The Pendulum A-List
April 22, 1999
13
A1 Carpenter
Of A1 Carpenter’s efforts on campus, one faculty member remarked, “Al saw things not as
they were, but how we all collectively believed they should be.”
Although Carpenter passed away earlier this year, his legacy of involvement is anything but
forgotten. He originated the concept for the Academic Ethos Summit Committee, a means for
assessing the learning and social environment at Elon. The members of the steering summit, which
first met a year ago this April, gather biweekly to exchange comment and criticism, and to discuss
issues relevant to the further development of the Elon community.
He didn’t just make himself available and encourage students to get involved, students say,
but he would inculcate students with the belief that the only means to change the way things are
is to get involved.
Carpenter sought not to merely examine circumstances as they were and alter them, but
conceive a means for continually improving Elon and its ideals.
Al Carpenter
Photo courtesy of College Relations
Chuck Gantos
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Conan Doyle wrote about the study of the criminal mind, and
alluded to the fact that for every wily criminal mind, there exists also an equally ingenious
member of the law enforcement community.
Enter one Gantos, Chuck Gantos. With a set of duties that require him to be on call and
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, one would think Gantos would want as little to
do with on-campus activities as possible. Gantos, however, takes a rather unorthodox
approach - he acts as both a father-figure and mentor.
During his free time, one can almost always find Gantos fulfilling his award-winning
role as faculty advisor to the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity or attending college coffee and
fraternizing with both the Elon elite and the greater student population.
Of his advising skills, one student stated that Gantos is not a teacher, but rather an
adviser on how to become a man.
Eric Cone
Photo by Emily MacDonnell/T/ie Pendulum
Chuck Gantos
Photo by Emily MacDonnell/T/ie Pendulum
Eric Cone
As a man acting as web developer, administrator, consultant, database manager,
application developer, and computer graphics artist, Eric Cone puts in more than his
fair share of hours.
Cone, a ’98 Elon grad, is Elon’s first full-time Director of World Wide Web
Services and one of the hardest workers on campus. No obstacle stands before him
he has not the patience to overcome. If a concept, language, or procedure eludes him,
he spends his own time and money buying and studying books, talking with certified
professionals, and posing questions in newsgroups. He also makes himself available
and approachable to solve problems for those in need of assistance.
And while many collegiate webmasters would rest if they won a CASE award
(see 2/18/99 issue). Cone is rather humble about the honor.
“There is so much more work we could be doing — so much more we should
be doing,” he said. Cone’s selfless dedication amidst a lack of financial support,
differing politics and ideologies is a cornerstone of advancing technology at Elon,
and a driving force in the advancement of the Elon community.