WHAT YOU DIDN’T
SEE ON THE
TOUR, 8
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW, B1
The Pendulum
ELON, NORTH CAROLINA | FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2008 | VOLUME 34, EDITION 20
Class of 2012 most
diverse, brightest
set of students yet
www.elon.edu/pendulum
Olivia Hubert-Allen
and Andie Diemer
Executive Editors
If there were two words
that best describe the 1,290
rnembers of the class of 2012,
they would be smart and
diverse.
The incoming class boasts
one of the highest rates of
ethnic diversity of most
classes in recent history,
with 15 percent of freshmen
representing minority groups.
It's good news for Elon, since
it’s an area the university has
struggled with.
And while they may be
mostly strangers now, they
will soon come together for
the first of many times to
come.
Each new student and
their families will congregate
at 9 a.m. on Saturday for
New Student Convocation
Under the Oaks. They'll hear
from the leaders of their
new community and in full
tradition initiate another year
of Long Live Elon.
Convocation, which is
engrained as the starting
point of an Elon career, will
launch with a prelude and
academic processional before
University Chaplain Richard
McBride will deliver the
invocation.
Student Government
President Chase Rumley will
welcome the 2012 class and
Dean of Students Gerald
Francis will introduce the
class of 2012 and faculty.
The group will learn
about joining an academic
community and integrity
from Jessica Gisclair,
associate professor of
communications, at
Convocation. They will also
be addressed by President Leo
Lambert.
One out of three students
accepted to Elon is expected
to be present and listening.
While Elon had a 1 percent
increase in applications
this year, there were some
changes on how students
were evaluated when they
applied to Elon.
The writing portion of
the SAT was used for the
first time. Like many other
universities, Elon waited a few
years to collect data on the
writing section before using
it as part of the admissions
process.
Even though the admission
criteria slightly differed, this
freshmen class was built by
design by the administrators
■
DAVID WELLS | Photo Editor
Orientation Leaders discuss their goals for orientation week. After arriving on campus to begin their training on
Aug. 23, they are finally prepared and eager to help move in and start working with new students today.
and staff in the admissions
department.
They were molded after
another prestigious group:
their predecessors.
After watching the
success of the 2011 class, the
admissions staff chose to fill
out the 2012 class in a similar
way.
“We behaved very similarly
to last year [in choosing the
class],” said Greg Zaiser, dean
of admissions. “Overall, it's a
really, really strong class. If
I had to do it all over again 1
wouldn’t change anything.”
While 3 percent of
students come from any of
39 countries outside of the
United States and 40 of the 50
states have a presence in the
class of 2012, they also come
in with a history of academic
excellence.
Fifteen high school
valedictorians will be on
campus this year. The average
SAT for the class is 1863 and
the mid-range of GPAs is 3.5
to 4.4.
Though in most ways
the new freshmen look a lot
like last year’s, there has
been one notable change:
the percentage of students
coming in “undecided” has
been cut from about 25
percent to this year's 17
percent.It’s a trend Zaiser
cannot explain, but he said it
may mean students are being
attracted to Elon for select
programs.
Though the admissions
team has completed their
work with the class of 2012,
they’re already gearing up for
the next admissions cycle.
“We’ll be out in full force
on [move-in day! to welcome
the new class and then as
early as Sunday one of our
staff members goes to meet
with high school seniors,”
Zaiser said. [For more
information regarding an
“undecided” major, see page
five.]
ELON UNIVERSITY CLASS OF 2012: WHO WE ARE
9,434
freshmen
applications
Elon’s top competitors:
1,290
expected
1. UNC Chapel Hill
enrollment
2. James Madison
42
percent
University
650
acceptance rate
3. N.C. State University
graduate students
enrolled
Averages:
3.9 weighted GPA
1863 SAT
40 percent male
60 percent female
Top states represented:
1. North Carolina
2. Maryland, Virginia, NJ
3. IVIassachusetts
Top majors:
1. Business
2. Communications
3. Biology
15 Valedictorians
14 percent multicultural
39 countries
40 states
INFORMATION COURTESY OF OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS
Two students robbed in home invasion at Oak Hill
Andie Diemer
News Editor
Two students reported
a robbery at their Oak Hill
Apartment around 3:30 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 22.
According to an e-mail
sent to students by Dean of
Students Smith Jackson Friday
morning, two black males and
one white male entered the
student’s unlocked apartment
on East Haggard Avenue.
After waking the students,
Stay smart, stay safe;
—Always walk in pairs when in public.
—Plan what to do if someone did break in.
—Keep a cell phone near your bed at night.
—Lock doors as soon as you get home and while sleeping.
—Call 911 immediately if you have an incident.
—Remember features about the persons’ appearance such
as their dress, vehicle or direction they left in.
the robbers took the student’s
money, Xbox, cell phones and
laptop.
While the students were
not harmed, they did notice
that one of the intruders had a
handgun.
The robbers immediately
fled in an unknown vehicle.
Campus police are
currently collaborating with
the Town of Elon Police to
track down the burglars.
Chuck Gantos, director of
campus safety and police, said
campus police passed a lead
onto the Elon police not long
after the incident occurred.
Elon Police are currently
following up on that lead.
along with several others.
The students were not able
to provide a description of the
robbers nor their vehicle.
Elon detective Kelly
Blackwelder said at this point
her department is not sure
who the intruders are, since
it is a fresh investigation
and they have very limited
information to go on.
“When you deal with a
situation like this, especially
very dramatic instances, the
victims tend to not be focusing
on physical descriptions of
people and tend to feel very
surreal,” she said.
She said her team
is reaching out to the
community and other
investigators to see if any
other possible suspects pop up
that fit this description.
“Students need to
stay vigilant, as far as
their awareness of their
surroundings,” Gantos said. “A
crime can happen anywhere.
You need to understand that
and always think one is going
to happen so you can go
over in your mind what you
would do so you’re somewhat
prepared if something does
happen.”
If you have any information
about this incident, please
contact the Town of Elon
police at 336-584-1301.