Service with a smile

Campus organizations give back

by Laura Wainman, November 18, 2009

Residents of a college town are always quick to notice when their slightly louder college neighbors step out of line and engage in behavior viewed as unsatisfactory. But what often goes unnoticed are the many acts of service Elon students engage in around the community.

The motto of Elon Volunteers! is to focus on the reason behind the service and not just the service itself, which is exactly what attracted senior Andrea Medinaceli, the Kernodle Center's outreach intern, to the organization in the first place.

"I think Elon tends to come off as a rich school, and service projects are a way of showing the residents of our community that Elon students truly care," Medinaceli said. "It says we aren't just donating money because we have it, but are interested in making a difference and affecting lives."

Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, hunger is on everyone's mind. Yet little attention is paid to those who are hungry during this feasting season. But at Elon, many organizations are dedicating an entire week to promoting awareness of the hungry and homeless.

Last night the annual Will Read for Food program was held in Yeager Recital Hall, and many Elon students, faculty and staff read selections from their favorite writers. All participants and attendees brought a can of nonperishable food to be donated to the Alamance County Food Bank.

Across town, on Nov. 17 the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. hosted a community service trip to the Allied Church of Burlington to help build beds for the homeless.

The educational week will culminate with a sleep-out on the west lawn Friday. Participants will sleep outside either in sleeping bags or cardboard boxes to show their support for ending the stigmas against the homeless. Guest speakers will be present and the documentary "Have You Seen Clem" will be shown.

Alpha Phi Omega
It is tradition for the newest brothers of the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, to plan a fundraiser, a fellowship and a service project. After raising funds for National Hunger Awareness Week at Coldstone Creamery and hosting a fellowship at CiCi's Pizza, 13 of the 17 pledges held a party at Blakey Hall, an assisted living community in Elon for the residents last Saturday.

"Activities like our Blakey Hall party are a mutual benefit to students and the community," senior APO president Julia Roberts said. "The residents get an opportunity to engage with college-age students, which truly brightens their days, and the students gain a little perspective and are taught humility — a lesson which is especially valuable for Elon students who tend to be from a higher socio-economic class than the typical Burlington resident."

Roberts said one of the most important aspects of being an active member of a community is practicing gratitude and making it an action rather than just an emotion, which is one of the reasons she joined APO.

"When students get involved it helps perpetuate a positive representation of Elon as a university whose students are not only socially aware, but also socially active," Roberts said. "Plus, Elon students are an integral part of fostering and maintaining community partnerships that have taken years to form."

While a portion of the 46 active members were entertaining the elderly residents at Blakey Hall, more of the brothers were engaging with other members of the community, such as lending assistance at PetSmart's holiday adoption weekend and participating in a Habitat for Humanity build. To cap off the weekend, the brothers of APO and sisters of ESA collaborated at the Conservators' Center for half a day on Sunday. It was an average weekend for an organization that has committed more than 900 hours of community service this semester.

Epsilon  Sigma Alpha
Epsilon Sigma Alpha is Elon's co-ed service sorority whose 30 active members dedicate hundreds of hours of community service every semester to its two philanthropies — St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and Easter Seals.

One of the biggest events for the sorority is the biannual service trip to St. Jude. Several members of ESA gave up their fall breaks this year to visit the hospital headquarters in Memphis, Tenn. The trip allows students to see first-hand the benefits of their service efforts for St. Jude.

"Our organization sends money to St. Jude's all the time and we never get to see how it is really impacting lives," said junior Brandon Landreth, president of the chapter.  "I think this trip really got our members a lot more excited about what we are doing and inspired to continue the work."

Last Friday ESA hosted its semesterly babysitting night for the children of Elon faculty and staff, designed to give the parents a night off, free of charge. Participants are told they may give a donation to St. Jude's if they wish.

"Not only is coloring with a 4-year-old relaxing, but they have wonderful insights on the world," junior service chair Linda Kurtz said. "It's a great break from college life and a nice way to thank Elon faculty and staff for all of the hard work they do by giving them a few hours to do whatever they like."

While Landreth said raising funds for St. Jude's is ESA's primary focus, it also tries to help out as much as possible in Alamance County,too.

"We want all of our members to be engaged members of their community," Landreth said.

In December the sorority will again be giving back to the community by participating in Christmas Cheer. The members will have the chance to give the gift of Christmas to one family in the Alamance community.

"We will be given the ages of the children of our family, told of their most immediate basic needs, as well as a suggestion for a fun toy they may enjoy," Landreth said. "Our members love participating in Christmas Cheer because they know they got to help make a family's Christmas a little brighter."

Landreth said he feels Elon is already doing a good job attracting engaged students, but needs to continue getting the word out about how students can get involved in the community from the moment they come to Elon.

"If you have a good experience with community service as a freshman, you are likely to continue," Landreth said.

Shedding light where appropriate

I apologize for being so negligent about my blog lately. I will try and post most of my stories that have run since the last post, although a few of them are really only relevant to Elon students, thus, I will leave those out. 

The students at Elon are constantly being recognized for their stellar achievements, and while I certainly do not wish to make light of these achievements, I feel that the work of our outstanding professors is too often overlooked. In this article I attempted to shed light on just a few of the amazing projects Elon professors have undertaken.

Going behind the scenes of faculty research

A look into life outside the classroom 

by Laura Wainman, November 4, 2009 

College is akin to the production of a play. The students spend months learning their lines and rehearsing. As the final performance nears, they begin to frantically cram, spending night after night surviving on caffeine alone.

Finally, the big moment arrives, the curtain is raised and the audience prepares to judge the performance. The limitation of the audience, though, is they miss out on 90 percent of the process, as they only view the finished product.

Just as a student's knowledge cannot accurately be garnered from the final exam grade, the work of a professor cannot be assessed from their time spent in the classroom alone.                                                                                                                                                                       
Students are aware of the "teacher" role their professors play, but what often goes unrecognized is the months of research faculty members conduct. 

Jean Schwind

Most college professors spend very little time thinking about high school, but for
Jean Schwind, associate professor of English, it is a subject that is on her mind daily, especially its representation in American film and fiction.

"Art not only reflects our culture, but shapes it as well," Schwind said. "Portrayals of high school in film and fiction also shape how we view secondary education and teaching, which as a teacher is a subject I am very interested in."

Schwind's research subject is a fairly new topic to be included in fiction, since children served mainly as income contributors before the Depression, and high school was something only wealthy families could afford. This led Schwind to choose to use cultural materialism and new historical criticism to examine this phenomenon.

"I am looking at published documents that discuss things such as how a high school should be designed, both in terms of curriculum and architecture," Schwind said.

Currently, Schwind is still debating what the finished product of her research will be. In the past, she has written a series of articles as she goes along the research process and then compiles them into a book to market once she is completely finished.

"Right now I am working on an article about the role of the foreign exchange student in film and fiction regarding high school," Schwind said.

Most of Schwind's research is individual. But she does teach an upper level GST course on American adolescence every other year, and she said students often undertake research projects that help her with her own.
Safia Swimelar
Safia Swimelar, a political science professor, has long been a believer in the power of images and films as teaching tools, as she said they can help illuminate difficult topics more clearly for students. Now she is putting her theories to the test as she studies how feature films are useful in an International Relations course.

"I am not going into this study assuming that the films will be useful, but rather attempting to determine if they are and how so in order to learn how to better use films in college courses," Swimelar said. "I think that film is used often in the classroom, but perhaps not always to its fullest extent. I think all professors, including myself, could benefit from having a deeper understanding of how films can enrich the classroom experience and engage students more in the learning process."

Swimelar's classroom has become her laboratory as she involves her current international relations students in her research. 

Throughout the course, students will watch five feature films, and produce film responses within 24 hours after seeing the film. Though Swimelar said she is not currently reading the responses for anything other than grading purposes, she will review them after the completion of the course and utilize what students gained from each film for her own research.

Essays written during the semester, as well as classroom discussions, will also be valuable to her research at a later stage.

"I am not doing research just for research sake, but for the purpose of helping professors become better teachers and students to become better learners," Swimelar said. "Research forces you to be more aware of how you teach and how students learn, which is what I am always aiming to improve upon."

Elon offers a variety of programs for professors to set up specific times to work on research, such as the course release program, which allows a couple of professors in every department to drop one course for the semester and spend that time researching.

"Elon promotes research aimed at improving teaching, whereas a lot of schools only want pure academic research," Swimelar said. "I think Elon is unique in the fact that it values both and recognizes that opportunities must be given to ensure professors can produce quality research ."

Hal Walker

Surveys are created by the dozen to evaluate how effectively students were prepared for college. But what often goes unanalyzed is how students feel their college curriculum equipped them for the dreaded "real world."

Hal Walker,  a leisure and sport management professor, plans to change that.

Though Walker is currently writing a textbook, he has also undertaken a second research project with the goal of creating a valid and reliable tool to measure how prepared college seniors feel to venture into the workforce.

The idea stemmed from a simple survey conducted among the leisure and sports management majors to assess what their career paths would be.  Walker decided to expand the project to conclude what courses were most valuable to Elon students and how the curriculum could be adjusted to best suit the needs of future leisure and sport management majors.

"My plan is to write appropriate questions to measure the topic and have them reviewed by five or six experts in the field before it is disseminated to students," Walker said. "I will ask the students to answer the survey twice, waiting about a month in between each set of responses to ensure that their answers remain consistent. The long-term plan is to try and catch back up with the same set of students four or five years down the road and ask them to re-evaluate the effectiveness of their college curriculum from the perspective of the workforce."

Walker reiterated Swimelar's sentiments of not merely doing research for research's sake, but wanting his results to help further develop the direction of the leisure and sport management major and the students. He said he appreciated Elon placing an emphasis on combining teaching, research and service in the classroom.

"I have always been interested in applying research because I am a pragmatic person," Walker said. "Maybe I am just an idealist, but I feel that my job as a professor is to always be thinking about what is best for the program and our students. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our curriculum and adjusting accordingly will certainly benefit students down the road."

Why should professors pursue faculty research?

There is a widespread belief professors must either choose to teach or do research, but they simply cannot engage in both simultaneously. For Earl Honeycutt, a marketing professor and the 2008-2009 Distinguished Scholar at Elon, this is completely inaccurate as he said he believes research forms the basis of a university and promulgates the growth and development of both faculty and students alike.

"I truly don't think there can be a university without scholars, and you do not have scholars if research is not being done," Honeycutt said. "Professors need to be maintaining their own knowledge in order to profess knowledge to their students, and the best way to do that is to remain active in academic endeavors."

Honeycutt said he also sees research as the best tool for progress, particularly in fields that are constantly changing.

"If I don't stay abreast of the changes in my field, I will get left behind," Honeycutt said. "The greats are never complacent, they are always working toward improvement, and I think that should be the goal of every professor at Elon. There is no better way to accomplish that than through doing research in your field of study."

According to Honeycutt, the benefits of faculty research extend beyond the personal realm of the professor and spill into students' lives, as well.

"Students whose professors have taken on research questions are getting the most current knowledge from professors who are truly excited about their discipline," Honeycutt said. "These individuals are the ones who go the extra mile to learn as much about a topic as they can and are more likely to have gotten input about their teaching methods from other colleagues. This is nothing but beneficial to the students."

Honeycutt finished his fourth book last fall and is currently working on several articles, including one on attempting to reduce turnover in the sales force.
What resources are available to professors interested in faculty research?

Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

CATL works with faculty to promote a comprehensive understanding of the learning process and different learning styles, improve teaching skill, implement new learning techniques and above all foster growth of the Elon Teacher-Scholar attitude. A team of consultants are available to work one on one with faculty engaged in research regarding teaching as well as assist in obtaining grants and filling out Institutional Review Board applications. Classroom observation and videotaped analysis by members of the consultant team are also methods of evaluating faculty research.

Elon Teaching and Learning Partnership

ETLP combines the resources of high school teachers from Alamance and Orange counties as well as college faculty to improve the teaching at both levels and bridge the divide that can form between secondary and post-secondary educators. The communities of faculty explore common questions surrounding teaching and student learning methods and many professors choose to partner with ETLP to conduct their own research. Elon's ETLP facilitators include Dr. Peter King, Dr. Katie King, Megan Isaac and Ben McFadyen.

The office of Sponsored Programs

The Sponsored Programs office assists faculty in securing external funding for research projects and encourages the involvement of students in grant projects. Faculty can also seek assistance from this office in the development of projects and proposals.

 

Legacy Phoenix: The journey to Elon

The greatest thing about being a journalist with the Pendulum is that I get an opportunity to learn about my fellow students every day. I have met people doing incredible things that I never would have known about had it not been for a pendulum interview. An 18 year old with a book published, a stunt driver, a girl who performed the lead in a broadway musical for a year etc. etc. Well for my last special projects story I got to delve into the lives of four legacy families at Elon. It was a blast learning about the family connections these students have and how this has changed their college experience. Keep reading to see what I learned.

Legacy Phoenix 
For most students, starting college means beginning with a fresh, clean slate. It is an opportunity to completely redefine how they are known. But what about those students who come to Elon with a distinct family name? Legacy students — the sons, daughters, grandsons or granddaughters of Elon alumni — are sometimes viewed as students who got into Elon based more on their last name rather than their credentials, a myth Vice President of Admissions Susan Klopman wants to dispel.

"The notion behind legacies has been misrepresented in the press," Klopman said. "This is the best way for people to stay connected to their university for generations. That may mean that great ideas are generated, or it may mean that financial support is given. Obviously, if the relationship is abused it is negative because you aren't doing those students any favors by letting them into a school they are not qualified to attend."

Klopman said the likelihood of a family making a sizable donation to Elon increases when the second generation attends the school.

"It is a positive thing to let legacies in, because the support they give the university benefits all students," Klopman said. "And let's be honest here — if only 32 of 1,298 students are legacies, they don't even make up a large majority of the student body."

Though the story that brought each legacy to Elon differs, the students are united in a common bond they all acknowledge: coming to Elon felt like their destiny.

Hillary Smithdeal
Every family has their traditions. Perhaps it is a family reunion in the summer or an outing to cut down the Christmas tree in the winter. For sophomore Hillary Smithdeal, the all-important decision of choosing a college meant choosing between two family traditions: would she be the fourth generation of Tarheel Smithdeals at University of North Carolina, or fly her third generation Phoenix wings at Elon University?

"When I was little, I always wanted to go to UNC because my whole dad's side of the family had gone there," Smithdeal said. "My mom always talked about considering Elon, but I told her to stop pressuring me to go to a school I had no interest in. But junior year I had a minor panic attack realizing how difficult it is to get into, and my mom finally convinced me to take a tour of Elon and at least consider it. Well, as the saying goes, the moment I stepped on campus, I had made my decision."

Smithdeal said it was a huge deal for her family when she made the decision to go to Elon since she was the only grandchild who was considering it.

"I got my acceptance letter a few days before Christmas, so when we all got together that year I felt like I had suddenly joined the club," Smithdeal said. "It has brought me so much closer to my family because we now have this really important aspect of our lives in common."

Smithdeal's connection to Elon dates all the way back to Earl J. Danieley's presidency, when her great-grandmother, Mary Thomas, was his secretary. Her great-great uncle, Horace Hendrickson, was a football coach at Elon and holds a place in the sports Hall of Fame. The new field house is going to be named after the Hendricksons since her great aunt and uncle, Amy and Jay Hendrickson, raised a large portion of the money needed to build it.

Smithdeal is well-known at Elon and cannot easily escape her family legacy.

"I definitely have a name to live up to because so many people know me here," Smithdeal said. "I actually had Dr. Danieley for chemistry before I dropped the class, and I went up to introduce myself to him after the first class and he recognized me. I can't afford to misbehave here."

Smithdeal's Elon alumni include mother Lisa Smithdel, grandmother Mary Anne Johnston, grandfather Leslie Johnston, great-aunt Amy Hendrickson, great-uncle Jay Hendrickson, great-uncle Ray Thomas, cousin Lee Thomas and great-great uncle Horace Hendrickson.

Max and Casey Pickler
Freshman Max Pickler filled the days of his senior year of high school with studying, football and spending time with friends, just like most of his classmates. But when it came time to choose a college, Pickler was atypically calm and worry-free. He had known where he wanted to go his entire life: Elon University, to join a long list of Phoenix relatives, including his big brother, senior Casey Pickler. But he made the decision completely on his own, free of pressure from his parents or brother.

"I never even considered another school," Max said. "My entire family graduated from Elon and everyone only had good stuff to say. Why wouldn't I want to come here?"

Though many legacy students admit to feeling pressure to live up to the family name, both the Pickler boys said this pressure isn't really an issue in their family.

"I think it was more of an issue in high school to be honest," Casey said. "All the men in our family played football, so since everyone always saw us doing the same thing, they expected the same results from each of us. At Elon I get to do my own thing and be my own person."

Max said since they have all majored in different areas, it is his responsibility to make his name known and create his own path.

Casey is not only following in his parents' footsteps by choosing Elon, but also in finding his future wife at Elon. Casey proposed to his fiancée, senior Rae Hinkle, during the summer and just as his parents met at Elon, Casey met Hinkle during his sophomore year at Elon.

"It wasn't like I had to find someone at Elon — it just kind of happened," Casey said. "It was just a coincidence. We hit it off right away and haven't looked back since."

And how does little brother Max feel about this newly started tradition?

"It would certainly be nice to find a girl here, but I'm only a freshman," Max said. "I definitely don't feel any pressure."

The Pickler brothers' Elon alumni include parents Gerald and Dawn Pickler, older brother Brian Pickler, aunt Debbie Luciano and cousin Jamie Luciano.
 
Megan Morgan
Junior Megan Morgan vividly remembers sitting Under the Oaks waiting for commencement to begin. She stood on her chair craning her neck to see, but all she cared about was her itchy dress. After all, she was only 7. Though Morgan has been visiting Elon for as long as she can remember, this was the first memory she recalled at her sister's graduation in 1996.

"Elon was always in my life, but I never really thought about it until I got older," Morgan said. "My family left the decision up to me, although my mom did joke a few times that she didn't understand why no one wanted to go to U-Penn."

For Morgan, the decision to attend Elon was not simply a given, as she chose to look at other schools.

"I was on the fence between Elon and Georgia Southern University because I didn't want to just do what everyone else in my family had done," Morgan said. "In the end, I loved Elon's campus and the size was a much better fit than GSU."

Despite Morgan's qualms about following her dad, sister and brother, she said it was easy to find her own place at Elon because they all had such varied interests. While her sister chose to participate in Zeta Phi Beta and her brother was a member of the Fire of the Carolinas, she found her own niche in the rugby club.

"Even though things are very different at Elon than when my dad was here, it is really comforting knowing that he can relate to things I deal with," Morgan said.

Morgan's father, Marvin Morgan, had a dramatically different experience at Elon than his children did as he was one of the first black graduates, and his oldest daughter, Akilah Morgan Hill, was the first black legacy at Elon.

"I think my family is definitely attracted to the progressiveness of Elon," Megan said. "My dad was here at a difficult time for our race, and while he experienced some resistance, the majority of his time at Elon was spent in a comfortable environment."

Quintin Roper
Junior Quintin Roper is not only a legacy student, but a legacy of a parent who works at Elon. Yet, when given the opportunity to experience life outside this shadow, Roper found he would rather be at Elon and made the decision to transfer as a junior.

"Having Quintin at Elon is something my husband and I have always dreamed of," said Roper's mother, Lisa Roper, assistant director of alumni relations. "Elon is family for us, and it is comforting to know that the same people who took care of us are now doing the same thing for our son. My undergraduate advisor, Pam Kiser, actually remembers me bringing Quintin to class with me."

Roper said his family would definitely like it to become a tradition to go to Elon, and his sister is next in line.

"I have a daughter who is a junior in high school, and she has already visited Elon for an admissions event," Lisa said.

breakdown of legacies at Elon

A taste of luxury

The Winery at Iron Gate Farm

Photos courtesy of my lovely and talented roomie Ashley Barnas

This weekend I got to cover the most fun piece I have worked on since starting with the Pendulum! Ashley and I traveled to Mebane, NC to check out a new local winery and we had a total blast! Though it turned out to be an expensive piece (we both bought wine) we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. You know life is rough when your job tells you to go to a wine tasting at a gorgeous scenic vineyard. Here is the story:

Iron Gate winery uncorks local tastes
by Laura Wainman, October 6, 2009
Pour. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. These four words are instructions given daily at The Winery at Iron Gate Farm in wine tastings held throughout the day.

Though Elon is home to an abundant number of student activities, sometimes a short escape from the bubble is a necessity.  For students who are looking for a taste of the adult world, this little known treasure, located right down the road in Mebane, provides just that.

At Iron Gate Farm, students of age have the opportunity to taste 14 of the wines grown at the farm for $5 and to take a tour of the vineyard. Drinking does not have to be on the agenda, though, as many visitors to Iron Gate come simply to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. Picnics by the lake or conversations on the front porch are popular options.

"We don't typically see an unusually large number of college students visit Iron Gate, except during Family Weekends at the local schools," owner Debbie Stikeleather said. "Then we get parents who are looking for a relaxing activity they can share with their son or daughter."

Though college students are not Iron Gate's typical clientele, the winery hosts many events Stikeleather said she believes would appeal to students.

"I think college students would love our annual ‘Pumpkin Chunkin and Cornhole Tournament' since it is interactive and seems right up their alley," Stikeleather said.

At the tournament held Oct. 31, the participants, who must be 21 to enter, will use a catapult to "chunk" pumpkins toward a target and bottles of wine will be given as prizes for those whose pumpkins hit the Bull's Eye, get the closest to the target or send their pumpkins the farthest distance. A cornhole tournament will also be held for the first time this year. The proceeds will benefit The Women's Resource Center.

The winery will be highlighting its new Conservators' Collection wines from 7-10 p.m. this Saturday at their Wine in the Wild event. Visitors can enjoy an evening filled with award-winning wine and food, excellent company, live music and a great cause as a portion of every bottle bought goes to the North Carolina Conservators' Center.

Stikeleather also created a private label wine collection to benefit the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership, as she lost both her stepfather and aunt to lung cancer.

"I wanted to do something to help a cause that was personal to me, and this felt like the right thing to do," Stikeleather said.

Keeping the farm a pillar of the community has always been important to Stikeleather, which is why she has chosen to partner with several local organizations, including N.C. State University.

Students and faculty from the agriculture departments come twice a month to test the grapes and ensure everything is on track at the farm. Local artist Kenny Glenn designs all the wine labels, which was another way for Stikeleather to support the community that has given so much to her.

Two of Stikeleather's wines that are showcased in the wine tasting were designed specifically for her neighbors. The Pack House Red was created with the locals in mind because it goes well with anything, particularly bold, grilled foods. Stikeleather's best-selling wine, Flue Fire, was intended to appeal to her neighbors, who made their wine as the description boasts "tastes like the grapes you plucked from your grandma's vine."

The front porch of Iron Gate has become a popular hangout spot for visitors and neighbors alike, which Stikeleather said is exactly the way she wanted it.

"We have a real community atmosphere and my neighbors are always visiting me and my guests," Stikeleather said. "When we have big events coming up, my neighbors offer to help set up. So they are always welcome at any of our events, which is why we don't charge them an entrance fee. They are absolutely great."

 

 

It sure took me long enough...

I am falling in love. Don't get too excited, mom. There are absolutely no prospective boyfriends in my life currently. I am instead engaging in a long-anticipated love affair with Elon. I can still vividly recall lying awake on warm summer nights dreaming of how I would instantly know that I was where I belonged the moment I moved into my home away from home. Yet, the feeling never truly came. I kept waiting for the magical movie moment to occur, and boy am I glad I didn't hold my breath on that one. I was so busy running off to Virginia Tech every weekend to cultivate my blossoming relationship there that I completely forgot to fall in love with my college like I was supposed to.

Well, just when I had completely given up hope of ever having that birds singing, sun shining, head over heels in love revelation, wouldn't you know it happened. It absolutely shocked me today when it hit me. I have fallen for Elon. I am totally crazy for my swim team and Pendulum friends and they have made all the difference. I am busier than I ever have been in my entire life and loving (almost) every minute of it! I have a purpose here; I have a role to fill and people who I couldn't bear to disappoint.


While some may say I really messed up and will wake up one day cursing my misguided priorities I hold firm in my belief that I won't regret my college experience. It may have taken me  a few years too many to feel this way, but at least I got there. And I have eight beautiful months left to enjoy my new love. :)

Je suis dans l'amour. Enfin.

Working hard, playing hard: An Athlete's perspective

One of the things I am enjoying the most about being Special Projects Editor is that I have the freedom to choose what stories I want to write. I have the ability to shed light on issues that are important to me. Of course I make sure that they are applicable to the larger student body, but it is definitely more enjoyable to work on a piece that I am passionate about. It makes the hours of work that goes into every story well worth the effort. With my baby brother having just started his college baseball career at William and Mary, I have become very focused on the college life of varsity athletes. This week I choose to investigate the college experience of student-athletes.

Junior Jimmy Reyes knew from the moment he arrived at Elon his college experience would be different than most of his peers'. As a baseball pitcher, his days begin at 5:30 a.m. with a morning workout, and are typically completely booked until after 10 p.m. He manages to balance a full academic load along with his daily workouts, practices and games. Yet, for the majority of varsity athletes at Elon, this is nothing out of the ordinary.

Student Athlete or Athlete Student?

Despite the fact that a large majority of their college career is spent on the fields or the courts preparing for competition, most Elon athletes place academics as their first priority.

"I definitely see myself as a student who also plays baseball," junior baseball pitcher Jimmy Reyes said. "When I was choosing a school, I asked myself the same question at each one: if baseball ended tomorrow, would I be happy here? Elon was a yes."

But there are others who feel that since athletics were the avenue which brought them to Elon, it deserves to be top priority.

"Honestly, basketball is the reason I am at Elon," senior guard Devan Carter said. "But I don't take my school work lightly either. Academics are taken very seriously by the entire athletic department at Elon, and that is made clear from day one."

Though the athletes may differ as to the personal order of priority allotted to academics and athletics, the university makes the goals of the institution clear with regards to both arenas. The Athletic Handbook states that Elon University is committed to offering a program that emphasizes and rewards academic responsibility, consistent academic progress toward graduation and preparation for successful living.

The coaching staff for each team emphasizes the importance of academics by creating team GPA goals.

"Each athlete has an individual GPA goal that they are pursuing, but as a team we have a goal of maintaining an overall minimum GPA of 3.0, and we are pushing to achieve a 3.2," men's tennis coach Michael Leonard said. "Nine out of my 10 semesters at Elon we have maintained a 3.0 team GPA, but to earn the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team award, we need to be at 3.2."

Leonard is not alone in the high standards he sets for his team. Last year the men's soccer team was named an academic all-American team for achieving a team GPA of 3.0, and coach Darren Powell said he expects that his team can be both the conference champions and academic all-American team this year. Volleyball coach Mary Tendler, whose girls had more than a 3.4 team GPA last year, said she believes the academic success of Elon's athletes is largely due to the caliber of students Elon recruits.

"Athletes at Elon were all top performers in high school, so they have already had to learn how to balance sports and academics," Tendler said.

Leonard echoed this sentiment when he said that he didn't bother recruiting tennis players that he thought couldn't handle the work load.

The school provides student-athletes with a number of academic support opportunities to ensure their continued success in the classroom. Freshmen are required to complete six hours of study hall between Sunday and Thursday. Upperclassmen have a choice as to whether they wish to continue study hall or not, but if their GPA falls below a certain level it becomes mandatory again.

"My grades are higher than the GPA required for the tennis team, but I participate voluntarily because I tend to procrastinate otherwise, and study hall keeps me on a schedule,"  junior tennis player Chase Helpingstine said.

Athletes have an athletic academic adviser whom they meet with in addition to their major adviser. Cayce Crenshaw, the director of academic support for athletics, meets with the students to discuss any questions they may have regarding their academic and athletic workloads. Elon's athletes agree that Crenshaw is essential to their academic success.

"Before Crenshaw came, it was a lot harder to balance everything," Carter said. "She is really great and takes the time to get to know all of our professors so we all work together better. She has made a huge difference".

For many of the athletes, the emphasis on academics is practical.

"I plan on continuing to run after college, but I know it isn't something I will do professionally," senior cross country and track runner Cait Beeler said.

Others keep academics as a primary focus, but may not be quite ready to give up professional aspirations just yet.

"If the opportunity to play (basketball) professionally presented itself, I would absolutely take it," sophomore forward Courtney Medley said. "But if it isn't in the cards for me, I will pursue a career in human services."

Starting with a family

One of the biggest worries for most freshmen is meeting people and making friends. Being a student-athlete diminishes that worry as athletes start school with a whole team of friends.

"Right away I had a group of guys to be friends with so I didn't have to worry as much about meeting people," Helpingstine said. "We all have this major part of our lives in common which makes for a natural friendship."

Though freshman cross country runner Jacqueline Alnes is just beginning to experience life as a student-athlete at Elon, she said she has already reaped the benefits.

"The support from my teammates and coaches has made the transition so much easier," Alnes said. "Everyone was so welcoming and helped me get situated on campus. My teammates even offered to help me move in."

Not all it is cracked up to be

It is easy to look at the life of a fellow classmate performing in the athletic arena and be jealous. Who wouldn't want to hear a crowd of more than 2,000 people chanting their name and be treated like a celebrity after a big win? But what is often overlooked are the sacrifices made by student-athletes pursuing success at the collegiate level.

"I definitely don't get to hang out with my friends as often as I would like to like normal college students do," Carter said. "Even though my teammates are my closest friends, it would be nice to spend more time with other friends."

Student-athletes must learn to master the daily balancing act of juggling hours of weightlifting and practices while still attending all classes, studying for tests and maintaining their grades. During the season, they must also factor in 2-4 games a week, some of which can be as far away as Chattanooga, Tenn.  Bus rides become a critical study time. 

"The biggest drawback of being an athlete is the amount of time you have to dedicate to your sport," Reyes said. "I am often doing homework well into the morning, because the free time that most college students have, I spend playing baseball. My free time has to be used as academic time."

With academic and athletic commitments occupying most of the day for an athlete, little time is left for other student organizations. But the only opportunity that varsity athletes are barred from participating in is club sports. Otherwise, it is a personal decision.

"There are a few organizations I would enjoy being a part of, but there simply isn't time," senior soccer defender Laura Norwind said.

Do it all again

When all is said is done, there doesn't seem to be many athletes at Elon who regrets their decision to pursue athletics at the collegiate level. While it may be tough to balance the dual roles of student and athlete, most agree that the extra work is well worth it in the end.

"I would make the decision again in a heartbeat," Carter said. "I can't imagine being at college and not being an athlete. There isn't anything like it. I honestly don't know what I would do with my free time."

( sorry if that is really hard to read)

College life in a down economy

I would venture to say that most college students are well aware that our country is currently facing difficult economic times. We are bombarded with depressing information daily about the downward spiral. Almost every issue of major newspapers covers the "recession" and details how Obama plans to "save us." I know that times are tough and have hit many Americans hard, but as a college student I was curious to see how college life has truly been affected. Thus, for my first official story as Special Projects Editor I explored that very topic. Here's my story( photo courtesy of my fabulous roomie Ashley Barnas):

It seems that it is near impossible to go a day without reading a headline about the economic downturn or hearing about dwindling stock portfolios.  Though Elon was named one of Princeton Review's "100 Best Value Colleges for 2009," it is still a private university with tuition at $25,489 and room and board at $8,236. Therefore, it is no surprise that one of the biggest effects the economic crunch has had on Elon students has been their ability to afford Elon.

Pat Murphy, director of financial planning, said there has been a large increase in the number of students applying for financial aid this year. While the final numbers are still being calculated, Murphy estimates at least a 15 percent increase, which he believes is because of the increase in parents who have lost their jobs.

"Unemployment among Elon parents has not been restricted to any particular profession," Murphy said. "I have seen people who were making as much as $500,000 a year lose their jobs. When you have a lifestyle that has been supported by half a million dollars a year and suddenly that money is gone, you have a lot of commitments that you need to satisfy, so it becomes a problem."

Murphy also noted that many of the scholarship accounts from which funds are drawn have had lower balances this year since they have earned less money because of the market.

"For example, an endowment that might have produced $3,000 worth of scholarship money last year might have produced $2,500 this year," Murphy said.

Parents are not the only ones whose jobs have been affected by the economy. Many Elon students have also expressed concern regarding jobs.

Sophomore Laura Bondi said her hours at both her on-campus job as well as her summer job were cut.

"Budgets everywhere have been decreased because of the strained economy, and on top of that minimum wage was increased," Bondi said. "Employers have to make cutbacks somewhere and in my case, hours had to be cut."

Bondi said while she made changes in her personal life while she was at home, she hasn't needed to at Elon.

"College students are kind of in a bubble where they don't have to spend as much money," Bondi said. "I don't need a car on campus, so gas money isn't an issue and I have a meal plan so I don't need to spend extra money on food."

For senior Lesley Cowie, budgeting has been a major part of her life since 2001 when her father lost his job in the textile industry. Her family now lives off her mother's $9 an hour salary as a Lowes cashier, which leaves Cowie on her own when it comes to rent, food and other college expenses.

Cowie maintains three part-time jobs while juggling a full course load in order to make ends meet.

"My dad's situation affected me more than the economic crisis," Cowie said. "I was already pretty thrifty so I didn't really need to cut back per say because I was already working so much that I knew exactly where I could afford to spend."

Murphy, DeLoach and Cowie all advised that students maintain a budget and take full advantage of the free entertainment offered on campus.

The good news for Elon students is that the Student Union Board, an organization dedicated to providing students with low-budget or free programming, has not been affected monetarily by the economy. SUB has actually increased the number of programs offered to 70-80 a semester in order to account for the current economic climate. 

While the economic problems have slightly infiltrated the Elon bubble, students have found their college lives to be relatively unaltered.


The story also included a sidebar where the department chair of econ broke down what has happened t get us to where we are today:

The current  situation in the United States economy, at the  forefront of the news since last fall, has not necessarily been  explained at a level that the general public can understand. Elon Economics professor Steve DeLoach provides students with an easy-to-understand background of the current economy and how it got to this point.

"The mess we have on our hands today has been years in the making," DeLoach said. "I think the roots of this go back 10 or 20 years. For most of the ‘90s interest rates were super low and housing prices were on the rise. Americans started living above their means and stopped saving. It seemed logical until about a year and a half ago when the housing market started crashing.
Everyone got nervous and started selling, which only drove prices further down. Last fall, we had the big crash everyone refers to now, and people lost about 40 percent of their total wealth. It was paper wealth, but if you cut what you are worth in half you are going to stop spending. You aren't nearly as wealthy as you used to be. Suddenly, that Lexus doesn't look like such a good buy. It can all really be boiled down to the fact that consumers stopped spending because they didn't feel rich anymore."

Despite this bleak analysis, there is some good news. According to DeLoach, there are signs that we are starting to come out of the recession — consumers are slowly beginning to spend more money and businesses are starting to produce more. Unfortunately, he said the last thing to respond during a recession is actual employment.

"Businesses have a tendency to start working their existing workers longer hours long before they actually hire new people," DeLoach said. "It is a large cost to hire a new worker, so they are only going to hire new people if they are really sure about where the economy is, which is going to take some more time. About 16 percent of Americans are currently unemployed or working part time when they really want to be working full time, and those numbers are only going to get higher into sometime early next year at least. But the good news for seniors is things should start looking better by next summer."

DeLoach has already seen the economy affecting college students. When he asked his freshmen classes what they did over the summer, many of them responded "nothing," as they were unable to find a job. Internships were at an all-time low this summer and many jobs typically held by college students were unavailable as unemployed adults were forced to take on menial labor.

If we had the chance to do it all again... would we?

Relationships begin. Relationships end. So is life. Unfortunately, when a guy dumps you he isn't even polite enough to take with him all of the wonderful memories the two of you made together. He leaves those for you to painstakingly sift through at 2:02 in the morning when you can't sleep. How thoughtful. And the most annoying thing of all is that no matter how deep inside the box of "bad breakups" you stuff those little buggers, they manage to worm their way out.

It has been 9 months,and I am still sifting. The road ahead is poorly lit, while the one that I am still trying to navigate to the exit stays brightly illuminated. Never having been a fan of the dark I find myself at an impasse. And in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, I can't help but wonder if I had the chance, would I do it all over again? That is really the question that I grapple with on nights like this. If 3.5 years ago someone had whispered in my ear all of the breathtakingly wonderful moments I would spend with him, as well as shared with me the indescribable brokenness that would follow, would I have chosen the same road or quickly made a detour?

I know logically I am supposed to say yes of course I would make the same decision because everything happens for a reason, you learn something from every failed relationship, you have to figure out what you don't want to know what you do want etc. etc. I've heard all the worn out break up cliches that are intended to make you feel better, but in the end just make you feel average. In reality wouldn't it be better to just know right off the bat whether he is "THE one" or just the one for right now? Then we could cut out loses before investing any more emotions or time into bad stock.

I kind of want to watch The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind now. See what Jim Carrey has to say on the subject. I will try and decode this awful rambling tomorrow when I'm not so sleep deprived that the words swim around on the screen. Goodnight.

You know you are a journalist when

So I have decided that you know you are a journalist when you start critiquing Carrie Bradshaw's newspaper articles on Sex and the City. I was procrastinating an assignment tonight, much like I am doing right now with this blog, and watching one of my favorite episodes (and if you couldn't guess that it was An American Girl in Paris Part Deux, you don't know me very well) when I realized that her writing style would never cut it in the real journalism world. All she ever does is pose questions stemming from the drama in her personal life and then uses each article as a way to vent or hash out her problems. She even uses the same repetitive formating for the questions every time: "I couldn't help but wonder [insert witty sexual play on words here]. There is no way any decent editor would let a columnist get into that kind of rut! But the whole point of this rant is the fact that this is what I was focused on while watching tv. I guess journalism truly has invaded every aspect of my life.

Everything's going so well!

Swim team loves!! <3

Sorry I just had to use a Moulin Rogue quote tonight because it fits my life so perfectly right now! Everything is just going great! Swim team is amazing so far and I am already totally in love with the team! We have had record numbers at everything so far: 45 at org. fair, 35 at interest meeting and 30+ at practice/ team dinner. I am thrilled and I think our numbers will stay high this year because we have so many fun/ "team bonding" activities planned. The beach retreat, especially, should be a big hit and the dinners after practice are a great way for everyone to form friendships outside of the pool, which will keep them coming BACK to the pool! I am just plain excited for this season and to see how it all turns out. I can't believe I am only president for a few more months though! It has gone way too fast. I remember worrying so much about whether I was ready for the responsibility, but now I am so thankful to all the people who encouraged me to go for it. My mom definitely helped me big time with the decision and gave me the confidence I needed to make the leap. That is why she is the best! She always believes in me, even when I don't quite believe in myself. I am so blessed.

The Pendulum has also been awesome so far this year! Today was the first issue where I was actually the Special Projects Editor and it was a really great feeling seeing that in print! I have worked really hard the past year and a half and fallen completely in love with the Pendulum and journalism in general. This is the position I have wanted for awhile, so it is a great accomplishment even if it is only for a semester. My piece for next week is coming along nicely so far. I have interviewed/ set up interviews with 6 of the 16 players I need and 3 of the 7 coaches. I am on my way! So far I have been incredibly impressed with the players I have met with. They are all well spoken, well-rounded, academic focused student-athletes. Check out my first official story here: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=2542 and http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=2544 (all one story). Any comments, critiques or advice is appreciated!

I actually applied today to freelance for a financial magazine out of Richmond. It is geared towards teaching young people about finances. I am definitely not an expert in the subject, but it is one I am interested in and I would love to learn more. Hopefully, I will get picked to write the story. The magazine doesn't come out often though so my first article wouldn't be published until January 2010 (if I get picked). It is on how banks protect your identity when you bank online, which is something I am curious to learn about. I figure this is a great way to make some journalism contacts in Richmond as well as get my work published in a source outside the Pendulum. Plus $50 never hurts!

The only thing that is not perfect in my life is that I miss my family. I miss my brother a lot and as I get closer and closer to my mom I miss her too. At least we talk all the time though. Matt is impossible! I understand he is busy but I just miss not knowing what is going on in his life. I wish he was at Elon so that I could feel more like a part of his life again. I enjoyed being a large of it this summer! Thanksgiving will be great though. I can't wait to see all the Bro's as well as celebrate my brother's accomplishment of eagle scout. I think it is more a celebration of my parents and Kirstin though to be honest since they had to push him through it kicking and screaming :). But either way, he deserves to be congratulated on the time he put in and, of course, I am excited for any opportunity to have a party! I definitely think that if journalism doesn't pan out I will pursue the whole party/wedding planner dream. Mom says I'm not organized enough though so I guess that is something to consider.

Well I feel like I had more to say but it is late now, and I need to get my sleep so I don't contract the swine. A girl at Pendulum MIGHT have swine flu... yikes. We all need to be careful!

C'est la vie

This is about the 10th version of this blog post and this is the best I got: I'm not over it.

Assimilating into the journalism world

Once again I am blogging late at night when I should either be a) working on homework or b) sleeping, but since my mother is my only reader at this point I think I do this just to annoy her (I am just kidding mom :) ). Today I found out that I am going to be made an official part of the Pendulum staff (our campus newspaper) and I am totally thrilled! The details are all still up in the air as far as pay and title position but I really don't care because I officially am a part of the staff and will have my very own page whose content I am responsible for every week! I have been reporting for the paper for 2 years now and have fallen absolutely in love with it. Perhaps its the excitement of a deadline or just the simple fact that I get to write, which I'm sure you can tell by now I love to do. Either way, I am so in love that this summer I made the very scary decision to drop my plans of attending law school next fall and instead pursue a career in journalism. Now, instead of having a concrete plan of what to do with my life I am in somewhat of a limbo.

I know what I want to do: move to richmond and be a reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and one day be a columnist. Basically, I want to be Carrie Bradshaw Richmond style and without all the sex talk (I definitely want her wardrobe!). However, wanting all these things is all well and good until it comes time to submit my applications along with hundreds of other very talented writers with the same passion, and very likely a lot more experience in the field. At this point I am not sure wanting will be enough. I look at all my friends at the Pendulum and their resumes are filled with impressive internships at major publications. Heck, my roommate worked at the Washington Post this summer! I know full well what I will be competing against: journalism majors with the experience and skills to boot. I, on the other hand, will only have a mildly impressive portfolio and large dose of enthusiasm to offer.

As a result, I have found myself desperately trying to play catch up with my peers who have been living for three years in this world that I only recently joined. I tweet every day now- a word I swore I would never add to my vocabulary. I try and think of insightful posts for this blog. I volunteer for way more Pendulum stories than I can handle in an effort to continue to grow my portfolio. And I pray that none of my efforts will be at the expense of my grades, as I am counting on my solid transcript to be a selling point to future employers.

I had not meant for this post to be quite as anxious as I am realizing it sounds. But this is what came out tonight so clearly it is what I feel. Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds.

Looking back and pushing ahead

First day of freshmen year
Well my last year is off to a great start I think! I was on time to all three classes (aren't you so proud mom), and they seem like they are all going to be interesting courses. I think my summer of hanging out with my brother's friends makes me now drawn to the freshmen, because all day long I was constantly surrounded by freshmen, whether it was in my classes or just helping them around campus. I am beginning to think that God has something he wants me to teach or share with the youngin's this year because I am often finding myself inexplicably wanting to give them unsolicited advice about enjoying every minute of the days to come! After both my experiences with my brother's friends this summer and two freshmen swimmers I had dinner with tonight, I find myself in a constantly reflective mood; I am torn between looking
back and pushing ahead.

I want to remember the carefree days of that first year on campus when every moment was new, fresh, a little intimidating but wonderful at the same time. I can still vividly recall the sheer nervousness I felt walking into that first class, totally unsure of what to expect and the sigh of relief I breathed when I realized there were 30 other nervous faces to greet me. I enjoy talking with the "Bros" and my new freshmen swimmers about their first impressions of college as it allows me to recapture those feelings that I regrettably took for granted. Perhaps I can instill in them the importance of not forgetting to live in the moment or letting those seemingly meaningless feelings escape.

Yet, at the same time I feel called to push forward and realize that now is not the time to dwell on the what-I-should-have-done's, but to focus on the future. For I know that the next nine months will all too soon become the topic of a reminiscent blog post. Instead, I intend to make sure that in those future blog posts I can write about all the terrific memories I made of senior year. I want there to be no twinge of regret the next time I feel myself "looking back", because I will know that I enjoyed every last minute of it, right down to the inevitable cram session that will occur. To go along with that my roommate and I have created a list of all the must-d0's of Elon, which we will accomplish before we stride confidently across that graduation stage and take our place among the rest of the inhabitants of the "real world". Check back later to see what mischief we have in store!





Leaping boldly into senior year

No fear

So I am sitting at my computer at 2:35 a.m. on the night before the first day of my senior year of college. Of course I should be asleep, but I simply can't. I am awake thinking of what tomorrow means and everything that I want to achieve this year. I truly don't know where the time has gone.I find myself constantly advising any freshmen that will listen to me to "enjoy every minute", as I perhaps haven't done. There are way too many cliches running through my head right now about how it feels like it was just yesterday, but sometimes the cliches are the only thing that fit. Right now is definitely one of those moments, as it simply does feel like just yesterday I was an awkward, nervous freshman completely unaware of what my future held. Three years later, I am still a little awkward and a lot nervous about what my future holds. But if I have learned anything in my time here it is that no matter how hard I try, I cannot predict what tomorrow will bring. My only option is to wait; something that has never been my strong suit. All I know is that I am very excited for this year and can honestly say that I believe I can make it the best year yet. It may be the first time ever that I am embracing the beauty of the unknown rather than approaching with fear. I have to say I like the feeling.