THE PENDULUM Volume 32, Issue 8 October 12, 2006 Elon University's Weekly Student Publication If n matters to you, it matters to The Pendulum.*’ www.elon.edu/pendulum Construction continues near KOBC Jjeigh Ann Vanscoy Copy Editor Constniction for a two-floor dining hall 3nd four new residence halls has begun next to the Koury Business Center. The dining liall and dorms will have designs unliice any other facilities on campus. According to campus officials, the din- ■ng hall will feature branded food stations 'vith a deli, a Mongolian-style grill, an Organic food bar and what planners suggest "■ill be an upscale restaurant offering a liigher level of dining experience. The dorms, with their single rooms, will ^ similar to the new Oaks development, ^ut the new design will provide meeting Spaces meant to encourage a melding of Academics with residential activities. Koury Residence Halls A and B and the •*nnamed dining hall are scheduled to open ^all 2007. Dorms C and D will be complet ed during the 2007 school year and open Fall 2008. The new dining hall, which will be built adjacent to the imposing new Chandler Fountain and Plaza, will create more dining space for students on campus, along with a wider food selection. “The rationale for the new dining hall is to increase the capacity for dining in the center of campus,” said Smith Jackson, vice president and dean of Student Life. “The Octagon is expected to be less crowded when the new dining hall opens, and Danieley Center residents will be closer to a full-service food operation.” For about a year, an employee team from the campus Auxiliary Services section has traveled to universities along the East Coast, visiting dining facilities to gather new ideas for Elon’s new operation. See CONSTRUCTION p. 2 Smoking ban applauded Andie Diemer Reporter It can be found everywhere. Whether dining out, dancing in a bar or simply Walking to class, many Elon students can easily discover themselves surrounded by a cloud of smoke exhaled by themselves or their peers. But a recent poll conducted by Elon University Institute for Politics and Public Affairs found that despite North Carolina’s historic link to the tobacco industry, some residents are ready to con fine smoking. The poll was conducted Sept 24-28 and questioned 649 North Carolina resi dents about their feelings toward smok ing inside public areas such as buildings, offices, restaurants and bars. Results showed 65 percent of resi dents “would support or strongly support a statewide law in North Carolina that would prohibit smoking in public places.” Only 31 percent said they would oppose or strongly oppose the same law. See BAN p. 5 Kristi Sherk/ Photographer Construction workers build the colonnades beside the Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center. Next to the business center, Koury Residence Halls are being constructed. FEATURES p. 15 Senior political sci ence major pres ents at conference. ENTERTAINMENT 19 Jessica Simpson disappoint Dane Cook fans in “Empbyee of the Month.” SPORTS p. 24 Football to play Georgia Southem this weekend.