The Pendulum
NEW STUDENT EDITION
Friday, August 29, 2008 / Page 3
Adult freedoms, adult consequences
Margeaux Corby
Opinions Editor
For non-North Carolinians coming
to Elon, there are several things to get
accustomed to — sweet ice tea, the
long drawl when people say y’all and
the state’s hardcore stance against
underage drinking.
The Alcohol Law Enforcement
Division, more commonly referred to
as ALE, will make occasional visits to
Elon’s campus throughout the year.
The plain-clothes officers visit
campus in an attempt to quell both
the sale of alcoholic beverages to
those underage and the subsequent
alcohol possession and consumption by
underage students.
According to the North Carolina
Department of Crime Control and
Public Safety’s Web site, “ALE is unique
in that it is the only law enforcement
agency with statewide jurisdiction
that has, as its primary mission,
enforcement of alcoholic beverage
laws.”
ALE is not limited to the
enforcement of alcohol regulation but
also enforces North Carolina drug,
tobacco and gambling laws.
“Their charter is alcohol
enforcement and part of that is to
reduce underage consumption and
make sure students aren’t carrying fake
IDs,” said Chuck Cantos, director of
campus security and police. “From time
to time they will do a specific operation
in a specific community.”
There is a local ALE agent in
Alamance County so, according to
Cantos, ALE has a constant presence
at Elon. ALE agents have full power
to arrest for violations of any North
Carolina statute, although students
often receive citations for alcohol
violations.
“North Carolina Is serious about
underage consumption,” Cantos said.
“If you’re under 21 and caught with
alcohol you will be charged.”
The Town of Elon has its own
special ordinances, including an open
container ordinance that bans open
alcohol containers on public property
and a noise ordinance that begins at
11 p.m. This is in addition to state
laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol to
anyone intoxicated and the possession
of an open container in a car.
In addition to ALE, Elon students
have three different branches of law
enforcement with which to contend —
both local and campus-based. Campus
security is responsible for charging
students with any student handbook
violations. Its jurisdiction is limited to
Elon’s campus.
Campus police have jurisdiction on
campus and roads adjacent to campus.
Elon police have jurisdiction anywhere
in the Town of Elon.
Campus police and Town of Elon
police have full power to arrest as
well as deliver citations. All student
citations, regardless of whether
campus security, campus police or Elon
police give them, are reported to the
university's judicial affairs. A copy of
ALE citations will most likely be given
to judicial affairs, as well as the local
court system.
“If you’re drinking underage on
campus you’re going to get it both
ways,” Cantos said.
Cantos warns incoming freshmen
against bringing false driver’s licenses
to campus. “Don’t carry false IDs,"
Cantos said. “It’s really not worth it.”
Coming to college, liberated from
parental restrictions, is a thrilling
experience. The urge to go wild
and celebrate this new freedom is
infamous during Orientation Weekend.
Students must remember that with
this new adult autonomy comes adult
consequences for illegal actions.
Understanding the authority system
and alcohol policy of both the state and
university is crucial to making safe and
smart decisions at Elon.
DAVID WELLS | Photo Editor
West End Station, a popular bar and grill on campus, stocks up for the return of many Elon
students. It is popular hangout for many students, since it is open for everyone over 18.
Getting back into the swing of things
David Wells
Photo Editor
As early as Aug. 3,
summer was officially over
for the Elon Phoenix football
team. The team began their
summer practice sessions
in just helmets, without
pads, preparing for a much
awaited season.
But they weren’t alone.
Other sporting teams,
residence life, marching
band, orientation leaders and
others have been sprinkled
across Elon for practice,
training or just to get a head
start buying used books and
hitting Target before it gets
packed.
Orientation Leaders (OLs)
began their intense training
last week as they prepared
for this year’s incoming class
and their eager questions.
Sophomore OL Travis
Counsell arrived at Elon a
little before training started
so that he could have some
time to relax and set up his
room before the week long
training began.
“It’s great getting to
campus early and preparing
for the arrival of students,”
Counsell said. “It’s so quiet
but I am sure that will
change quickly.”
Senior Danielle Ransdell,
Elon’s cheerleading captain,
said both the all-female and
co-ed teams arrived Aug. 13
to get ready for the pep-rally
and opening game.
“We get moved in and all
settled when Wal-Mart isn’t
crammed and you can get in
and out fast," Ransdell said.
Freshmen roommates and
cheerleaders Sam Emrich
and Lauren Jubelt said they
liked arriving before the
other freshmen because they
won’t feel completely lost on
the first day of class.
They also like being able
to meet upperclassmen and
their other teammates before
the season officially starts.
They are happy to be moved
into their room before the
madness begins.
“It was crammed with
just the two of us, so I can’t
imagine what it will be like
with our other hall mates,”
Emrich said.
Junior Ian Taylor, who
plays percussion for the
Fire of the Carolinas, has
been practicing for over a
week with his fellow band
members.
They’re also preparing for
the opening game against
the Richmond Spiders and
settling in.
“The perks of getting
here early are the relaxed
move in and the lack of
people everywhere,” he
said. “The campus is almost
empty before the majority of
students get here so it’s cool
to see all the changes the
university has made over the
summer without the worry
of being in somebody’s way.”
Working out new drum
cadences is a difficult
task, but Taylor and fellow
drumline members practice
and master new routines for
hours each day before their
regular semesters begin.
So even if a new student's
rambunctious parent wanted
to be the first on campus on
move-in day to get a head
start on the other decorating
moms and handy-man dads,
they are not alone.
The handful of freshmen
already on campus along
with those upperclassman
here for practice or training
have beat many to the punch
and are getting back into the
groove for the fall semester.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Organization Fair introduces
students to campus groups
The annual Organization Fair
will take place on Friday, Sept.
5. Representatives from various
campus organizations and
programs will set up tables in
the area between Koury Athletic
Center and Belk Library.
The annual fair is a way
to inform new and returning
students of all the outlets
available for getting involved on
campus. Media organizations,
club sports, foreign language
clubs, Greek Life and religious
campus ministries are among the
groups that will be represented.
Farmers' Market to open; will
offer locally grown products
The new Burlington’s Farmers'
Market will open 2-5 p.m., Sept.
6 at Burlington Outlet Village,
off of Exit 145, and will be open
every Saturday through October.
Locally grown fruits and
vegetables will be sold, along
with wine from the Haw River
Valley and homemade preserves.
The market will also feature
live music and activities such as
face painting, crafts and pony
rides.
Campus Police considers new
ticketing system
Campus Safety and Police
is testing a new parking
ticketing system using handheld
computers. If implemented,
officers will carry the small
computers and use them to print
parking tickets, which will be
automatically entered into the
system.
Duplex printing in computer
labs and library
To further reduce paper
consumption on campus, the
printers in computer labs and
the library now print duplex
(meaning content will be printed
on the front and back of papers)
by default. While duplex printing
is encouraged, users can still
print single-sided papers. So far,
Elon's print management system
has reduced paper usage by 7.2
million sheets per year.
Three people receive Elon's
highest honor
Three people received Elon
Medallions on Aug. 25, which is
the highest honor a person can
receive from the university.
President emeritus J. Fred
Young, retired professor John G.
Sullivan and retired associate
dean Lela Faye Coltrain Rich
were awarded for outstanding
service to Elon. The ceremony
kicked off Planning Week 2008,
which was held to help returning
faculty and staff prepare for the
academic year.
After completing core classes, students can choose schedules
Whitney Bossie
News Editor
As a general rule, freshmen are
given little choice as to which courses
they will take. Core classes such
as The Global Experience, Intro to
College Writing and Contemporary
Wellness Issues (Elon-ese for health
class) are staples on schedules of first-
year students.
After completing these basic
courses during the first and second
semesters, students will be given
much more freedom to individualize
their schedule. Students can choose
courses that interest them and fit into
their schedules; all the while meeting
standard graduation requirements.
Certain courses have proved to
be particularly popular with Elon
students in the past and will, quite
possibly, be favored in the future.
So, once freshmen have paid
their dues and completed the
fundamentals, they may take an
interest in some of the following
courses:
—Introduction to Astronomy; The
popularity of this course seems to
stem from its included lab. The nature
of astronomy labs require cooperation
from the weather, so students often
find themselves with unexpectedly
free evenings if there are too many
clouds in the sky on the night of a
scheduled lab.
—Science without Borders: This
natural science course counts toward
the non-lab science General Studies
requirement. Because the course is
intended for non-science majors, it's
ideal for students who have a less-
than-ideal background in the area.
—Elon: Past, Present and Future:
Dr. Earl Danieley, a former Elon
president, lends his Elon expertise
to this Winter Term course. Danieley,
who has been around Elon’s campus
for more than 60 years, helps students
to better understand how Elon came to
be the institution it is today.
—The Business of NASCAR: This
course, offered during Winter Term,
attracts both die-hard NASCAR
fans and curious newcomers. While
the content focuses heavily on the
business-related aspects of the sport,
students will also learn about its
history and the nuts and bolts of
racing.
—Tennis and Racquetball: Both
of these physical education courses.
which count as one credit hour
each, allow students to learn the
basics of the sport. The uncommon
combination of course credit and
physical activity tends to draw
students to sign up.
—The Culture of Rock: This course
explores the evolution of rock music
and the subcultures that have been
born out of the genre. To mark the
recent 40th anniversary of the release
of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band, this year the focus will be on
the Beatles.
—The Kennedy Assassination and
Film: This upper-level General Studies
Seminar returns to the ever-popular
topic of JFK’s assassination, with an
emphasis on how it’s been portrayed
in film. In addition, the course
explores assassination as a film genre.