Volume 29, Issue 6
September 25, 2003
www.elon.edu/pendulum
Phoenix14News offers new
style, informative content
Sarah Wobbecke
Reporter
ESTV’s student-news show, the Phoenix
Report, has made many changes since coor
dinator Linda Lashendock climbed on
board seven months ago.
In fact, the Phoenix Report is no more -
it has been replaced by a new show with a
new mission: Phoenix 14News.
“I believe the new Elon University tele
vision studio set will allow students and
faculty to further their engaged learning in
the communications field as well as
increase their vision for promoting our fac
ulty expertise,” Lashendock said. “This will
help to promote the university as a whole in
the network-news arena as we converge to
digital.”
The new set is just one of the changes
that has affected the show’s look and feel.
Phoenixl4News airs live on Mondays
at 7 p.m. and again each night of the week
also at 7 p.m. The program features new
graphics, a new style and has dropped the
weather report as part of a more viewer-ori
ented approach to news casting.
“Elon students aren’t going to come to
us for weather,” said David Douglas,
^STV’s news director. “We can spend that
time doing more investigation and viewer
advocacy stories.”
The show’s content has seen several
changes, which include an increase in local
coverage. Previously, the show used a lot of
recycled information. This year, the program
includes more original reporting. For example,
Monday’s broadcast of Phoenix 14News
included segments on area car bui^laries. Safe
Rides and Elon football.
“We are trying to focus on news that is
hyper-local because it will be information
that will really matter to the Elon commu
nity,” said Douglas. “We want to give view
ers a way to solve the problems that we are
reporting on. We’re trying to provide news
See NEWS p. 11
FTC releases identity tlieft report
Steve Earley
News Editor
Sophomore Bethany Boyd never made
$130 in phone calls through a California
long distance company. But her bank
thought she did.
Posing as Boyd’s insurance company,
Direct Long Distance was able to obtain
Boyd’s Social Security number, date of
birth and other personal information over
the phone and use the information to make
fraudulent charges to her bank account.
Accprding to a report released this
month by the Federal Trade Commission,
Boyd is one of 10 million Americans to
become victims of identity theft within the
past year.
While Internet commerce has given
identity thieves a more subtle way to steal
information, stealing wallets remains the
most common method, according to the 93-
page report. Identity thieves also obtain
personal information through phone scams
- as with Boyd, stolen mail, fraudulently-
completed change of address forms, posing
as employers or landlords and dumpster
diving, the industry term for digging
through the trash.
Costs associated with the white-collar
crime rival the grandest bank heists.
According to the survey, identity theft costs
businesses, including financial institutions,
$45 billion annually. TTie yearly hit to con
sumers is about $5 billion.
Those numben are expected to go up
said Wayne Deltufo, special agent for the
Secret Service Charlotte field office
“Identity theft is one of the fastest growing
crimes in the country.”
See IDENTITY p. u
Tim Rosner / Asst. Photo Editor
Hurricane Isabel's full force was felt by students walking to class on Thursday
afternoon, as the storm dropped more than 2 inches of rain in the Elon area.,.
Isabel hits North Carolina
Elon’s campus and the surrounding area withstood wind gusts as high as
55 mph as a result of Hurricane Isabel’s trek across the state last
Thursday University and local officials reported only minor damages;
For a roundup of the hurricane’s effects, read the stories on page 7.
Pi5
• Check out how Elon Outdoors promotes team spirit
• and offers programming for students.
Pi8:
Read the review of the collage concert held during
Family Weekend.