Thursday, April 17, 2003
Vol. 28, Issue 25
Eton University
Elon, N.C.
Burlington
car chase
leads to
four arrests
Lindsay Porter
If it matters to you, it matters to The Pendulum.
Campus community
takes back the night
News Editor
Cases of breaking and entering
vehicles kept police in Alamance
County busy this week.
Two incidents of breaking and
entering a vehicle were reported
in Danieley Center parking lot L
April 11. Stereo face plates were
taken from both the vehicles.
Sunglass were also stolen from
one vehicle, and eight to 10 CDs
from the other. Campus police are
still investigating the crimes,
according to Chuck Gantos, chief
of Campus Security and Police.
In Burlington, three adults and
one juvenile were arrested early
Monday morning after leading
police on a foot and car chase
around 3:45 a.m., according to
Burlington Police Major Randy
Jones. Jones said Burlington
police have made about eight to
10 arrests in the past six months
as a result of some 200 reported
car break-ins in the area.
Police were alerted of car tam
pering in the Brittany Apartment
complex parking lot off Huffman
Mill Road. When an officer
arrived on the scene, he observed
a possible car break-in.
The suspects, three adults and
one juvenile, fled on foot. Jones
said the suspects got into their car
and tried to run over the officer,
who was chasing them on foot. A
car chase between the suspects
and the officer later ensued.
The suspects drove their car
through the Brittany Apartments
parking lot and then through the
See Theft p. 7
Katie Beaver / Photographer
Sophomore Landis Lee browses T-shirts on display in
Moseley Center. The shirts were designed to raise aware
ness about sexual abuse as part of the annual ‘Take Back
the Night" rally and march, which took place Wednesday
Documentary kicks off
AIDS awareness week
Students turn out to support gbbal community understanding
Lindsay Porter
News Editor
Despite the fart that the majority
of its students hail frcMn the United
States, Elon is steadily building a
global community based within its
campus boundaries.
Students, faculty, staff and
community members gathered in
Whitley Auditorium Monday
evening to view “Left Behind,”
filmmaker Christof Putzel’s
award-winning documentary
See AIDS p. 10
Wright, Festle will
collaborate for honors
Jessica Patchett
Assistant News Editor
The 2003-2004 academic year
will be one of transition for hon
ors students as Dan Wright, pro
fessor of chemistry, and Mary Jo
Festle, professor of history, join
as coworkers to bridge the current
honors curriculum to the new
revised program. Wright will con
clude his eight years as director of
the honors program as Festle
begins her first year as an associ
ate director.
“In November, I asked to stay
on four more years to see the first
person graduate from the new
program,” Wright said. The issue
was brought before Nancy
Midgette, associate provost, who,
in her own words, acts as a sound
ing board and a coordinator for
the honors program and other pro
grams on campus.
“It was decided that this would
be the best time for an associate
director,” Wright said, regarding
the change in leadership.
“If you look at any sort of lead
ership in faculty across campus,
we usually change things about
every four years ... other people
enjoy having an opportunity to
stretch themselves too,” Midgette
said of the need to encourage
many faculty to pursue leadership
positions on campus.
“I might have been hurt, but it
is the best decision,” Wright said,
See Honors p. 9
A Call to Arms:
Seasoned local serviceman leaves parents,
children to fight in Operation: Iraqi Freedom
Jessica Patchett
Assistant News Editor
While the Wheeler family has
a long-standing tradition
of military service,
sending a son off to war
isn’t by any means easy
for Bruce and Alura
Wheeler of Elon. In fact,
it is seemingly more dif
ficult for the Wheelers,
as stories of World War
II and experiences in
Vietnam still resonate,
according to Mr.
Wheeler, an army Vietnam veter
an and a lay minister of Trinity
Presbyterian Church.
“You have a different perspec
tive on the world after something
Wheeler
like that,” Mr. Wheeler said. Mr.
Wheeler encouraged his son,
Spencer, to remain out of the mil
itary, but according to Mrs.
Wheeler, “It was some
thing he always had
been interested in.”
Petty Officer Second
Class Spencer Wheeler
graduated from Western
Alamance High School
and received a certifi
cate in Building and
Contract Licensing from
Wilkesboro Community
College.
Despite his father’s cautions,
Spencer joined the Navy in
November 1993 to secure a
See Wheeler p. 10
INSIDE
After 24 years, Kirchen has pakl library dues
page 14
Comic Opera takes the stage
page 20
On track to the Southern Conference
page 22