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HE Pendulum
Elon, North Carolina • Wednesday, September 9, 2015* Volume 41 Edition 19
f facebook.com/thependulum www.elonpendulum.com -.-j ij ©elonpendulum
SGA election bounces back
29 percent increase in ballots cast since last falVs SGA election
Kenneth Brown, Jr.
I Name: Kenneth
■ Brown, Jr.
■ Hometown:
Greensboro
Position Won:
President
What I hope to
accomplish: “Give
the students a
powerful voice and
host more events
centered on how to
make Elon a better
place, for all.”
Michael Pitten
Name: Michael
(Mike) Pitten
Hometown:
Scituate, Mass.
Position Won: Vice
President
What I hope to
accomplish:
“Engage the Elon
Community in
meaningful activities
that unite us.”
Austin Brehio
Name: Austin
Brehio
Hometown:
Hopldnton, N.H.
Position Won:
Treasurer
What I hope to
accomplish: “Get
our class into a
strong financial
position.”
Name: Elyse Cowles
Hometown:
Redding, Conn.
Position Won:
Secretary
What I hope to
accomplish: “My
goal is to take the
aspects of Elon that
we already love and
improve and expand
upon them. I want
to create a com
munity that fosters
the best interests of
every member in our
class.”
Emily Cline
Warren Barrett
Name: Warren
Barrett
Hometovm: Cooks-
ville M.D.
Position Won:
Senator
What I hope to
accomplish: “Create
an online suggestion
box for students to
outlet their ideas
Name: Emily Cline
Hometown:
Indianapolis, Ind.
Position Won:
Senator
What I hope to
accomplish: “I want
to make everyone in
the class of 2019 feel
like they are a part of
a family here and feel
like they have a voice
on campus.”._
Sophie Zinn
i Name: Sophie Zinn
j Hometown:
! Indianapolis, Ind.
Position Won:
Senator
What I hope to
accomplish: “I want
to be there for my
fellow classmates
as someone who’s
relatable and easy to
[goto.”
Caroline Fernandez and Leena Dahal
News Editor and Assistant News Editor
With a renewed emphasis on recruit
ment, SGA in .this week’s Class of 2016
election turned around a recent track record
of uncontested races and lackluster voter
turnout.
Almost 1,000 freshmen — of a
1,520-person class — voted Monday and
Tuesday to elect seven of their peers to first-
time positions on SGA.
Twenty-five members of the Class of
2019 ran for elected office, a 60 percent in
crease compared to the 2014 elections.
The 933 ballots cast represents a 29 per
cent increase over the 722 ballots cast in the
Class of 2018 races last fall.
Jana Lynn Patterson, associate vice pres
ident for student life, credited signs posted
in residence halls and more social media
promotion to the bump in candidates and
overall attention paid to the election.
Robert Danis, Class of 2016 vice presi
dent, said a push from current SGA mem
bers, Orientation Leaders and RAs helped
encourage students to run for office.
Danis said he sees increased freshman
interest in SGA as a positive sign for the
future.
“As for SGA as a whole, more candidates
and more interest should translate into
more driven students that can better repre
sent their constituents, so I am very excited
to see what we can do for Elon this year,”
Danis said in an email. “I would attribute
the higher number of candidates to SGA
members as a whole reaching out in every
way that they could. We have students who
were OLs or RAs, and they' made sure to
encourage their students to run.
“I think another factor is just the students
in general — it seems as though each candi
date was a part of Student Government in
high school, so it only makes sense for them
to continue being involved in college.”
Of the seven open positions, only one.
Class of 2019 Treasurer, ran unopposed.
Ten students ran for the position of class
president, four for vice president, three for
secretary, seven for senator and one for trea
surer.
Kenneth Brown, Jr., the elected Class of
2019 president, said running against nine
other candidates was nerve-wrecking, but
rewarding.
“It’s a weird feeling, because it’s the first
race when I had to run against other peo
ple,” Brown said. “So you put up this front
where you’re confident and you keep think
ing, ‘What if the coolde doesn’t crumble in
your favor?’But the cookie crumbled.”
Michael Pitten, elected Class of 2019
vice president, said participation is para
mount to a more-engaged class.
“I think our voter turnout serves as a
benchmark of how the Class of 2019 is
going to be engaged this year,” Pitten said.
“I’m excited to serve our already engaged
class.”
With more candidates running, though,
came more disappointments. But SGA
President Avery Steadman said there are
still opportunities for students interested in
joining SGA.
“AH [interested members] need to do is
contact me, and I wH work my hardest to
find a place for them somewhere on SGA
or another committee,” Steadman said.
Weekly SGA meetings are open to the
public. The organization meets at 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays in Moseley 215, where winners
wuH begin their duties as elected officers
representing their constituents.
Inside pg. 13
Host-ready?
Athletic facilities
aim bigger, better
Alex Simon
Sports Editor
Number of universal bathrooms at Elon nears 90
Terminology and signage updated across campus
Leena Dahal
Senior Reporter
more than 70 were built. This year, the num
ber of universal bathrooms has progressed
to 90,
From academics to social life, Elon Uni
versity’s commitment to inclusivity manifests
itself in many ways throughout campus. To
this end, for the past two years, administration
has cracked down on restroom inclusivity.
Prior to the creation of the Gender 6c
LGBTQIA Center (GLC), there were less
than 15 bathrooms on campus open to stu
dents of all genders and sexes. One year later.
From unisex to universal
Matthew Antonio Bosch, director of the
GLC, said the term used to desaibe gen-
See RESTROOMS
page2
6^ ;
HAU TAUXE1 Photo Editor
Elon houses nearly 90 universal bathrooms.
Though construction is nothing new
to Elon University, campus conversation
around facilities has focused on a building
with no ground broken yet: a more than
5,000-seat convocation center.
Elon University announced Sept. 1 it had
purchased 19.5 acres of land for a proposed
convocation center, a major step forward for
a project stiU in its fundraising phase.
Beyond the developing proposed facility,
preparations have begun for the first ever
Elon-hosted Colonial Athletic Association
(CAA) Championship events.
At the Jimmy PoweU Tennis Center,
^hich wdU host the men’s and women’s
championships April 21-24, 2016 along
with the Burlington Tennis Center, the
surfaces have been redone for the first time
since 2008, and are due to be completed to
day.
The Jerry and Jeanne Robertson Track
and Field Complex was picked Aug. 25 to
host the outdoor track and field champion
ships May 6-7,2016. Now, the question is
what wiH be done to improve the complex
before the championship.
And finally, cross-country head coach
Nick Polk said that Elon has been chosen
to host the 2017 cross-country champion
ships, which will take place on the running
course at the intramural fields.