Tornado touchdown at Elon–June 1989
Katie Nash June 27, 2014 As thunderstorms pass through Alamance County and the Elon area this summer, let’s take a look back at a fierce storm that damaged a large part of campus in June of 1989. Around 7:15pm on June 16, 1989 a tornado-like storm touched down on Elon’s campus, causing havoc and damage to the grounds and buildings. There was over $150,000 worth in damages, power outages, and numerous trees were uprooted. The summer of 1989 had already included a lot of rain fall, and in June the Elon area experienced numerous tornado warnings and watches. The tornado-like storm that struck campus came without much warning and lasted for about 15 minutes, with about 50-70 mile per hour wind gusts.
Read MoreSpecial Olympics at Elon
Betty Garrison April 11, 2014 Elon and the Special Olympics have always had a special bond. Elon College hosted the first state Games in 1972, just four years after the first national Special Olympics Games were held in 1968 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Over the years, Elon has supplied thousands of volunteers, from those who plan the event to those who partner with an athlete for the day to all those who sit in the stands to cheer them on. Each athlete is a winner and each receives a medal on the day they compete.
Read MoreCelebrating Women’s Athletics at Elon
Jennifer Smith March 14, 2014 On March 11th, 2014 the Elon University Women’s/Gender Studies Program and the Athletics Department sponsored a panel about the history of women’s athletics at Elon. Panelists for the event included: Ana Nicksic ’16: Elon sophomore from Valparaiso, Ind., exercise science major and setter on the volleyball team. She was named to the NCCSIA All-State Second Team, and earned Elon’s top newcomer award in 2012. Sloane Kessler ’17: Lacrosse player, first-year Elon student and communications major from Owings Mill, Md. At McDonogh High School, she was a 2012 IAAM all-star and also won awards in basketball and field hockey. Priscilla Awkard ’95: Starting setter for Elon’s volleyball team from 1991-94 where she broke numerous records that still stand today. She is a member of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame, continues to play competitive volleyball and is a coach and administrator at Jammers Volleyball Club. Jackie Myers:…
Read MoreMartin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Celebration–“His Past. Your Future. One Dream.”
Julia Mueller January 17, 2014 The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Celebration at Elon University commemorates the life and service of MLK, Jr. It also celebrates tolerance and diversity on campus. Elon Teaching Fellows, DEEP, the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement, the Multicultural Center, the Black Cultural Society, the National Panhellenic Council, the Office of Student Activities, and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life organized the 2014 program.
Read MoreThe Literary Societies of Elon College
Randall Bowman December 13, 2013 In 1913, the first yearbook was published at Elon College, the PhiPsiCli. The name was derived from the three literary societies that existed at Elon during its early years; the Philologian, Psiphelian, and Clio Societies. These three organizations were founded soon after the college opened its doors; like most college literary societies, they no longer exist. Literary societies were a mainstay of college life from the colonial era to the early twentieth century. Often just called “societies,” they usually had names derived from either Latin or Greek. Societies organized debates and social events, and members wrote original compositions such as essays, poetry, and music. Since most college graduates were men who went into law, the ministry, or teaching, literary society activities supplemented the classical education students received. Their debates gave members the chance to practice their oratory and rhetorical skills.
Read MoreHome Economics Maven with a Heart of Gold
Shaunta Alvarez November 13, 2013 Edith Ruth Brannock ’39 received the Heart of Gold Award this year during Homecoming festivities. This lifetime achievement award was presented on behalf of members of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and its predecessor, Tau Zeta Phi, to a sister alumnus that has “motivated and inspired others to know the power of one heart touching another heart; that has led a life that has exemplified to others that selfless service is a noble virtue.” This was the second time the award was been presented. The inaugural presentation was in 2010 when the award was given to Dr. Jo Watts Williams ’55, Vice President Emerita. One could say that service and dedication to the Elon community are in Edith Brannock’s blood, even going all the way back to Elon College’s very beginnings. Ms. Brannock is a descendant of Rev. James O’Kelly, founder of the Christian Church,…
Read MoreMotion Picture Filmed at Elon
Shaunta Alvarez February 21, 2013 Did you know that a major motion picture was filmed on Elon’s campus? Acclaimed film director Spike Lee visited the campus in February of 1997 and spoke to students about the importance of staying in school. He also provided a one-on-one interview with the staff of The Pendulum during which he discussed aspects of his career and gave advice for young filmmakers. Eight months later, Lee returned to Elon to shoot scenes for the movie “He Got Game,” starring Denzel Washington and NBA player Ray Allen.
Read MoreForbidden Love at Co-Educational Elon
Julia Mueller February 14, 2013 For Valentine’s Day this year, we have a story of forbidden love at Elon. In the early years of Elon College, being a co-educational higher learning institution was relatively rare. Elon, however, offered education to both males and females, though strict conditions accompanied the interactions. In 1907, faculty minutes expose the story of Marie Winn and L.I. Gay and their disobedience toward the college’s social rules. The minutes are as follows:
Read MoreIt’s Christmas in the Archives!
Katie Nash December 21, 2012 For those of you who regularly follow our blog, this post will be different from all the previous entries. Our goal in 2013 is to include more blog posts about what we do in the Archives and Special Collections, as well as include any interesting projects we are working on throughout the year. Let this post be a sneak preview to other posts that will be written in 2013. Enjoy!
Read MoreAfrican-American Commencement Speakers
Shaunta Alvarez February 24, 2012 The first African-American commencement speaker at Elon appears to have been Rev. Dr. Joseph H. Evans, who spoke at the 1979 spring commencement. Rev. Evans was the national secretary of the United Church of Christ from 1967 until 1983 except for a year when he was elected president in 1976, becoming the United Church of Christ’s first and only African-American president. Rev. Evans’s message to the class of 1979: “My wish, my prayer, my yearning for each of you of this graduating class in these grand and awful times is that life will be kind to you…Life will be kind to you if you base it on a meaningful set of values…We are sustained over the long haul not by the abandonment to the ecstasy of the moment, but by what we trust and believe.”
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