Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Oct. 31, 2007, edition 1 / Page 1
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Life is a Cabaret... Eton's newest musical debuts p. 13 S{ . ^r-'' f'/ Fast for Darfur Students fast for a day to raise awareness for Darfur p. 10 Eion University s Weekly Student Publication Cf)£ ^enbulum Wednesday, October 31, 2007 • www.elon.edu/pendulum • Volume 33, Edition 21 Staph infection breakout under control Kaitlin Busch Reporter Elon reported cases of Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a resistant strain of the bacteria that causes staph infections, to students last Wednesday via e-mail. Thus far, the university has confirmed 11 cases on campus although no new cases were reported in the past two weeks. Two non athletes and nine athletes were infected and the bacteria have since been contained. Jana Lynn Patterson, assistant vice president for student life and associate Elon recruits in northeast Bethany Swanson Copy Editor Scholarships, heavy recruiting and an increase of southern-migrating, students explain the steadiness of nine northeastern states and North Carolina, yielding 80 percent of Elon’s student population for the past two years. While students from North Carolina make up a third of the student population, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts are all major contributors, according to recent figures released by Elon’s registrar. “I think they come for a variety of reasons such as word of mouth, distance from home, the cost of Elon and the weather in North Carolina,” said Raechel Hester, assistant director of admissions. “I consistently see students from all over the country in my information sessions, but I would say the majority are coming from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and the New England states.” Dean of Admissions Greg Zaiser explained that Elon’s goal is to keep North Carolina as the largest state on the list because of state funding that the university receives based on the number of home-state students who attend. This money helps off-set the cost for in-state students, who receive a $1,900 discount on their tuition. Elon’s scholarship programs and lower tuition are seen as a draw for many in-state students. At $22,000, Elon’s tuition is markedly lower than some more high profile northern schools like Bates College, Syracuse University or Columbia University. ADMISSIONS cont. on p. 5 dean of students, said the cases of MRSA on campus should be taken seriously, but students should not be alarmed. She said the point of the email she sent out last week was to educate students on the situation and encourage routine hygienic practices. “I think our students are calm about things if we give them good information. They know what to do,” Patterson said. “I’m impressed with how well students are responding.” According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention report published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, MRSA is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than AIDS. In 2005, the bacteria took the lives of 19,000 people. Eric Storsved, director of athletic training services, said the outbreak started in September and lasted for three or four weeks. He said a new case broke out every three days. Currently, there are not any cases in the football team. Storsved said that all the athletes fully recovered. One had to be hospitalized and treated with I.V. antibiotics. The rest were treated in R.N. Ellington Health Center. STAPH cont. on p. 4 Want to protect yourself? Follow these tips to help prevent a staph infection: • Keep your hands clean by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub and shower after working out • Cover any open abrasions or cuts with a clean dry bandage • Avoid sharing personal Items such as towels, razors, deodorants or unwashed clothes • Use a barrier (i.e. clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment • Wipe surfaces of equipment before and after use Homecoming Weekend Ashley Barnas/Assistant Photo Editor Alumni were treated to many festivites during homecoming weekend. The football game on Saturday capped off the weekend. University Drive to be expanded Kaitlin Ugolik News Editor Plans are in the works to make Cook Road an official part of University Drive and to expand it to four lanes. The state ordered that a north-south corridor be built within the Alamance County limits. Traffic consultants are in the process of making traffic projections, to determine when the road will be most needed. “What we’re dealing with,” said Elon Town Manager Mike Dula, “is the timing of building the road to address traffic needs.” The new road will stretch from Interstate 85 to Glen Raven. The area from 1-85 to Cook Road has already been completed, as has the area from Haggard Avenue to the Glen Raven area, leaving Cook Road an uncompleted stretch in the middle. Upon completion, Cook Road will be a fbur-lane residential street with a grass median. Dula said that although this is a two-lane road, it was built on a four- lane “rideaway,” meaning it has the capacity to be a four-lane highway. Citizens have raised concerns about the expansion of Cook Road after the construction of Beth Schmidt Park so close to the road. “As an Elon resident, I think it is unfortunate that the town selected this location for the park when its leaders knew about the four-lane COOK ROAD cont. on p. 4
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