elon “Normal Plus” shared surfaces, and worked together to adopt prac- operations, meaning that we will still hold 'rm to tices and behaviors that kept our community healthy. our residential model of higher education because We trusted each other and we celebrated together we know and more fully understand the strength when the daily campus dashboard showed zero ()*+, of being face to face for learning. But we want to cases and zero under quarantine on our 'nal day of “plus” it up with the important and valuable lessons the "#"#–"$ academic year. we’ve learned in the past year. Lessons like the power %e new knowledge about ourselves will also be of technology to bring alumni, employers and a part of “Normal Plus” operations at Elon. I learned friends of the university into our classrooms to o&er how much I enjoy and need the company of others, insights into professional and personal experiences. even when those conversations are about the small Or the importance of being together in smaller stu&. Maybe especially when those conversations
! of UNDER THE OAKS Five new members join he Elon University Board of Trustees has elected four new members to serve four-year terms. Lance Berberian, Toni P. Brown P’!", Larry TClark P’#$ and Debra Del Vecchio P’!! P’!% began their service as trust- ees on Feb. &. The board also selected Chandler Vaughn ’!# to serve a two-year term as a youth trustee. Lance Berberian is executive vice president and chief information and technology officer for LabCorp, one of the world’s largest clinical laboratories. He previously held roles at IDEXX Laboratories, Kellstrom Aerospace Defense, Interim Healthcare and Quest Diagnostics/ Corning Clinical Laboratories. Berberian, who lives in Burlington, North Carolina, has been a member of Elon’s Engineering Advisory Board since September !"#$. { Lance Berberian } { Members of the Class of 2021 enjoy an evening of games, food, music Toni P. Brown P’!" of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, & &reworks as part of a new senior tradition. } is chief administrative officer and disadvantaged business enterprise liaison officer at the Delaware River Port Authority. An economist and lawyer, she created the authority’s first nondiscrimination programs for We all agreed that we wanted disadvantaged, minority and women-owned businesses. Brown and her husband, Michael, previously served to keep these new commencement as co-presidents of the Elon Parents Council. Their daughter, Rachel, graduated in !"!" with a degree in { Toni P. Brown P ’!" } events as “traditions” in future strategic communications and media analytics. Larry Clark P’#$ is the former chief operating officer years. They are part of a growing list and chief financial officer of Legendary Entertainment, of lessons learned and new oper- a film production company based in Burbank, California. Clark and his wife, Anne, live in Palos Verdes Estates, and ational undertakings we want to are the parents of William and Elizabeth, who graduated from Elon in !"#$ with a degree in psychology. Larry carry forward out of the pandemic. and Anne Clark are members of the President’s Advisory Council and formerly served on the Parents Council. { Larry Clark P ’#$ } Debra Del Vecchio P’!! P’!% of Oyster Bay, New York, served as principal at Brooks Brothers and manages are about the small stu&. %e everyday small talk of books, the Del Vecchio Family Foundation with her husband, movies, trips to grocery stores and what we planted in the Claudio. She is a board member for the East Side House garden. Conversations about how my new puppy is giving Settlement, a New York City-based social services me the run around and almost has me trained! %e organization. The Del Vecchios are parents to Cristian ’!!, comfort of shared frustrations that, when together, you who is majoring in entrepreneurship, and Angelica ’!%, can laugh about. who is majoring in strategic communications. The couple Standing on the 'eld in Rhodes Stadium looking at the are members of the President’s Advisory Council. { Debra Del Vecchio P ’!! P’!% } smiles of seniors and the joy of simply having fun with each A Leadership Fellow, Chandler Vaughan ’!# majored other, we all felt their hope that soon we would be on the in policy studies with a minor in leadership studies at other side of the pandemic. %eir smiles, the promise of a Elon. She held a number of leadership roles on campus, return to a post-pandemic life of normal, plus the power including president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council of what we now know to be true about ourselves, the Elon and mentor with the SMART Program. In !"#$, she was community and our world. Elon looks forward to “Normal selected to study at the University of Bristol in England Plus” in the year ahead. through the Fulbright Summer Institute. She will spend the next year working with the City of Burlington Office { Chandler Vaughan ’!# } Connie Ledoux Book of Economic Development as one of six Elon Year of ./01+,023 Service Graduate Fellows.
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456 7898:;<6 of 6=>< . , . Elon bid farewell to 26 remarkable
!e Magazine of Elon is published faculty and sta' members who retired four times a year for alumni, during the 2020-21 academic year. parents and friends by the Office of University Communications. With a combined 597 years © , Elon University of service to the institution, these retirees were celebrated in May EDITOR Keren Rivas ’ ’ during the annual Faculty/Sta' Awards Presentation and Sta' Appreciation Day. DESIGNERS Garry Graham Billie Wagner Ben Watters
PHOTOGRAPHY Kim Walker Started Started
EDITORIAL STAFF 1992 1984 Alexa Boschini ’ Retired Retired Owen Covington 2021 2021 Roselee Papandrea Taylor ’ Patrick Wright KEVIN BOYLE KATHY GALLUCCI Professor of English Associate Professor of Biology CONTRIBUTORS Belk Library Archives Started and Special Collections 1990 Caroline DiFrango ’ Retired Ben Puchyr ’ 2021 Katelyn Litvan ’
VICE PRESIDENT, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS FISCHER FAW Professor of Music Daniel J. Anderson Started Started 1998 1985 Retired Retired EDITORIAL OFFICES 2021 2020 8e Magazine of Elon Campus Box TERRY BUCKLEY DON GRADY Elon, NC - Assistant to the Dean of the Carol Grotnes Associate Dean of the School of Communications & () - Belk Library Associate Professor of Cinema and Television Arts elon.edu/magazine
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CHAIR Started Edmond N. Moriarty ’ ’ 2 011 Far Hills, New Jersey Retired ELON ALUMNI BOARD, PRESIDENT 2021 Katie Zach Fitts ’ Richmond, Virginia Started JAN FULLER YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL, PRESIDENT 2001 University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Darien Flowers ’ Retired Engagement & Lecturer Started Washington, D.C. 2021 1999 PARENTS COUNCIL, CO PRESIDENTS Retired John & Deanne DAVID COPELAND 2020 McGranahan ’ ’ A.J. Fletcher Professor, Professor of Journalism Great Falls, Virginia & Distinguished University Professor MARTIN LATTA Mail Clerk SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR Roger Bolton New Canaan, Connecticut
SCHOOL OF LAW ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR Started David Gergen 2008 Cambridge, Massachusetts Retired Started MARTHA AND SPENCER LOVE 2020 1995 SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BOARD OF ADVISORS, CHAIR Retired Patricia Chadwick ’ ROBERT DAY 2020 Floor Maintenance Worker Old Greenwich, Connecticut RICHARD LEE PHOENIX CLUB ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR Lecturer in English Mike Cross Burlington, North Carolina
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Started Started 1991 Started 2004 Retired 2020 1994 Retired 2020 Retired 2021 GEORGE PADGETT GREG MARSHALL Associate Professor of Journalism BARBARA WALSH Manager of First Shift Environmental Services Senior Project Manager for Provost and Academic A'airs
Started 1991 Started Retired 2021 Started
1997 2003 Retired SUSAN PATTON Retired 2020 Deputy Registrar & Assistant Professor 2021 GENE MEDLER BETH WARNER Adjunct Instructor in Dance Associate Professor of Human Service Studies
Started 2009 Retired 2021 Started WOODY PELTON Started 1989 Dean of Global Education 1998 Retired 2021 Retired 2020 JON METZGER GLORIA WILDER Professor of Music & Artist-in-Residence Assistant in Human Resources Started 2003 Retired 2021 VIVIAN RATLIFF Program Assistant for Corporate and Employer Relations Started Started 2010 2004 Retired 2020 Retired 2021
CLAUDIE MITCHELL Started DAVID WORDEN Technology Construction Manager 1990 Director of Environmental Services Retired 2021 RICHARD RUSSELL Automotive Service Writer and Parts Technician
Started Started 2006 2000 Retired 2021 Started Retired 1985 2020 MARY MORRISON Retired 2020 JAMANE YEAGER Assistant Dean of Campus Life & Director Electronic Access Librarian & of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life SUE WALKER Assistant Librarian Custodian
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Associate Professor of Anthro- pology Rissa Trachman received a $290,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support her and her colleagues’ pursuit of transformational dis- coveries about ancient market- places in Belize. The grant fund- ing will advance Trachman’s archaeological excavation of the Dos Hombres site, where Trachman is searching for the existence of a market. If located, it would be one of the 'rst excavations of a market site from this era in Mesoamerica.
Four faculty and staff members were recognized for their contribu- tions to the institution during a May 12 celebration. Mary Morrison, Mina Garcia, associate professor assistant dean of campus life and director of the Kernodle Center for Civic of Spanish, co-edited “Social Life, was honored with the Periclean Award for Civic Engagement and Social Justice in Spanish Golden Age Responsibility. The Steven and Patricia House Excellence in Mentoring Award Theatre,” a collection of original went to Kate Upton, associate professor of 'nance and director of the William essays and interviews. Along with Garrard Reed Finance Center. Jessie Moore, director of the Center for Engaged co-editing the volume, Garcia also Learning and professor of English, received the Distinguished Scholar Award, contributed an essay titled “El Trato while Professor of Physical Therapy Education Janet Cope received the de Argel and the Immigrant Crisis.” Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Hal Vincent, lecturer in strategic communications and faculty director of Live Oak Communi- cations, has co-authored a book with Pam Mickelson and Bruce Bendinger. “Brand Builder Workbook: Tools to Building Winning Campaigns” provides the guidance, skills and under- standing to build businesses and brands.
A May 28 staff appreciation celebration recognized eight Elon staff Cherrel Miller Dyce, associate members. Pictured above in the front row are Marilyn Slade, program professor of education and assistant in the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education, who executive director of diversity, received the Blanche Garrison Memorial Award; Solutions Architect Joseph equity and inclusion in the Rich, who received the Phoenix Innovation Award; Business Intelligence School of Education, is the &rst Developer Mary Heggie, who received the Phoenix Rising Award; and author of a new book in the Urban Custodian Barbara Turner, who was named Physical Plant Sta( Member of Education Studies series titled the Year. Pictured in the back row are Director of Building Trades Tim Dengler, “Black Males Matter: A Blueprint who received the Phoenix Community Engagement Award, and Event Support for Creating School and Classroom Specialist Dallas Smith, who was named Professional/Hourly Sta( Member of Environments to Support Their the Year. Gabie Smith, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, Academic and Social Development.” The purpose of the book is and Kyle Wills, senior associate athletics director for business and operations, to help champion a paradigmatic shift in educating Black males. were named Administrative Sta( Members of the Year (in absentia).
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Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Cindy Bennett brings dynamism and clinical relevance to all her courses. Her hands-on approach to teaching has inspired countless health care professionals throughout the years. An active scholar, she o$en mentors students on their research interests.
Cindy Bennett BY MACKENZIE PRECHT G’17 n my health care journey, Dr. Cindy Bennett was one of the 'rst people to treat me as a colleague instead of a student. Before joining Elon’s Physician Assistant Studies program, I graduated from a large state university where professors were far removed from their students. I was used to large lecture halls and never imagined having a congenial relationship with my teachers. My time at Elon changed that notion. From day one, IDr. Bennett memorized our photos and referred to each of us by name. She desired to know us as individuals, our families and our career ambitions. She helped us transition into the rigors of the program while encouraging us to succeed and learn beyond what we felt possible. It was due to that connection that when faced with a moral dilemma my 'rst year in the program, I sought out Dr. Bennett. Part of the anatomy course she taught used human cadavers as non-living teachers, helping build a crucial anatomical cornerstone to our medical studies. In the lab, she encouraged us to approach the cadavers as our 'rst patients. Concerned with the ethical practices of sourcing cadavers, I approached Dr. Bennett to discuss how they came to be a part of our lab. Rather than dismissing my concerns, she invited me to partner along- side her and others in the School of Health Sciences in the work they were already doing to change those practices. Dr. Bennett oversaw my academic research on willed whole-body donation and connected me with other faculty investigating the same practices. These collabora- tions led to co-authoring three publications and presenting on the topic at multiple conferences. Shortly after my graduation in !"#), Elon o*cially announced its Ana- tomical Gift Program, which provides an ethical and self-su*cient future for anatomy education. It further connects Elon to the surrounding community, allowing residents to provide an incredible gift for the enrichment of knowledge for future health care practitioners. All cadavers in the anatomy lab can be referred to as donors because they have fully willed consent to participate. Dr. Bennett taught me how to advocate for my patients, even my 'rst non-living one, and that lesson is something I carry into practice every day. She encouraged me to stand up for the ethics and morals I believe to be a foundation of practicing medicine, and I try to live by that example with every patient visit. Her own passion for medicine and care for individuals, from her students to anatomical donors, helped mold me into the provider I am today.
Mackenzie Precht !’"# is a physician assistant with Piedmont HealthCare in Statesville, North Carolina.
& UNDER THE OAKS STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Eight Elon alumni have been selected for the 2021-22 Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the largest exchange program in the country that o(ers opportunities for recent graduates in more than 140 countries. The following alumni will spend a year teaching English in a foreign country or { Meghan Murray ’21 & Alexandra Pirsos ’21 } conducting research abroad: Martha and Spencer Love School of Business { Dory Boudett ’21 } { Maggie Cornejo ’21 } • Dory Boudett ’21 (elementary education major), alumnae Meghan Murray ’21 and Alexandra Pirsos ’21 Maggie Cornejo ’21 (strategic communications and were highlighted by the business education news Spanish major) and Andrea Peters ’21 (international business outlet Poets&Quants in its annual “Best & Brightest major) - Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to Spain Business Majors” list. Students were selected on factors such as “academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, • Anneliese Daggett ’20 (history major with teacher licensure) - personal character, innate potential, a striking personal Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to Vietnam narrative and overall impact on the program.” • Taylor Garner ’20 (international and global studies major) - { Andrea Peters ’21 } { Anneliese Daggett ’20 } Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to Colombia Ashlyn Crain ’22 and Anna Altmann ’23 have been named 2021 recipients of the prestigious Goldwater • Kathryn Gerry ’20 (international and global studies and political Scholarship. The highly competitive award is designed science major) - Fulbright Study/Research Grant to Bahrain to advance the academic pursuits of sophomores and juniors in colleges and universities who are pursuing • Sara Gostomski ’20 (elementary and special education major) - research careers in natural sciences, mathematics and Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to Ecuador engineering. Crain, a biology major, and Altmann, a chemistry and computer science double major, are { Taylor Garner ’20 } { Kathryn Gerry ’20 } • Kristen O’Neill ’19 (elementary and special education major) - among the 410 recipients selected this year from a pool Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to Greece of more than 5,000 applicants from across the country.
In addition, Griffin Barriss ’21 (public health studies and international and global studies major), Maggie Davis ’21!! (elementary and special education major), Sydney Hallisey ’21 (anthropology and international and global studies major), India Kirssin ’21 (international and global studies major) and Angela Myers ’21 (professional writing and rhetoric major) { Sara Gostomski ’20 } { Kristen O’Neill ’19 } were named alternates for Fulbright awards. { Ashlyn Crain ’22 } { Anna Altmann ’23 }
GEO "#%(: Natural Disasters BY KATELYN LITVAN ’!"
henever a report of a large-scale hurricane or earthquake reaches the with the material,” he says. “Since we couldn’t actual- news, the world takes notice. People watch their screens in awe as they ly see these disasters, a video is the next best thing.” Wlearn of the damage these disasters have in+icted. While natural disasters As the course progresses, students follow their are devastating, they offer humanity the opportunity to discover the unpre- interests and conduct research on speci'c disasters. dictable forces of nature. GEO ,%-": Natural Disasters allows students to take an They write essays comparing the impact of the up-close look at a variety of natural disasters and examine their short- and long- same type of disaster across time. term impact. Many students taking the class have been The class, which is taught by Associate Professor of Geography Honglin Xiao, directly affected by natural disasters, such as was originally o(ered during the summer, but as more students became interested Hurricane Sandy, so it provides the opportunity in the subject, it evolved into a spring semester course. For more than a decade, to learn more about the causes and discuss their Xiao has been teaching the class intended to examine how humans evaluate individual responses. For others who have and respond to natural disasters. Students learn about tsunamis, earthquakes, never experienced a hurricane before hurricanes, volcanoes, +oods and other natural disasters through a variety of living on the East Coast, the course is primary sources. especially eye-opening. No matter In addition to readings, lectures and small group discussions, Xiao enjoys where they come from, the class incorporating documentaries and videos into the class so that students can better aims to better prepare them to understand the e(ects of the disasters. “There are so many resources to go along respond to natural disasters in
' of Six members of the Class of !"!# will spend the coming year as Elon Year IN of Service Graduate LIFE COVID TIMES Fellows. They are: public The !"#$%- 19 pandemic posed many challenges health studies major Daniel during the 2020ñ 21 academic year. From weekly Bascunan-Wiley (Healthy testing to vaccination clinics, the Elon community Alamance); policy studies came together to ensure in- person instruction major Chandler Vaughan (City of Burlington Economic Development); political remained uninterrupted. Below are some notable science major Jewel Tillman (Impact Alamance); French and international and numbers from the past year. global studies double major Lucia Lozano Robledo (Alamance Achieves); public health studies major Caren Aveldañez (Alamance Regional Medical Center); and strategic communications major Abdul-Malik Harrison (Alamance County Health Department). 95,533 The number of antigen tests administered to Campus Compact has selected Anna Gillespie ’24 as students, faculty and staff at Alumni Gym from Newman Civic Fellow. The fellowship is a yearlong program Jan. 1 to May 22. Of this number, 339 resulted for students representing institutions that partner with the in positive test results. nonpro't organization that works to advance the public purposes of higher education. Gillespie has lobbied state lawmakers in her home state of Virginia to pass legislation to make mail-in voting more accessible and has worked to register voters in Elon and 155 { Anna Gillespie ’24 } Alamance County. The number of faculty and staff who volunteered to staff the Alumni Gym testing clinic.
Daija Rion ’23 and Ariana Wilson ’23 were recently named recipients of 2021 LAGRANT Foundation scholarships, which support 1,466 ethnically diverse college and university stu- The number of positive COVID-19 cases reported dents interested in the fields of advertising, to the university during the academic year. This marketing and public relations. In the past 've included 929 cases reported in the fall. years, School of Communications students have { Daija Rion ’23 & Ariana Wilson ’23 } secured nine such scholarships. 2,974 The number of undergraduates who were placed in isolation or quarantine at least once during the academic year, representing 47 percent of the student body. the future. Every spring, Xiao incorporates new material into the course. In the past few years, he has dedicated much of the class to addressing climate change. Class discussions connect human behavior to the changing climate, and students % are eager to discover how people’s actions can increase the severity of natural 78 The percentage of campus community members disasters. “Your personal behavior can have an e(ect on the global climate,” who were vaccinated by May 31. That includes says Xiao. “This is becoming a larger issue, and I am always glad to teach on how 80 percent of undergraduates, 83 percent of global warming can cause more natural disasters.” faculty and 71 percent of staff.
ABOUT THE PROFESSOR Associate Professor Honglin Xiao joined Elon’s Department of History and Geography in 2002. His research interests include global climate change 3,009 and human response to natural disasters. The number of calls received by the Ready RECOMMENDED MATERIALS & Resilient hotline. “Fire in Paradise” (2019), PBS’ “Frontline” documentary “Super Hurricanes and Typhoons” (2013), National Geographic Source: Elon’s Ready & Resilient Committee documentary
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“I invite you to measure your life, not by what “%ink of yourself as a creative, autono- you produce or how mous being who can do all kinds of quickly you produce it. di&erent things. And you will try things I invite you to measure and they won’t work out, and if you your life by your faith- approach it in the fulness to the labor.”
right way, when they —Civil rights activist and award-winning don’t work out, you &lmmaker Valarie Kaur during the !"!# Baccalaureate address on May #$ will also be learning.”
—Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales during the !"!# Baird Lecture on April (
“Just because you have wings now doesn’t mean you have to 'y right now. Because this world isn’t going anywhere. Sometimes the gi$ isn’t the new growth. Sometimes the gi$ is having the time to remember and re'ect how much you’ve grown. So before you rush and 'utter o& into this world anew, take the time to recognize the wings that you grew.”
—Tony Award nominee Daniel J. Watts ’"% delivering Elon’s #*#st undergraduate Commencement address on May !#
*( of A roundup of Elon University’s latest rankings and accolades
the school’s $# Fulbright o&ers • Elon University School of Law’s tied with Boston University, reputation for the strength of its legal Miami University, Stony Brook writing and trial advocacy programs University, the University of earned the school its highest marks to • Elon University has been named a Nebraska and the University of date in specialty rankings in U.S. News top producer of Fulbright students South Carolina. Along with Elon, & World Report’s "#"" Best Graduate for a sixth time, as $# recent other North Carolina institutions Schools guide. Elon Law’s No. ?@ ranking graduates were o&ered the prestigious recognized as top producers are for legal writing places it in the top "# international fellowship to study, Duke University, Wake Forest percent of law schools, and its No. AB research or teach English overseas for University, Davidson College, the ranking for trial advocacy places Elon "#"#-"$. Elon is recognized among University of North Carolina and Law in the Top $## of law schools for the national doctoral institutions, and Appalachian State University. 'rst time ever.
CELEBRATING THE Janet L. Williams named !"#$$ of 2020 VP FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION ollowing a national search, Janet L. Williams, vice president for embers of the Class of !"!" and their guests are invited to finance at Wake Forest University, has been named vice president return to campus Sept. ,-& for a variety of events culminating for finance and administration at Elon University. Williams joined FElon April #&, serving on the university’s senior staff and succeeding inter- Min a formal Commencement ceremony. Celebrations of the class during spring 2020 were disrupted by the pandemic. im vice president Susan Kirkland, who returns to her position as associate The fall festivities will kick o( Friday afternoon with department open vice president for business and finance. houses and school receptions to allow the graduates to reconnect with “Janet Williams is a strategic leader who has extensive experience as a chief 'nancial o*cer and friends and mentors. Saturday’s events will include ceremonies that manager of complex operations,” said President celebrate their identities, as well as a family tailgate by Lake Mary Nell Connie Ledoux Book. “She will draw upon her before the Phoenix take on Wo(ord at Rhodes Stadium. An evening of rich background in higher education, business live music, dancing, food trucks and a beer garden will follow. and industry, enabling Elon to continue its long Sunday’s Commencement ceremony at Schar Center is being history of outstanding fiscal management and planned for # p.m. and will provide graduates and their families a way operational e*ciency.” to o*cially celebrate their achievements. This formal ceremony in caps Williams leads Elon’s Division of Finance and { Janet L. Williams } and gowns will include a message from the class president, the Administration, overseeing the departments of business and 'nance, Commencement address from Elon parent Leonard Dick P’!", human resources, facilities management, information technology, campus President Connie Ledoux Book’s charge to the graduates and the safety and police, auxiliary services, administrative services, internal audit and planning, design and construction. distribution of saplings. Williams brings to Elon nine years of experience in higher education and Based on current health !$ years of experience in business and industry. Before leading Wake Forest’s guidelines and expectations business and 'nance units, Williams served two years at Ithaca College, where for attendance, each she was interim vice president for 'nance and administration and also served graduate is allowed to bring as the college’s controller. She began her work in higher education by serving at least four guests to the four years at Cornell University, where she was administrative director for the in-person ceremony. More Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. details, including how to “I love working in higher education and I am inspired by Elon’s mission register for these events, and student-centered values,” Williams said. “The Boldly Elon strategic plan will be posted on the provides a framework for the next decade of growth and I am excited to be Commencement website, a part of the talented and committed team that will further Elon’s position as a national university.” elon.edu/commencement.
** PHOENIX SPORTS ▶ elonphoenix.com
Maria Ahm ’23 is the first female Elon runner to qualify for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
BY ALEXA BOSCHINI ’10 !" #$%&' (%) "**"+,)# -"./#+ drive 1233 Division I Championships and only the second Maria Ahm’s running. It brings her inner Phoenix cross country runner to qualify for the national peace and a sense of ful0llment, fueling meet overall, a4er Luis Vargas in 5678. Before her 1233 the energy and focus she needs to tackle debut, Ahm won the Colonial Athletic Association indi- a demanding academic and athletic vidual title at the league’s championship meet March 9, schedule. But it also pushes her to her limits, setting a 233 championship record in the :K with her time motivating her to test how much harder, of 7;:<=.<6. Her performance helped the Phoenix claim farther and faster she can go than she the 233 title for the second straight season. She closed out previously thought possible. her cross country season 0nishing >5nd out of 59< runners TBoth facets of running spark joy for her, and both in the women’s :K at the 1233 championship, clocking a anchor her in the resolute pursuit of her goals — most time of 57:5<.9. “She started the race with con0dence and recently, the 1233 Cross Country Championships in poise toward the rear of the 0eld and gradually moved up March at Oklahoma State University. “I have never been as the hills slowed down most of her competition,” says in such a competitive and big 0eld before,” says Ahm, an Kevin Jermyn, head cross country coach and assistant Elon rising junior and member of both the Phoenix cross women’s track and 0eld coach. “She 0nished ahead of a lot country and track teams. “It was fun to compete against of really great runners.” so many intense and good runners because it helps you to A native of Holbæk, Denmark, Ahm didn’t follow the push yourself.” same path to collegiate running as many of her American Ahm is the 0rst female Elon runner to qualify for the counterparts. She started playing soccer at age ; and was
!" of { The Phoenix after clinching always the member of the the CAA Outdoor Track & team who ran the most. In Field Championship (right) & the CAA Women’s Cross Denmark, Ahm says schools Country Championship don’t have sports teams, so (below). Opposite page: young athletes only play for Maria Ahm ’23 was named club teams. She started to run the 2021 CAA Women’s for fun with her dad, a mara- Runner of the Year. } thoner and triathlete, and by high school, she le4 her soc- cer club to devote her energy to running on her own. Her dad trained her for her 0rst half marathon when she was 7:, followed by a marathon in Berlin the next year. “?e two things that engaged me in run- ning were soccer and my dad,” Ahm says. “When I look back at it now, a lot of it has to do Ahm trained alone or with with this time with my dad. We enjoyed being able to do “My dad and I !ew just one partner. ?e team’s this together.” routine was slowly making Ahm had an innate talent for the sport. She ventured here and met Coach its way back to normal by into cross country in 567; and quali0ed for a European Jermyn, saw all of the spring, with athletes championship a4er her 0rst race. ?at caught the atten- divided into three larger tion of Jermyn, who contacted Ahm a4er her champion- Elon’s facilities, and training groups. ship race. She had never thought about living in another at that point I was But a challenging year country but knew she needed to broaden her horizons to culminated in some major reach her full running potential. A visit to Elon’s campus not in doubt any- victories. A4er winning sealed the deal. “My dad and I @ew here and met Coach the 233 Cross Country Jermyn, saw all of Elon’s facilities, and at that point I was more,” Ahm says. Championship, the league not in doubt anymore,” Ahm says. “I knew it was the right “I knew it was the honored Ahm and Jermyn decision for me.” as Women’s Runner and Ahm competes in the 9K and :K in cross country and right decision Women’s Coach of the the 9,666 meters and 76,666 meters in track. A4er starting Year, respectively. ?e her running journey individually, she was drawn to the for me.” Phoenix also clinched camaraderie of a team. ?at made the restrictions amid the 233 Outdoor Track the 2ABCD-7; pandemic that much harder. Everyone on & Field Championship in May, the 0rst title sweep for the team had to wear masks and split into small groups of both track and cross country at the Division I level in the three to four people for workouts. At times during the fall, same season. Ahm came in 0rst in the 9,666 meters with a time of 7::95.8>. She was also named Team EBF for both women’s cross country and women’s track and 0eld at Elon’s annual athletics banquet. “While Maria is certainly making a name for herself in the Elon record books, she has played an even more important role in elevating both our cross country and track and 0eld teams,” Jermyn says. “She helps make everyone around her better and she cares for everyone.” Ahm’s long-term goal is to qualify for the Olympics in the 76K and the marathon. But in the meantime, she’ll continue to work hard with her team and hopes they can all experience the 1233 championships together next year. “Our success this year is a re@ection of how committed and passionate we are as a team,” Ahm says. “In running, it’s so easy to focus on the individual person. To see what we can do together when we help each other is huge.”
!# OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN
philanthropy ABOUT YOUR GIFT Donors change lives by creating 200 Odyssey Program scholarships All gi8s to the university for any purpose count as BY JALEH HAGIGH part of the Elon LEADS Campaign. To learn how !"#’$ %&#&'"($ )"**(#+,- ". /"#"'$ has doubled the number of Odyssey you can make an impact Program scholarships as part of the Elon 01234 Campaign, fueling the growth of a program that assists talented students with high 5nancial need, including 5rst- through your gi8s, visit generation college students. elonleads.com. EElon reached the 677 Odyssey scholarship milestone thanks to gi8s and commitments from alumni, parents and friends who believe in investing in outstanding students and the Odyssey Program, a national model for college access initiatives. Increasing 5nancial support for Odyssey and other scholarships is the top priority of the 96:7 million Elon 01234 Campaign. As of June ;, donors had contributed 96;6 million toward the campaign. THE ODYSSEY PROGRAM: A NATIONAL MODEL FOR SUCCESS Established in 677?, the Odyssey Program includes some of Elon’s largest scholarships endowed by more than 6: generous families. Housed in Elon’s Center for Access and Success, Odyssey is a highly selective, four-year program that has become a national model for serving students with signi5cant 5nancial need who are o8en underrepresented on college and university campuses. Many of these students are the 5rst in their families to attend college. Students move through the program as a cohort and receive valuable mentoring by faculty and staff, along with academic support and professional development to inspire personal growth and set them up to succeed. Odyssey has a nearly ;77 percent retention rate and @7 percent graduation rate among scholars who become leaders in medicine, health care, law, business, education and engineering, among other 5elds. “Odyssey scholars are consistently among the top-performing students on Elon’s campus,” said Jean Rattigan-Rohr, vice president for access and success. “This shows that when given the proper resources and support, students from low-income households do, in fact, succeed and go on to impact the world in positive ways.” Each scholarship in the Odyssey Program includes 5nancial assistance that meets a student’s full need. In addition to annual tuition assistance, each scholarship includes a stipend for books and supplies, and a one-time 9=,777 global study grant to be used for an approved study abroad or Study A42 program. !" of OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN Briston Whitt ’!!, a rising senior from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is a proud recipient of I accomplished everything I set out to do socially, academically and professionally thanks to Elon.” — JOE PATURZO ’20 Joe Paturzo ’!" received the John L. Georgeo Scholarship, one of several scholarships in the Odyssey Program endowed by Elon alumnus Furman Moseley ’:B. Moseley, one of Elon’s most generous donors, also honored his wife by endowing For more information on Odyssey Program scholarships and other campaign priorities, visit elonleads.com. !# OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN Donor support creates a lasting impact at Elon. Leading Through You Read more about these and other gifts at elonleads.com. Elon is grateful to the following families who have recently endowed Odyssey Program scholarships, helping to make an Elon education BY MADISON TAYLOR possible for students with significant financial need. Shelby and Andy Silvernail $’!% ELONLEADS.COM OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN A lasting LEGACY Hendricksons’ gift supports A Will to Lead BY JALEH HAGIGH lon Trustee Jay Hendrickson ’!" and his wife, Amy Hendrickson ’#$, of Raleigh, North Carolina, have made a %" million estate gift to support A Will to Lead, a special initiative of the Elon LEADS Campaign Eto encourage alumni, parents and friends to establish a lasting legacy by placing the university in their estate plans. The initiative was announced in March and is a vital part of reaching the %&'( million Elon LEADS Campaign goal. As of June ", donors had contributed %&"& million toward the goal, including %)' million in estate gifts alone. “The Elon community is grateful to Jay and Amy Hendrickson for their lifelong commitment to trans- forming the lives of students,” said President Connie Ledoux Book. “Their steadfast support is moving the university forward in signi*cant ways.” As members of Order of the Oak, Elon’s planned giving society, the Hendricksons are among Elon’s most generous benefactors and the most recent members of the university { Jay Hendrickson ’$" & Amy Hendrickson ’ %& } community to support A Will to Lead by placing Elon in their estate plans. Their gift will support engineering and very deep at Elon and that was one of the motivating factors when athletics. “Our joint Elon experience was very special,” Amy we made the gift to name the Hendrickson Football Center,” Amy said. Hendrickson said. “The professor-student interaction was Jay Hendrickson has been a member of Elon’s board of trustees very meaningful for our ongoing successes in life. Hope- since &((.. Amy co-chaired the Elon LEADS Campaign regional fully our gift will allow others to enjoy the same type of committee in Raleigh as a member of the Campaign Steering experience and thrive throughout their lives.” Committee. She has also served as chair of the Phoenix Club Advisory The couple has provided transformative support to Board. Together, the couple served on the Elon Alumni Board and Elon for the past several decades. In &(((, they endowed are charter members of the Phoenix Club IMPACT Circle. “It’s been the James A. ’!" and Amy T. ’#$ Hendrickson Engineering amazing the ascension that Elon has gone through,” Amy said. Scholarship. In &((!, their %" million gift named the “It makes us very proud to support the university.” Hendrickson Football Center in Alumni Field House in honor Estate gifts allow donors to provide life-changing opportunities of Jay’s father, Horace J. Hendrickson, who served as Elon’s for students by supporting scholarships and other campaign football coach in the "$)(s and "$+(s and is considered one priorities without parting with any assets now. For more informa- of Elon’s all-time great coaches. The couple is proud to have tion about how to include Elon in your estate planning, contact "+ immediate family members with ties to Elon, including Elizabeth Read, assistant director of planned giving, at ())#) &!.-!+!+ alumni and former faculty and sta, members. “Our roots run or [email protected]. !% OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN “!e Elon "#$%& Campaign allows alumni, parents and grandparents to continue providing future generations all the tools and resources to become excellent professionals, inspiring leaders and graduates the world needs.” — Maity Interiano ’!", campaign co-chair KEEPING ELON CLOSE lumni, parents and friends expanded 4K1L initiatives, Elon’s throughout the country new nursing program that will participated in a series of offer students a focus on health A virtual events this spring to equity, and spring admissions data. hear university updates and learn Remarks for the program were about the progress of the Elon 01234 delivered by President Connie Campaign. Attendees learned more Ledoux Book, Elon 01234 Chair about important university initiatives and Trustee Chris Martin ’?M N’;O { President Connie Ledoux Book } on the horizon, including scholar- and Campaign Co-Chair Maity ships in the Odyssey Program, the Interiano ’7?, as well as other new Innovation Quad that will house faculty, staG and alumni leaders. A great day for growing opportunities he Elon community around the world celebrated the eighth annual Elon Day on Tuesday, March !, by making gifts to grow opportunities for students. In total, donors gave more than ',%(( gifts and raised nearly )*.' million to ensure every student has access to the full Elon experience, regardless of T+nancial resources. Learn more about the impact of this annual day of giving at elon.edu/elonday. NUMBER OF GIFTS 5,609 CAMPUS FUNDS IMPACTED 176 TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED $3,496,140 !& of ELONLEADS.COM OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN A heart of MAROON & GOLD BY MEGAN MCCLURE LTHOUGH FRANK DALTON ’!" has traveled to nearly every corner of the globe, he still holds a special place in his heart for Elon. Among the oaks and bricks of Elon, Dalton Alearned to build relationships and connect with people across di,erent personalities and lived experiences. Soon after he graduated, Dalton found himself putting those skills to good use as a junior o/cer in the Navy. “I had a great experience at Elon that helped mold me into a more con*dent and productive person in society,” says Dalton, who now lives in the Washington, D.C., area and serves as regional deputy director for the Navy International Programs O/ce. “I’m proud of what Elon was when I was there, and I’m equally proud of what Elon has grown into.” Dalton shows his Elon pride by making gifts to support students every year. As a member of the Elon Society, he splits his giving between two areas on campus: Elon’s Greatest Needs and the Black Alumni Scholarship. “I think giving to Elon’s Greatest Needs is probably the easiest way to do the greatest good for the most people,” says Dalton. “I also want to support opportunities for African Americans at Elon because I know the positive impact that an Elon education can have. “I’ll do anything I can to perpetuate the Elon story.” The Elon Society honors leadership annual giving donors who make a gift of 9;,:77 or more each year for any purpose. Visit elon.edu/ElonSociety to learn more. !"#$%$#"&$'()*+ BY PATRICK WRIGHT A name change, a new strategic plan and a new director are positioning the Kernodle Center for Civic Life for even greater community partnerships in the future. for a more equitable TOMORROW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EDUCATE and prepare students { Mary Morrison led service e!orts at Elon for almost 15 years as director of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life. She retired in May.} A CIVIC MINDSET losophy, beginning with more than two decades of work with .-H and the /00123 Service Learning program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a result of that philosophy, the Kernodle Center has seen a sharp increase in student participation in Morrison’s tenure, with between 4% and "$# student leaders planning, implement- ing and evaluating the center’s operations each year. “My goal is to give young people an opportunity to learn the skills of leadership in service and community engagement,” she says. “I don’t know how to do this work without student leadership. !is work has to be by stu- dents, for students and with students.” !"'$&-.*"/0012/#3 With the support of Morrison and other Kernodle Center leaders, Elon students navigated a host of obstacles to car- ry out the center’s important work during the pandemic. As student leaders began to think of new ways to engage { Throughout the years, countless students have participated in service trips as part of their peers in service, they quickly found that their 5rst the Kernodle Center for Civic Life’s programming. } step would be to raise awareness of the Kernodle Cen- ter itself. ary Morrison had a hundred thoughts “We realized some 5rst-years didn’t know anything running through her mind, as one about the Kernodle Center — some thought we were the typically does during a job interview. Koenigsberger Learning Center,” says Gillian Kick ’$$, lead At the top of that list was whether a service ambassador for the Kernodle Center. “We wanted for a more equitable well-established organization like Elon to get our name out there and start talking about issues University’s Kernodle Center would be open to change. because people genuinely didn’t know about them.” ,“I remember saying in the interview, ‘I’m an architect Kick heads up a team of other ambassadors who con- and a builder, so if you need somebody to maintain, then nect student organizations across campus with service op- TOMORROW I’m probably not the person for the job,’ and I think they portunities throughout the community. Kick also serves as really liked that,” she says with a laugh. an executive member of Elon Volunteers!, the student-led !at was almost "# years ago when Morrison inter- service and community engagement organization housed viewed for the center’s director position. Since that day in within the center. As part of her work with Elon Volun- Gillian Kick ’22 $%%&, Morrison has built an organization that mirrors her passion for service-learning and community engagement. She retired in May as director of the center and assistant dean of campus life, having overseen much change and growth in the center and further cemented Elon’s place ì My goal is to give young people an as a national leader in service-learning. In $%$%, the university earned a No. $ ranking among national univer- opportunity to learn the skills of sities for service-learning experiences from U.S. News & World Report. leadership in service and community At no time was her commitment to service-learn- ing more important than during the $%$%-$" academic engagement. I doní t know how to do year. Morrison and the Kernodle Center faced the global '()*+-", pandemic head-on while continuing to advance this work without student leadership. the organization’s mission to inspire, educate and prepare students to partner with diverse communities and address This work has to be by students, for local and global challenges. At the forefront of those e-orts were Elon students, students and with students.î tasked with helping to lead the organization through ó Mary Morrison a year of uncertainty. !at student-centered focus has always been a key piece of Morrison’s service-learning phi- !" teers! last year, Kick oversaw a sta- of student coordina- tors who organized projects with community partners like the Center for New North Carolinians, the local Boys & Girls Club and Burlington’s Positive Attitude Youth Cen- { Right: Elon Votes! has been ter. Each of those partnerships took on new forms in $%$%. recognized nationwide for “We had to make a total reset because everyone needed its voter registration e!orts something di-erent as a result of the pandemic,” she says. ahead of the 2020 presidential “We had to really adapt our programming to best support election. Below: Elon Volunteers! our community partners.” promotes service & community engagement by partnering with !e needs of community partners came in many forms community organizations. } — both big and small. When Burlington Animal Services realized the pets in their shelter were lonely, they reached out to Elon Volunteers! for help. Kick and six Elon stu- dents spent a day working in the Moseley Center kitchen to produce handmade toys and treats for the shelter’s animals. !is seemingly small gesture was exactly what the shelter needed. “We think a lot about big picture stu-, and I love that we do that, but right now our community partners just need little things,” she says. “What our com- munity needed this year were little things, and we could provide that.” As Kick was focused on reshaping the service mindsets of her fellow students, Associate Professor of Commu- nication Design Phillip Motley targeted faculty. Motley recently completed his 5rst year as faculty fellow for service-learning and community engagement, a role that involves helping Elon faculty develop academic ser- vice-learning courses and incorporate service-learning into their existing courses. Motley organizes regular workshops and lunch-and- learn sessions that engage faculty in discussions about service-learning, usually hosting between $% and $# peo- COLLABORATE ple. During the pandemic, however, Motley transitioned the sessions to a virtual format and saw those numbers double. “Now that the workshops are on Zoom, we’ve had #%, &% attendees come and hear from us, and we’ve been able to open up the invite to the broader Elon community and even some of our community partners,” Motley says. “So there are people showing up who just wouldn’t have been there before.” !at is Motley’s top priority as faculty fellow: to engage new audiences and introduce them to the power of ser- vice-learning. It’s work that he’s passionate about because of the impact he’s seen it have on his students. “Ser- INFORM vice-learning brings out the best in students,” Motley says. “I like it when they stop worrying so much about grades and the academic mechanics of class and instead focus on doing a good job for their community partners. !ey realize that teamwork in this capacity is di-erent from the types of group work they o6en are asked to do in a typical class, and in this context they really need their teammates.” Motley, however, points to a “groundswell” of support societal challenges for seeing the idea of service-learning expand. He be- !! of A CIVIC MINDSET lieves there’s room to rethink how the work is framed and discussed, preferring it to be called “community-based learning,” with more of a focus on mutually bene5cial ex- periences for community partners and students, a feeling Morrison shares. “We see our community partners as co-educators with us,” Morrison says. “So we have faculty in the classroom and we have co-educators in the community, and all that combines to make a really robust and rich experience for students.” !")+1/+*4$#"%$)$2' In $%",, the Kernodle Center took a major step in broad- ening its focus, introducing a seven-year strategic plan to carry the organization into the future. Kernodle Center leaders spent two years developing the plan that they hope will serve as a national model for civic engagement and prepare Elon students and the campus to engage in local and global communities. !e plan targets four priorities — Expand, Prepare, Deepen and Engage, and Impact — and focuses on things like expanding community partnerships in Alamance and Guilford counties, developing student leaders through mentorship, and much more. “Really it’s a very ambitious plan,” Morrison says. “We say right up front we want to be a model for the nation, and I think it’s really going to take us quite far and stretch us.” An immediate change to come out of the strate- gic-planning process was a new name for the Kernodle Center, signifying its renewed mission. Originally formed as the “Center for Service-Learning” in ",,#, the center be- science and policy studies and co-chairs Elon’s Council on { As part of its civic engagement came the home for a number of existing service programs. Civic Engagement with Morrison. “For some students it’s e!orts, the Kernodle Center for Two years later, an endowment gi6 from the John R. activism or protests, and for others it’s volunteering at an Civic Life has co-sponsored pres- idential debate watch parties in Kernodle Sr. family o7cially named the center in honor of animal shelter or an a6er school program. All of those are recent years. } John Robert Kernodle Jr. Programs and sta7ng have been ways that we’re engaging and making our community a added as the university has grown in size and the commit- better place that we all want to be a part of.” ment to service and community engagement continues Eaves has helped lead Elon’s civic engagement e-orts to deepen. Known as the Kernodle Center for Service for more than two years, organizing panel discussions and Learning and Community Engagement since $%%,, the or- other events to engage the campus community in import- ganization is now known as the Kernodle Center for Civic ant conversations relating to civic life. Eaves also works Life. Morrison says the “Service Learning and Community closely with Elon Votes! and the group’s adviser, Bob Frigo. Engagement” title had become too narrow and no longer Over the past year, Elon Votes! has earned Elon high accurately depicted the full picture of the center’s work on praise nationwide for the group’s voter registration e-orts and o- campus. ahead of the $%$% presidential election. Elon 5nished the With the emergence of the student-led civic respon- campaign season ranked in TurboVote’s top "% colleges sibility organization Elon Votes!, which is housed in the and universities in total registrations and percentage of center, leaders decided it was time to come up with a more registrations among undergraduates. Elon was also named inclusive name. It was a welcome change for Carrie Eaves, a “Voter Friendly Campus” by Fair Elections Center’s who serves as faculty fellow for civic engagement and sees Campus Vote Project and the National Association of service and civic engagement as one in the same. Student Personnel Administrators. “We want all eligible students to vote and then think !at success wasn’t by chance. Student leaders spent about new ways to get involved in their communities,” says all of summer $%$% planning their outreach strategies, Eaves, who also serves as an associate professor of political turning to virtual events, table sessions and other engaging !# programs to encourage more than $,%%% Elon students to register to vote. “To put the students out there and watch them grow and 8ourish was exciting,” Eaves says. “!ey didn’t take their foot o- the gas this year. In fact, they tried to expand. It would have been really easy to say, ‘It’s too hard this year,’ but they kept pushing to do more.” !e success of Elon Votes! further validates Morrison’s philosophy of developing a service-learning model with, by and for students. And as '()*+-", restrictions lessen, Morrison is optimistic about what Elon’s students will do next. “We’re entering an era that I think is going to be transformative,” Morrison says. “I see tremendous possi- bilities for the future.” !"+1/')521&/+$%*".*4/#6 During her time at Elon, Morrison has not only championed service-learning. She has also inspired countless students — including Kick, who was immediately drawn to working with the Kernodle Center a6er meeting Morrison during a Fellows Weekend her senior year of high school. From that moment, Kick says she always knew she wanted more out of her college experience, and Morrison was her inspiration. “She’s so loving, and she’s the embodiment of service leadership,” says Kick, who will serve as one of three Elon Volunteers! executive directors as a senior. “And Mary { Elon students volunteer with The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Alamance being the embodiment of service leadership is what has County to mentor local students during the made our work so successful. She practices service leader- pandemic. } ship in any interaction you have with her.” ì The Kernodle Center for Civic Life is ready to take its next bold step to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students and community partners to inspire, educate and prepare students to directly address societal challenges today while simultaneously working to lead systemic change for a more equitable tomorrow.î ó Bob Frigo !$ of A CIVIC MINDSET PHOTO: CITYGATE DREAM CENTER DREAM CITYGATE PHOTO: As she looks back at her role as director of the Kernodle shape a truly representative democracy for the $"st century { Members of the campus Center, Morrison sees a number of areas that the center is now more important than ever before,” Frigo says. community participated in a can target moving forward. Whether it takes on issues of “!e Kernodle Center for Civic Life is ready to take its meal distribution event at the CityGate Dream Center in Burl- diversity, equity and inclusion, economic development, next bold step to work collaboratively with faculty, sta-, ington, N.C., during one of "ve or health care, she feels the center and the university are students and community partners to inspire, educate and Alternative Break experiences poised to make an even greater impact in local and global prepare students to directly address societal challenges to- in the spring. } communities. day while simultaneously working to lead systemic change !e center will continue its mission under Frigo’s for a more equitable tomorrow.” leadership, as the former associate director of the Kernodle Following more than a decade of service to Elon, Center was named director and assistant dean of campus Morrison is proud of the hundreds of student leaders she’s life following Morrison’s retirement. Serving as associate partnered with who remain active in their communities to director since $%"9, Frigo helped advance the center’s this day. It’s those students who made this work so mean- mission in a number of ways. He co-founded Elon Votes! ingful to her. She hopes they’ll teach their own families to in $%". with student leader Meredith Berk ’"#, helped lead be passionate about service and that that passion will carry community and civic engagement programs at Elon and on through generations. “I am so grateful that I have been assisted with the creation of strategic plans for the Kerno- able to have a career that has been so satisfying, so mean- dle Center and the Division of Student Life. He is “hum- ingful and having the privilege of working with hundreds bled and honored” to have the opportunity to continue the if not thousands of students,” Morrison says. “I think of work Morrison started. them like a thousand 8owers blooming in the 5eld, and “Cultivating informed, engaged and active citizens to that makes me happy.” !% Alexandra Robinson ’15 Janelle Bennett '14 Raleigh “Tres” Jones ’20 Shakori Fletcher ’16 Makayla Oby ’23 Arianne Payne ’20 Jordan Vaughn ’20 Contia' Prince ’18 Kiara Hunter ’23 Chann Little ’17 !" of A MILLION!DOLLAR IDEA !"#$%&'(#)%#*%#%+'*,-'%$.%"'/0% *100.-$%2/#34%*$1+')$*%"#*% '5./5'+%,)$.%#%61'*$%$.%(-.7% 8/.)9*%2/#34%:/1;),%<3"./#-*",0% ')+.7;')$%$.%=>%;,//,.)? BY KATIE PEOPLES ’06 s she walked across Elon’s campus Palmer, Awkard and Darryl Smith ’") contributed wondering if this would be her home *(,%%% each to the e#ort to create a solid foundation for the next four years, Kelli Palmer ’!" on which to build what became Elon’s Black Alumni remembers hearing the tour guide Scholarship. “We talked to everyone about it,” Palmer Aexplain the many student organizations Elon says. “We passed a hat at events every Homecoming. had and how any student could start one. We stood on the stage, Priscilla and I, and we said, “Everyone can lead at Elon,” the tour guide said. ‘We’re raising money to send other Black kids to “Anyone can make a di#erence.” Elon. +ere’s a hat. Put your money in it.’” Fast forward to $%%&. Palmer was working in fundraising at the University of Virginia and had a Today, gi,s from more than -,%%% alumni donors front-row seat to the impact philanthropy had on have pushed the value of the endowed scholarship students’ lives. “I saw the power and potential of to more than *.(%,%%%, helping to change the lives Black alumni engagement as donors with the of its student recipients. To date, it has provided Black alumni group,” Palmer says. /nancial assistance to nine Elon students, with Participating in creating life-changing the -%th recipient, Makayla Oby ’$., announced in opportunities for students, particularly Black April. Oby, a sophomore biochemistry major with students, along with the comment from the tour a minor in public health studies, is working her guide inspired Palmer to take action at Elon. way toward a career in family dentistry. “I was Priscilla Awkard ’!( was thinking along the same lines. “Priscilla was talking about an interest in a thrilled to learn of my selection for this honor and scholarship and I was talking about an interest in am deeply appreciative of the support,” Oby says. some sort of structured giving,” Palmer says. “And so, “I will continue to work hard and eventually give the two of us got together and thought, ‘What if we back through dentistry, research and funding could get some other people to participate?’” scholarships for future students like myself.” !# Brian Feeley ’%., assistant vice president of university advancement at Elon, has watched much of this growth since his return to campus as a sta# member in $%-0. “It has really grown exponentially since it was founded, but in the past /ve years or so, we’ve seen steady growth both in terms of participation and dollars to the scholarship,” Feeley says. He credits the leadership of Elon’s Black Alumni Network (1234) for building a strong foundation of philanthropy and staying engaged with the university. “+ey have passed the baton to a new network of leadership,” Feeley says. “We have seen within the 1234 community that peer-to-peer leadership takes shape. +ey impress on their peers the need to pay it forward and blaze a trail for future Black students at Elon.” It’s not surprising that Elon announced this summer an ambitious goal to triple the endowment of the Black Alumni Scholarship to *- million by $%$(. This special fundraising initiative is part of the Elon 51367 Campaign, for which building scholarship support is the top priority, and coincides with the $(th anniversary of 1234’s founding. As one of the original founders of the scholarship, Palmer looks forward to receiving messages asking her to contribute to the scholarship on Elon Day, Elon’s annual day of giving. She also enjoys !"#$%&'"(#$)#"*"+,)-"# reading notes from the recipients to hear what they are doing and what they hope to become. %.)/$#0$1#!"#2%33"(## “I love that connection to current students. I love being reminded annually that %#4%$#%$#"*"-$3#"*"+,# the legacy continues and that it evolves,” Palmer says. 5)6"7)60-81#!"#3$))(## )-#$4"#3$%8"9#:+0370&&%## A living legacy %-(#;9#%-(#<"#3%0(9## +at legacy lives on through students like Kiara Hunter ’$., who received the scholarship in =!">+"#+%030-8#6)-",# $%$%. Hunter enrolled at Elon in fall $%-! a,er $)#3"-(#)$4"+#?&%7'#'0(3## receiving the Honorable Thad Eure North Carolina Achievement Scholarship in the Odyssey $)#@&)-1#A4"+">3#%#4%$1## Program. +e Black Alumni Scholarship helped :/$#,)/+#6)-",#0-#0$1>B /ll additional /nancial needs. “When I received the Black Alumni — Kelli Palmer ’98, co-founder Scholarship, it gave me a sense of security and of the Black Alumni Scholarship peace,” Hunter says. “Because of the scholarship, I have the potential to do great things. I can go to graduate school and study public health and do things to help the community. It gave me that boost and I’m grateful for it.” +e ability to help communities solve multiple problems is what drew Hunter to public health. The field touches on many important issues, ?"7%/3"#)C#$4"# from mental and physical well-being to the 374)&%+34029## environment, education and the criminal justice ;#4%*"#$4"## system. Hunter is now a double major in public 2)$"-$0%&#$)#()## health studies and statistics. “All of my courses are 8+"%$#$40-831B% teaching me di#erent things. +ere are multiple ways to make change. As long as you have the — Kiara Hunter ’23, motivation and drive you can do it,” says Hunter, public health studies and statistics double major who hopes to eventually attend graduate school at +e University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill !$ of A MILLION!DOLLAR IDEA and ultimately work in public health for a government agency or in the nonpro/t sector. Hunter /nished her /rst year as a Black Alumni Scholar- ship recipient as one of -( Lumen Prize scholars, Elon’s top undergraduate research award. She will receive *$%,%%% for a two-year research project conducted with a faculty mentor. Turning dreams into reality Chann Little ’-& received the scholarship in $%-0, which gave him the resources needed to take his education to the next level. “Being a Black Alumni Scholarship recipient was life-changing. It enabled me to be able to do the Elon in 53 program, which started my career in the entertainment industry,” Little says. “Going to 53 during the program gave @%/,4')%;A%';.$,.)*%#&.1$%% me the con/dence to move there a,er school, which led to me having a thriving career as a content strategist and social $"'%2/#34%:/1;),%<3"./#-*",0% media manager.” +e high-impact learning $.%".7%$"'%5'-A%B,-*$%B#-;'-%% practices for which Elon is nationally known for provide ;1*$%"#5'%B'/$%7"')%$"'A% the real-life experiences that 0/#)$'+%$"',-%B,-*$%*''+%#)+% set Elon graduates apart from their peers. “+e Black *#7%$"'%B-1,$*%.B%$"',-%% Alumni Scholarship turns dreams into reality. I am a /#&.-%(-.7?C living testament to how this program transforms lives,” — Priscilla Awkard ’95, co-founder of the Little says. “When you are Black Alumni Scholarship a /rst-generation college A4"#?&%7'#D&/6-0# student, opportunities like As its endowment grows, Elon’s Black Alumni Elon in 53 seem inaccessible E74)&%+3402#$/+-3# Scholarship will continue to impact the lives of because of the costs. This (+"%63#0-$)## students like Little, Hunter and Oby thanks to scholarship gave me the means +"%&0$,1#;#%6#%## Awkard and many others who helped nourish those and the courage to pursue my &0*0-8#$"3$%6"-$## seeds of hope, planted so many years ago. dreams unapologetically and $)#4)<#$403## “I liken my emotions about the Black Alumni con/dently.” 2+)8+%6#$+%-3F Scholarship to how the very /rst farmer must have A,er graduating, Little felt when they planted their /rst seed and saw followed his dreams back C)+63#&0*"31B% the fruits of their labor grow. I imagine they felt to the West Coast, where — Chann Little ’17, owner an array of emotions: excitement, encouragement, he learned the ropes of the of The Visionary House pride, a drive to do more and just pure joy, because communications industry at these are all of my feelings,” Awkard says. “We have a digital marketing agency. hit so many milestones because of so many special He then went on to work with people and we hope to grow this list by sharing the friend Sydel Curry-Lee ’-& before joining Sheryl Sandberg, great stories and encouraging more to give to this 899 of Facebook, and her team at Option B as the leading amazing cause.” social media manager. Today, Little runs his own company, +e Visionary House, a full-scale digital marketing agency To learn more about how you can support Elon’s that provides creative services, tools and resources to socially Black Alumni Scholarship, visit elon.edu/eban. conscious, 2:;98 (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and women-led businesses. Madison Taylor contributed to this story. !% COVER STORY WHAT WE LEARNED Members of the Elon community share what they’ve learned this past academic year as the university and people across the globe have grappled with a changing world. !" #$%&"'() )*"$+"& '$%, )!$--"%."/ for the Elon community during the 0101–02 !"##$%&&&1 academic year, but it also brought with it a The importance of a host of lessons — opportunities to learn on strong foundation Tpersonal, professional and academic levels. As the university readies for a new academic Chandler Vaughan ’21, Leadership Fellow year, Elon students, faculty and sta3 share the main and Elon National Pan-Hellenic Council lesson they learned as they adapted and endured president during this global health crisis. 4ey responded The biggest lesson I learned throughout the pan- with stories about how the pandemic brought per- demic is the importance of having a solid founda- tion to withstand difficult times and external pres- sonal foundations into clearer focus, how they de- sures and challenges that present themselves. For veloped the ability to respond in ways they had not me, that looks like God and my faith, and receiving thought possible, and how breaking down barriers discernment and guidance on how to operate in life and how to truly be a change agent and im- opened a world of possibilities. pact others’ lives through love, through leadership, through intention. !" of !# !"##$%&&&2 Take nothing for granted Isabella Seman ’21, Elon volleyball player I think a big lesson and maybe the best lesson I’ve learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was to not take opportunities for granted. You never know when it’s going to be the last time you’re stepping foot on the court and playing your last point. You never know when it’s going to be the last time you step on stage and have a show. You never know when it’s going to be the last time you can hug your WE grandparents, hug your best friend, a loved one. WHAT But I also think it’s a big opportunity to realize how important taking care of yourself is, how important mental health is, and to take time to relax, to re- charge. At the same time, take time to check in on LEARNED your loved ones to make sure people are OK. Always make sure that you’re checking in on yourself and on each other. !$ of WHAT WE LEARNED !"##$%&&&3 listening and understanding Anthony Hatcher, professor of journalism Deadlines are extremely important in what I teach, but what I learned during the pandemic was that sometimes you can give a student not just a second chance, but a third chance or even a fourth chance. And that student will come through, and that student will learn something, and that student will benefit. I’ve also learned to be a better listener. I try to talk less when a student needs me, and to really hear what they’re trying to say to me. This entire ex- perience has reinforced something I’ve known since I first started teaching years ago: Being in the class- room is the best part of my day. I have classroom withdrawal just as much as my students do, and I can’t wait to get back to them face to face. !! !"##$%&&&4 The power of real-time public health data Stephanie Baker, assistant professor of public health studies I’ve learned three big lessons during this past year related to public health and this COVID-19 pandemic. The first is we can collect data about racial inequities in real time at a national level. As health equity re- searchers, we knew that this pandemic was going to disproportionately impact communities of color be- cause all diseases do. So to see politicians, activists and academics lobbying to make sure that data was being collected and reported based on race, ethnici- ty and gender was really an important contribution. It raised our collective societal understanding about racial disparities and health. The second lesson was the impact of talking about structural and systemic racism as it related to the pandemic. There was this interesting intersection of the need to be safe and stay home and the need to advocate and fight for racial justice. And the third thing was what we can accomplish when we break down barriers to improving and increasing knowl- edge. Part of the reason why the COVID vaccine was able to be developed so quickly was because a lot of the barriers and the ways that we structure new knowledge formation in our pharmacology world were broken down. People weren’t hoarding the information about the coronavirus; they were sharing it widely across the globe. That meant you had scientists all over the world doing their best to figure out a solution to this problem. Imagine how much more leverage, how much more productive work we could do if we started to break down some of those barriers in more consis- tent ways outside of when we have a global pan- demic. There’s so much to learn about what’s possi- ble, and I hope we embed some of the lessons we’ve learned into our future. !% of WHAT WE LEARNED !"##$%&&&5 Adapt and pivot Tim Dengler, director of building trades The biggest thing that I learned this past year was how quickly people can adapt and pivot in order to overcome a challenge. Everybody had their nor- mal day-to-day job and then everything changed. The pandemic hit and everybody had to reinvent WHAT the way they went about their lives. People picked WE up other responsibilities that may not have had anything to do with their previous job, and I was just amazed to see how quickly people were able LEARNED to take charge of those new duties and responsibil- ities and execute them !awlessly. It was really cool to see people jumping in and getting into a team e"ort, knowing that we were all in this together, and that we were going to solve the problems as To watch videos of these and best we could with the information we had to get other things we’ve learned, the university back to some semblance of normal. scan this QR code. !& ADVOCATING FOR VICTIMS OF !"#$%&'% Funded by the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, Elon Law’s Emergency Legal Services Program plays a key role in helping those who turn to family justice centers for protection from abuse in Guilford and Alamance counties. BY ERIC TOWNSEND !"#$%&' (')*+,# *$-! !./ ,&/-0./ had become routine around the home, but for Maricruz Hernandez- P Valdez, the breaking point was when he got drunk one day in 1234 and assaulted their 33-year-old daughter. 5at was when Hernandez-Valdez realized she needed help. 5e mother of four already was familiar with the Guilford County Family Justice Center in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, and had previously visited for guidance on the relationship. Now that her partner had turned his ire on a child, guidance wasn’t enough. She sought a restraining order. { With the help of Elon Law’s “I was looking for protection,” Hernandez-Valdez says. Emergency Legal Services Program, “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get the kind of support I Maricruz Hernandez-Valdez was able to obtain a temporary restrain- needed from my family. More than anything, this was to let him ing order against her now-former know that I wasn’t alone and someone was going to help me.” abusive partner. } !" of !# he Guilford County Family Justice Center and the almost identical Alamance County Family Justice Center on Martin Street in nearby Burlington o6er comprehensive resources for victims of domestic vi- olence, sexual assault, child abuse and elder abuse. Both centers bring together under one roof law enforcement, medical, legal and social service professionals to coordinate access to services, safety planning and judicial intervention with a special focus on victims of domestic and sexual violence. Among the agencies that contribute to the success of both centers is Elon Law’s Emergency Legal Services Program, a one-of-a-kind program in American legal education. 5e program aids clients in emergency situations by providing in-house legal consultations, help with preparing and obtaining domestic violence protective orders, and coordination with other in-house professionals about criminal charges and other comprehensive services designed to get clients to safety. Statistics shared by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence indicate that domestic violence is “prevalent in every community and a6ects all people regardless of age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality.” More than 32 million adults experience domestic violence each year. An estimated 12 percent of all female victims and 33 percent of male victims are in need of legal services. Nationally, nearly a quarter of all women experience intimate-partner physical violence during their lifetimes. In North Carolina, that number is 77 percent, and the problem has only intensi8ed over the past year with the 9:;<=-3> pandemic and related government-issued lockdowns. “Issues of domestic violence and intimate-partner violence breed in isolation,” says Catherine Johnson, director of the Guilford County Family Justice Center. “While in the past year and a half we’ve had to take necessary steps to self-isolate for health, what we know is that instances of physical abuse and 8nancial abuse have intensi8e d .” Funded by the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission with grants totaling more than ?1.@ million, the Elon Law program provides specialized legal services in the 8elds of family law, immigration and elder abuse to ensure a victim’s immediate physical MORE THAN 10 MILLION ADULTS EXPERIENCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EACH YEAR. AN ESTIMATED 20 PERCENT OF ALL FEMALE VICTIMS AND 11 PERCENT OF MALE VICTIMS ARE IN NEED OF LEGAL SERVICES. !$ of ADVOCATING FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE written and how arguments are presented in court. “At 8rst I was a little bit intimidated! But I also saw myself in her. When she told me, ‘5is is how it needs to be and this is how it goes,’ I just knew this was who I needed. Being strong isn’t a bad thing.” Neither Dudley nor Johnson is aware of another law school that o6ers emergency legal services inside a family justice center in the same manner as Elon Law, though Johnson says some law schools operate domestic violence clinics that may assist nearby centers. { Margaret Dudley, director of Elon Law’s 5e impact of Elon Law’s innovative Emergency Legal Services Program } approach led last year to an invitation for Dudley to co-teach a national webinar for civil attorneys on how to try cases involving and psychological health and safety. It oAen People that come to strangulation. 5e webinar was co-hosted refers its clients to Child Protective Services by the Alliance for Hope International’s or other social service agencies. When the Family Justice Strangulation Institute and the American appropriate, the attorneys — some part-time, Center have been Bar Association. some on contract — help clients with child An integral part of Elon Law’s program custody agreements or modi8cations to living in abusive is the student component. Dudley and her existing arrangements. team welcome several students each year for “People that come to the Family Justice situations for a while, academic credit as part of their residencies- Center have been living in abusive situations and for whatever in-practice or externships. Katherine for a while, and for whatever reason, they Bordwine '’34, an attorney with Legal Aid of have gotten to a point where they have reason, they have North Carolina, praised Dudley’s mentorship decided to reach out for help” says Margaret gotten to a point and the lessons she shared for achieving Dudley, director of Elon Law’s Emergency success in the profession. Legal Services Program. “You’d be surprised where they have “She taught me that empathy without what people will tell you about their lives.” decided to reach boundaries really isn’t the way to go in Dudley has been with the Elon Law legal providing legal services,” says Bordwine, services program since it joined the Guilford out for help. who completed her Elon Law residency-in- and Alamance centers in 123B. A longtime practice inside the Guilford County Family Greensboro attorney — Dudley was the third Justice Center. “It’s better to have compassion Black woman to practice law in Guilford for someone in crisis and help them build a County — she manages a team of part-time plan for addressing what’s happening in their and contract attorneys, Elon Law students lives. When you understand where people on externships and in their residencies-in- are coming from, really amazing things can practice, and an administrative assistant. It happen, whether it’s getting out of a situation was a career opportunity that took time to or persevering through a diCcult situation.” consider. AAer years of managing her solo Ultimately, that’s how Hernandez-Valdez law practice, and inspired by experiences found the help she needed. A temporary growing up in Eastern North Carolina and restraining order, followed by a modi8ed other parts of the Jim Crow South, Dudley custody agreement that gave her now- saw how her no-nonsense approach and former partner time to rebuild trust with decades of courtroom litigation could be of his children, has led to a healthier situation value in helping people in crisis 8nd a measure for everyone. “For me, it’s always about of peace. my children. It wasn’t about me and him. “Attorney Dudley is a really strong Punishment wasn’t the goal,” Hernandez- woman,” Hernandez-Valdez says recounting Valdez says. “I wanted to 8nd stability in my consultations about how legal documents are children’s lives. I wanted them to be safe.” !% From ! e ARCHIVES What's in a color? A look at the meaning behind the colorful robes and special garments faculty and students wear during academic processions. BY KEREN RIVAS ’04 !!"#$ %#& '(()*)%+ *","-'#& at Elon that involves an academic procession and you will notice participants wearing an array of colorful garments. Ever since the .rst Commencement took place Under Athe Oaks in /01/, Elon faculty and students have worn academic regalia during graduations. It’s a tradition that goes back to medie- val European universities and has not changed much since the /2th century. Academic regalia signi.es the wearer’s academic accomplish- ments and includes a robe, head covering and hood. 3e baccalaureate robe at Elon is maroon, representing one of the school colors. It is a simple design, with full sleeves. 3e master’s robe is black and has a closed or glove sleeve open at the wrist. 3e doctor- al gown is very di4erent, with velvet panels down the front and velvet chevrons on large bell-shaped sleeves. Additionally, the head covering for those who hold a doctorate is a velvet Tudor cap with a tassel. Both the baccalaureate and master’s head coverings have tassels. In addition to these various distinctions between di4erent levels of academic accomplishments, the hood also adds meaning to the aca- demic regalia. 3e hood falls from the shoulders down the back of the gown and displays di4erent colors based on established disciplines. 3e hood is usually black with a colored edge that represents the discipline of the wearer’s degree. 3e color in the silk lining represents the degree being awarded by the college or university. An Intercol- legiate Code was adopted in /015, matching colors with disciplines. Wondering what colors go with di4erent disciplines? Check the list on the facing page. { The platform party for the 2021 undergraduate Commencement ceremonies. Left: Professor David A. Copeland carrying the mace during one of the ceremonies. } !" of White: Arts, letters Crimson: Journalism Dark blue: Philosophy and humanities and communications Golden yellow: Science Drab: Business Purple: Laws Citron: Social sciences Rust: Economics Lemon: Library science Scarlet: !eology Light blue: Education Pink: Music Brown: Fine arts !# POINT of VIEW The changing landscape of live entertainment BY MARK HORSBURGH ’07 n March of !"!", my Delta #ight glided up the with the bene.t of the early solutions, the extended break Hudson River, past the Statue of Liberty, Freedom from live events continued to create more challenges. Tower and Lower Manhattan before banking Virtual events quickly became tiresome. Sporting events right just in front of the United Nations building. felt soulless without in-person, capacity crowds cheer- IIt was another uneventful approach into New York’s ing for their favorite teams. And with no revenue, event LaGuardia Airport, which for someone working in the venues teetered toward bankruptcy. For some people, event industry had become like circumstances became so bleak that the actual future turning into my driveway a$er of in-person events seemed tenuous. But for most, the yet another week on the road. return of live events has never felt more important, as so What I didn’t know at the many of us look to a future where we can gather together time was that it would be my once again to share a common experience. People have last #ight for longer than I been longing to do things with other people, and therein could imagine. A new career lies quite a bit of hope. reality would set in quickly as As we enter summer, the industry is seeing strong I watched numerous events signs of a return to live events. Attendance at many out- we had planned, some years in door stadiums is back to normal, musicians are begin- the making, get canceled due ning to hold concerts and indoor events are even starting to the early uncertainties of to remove or eliminate capacity restrictions. 0ere are %&'()-*+. We would not be still many obstacles. Varying protocols in each city, heading out to stage the next county and state make a uni.ed return to events nearly presidential debate, any part impossible. Everyone has their own personal comfort of the ,%-- tournament or, as level with their experiences around others. And with in- we would soon .nd out, any creased politicization around health and safety guidelines event anytime soon. It was a and protocols, leagues, event producers and sponsors punch in the gut. While these have proceeded tentatively with the re-introduction of cancellations were not any- activities, fearing public backlash. where near the greatest loss Having said that, events have never come without of this pandemic, the impact challenges, and the industry remains resilient. 0is on the event industry was swi$ and signi.cant. past March, almost a year to the day from when event Canceled events led to the same painful decisions and cancellations .rst began to pile up, our WarnerMedia consequential implications faced by so many industries, team was given .nal sign-o/ to produce a between-games “For an industry including furloughs, layo/s and, for some, closing busi- music performance by Miley Cyrus at the ,%-- Men’s that prides itself on nesses altogether. Final Four in Indianapolis. 0e adrenaline was #owing For an industry that prides itself on thriving in the again. We’d have only two weeks to produce an event thriving in the unknown and gracefully handling adversity, this was with a planning cycle that would usually span up to a the ultimate test. Leagues scrambled to create bubbles to year. Within hours, our team had been formed. We were unknown and complete their seasons. Production companies and agen- back in business, doing what we were trained to do, as we gracefully handling cies pivoted to the new environment of virtual events. jumped into action to present one of the largest national- Freelancers and gig-workers rushed to .nd any job they ly televised performances of the year. adversity, this was could. 0is included the newly created task of running As our #ight li$ed o/ the ground from LaGuardia community %&'()-*+ testing and vaccination centers, and ascended over Central Park on the way to Indianap- the ultimate test.” where the skills needed to e1ciently manage this most olis for an event with real-life fans (no more cardboard important challenge aligned well with those in the event cutouts!), it was hard not to smile and think about how industry out of work. far we have already come, and how close we are to truly True to the American entrepreneurial spirit, quite being back, better than ever. a few success stories emerged amid all the early chaos. Sport leagues found ways to restart in empty stadiums, Mark Horsburgh is the director of live events at sponsors created new types of events to reach their stake- WarnerMedia. He is a "##$ business administration holders and totally new businesses were formed on the graduate and past recipient of Elon’s Top %# #y to service the fast-changing event environment. Even Under %# Award. !" of ALUMNI ACTION A NEW Beginning Dear Alumni, s I write this, spring is in full bloom outside screens to greet each other face to face once again. A my window and I’m beginning to re!ect new beginning. Aon the fact that my year-long service as the Just as we count on spring to greet us each year, Elon Alumni Board president has come to an end. so too can we count on the daunting yet exciting and While serving during a global pandemic has been hopeful time in a student’s life: Commencement. To challenging at times, I am beyond grateful for the commence means to begin. And so, we begin again. opportunity to work with so many dedicated alumni As we begin this new $scal year and new academic and such wonderful Elon sta". #eir leadership is year, we acknowledge the new chance we have to inspiring and they have such enthusiasm for what inspire, instill change and make an impact on gener- lies ahead for this university we love so much. ations to come. I’m thankful that Katie Zach Fitts ’!", who By the time you read this, we will have welcomed lives in Richmond, Va., and serves as head of talent a new class of Elon alumni to our global family, and marketing and communications for Capital One, has we will be preparing to greet a new cohort of stu- agreed to lead the alumni board for the next year. dents eager to commence their journeys. We hope to Anne Frank Casey ’#$ %’&', a resident of Avondale, reconnect in person for Welcome to the City events Pa., and principal at SolomonEdwards, will serve as this summer and at Homecoming & Reunion Week- vice president. end this fall, where there will be more to celebrate When I think about all the change that this time than milestones and coming together again — a new of year brings, there remains a constant in nature. beginning. As the outside world awakens from winter, it seems there is a parallel uncovering within society as Brian Scales ’() vaccines become available and we slowly leave our President, Elon Alumni Board Get ready for #ElonHome! ome home to Elon Nov. %–&. A'er a year apart, reconnect with old friends and create new memories that will last a lifetime at Elon’s Homecoming & Reunion Weekend ()(*. #e festivities will kick o" with an awards ceremony Friday morning to honor Cthe Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, followed by the annual Rock the Block Party for the entire Elon family, complete with live music, games, food trucks and $reworks. Other activities include: ✪ Brick Run/Walk: Start your Saturday with a run or walk with family and friends along Elon’s brick pathways ✪ Game Day Experience: Get energized at our All Alumni Tailgate before cheering on the Phoenix as they take on Villanova ✪ Reunion and a*nity events, including the Golden Alumni Induction Ceremony and more! Registration opens in early September. For more information, visit elon.edu/homecoming. ALUMNI ACTION • # e Los Angeles Alumni Chapter hosted a virtual discussion Feb. (+ in celebration of Black History Month. Cameron Jackson ’!! curated a recom- mended content list, then led a panel discussion with Elon Black alumni about the depiction of the Black community in entertainment. Recom- mended selections included “Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror,” “Coming to America,” “Black Panther” { Los Angeles } and “#e Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” • # is spring the Young Alumni Coun- cil (+,-) welcomed *) new members and kick started its spring meeting with an orientation on April *,. #e event gave an opportunity for both new members and -./ leadership to review what it meant to be a member of the council. Council members spent the following day hearing from university leaders, including President Connie Ledoux Book. • # e Triangle Alumni Chapter hosted a virtual professional development panel April (( featuring four alumni who cover varying industries. Jonathan Citty ’!" (so'ware), Mital Patel #’"$ (business), Emily Frizzell ’!$ (education) and Evan Sassaman ’!$ { Young Alumni Council } ($nance) discussed how the pandemic a"ected each area of their work. #e chapter also kicked o" a Phoenix %K as they closed out their year of virtual events encouraging alumni to get outside and enjoy the spring weather. Have you recently moved? Make sure to update your information at elon.edu/alumniupdate to learn about upcoming events in your area. { Triangle } !! of ALUMNI ACTION !"!# Each fall, Elon’s alumni chapters host events August through October as part of the Welcome to the City Series. Whether you’ve just moved to a new city or haven’t moved in years, Welcome to the City events give alumni a chance to TO FIND reconnect with one another and the Elon community in their region. If you are A CHAPTER new to one of the %& areas where we have alumni chapters, this is the perfect NEAR YOU, GO TO opportunity to get to know others in your city, meet chapter leaders and learn ELON.EDU/ALUMNI more about Elon programming in your new home. More information about dates and locations for the entire event series, as well as other regional programs, can be found at elon.edu/alumni. We hope to see you at the events in your area! !"#$%&" to the alumni family! Congratulations on your graduation, Class of !"!#. As you begin the next phase of your life, whether it’s starting a new job, continuing your education or following another path, remember that the O$ce of Alumni Engagement is your partner for continued success. Elon will continue serving you as an alum in many ways — through job opportunities from fellow alumni, chapter events in your area, Homecoming & Reunion Weekend and professional development opportunities. Help Elon keep you informed and involved by updating your information. Visit elon.edu/alumniupdate to ensure you receive information that is relevant to you. !" ALUMNI ACTION IT’S TIME TO CHEER ON THE PHOENIX! Whether you are planning to attend a game on campus or on the road, or just tune in from home, get ready to show your school spirit! Saturday, Sept. ! – Wo"ord Saturday, Oct. %( – New Hampshire Class of !"!" Celebration Saturday, Oct. () – James Madison* Saturday, Sept. ## – Campbell* Saturday, Nov. * – Villanova Saturday, Sept. #$ – Appalachian State* Homecoming & Reunion Weekend Saturday, Sept. %& – William & Mary Saturday, Nov. #( – Towson* Family Weekend Saturday, Nov. %) – Rhode Island Saturday, Oct. % – Richmond* For more details and ticket information, Saturday, Oct. ' – Maine* visit elonphoenix.com. * Denotes away games !# of CLASS NOTES Carolyn Long Beane was have any questions, please contact selected as the !"#$ Woman 50th [email protected]. 51| of the Year by the American 70|71| REUNION Business Women’s Association Committee co-chairs Frank Lyon, Mid Day Professionals Chapter in Noble Marshall Jr. and Nina Martin 45th Asheboro, N.C. McConnell along with committee 75|76| REUNION members Buck Bayli!, Bob Bridwell, )e Classes of #$(' and #$(% will Lynne Marie Schwartz Davis, celebrate their &'th reunion at Elon’s Bob Lane, Sally O’Neill Mauldin, Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, 64|65|66 |67 Chuck Miller, John Paisley, Diane Nov. '–(. Reunion committee th REUNION 55 Committee members Clendennen Payne, "omas Short members Deborah Cochran, Zene Eileen Cobb, Mary Benson Daniels and Wade Williamson encourage Fearing, Tom Hall, John “Archie” and Stan Switzer encourage all members all classmates from #$(" and #$(# to Ligon and Ted Winslow Jr. look of the Classes of #$%&, #$%' and #$%( to forward to seeing many classmates return to Elon and join the Class of #$%% attend the '"th class reunion during in celebrating their ''th reunion during Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, back on campus to help celebrate Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, Nov. '-(. Honorees will receive their this special weekend. Please contact Nov. '–(. If you have any questions, Golden Alumni Medallions at a [email protected] if you have any please contact [email protected]. luncheon on Friday, Nov. '. If you questions. Entrepreneurship on her own terms CAROLINE DIFRANGO ’23 WNING AN INTERIOR DESIGN STORE branch out independently. She had an eye for was not the destination Ariene Dennis acquiring vintage decor, so she decided to start OBethea ’00 had set for her career path. selling her "nds on websites such as Etsy. That’s Armed with a corporate communications when she realized there was a market for what degree from Elon University and a master’s she o#ered that extended beyond her local degree in management communication and community. “Most of my pieces were going out organizational development from Emerson to other states, so I started doing local pop- College, Bethea’s original path led her into the ups,” Bethea says, adding she also brie$y sold in corporate world. a multi-merchant space. Her shift from human resources to interior Throughout the process, her design came about, ironically, because of communications degree has certainly come her former employer. “We always met in my in handy. It has not only helped her with boss’s o!ce and it was never enough space, marketing her products, but also provided her and I always thought it could be con"gured the skillset to temporarily contribute to local di#erently,” Ariene says. “When she decided to interior design publications. After gaining a go on vacation, I told her I was going to redo her solid social media presence and following, Bethea had the con"dence to "nally open Dressing Rooms Interiors Studio in &%'( in Charlotte, North Carolina. She sells vintage But Bethea does not let the numerous decor and the occasional handmade item, as accolades go to her head. “I don’t think about long as it matches her brand. “I buy things that them, actually. I just keep doing the work I love,” she says. “When I look at an item, I try to because work still has to get done,” she says. “I ask myself, ‘Is this on brand?’” give it its moment, but all the other things still As a Black female business owner in the have to get done.” South, opening the physical store was no Case in point: Even when the brick-and- cakewalk. “When I "rst opened the store, I mortar store was closed due to COVID-'), would get some questions like ‘Oh, is this your Dressing Rooms Interiors Studio continued to o!ce. … When she came back she was like, ‘Oh store?’ or ‘Are these things consigned?’ or ‘Who’s $ourish. Going forward, Bethea hopes to hire my God, you should do this for a living.’” the business owner?’” she says. an assistant and continue growing her business After this lightbulb moment, Bethea began Luckily, the support system she had built while inspiring others, especially her clients. “I pursuing design. She worked brie$y at Bassett through fellow Elon alumni, her husband and want people to be free to create whatever space Furniture to receive formal training, but found she other designers on social media has helped they want in their homes,” she says. “I have to did not enjoy the hard-selling of being employed her not only overcome this but thrive. And constantly remind clients it’s their home and by a major furniture company. industry leaders have taken notice. In recent they can do whatever they want.” That experience paired with watching her years, Dressing Rooms Interiors Studio has husband, Daren Bethea ’%%, open his own been recognized by House Beautiful, HGTV and Keep up with Bethea at chiropractic practice gave her the con"dence to Essence magazines, among others. dressingroomsinteriorsstudio.com. !" of !" CLASS NOTES the Northern Shenandoah Valley. 40th Mike has served in numerous Major League Baseball Umpire 80|81| REUNION leadership roles in the mid-Atlantic Join the Classes of #$," and states for the past +$ years. He lives Joe West ’$% broke baseball’s | umpiring record May !", working #$,#’s &"th reunion committee in Winchester with wife Denise B. 74 members Laurie Alcon Brown, Mike Wilkerson. home plate as the St. Louis Cardinals Brown, Steve Coor, Linda Kent visited the Chicago White Sox. It marked Duckworth, Kim Spencer Matthews, the ",#$%th game for West, who began his 35th Scott Matthews, Vickie Blackwell REUNION career as an umpire during the &'$% season. Morrow Lynn Moore Stewart Betty 85|86| , , A native of Asheville, N.C., West grew up in Burton "ayer and King White Join the Classes of #$,' and #$,%’s +'th reunion committee members Greenville, N.C., and played baseball and back on campus Nov. '–( to help football at Elon. He was inducted into the celebrate your &"th reunion during Fred Applin, Joe Coco and Steve Elon University Sports Hall of Fame in &'(% Homecoming & Reunion Weekend. Sabol on Nov. '–( to participate and into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Be sure to make plans now to attend. in class reunion activities and If you have any questions, please reminisce about the great times fame in !)&(. contact [email protected]. that were spent at Elon. The committee is looking forward to Aubrey “Mike” Wilkerson Norwood joined forces in !"!" high school students *nd their catching up with classmates during recently joined Virginia- as part of Annapolis College perfect college *t. Homecoming & Reunion Weekend. 82| based F&M Bank as the Consulting. Mo lives in Southern If you have any questions, please chief strategy o-cer and Northern California and owns California th contact [email protected]. 30 Shenandoah Valley market executive. College Consulting, and Lee, owner 90|91| REUNION In his new role, Mike will be Former *rst-year Elon of Annapolis College Consulting, Time to celebrate the Classes of responsible for strategic leadership roommates Emilie Justad lives in Maryland. From coast to #$$" and #$$#’s +"th reunion with and the expansion of the bank into 89| “Mo” Mobley and Lee coast, the two collaborate to help committee members Jana Telford Beal, Lisa Toomer Biggs, Belinda Wall Day, Julie Perry Githens, Gayle ALUMNI ALBUM Arkwright Moseley, Andy Sha!er and Jeanne Watson Tucker. )ey hope their classmates make plans to head back to campus Nov. '-( to help celebrate this exciting milestone with them. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]. In April, Christopher Landino became the new 92 | director of career and workforce development at East Stroudsburg University. In that capacity, he manages the institution’s career center, as well as the workforce development team and testing center. Christopher lives in Haddon*eld, N.J. Parrish Lawler now serves as director of trade and Christopher Landino ’92 Jennifer Stephenson ’96 Heather Co!ey ’98 95| development for the Alabama State Port Authority. In that role, he directs container carrier sales and containerized/intermodal cargo business development for the Port Authority. Parrish joined the company in !"#& as manager of trade and development with more than !" years of experience in transportation, logistics, sales and marketing. 25th 95|96| REUNION Exciting plans are underway for the Classes of #$$' and #$$%’s !'th reunion during Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, Nov. '-(. Reunion committee chair Beth Jason Cain ’04 Carter Davenport II ’04 Danielle Nashold ’04, Blaine Nashold & son Wellesley Wilson Point Clingaman and committee !# of CLASS NOTES members Molly Smith Anderson, Liz Babb, Amy Mueller Davis, Anne 20th Dunn Gordon, Corey Hatchell, 00|01| REUNION Bryan James, Jason Knight, Brian It’s time for the Classes of !""" Charitable Gift Annuities Martindale, Amy Maxwell, Renee and !""#’s !"th reunion. Make CAN PROVIDE INCOME FOR LIFE Fedak McGinnis, Bridget Gibson plans now to mark this milestone McGuire, Laura Lyerly Milliken, with reunion committee members Alison Curley Rose, Jason Rose, Ariene Dennis Bethea, Maurice Chrissie Hilliard Velaga, Shannon Gardner, T.J. Reynolds-Emwanta, . /0.123.456 7283 .99:23; of <#",""" or more to Elon will Prater Warden and Kristen Marianne Smith Stern and Dannielle guarantee a *xed income for the rest of your life. With market Wither Yntema hope to see all Dixon "omas at Homecoming interest rates near historic lows, a gi= annuity is an attractive their classmates on campus to & Reunion Weekend, Nov. '–(. way to increase your income and make a gi= to Elon at the mark this special milestone. For For more information, contact more information, please contact [email protected]. same time. You will receive immediate tax bene*ts and can defer capital gains. The payment rate of a charitable gift [email protected]. Heather Co!ey was selected annuity depends on your age at the time of the gift—the In October, Jennifer for the University of North Stephenson renewed her 98| Carolina Board of Governors older you are, the higher the rate. 96| certi*cation as a National !"!# Excellence in Teaching Award. Board Certi*ed Teacher. )is marks A professor in the Department NEW RATES her second certi*cation renewal. of Middle, Secondary and K-#! ONE BENEFICIARY TWO BENEFICIARIES Jennifer is a *rst-grade teacher at Education at the University of North Waxhaw Elementary School in North Carolina at Charlotte’s Cato College AGE ANNUITY RATE AGE ANNUITY RATE Carolina. of Education, Heather was recognized for her contributions in the classroom 60 4.3% 60/65 4.0% 65 4.7% 67/67 4.4% David Henkel ’'(, senior 70 5.1% 71/73 4.7% *nancial advisor at Wells Fargo Annuity rates are subject to change. The annuity rate remains !xed once your gift is made. 03| Advisors, has been named one of “America’s Best-in-State” wealth advisors by Forbes. The list spotlights more than ",))) To explore a gi= annuity for you, your spouse advisors, nominated by their *rms and then or a family member, visit ELONLEGACY.ORG. researched, interviewed and assigned a ranking by SHOOK Research. At Wells Fargo, David helps clients address their *nancial Talk with us today about how you may bene*t concerns and develop sound strategies by from a life income gi= to Elon and other focusing on each individual’s speci*c needs gi=-planning opportunities. and risk tolerance. He lives in Charlotte, N.C. >56.?6 /@93./3: Elizabeth Read, Assistant Director of Planned Giving ALUMNI ALBUM ++%-!(,-(&(& ■ [email protected] ■ elonlegacy.org TURN YOURSELF IN! elon.edu/classnotes { A scene from Commencement day in the 1980s } Olivia Allen-Price ’09 & son Sullivan Gray !& CLASS NOTES A BOLD career move BY PATRICK WRIGHT { Doug Spencer Jr. ’16 & Danielle Deavens ’16 } oug Spencer Jr. ’+, had already enrolled in his dream law down barriers far outweighs the work required, they say. “You’re Dschool in &%') when a summer job at a law "rm changed his reminded every day about how meaningful this is because you’re mind. “It didn’t "t; it didn’t feel right to me,” Spencer says. “I called working with people who are also nourishing their baby,” Spencer [the law school] and told them ‘thank you, but I’m not coming.’” says. “Their business is something they’ve put so much time into.” After passing on law school, he published a post about the Bold Xchange’s work with Black-owned businesses has already di!cult decision on a friend’s blog. His story garnered a great deal earned the company national attention. It has been featured by of attention and encouraged others to reach out to him for advice in TODAY.com and partnered with Home Depot to curate a Black making their own bold moves. After that experience, he decided to History Month box, containing Black-owned products, to be shipped partner with his journalist girlfriend, Danielle Deavens ‘+,, to start to customers and in$uencers. Deavens and Spencer also received a a blog of their own, “The Curatours,” which focused on young Black *(%,%%% equity-free Arch Grant to relocate Bold Xchange to St. Louis, people doing notable work. Missouri, and use warehouse space there to grow their business Around that time, Deavens was checking o# presents from her further. The most meaningful aspect of their "rst year of business, Christmas list when a friend told her about a Black-owned formal however, has been the opportunity to help Black-owned businesses wear company that would be a great place to buy a pocket square thrive, even amid a global pandemic. “It’s so rewarding to talk to for her father. Deavens enjoyed the shopping experience so much brand partners who say, ‘I had a banner year, and I couldn’t have she decided to buy all of her family’s presents that year from Black- done it without you guys,’” says Deavens. “That’s the dream, that you owned businesses, but she was surprised by how di!cult it was to help somebody have a really great year.” "nd businesses to support. The summer of &%&% gave the couple’s work new meaning. As That’s when cries for social justice rang out across the nation, Bold Xchange the idea for their saw a spike in visitors looking for ways to support Black-owned latest venture businesses. With the increased interest, the shop frequently ran out started to take of inventory, and Deavens and Spencer even struggled to keep a shape. By February supply of shipping boxes in stock. But, the success of their business &%&%, Deavens and wasn’t front of mind at that moment. Their focus was on making a Spencer launched statement. “We want to be a part of convincing people that this is Bold Xchange, an something they should care about forever,” Spencer says. “So for online retail shop both of us, it’s like, ‘yes, we’re supporting these entrepreneurs, but marketing products how do we engage with people who are now paying attention and exclusively sourced from Black-owned businesses. The project combines their passion help them understand that this isn’t a fad, it isn’t $eeting?’” for sharing stories of Black excellence with their goal of supporting Deavens and Spencer are continuing on with that message in Black business owners. “It was kind of born out of knowing these mind, as they form strong personal connections with the Black great Black-owned businesses existed, knowing it was a personal business owners who help make Bold Xchange a success. They’ve connection that led me to them, and wanting it to be a more spent time learning about their stories, their concerns and their accessible and simple experience,” Deavens says. “It all kind of dreams, and the couple hopes to see brand partners reach their started there.” personal and business goals through Bold Xchange. Bold Xchange o#ers a convenient way to "nd Black-owned “If we’ve done this in one year, where will we be in "ve? Where businesses across the country and promises fast shipping, no hidden will we be in '%?” Deavens says. “We have really lofty goals for Bold fees, vetted products and thoughtfully crafted rewards. Deavens Xchange, so to be able to start to see even some of those come true and Spencer research and acquire products from brand partners, is incredible.” market them and handle ful"llment of every order themselves. It’s no simple task, but the opportunity to help good businesses break For more information, visit boldxchange.com. )* of CLASS NOTES ALUMNI ALBUM Since receiving her oak sapling at graduation, 13| Meredith Frazier has taken great care of it, planting it in a +ower pot before it found a permanent spot at her parents’ home in Iron Station, N.C. Through the years, her sapling has endured ice storms, dry weather and some nesting bagworms, but she is happy to report it has kept climbing higher and higher. The little twig of a tree is now more than !) feet tall and is expected to enjoy a big growth season in !)!&. Meredith visits her tree often as she lives in Durham. A structural biologist and biochemist, Meredith is conducting Andrew Cordisco ’11, Kelly Cordisco ’11 & daughter Margaret “Margo” Coates Travis Counsell ’11 coronavirus research at the National Institutes of Health. Kelly Gi!ear Antal ’12, Chris Antal ’12 & son Allaire Guralnik Rutherford ’11, Dan Rutherford ’11 & friends Benjamin Loy and her work as a mentor to countless New You.” )e book is a compilation students. )e award was established in 15 TH EFG as associate counsel and team of two prior works — “)e Art of REUNION lead for international assistance #$$+ by the BCD Board of Governors to Exercise,” published in !"!", and 05|06| highlight the importance of teaching. and outreach. He lives in North “)e Art of Self-Massage,” published Join Nicholas W. Rust and the Classes of !""' and !""% for their Bethesda, Md. In March, Michiel Wackers in !"#$. All titles can be found was sworn in as director of #'th reunion, Nov. '–( for Elon’s Olivia Allen-Price and on Amazon.com. Jason lives in Homecoming & Reunion Weekend. 00| community development for Columbia, Md., where he works as a husband Sam Price the City of Cleveland by Mayor Frank For more information, contact 09| welcomed son Sullivan Gray physical therapist at Perform for Life [email protected]. Jackson. He manages the department Physical )erapy. • Carter Davenport on #/!,/!#. )e family lives in San of community development that II has been promoted to senior Christopher Swartz recently Francisco, where Olivia works as a invests more than <+" million in local rejoined the U.S. Office vice president of Diversi*ed Trust’s journalist at HIGJ Public Media. and federal resources throughout 08| of Government Ethics as the City of Cleveland in areas of Greensboro o-ce. In this role, Carter senior associate counsel. Chris 10th public service, blight remediation, will continue to proactively assist comes from the Department of clients with income tax reporting, | | REUNION rehabilitation and construction of new the Interior’s ethics office, where 10 11 Join the Classes of !"#" and !"##’s housing, storefront renovation and investment performance reporting he was responsible for overseeing reuse of vacant land in the City’s Land and *nancial planning. • Danielle the #! ethics programs servicing #"th reunion committee members Bank. He and wife Jennifer March- Nashold and husband Blaine Nashold the department’s bureaus and Julianne Berger, Tessa Conte, Ayaan Wackers live in Shaker Heights, Ohio. welcomed son Wellesley Wilson offices, including the National Forstall, Molly Gorsuch, Tracy on !/#"/!". )ey live in Charlotte, Park Service, the Bureau of Land Llewellyn, Ben Lunka, Patrick Jason Cain has self-published Minnock, Nick Oschner and Jay Reno a book, “Mosaic of Exercise N.C., where Danielle is a senior vice Management, the Bureau of Indian on Nov. '–( to participate in class 04| and Massage: Dawning of a president for Bank of America. Affairs and the U.S. Geological Survey. Chris previously served with reunion activities during Elon’s )- CLASS NOTES A SIMPLER WAY OF LIFE Megan Donahue í2 0 and her mother convert school buses into mobile homes in honor of her late brother. BY GRACE TERRY ’21 egan Donahue ’20 and her mother, Lisa, cover Tobius’ metal sides with paint, looking for any spots that need Mtouch-ups. Megan is trying to make the 30-foot bus look perfect before it hits Facebook Marketplace. “They don’t leave until they’re perfect,” Megan says, referring to her buses. “You can eat off of the floor. I say I want to advertise like that: a video of me eating off the floor because I would.” It’s February and Tobius is the latest bus the mother-daughter { Megan Donahue ’20 and her mother, Lisa, promote a simpler way of life through duo is transforming into a home as part of their company, Live their business, Live Simply. Below: An interior & exterior shot of one of their buses. } Simply. The business began as a way to honor Megan’s brother, Michael, who died in &%'(. Michael always loved being outdoors and a week before he died, he tweeted, “It is the simple things in “I think people now, especially with the life that make it worth living.” Megan wanted to find a way to take that mentality and turn it pandemic, are realizing that all of this is not into a project that could involve her whole family. Originally they worth it,” Lisa says. “It’s quality time, and thought of flipping houses, but decided against it due to the large financial commitment required. They realized they could afford that’s what we’re trying to promote.” a school bus instead, and thought a home in a bus epitomized Gus took more than a year to transform because Megan was Michael’s message. still finishing her communication design studies at Elon and “I think people now, especially with the pandemic, are realizing could only visit her family’s house in Graham, North Carolina, on that all of this is not worth it,” Lisa says, gesturing at her home. “It’s the weekends. In order to complete the job, they worked with quality time, and that’s what we’re trying to promote.” carpenters, electricians and plumbers. Once the project was In the summer of &%'+, Megan and Lisa went to a junkyard and complete, Gus took only '& hours to sell. found a small ''-seat Chevy bus, which they named Gus. Gus was They attribute the fast sale to the effort they put into the the first of seven buses they have redone so far. appearance of the bus and their work to make it economical. “We want to make sure [the price] is reasonable,” Lisa says. “But at the end of the day, we just want it to go to somebody who is going to spread the word about Michael.” They do not want to use sorrow as a reason to make a sale, though. “Just keep my brother’s name going, and that’s all we can really ask for from whoever buys them, but not in a sad way; my brother goes everywhere those buses go,” Megan says, adding that her dream is to get the buses on a property in Vermont and turn them into rental properties. Beyond carrying on Michael’s legacy, the business has deepened Megan’s relationship with her mother, something she will forever cherish. “We were best friends before,” Megan says, “but now it’s just like a new level.” You can follow Live Simply on Instagram (@living_simplyyy) and Facebook (livesimplybus). A version of this story was !rst published by Elon News Network. ). of CLASS NOTES Homecoming & Reunion Weekend. Chelsea Alban, Vincent Ayube, Animal Hospital. They live in New leads more than '" remote team For more information, contact Braeden Bumpers, AJ Colbert, Jersey. • Elise Delmerico Lake and members and six active, concurrent [email protected]. Matthew Cushman, Steve Fales, Alex Lake ’%& welcomed daughter accelerator cohorts. Ryan serves on Colin Gilmore, Brandi Green, Eloise Sperry on !/#/!#. She joins Kelly Cordisco and Andrew Elon’s Doherty Center for Creativity, Kara Griffin, Casey Hekker, Wes big sister Adelaide. Elise is a Cordisco welcomed daughter Innovation and Entrepreneurship freelance strategic communicator 11 | Margaret “Margo” Coates Horbatuck, Carolyn Irvine, Emily advisory board. In addition to Kenyon, Zack Luz, Christine and serves on Elon’s Young Alumni on #!/+"/!". The family lives in founding several startups, he held McDonough, Jordan McDonough, Council, and Alex is a consultant Raleigh, N.C. • After receiving his executive leadership positions Dan Montalvo, Christy Nagle, at Numerator. The family resides in KLM in Hawaii, Travis Counsell Gregory Orfe, Concy Richards, Bentonville, Ark. at companies including Anutra has taken on the role of executive Taylor Sicilano and John Woodson. Medical and Netsertive. He is also director at the New England Jess-Mara Jordan and Antoine Allaire and Dan are grateful for the co-founder of The Oak House, Mountain Bike Association. He and Jones were married +/!,/!#. their Elon experiences and lifelong a craft beverage lounge that has two wife Chelsie Counsell ’#$ live in 13 | Alumni in attendance connections they’ve made as a locations in North Carolina. He and Fairfield, Conn. • Allaire Guralnik included Brittany Jones ’%%, Faith result. They live in Fair Haven, N.J. wife Jessica live in Durham. and Dan Rutherford were married Clayton, Janae Frazier-Bowens, on #!/+#/#$. Dani Fabrizio ’%#, Chris Antal and Kelly Gi!ear Brenna Humphries, Khyandra Danielle Biggs was included Brooke Buchalter, Henry Antal welcomed their first Murrain, Brittany Washington in the “Six )eatre Workers Clougherty, Mollie Lair, Kelsey 12 | child, Benjamin Loy, on {Interactive Media ’%'} and Je!rey 15 | You Should Know” list, Williamson {Interactive Media ’%(}. Lamon, Raleigh Richards, Nick #/#(/!#. Benjamin’s middle name is a which ran as part of American Siciliano and Zack Widdoss served nod to Elon’s Loy Center, the Greek They live in Charlotte, N.C. • )eatre magazine’s “Role Call: in the wedding party. Other alumni neighborhood where Chris and Earlier this year, Ryan Vet was in attendance included Patrick Kelly met during their first year of named president of the Newchip People to Watch” series. Danielle is Irvine ’#$, Mike Barg ’%#, Laura college. Chris is a brand manager Accelerator, an online global the membership manager of New Brainer ’%#, Sheila Gilmore ’%#, for Ferrero’s Kinder Bueno and accelerator servicing #,"""-plus York City’s Public )eater and will Jessica McConchie ’%#, Kelly is a veterinarian with Pitman startups a year. In this role, he continue that role as she pursues ALUMNI ALBUM Elise Delmerico Lake ’12, Alex Lake ’13 & daughters Eloise Sperry & Adelaide Jess-Mara Jordan Jones ’13 & friends TURN YOURSELF IN! elon.edu/classnotes Ryan Vet ’13 Samantha Bellamy McRae ’15 Zora Stephenson ’15 )/ CLASS NOTES 2021 Sports Hall of Fame Class Announced hree outstanding student-athletes will join the univer- &%%- and selected to the Big South All-Tournament team. sity’s Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming & Mills is only one of two Elon women’s golfers to earn All-Southern T Reunion Weekend. Conference honors for three seasons. She retired as Elon’s all-time Matt Garner ’'% (baseball), Danielle Mills ’'0 highest conference "nisher while winning three tournaments as (women’s golf) and Tomeka Watson ’+( (softball) will an individual and helping the Phoenix win three tournament be inducted on Saturday, Nov. ,, alongside &%&% Hall titles over her career. She also helped Elon to a SoCon of Fame Class of Veronica Day ’++ (women’s track runner-up "nish in &%%/ and was named the team’s Most and "eld), Aaron Mellette ’+( (football) and Chris Inspirational Player in &%%,. Thomas ’+1 (men’s soccer). The group had its scheduled The "rst All-American in program history and the "rst induction ceremony postponed due to COVID-') Elon athletics female to receive All-American laurels at the protocols from this past year. Division I level, Watson concluded her career as the Phoenix’s One of the top pitchers in program history at the all-time career leader in hits (&(/) and runs (','). She also ranked Division I level, Garner is the Phoenix’s career record second in career batting average (.--+), home runs (-.), RBI ('&() holder in complete games (seven), innings pitched (-%..') and stolen bases ('%%). She was named the SoCon Freshman of the and opponent batting average (.&-%). He helped the Phoenix Year in &%'% and a &%'- National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) earn an NCAA Regional berth for the "rst time in school history at the Mideast All-Region "rst team selection, which led to her becoming a third Division I level in &%%&, and was later named the Elon male Basnight winner in team All-American by the NFCA. IN MEMORIAM Fred Irvin Dickerson Sr. ’&), James Eugene Rice ’'), Richard Ta- Apperson ’*&, Charles F. Touron ’$(, Mars Hills, 9./., ,/!#/#(. Apex, N.C., &/%/!#. Burlington, 9./., (/!%/!". Williamsburg, Va., #/!'/!#. Lois Long Stockard ’'), James “Jim” Allen Buie ’*&, #!/#/!". Britten Knauer Hartnett Tyler ’##, Burlington, N.C., !/!&/!#. A service is planned for July !"!#. Chestnut Hill, Mass., #/+#/!#. Contact [email protected] for Robert “Craig” Page ’#', more information. Charlotte, 9./., &/#$/!#. Barry Doyle Hodge ’*&, Elizabeth “Liz” Robb ’#,, Elon, 9./., #/#,/!#. Jacksonville, 9./., !/'/!#. Johnny Mack Clayton ’*(, Noah K. Buntain /’%,, Burlington, 9./., #/#&/!#. Syracuse, 9.;., !/#(/!#. Joe Larry Jones ’*(, James Markley ’)&, Gallatin, Tenn., #/$/!#. Burlington, 9./., #/!"/!#. David “Dave” Bruce Clarke ’*,, Newton, 9./., #/$/!#. Esther Cole Kernodle ’&*, Elon, William Randall “Randy” 9./., !/!/!#. For more than eight Etheridge ’,), decades Esther was involved in Eddie Bridges ’',, Greensboro, 9./., Hattiesburg, Mass., #/#%/!#. the life of the university. She and '/#,/!#. Bridges was a nationally Timothy “Tim” Parker ’,), her family made a gi= to endow recognized conservationist who was Burlington, 9./., #/#"/!#. the university’s Kernodle Service elected to the North Carolina Sports Cecil Elwood “Woody” Allman Jr. ’,*, Learning Center, now called the Hall of Fame for his work to preserve Portsmouth, Va., !/#/!#. Kernodle Center for Civic Life. wildlife and the outdoors. An ardent In addition, the university awards Mary “Bunky” Womble Manley ’,+, supporter of Elon, he was named Virginia Beach, Va., #/#,/!#. the endowed Esther Cole and Distinguished Alumnus of the Year John Robert Kernodle Leadership in !""+. Donald “Don” Wayne Lawrence ’+#, Mount Holly, 9./., !/'/!#. Bob Anderson, associate professor Scholarship, which is named in Lacy Robert Fogleman ’'*, of political science, &/#!/!#. honor of her and her husband, the Greensboro, 9./., (/$/#$. Mary “Marti” Kain Evelsizer ’+*, late Dr. John Robert Kernodle ’+'. Seven Fields, Pa., !/!%/!#. Anderson retired in August Richard Arlen Curry Sr. ’'+, !"#! a=er a !,-year career at Edna Alene Barrier Harrington ’(), Ridgeway, Va., #/'/!#. William Wilson “Bill” Pleasants .’$#, Wilmington, 9./., !/#,/!#. Harwich Port, Mass., !/!(/!#. Elon. Besides teaching, he also Robert Craver Phelps ’'+, served as coordinator of special Carrie Stanford "ompson ’(+, Robert “Rob” Ayers, III ’$%, Lexington, 9./., !/!+/!#. programs, director of foundation Graham, 9./., !/!'/!#. Tampa, Fla., !/+/!#. Shirley Walker French ’*#, and government relations, special Clarence B. “Chubby” Brown ’'%, Elon, 9./., #/%/!#. Tonya R. Taylor ’$(, assistant to the president and Burlington, 9./., &/#!/!". Chapel Hill, 9./., #/#+/!#. Judy Maness Allen ’*&, coordinator of Elon experience. Columbia, ?./., !/!&/!#. )! of CLASS NOTES CLASS NOTES a master’s degree in education former Bucks star Marques Johnson learned about and made connections Burroughs Wellcome Fund North policy and leadership at American in the booth that night. with members of the intellectual Carolina Teacher of the Year. University in Washington, N./., this and developmental disabilities Eugenia was selected from a *eld of fall. • In February, Samantha Bellamy FIFTH community. During his time as a nine *nalists representing the state’s board member, Bennett will focus eight education districts and McRae graduated from Vanderbilt 15 |16| REUNION on creating a Young Professionals charter schools. • Emma Kopkowski University’s Master’s in Nursing The Classes of !"#' and !"#%’s fifth reunion committee members Nick Council, generating philanthropic is happy to share that “Regulars,” program and became a board certi*ed Atz, Lauren Forbis, Mac McCann, support and furthering the Best a documentary *lm she produced, nurse midwife. She lives in Nashville, Devin Mehra, Julie Rodriguez and Buddies mission. Bennett is global was screened in May at the Tenn. • On April $, Zora Stephenson Kasey Sullivan encourage classmates marketing events manager for RiverRun International Film Festival made history by becoming the *rst to return for Elon’s Homecoming Dell Technologies and lives in Boston, in Winston-Salem, N.C. woman to serve as play-by-play & Reunion Weekend, Nov. '–(. Mass. • Gabby Vance is happy to For more information, contact announce she has graduated from REUNION announcer in the Milwaukee Bucks’ [email protected]. William & Mary Law School. Gabby is '+-year franchise history. Zora, a 21|ZERO joining K&L Gates as an associate. She Bennett Driscoll is the )e Class of !"!# will celebrate sideline and digital reporter for the lives in Washington, N./. newest member of Best Reunion Zero this year during franchise, called the Bally Sports 18 | Buddies International’s Eugenia Floyd {M.Ed.}, a Homecoming & Reunion Weekend. Wisconsin broadcast of the Bucks’ advisory board in Massachusetts fourth-grade teacher at Return to campus Nov. '–( and join game against the Charlotte Hornets. and Rhode Island. Supporting the 20| Mary Scroggs Elementary your classmates for this milestone )e former Elon women’s basketball nonpro*t has been a passion for the School in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City reunion. For more information, team captain joined color analyst and past dozen years, he says, as he has Schools, has been named the !"!# contact [email protected]. Elon Graduate AMPLIFY YOUR CAREER Programs with an Elon graduate degree Accounting (M.S.) Elon’s 10-month Master of Science in Business Accounting prepares students to successfully (MBA) pass the CPA exam in any state and o!ers Business Analytics graduates an opportunity for early success in (M.S.) a competitive "eld. Education “Elon’s MSA curriculum concentrated (M.Ed.) Higher Education on the main concepts found on (M.A.) the CPA exam, which made the Interactive Media study process easier and resulted (M.A.) Law in my successful acquisition of the (J.D.) certi!cation.” Physician Assistant Studies LEARN MORE ABOUT (M.S.) ELON’S MSA PROGRAM: Physical Therapy 336-278-7600 (D.P.T.) [email protected] elon.edu/msa EMMA C. HOLDERREAD ’18 G’19, CPA TAX ASSOCIATE, PWC NEW YORK CITY )) HERE COMES THE CLASS OF 2021 At the end of an unprecedented year, members of the Class of !"!# celebrated their achievements in multiple in-person ceremonies during Commencement Week, May #$-!#. More than #,%"" undergraduate and graduate students received their diplomas and joined the alumni ranks. Here are some images from that memorable week. Nonprofit Org US Postage O!ce of Alumni Engagement Paid PO Box 398 Elon, NC Elon, NC 27244 Permit No. Toll Free: (877) 784-3566 elon.edu/alumni { Members of the Class of enjoyed food, games & fireworks during a special Senior Celebration at Rhodes Stadium on May . }