THE PENDULUM
NEWS
WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 22. 2010 // PAGE 5
Federal stimulus money brings possibility of
high-speed railway system, train stop in Elon
Rachel Southmayd
Senior Reporter
The train tracks that run
through the town of Elon
will soon be part of a new
high-speed rail system being
built across the country with
federal stimulus money and
state funds.
According to the Federal
Railroad Association, in April
2009, the federal government
launched a new initiative to
improve the passenger rail
system across the United
States.
The new program, High-
Speed Intercity Passenger
Rail Program, began in June
of the same year. States were
required to apply for federal
money to fund high-speed rail
projects.
The HSIPR program granted
the Charlotte-Washington
D.C. corridor $620 million
in funding. The proposed
efforts will take place in three
segments. The Town of Elon
lies near the Charlotte-Raleigh
corridor.
Scott Saylor, president of
the North Carolina Railroad,
said this project would
definitely affect Elon and its
surrounding areas.
“There’s potential for a stop
in Elon," Saylor said.
Elon used to have both a
depot and commuter train
stop, which was one of the
main ways students traveled
to Elon University, until the
building was closed in the
early 1960s. He said the state
was investing additional funds
to supplement the federal
money and is working with the
North Carolina Department of
Transportation to build new
track and bridges.
Mike Dula, Town of Elon
manager, said no specific
improvements for track or
official plans for a station
have been planned yet, but
he maintains regular contact
with the NCRR.
A recent study about the
potential for commuter rail
ridership indicated that the
line between Burlington and
Greensboro would be the
second busiest along the span
between Western Greensboro
and Goldsboro, N.C., a 140-
mile segment. The Town of
Elon falls along this line.
The overall goal of the
HSIPR Program is to decrease
travel time between cities
and increase the number of
people using rail as a form
of transportation. Saylor said
a Charlotte to Washington
high speed track may be eight
to 10 years away, but short
term goals include increasing
passenger service between
Raleigh and Charlotte,
which would include lines to
Burlington and other spots
near Elon.
UNOSAY FENDT | Photo Editor
A new project funded by federal stimulus money could bring a high speed train system through Elon, creating the
possibility of a stop right between Greensboro and Buriington.
“Greensboro would be the
nearest high-speed stop (to
Elon),” he said.
Dula said towns used to be
able to decide the speed trains
were allowed to travel within
their limits, but a court ruled
that speeds fell under federal
jurisdiction.
Dula said freight trains used
to be allowed to travel 49 mph,
and passenger trains could go
59 mph. Now, passenger trains
are allowed to move up to 79
mph as a result of the high
speed initiative, but he doesn’t
think they actually reach that
speed through the town.
“I don’t think they go that
fast,” he said. “I think they go
about 70.”
The HSIPR Program hopes
to get track speeds up to 110
mph between Charlotte and
Washington, D.C.
“We have no plan to run
faster than 90 mph between
Raleigh and Charlotte,” Saylor
said.
Dula said the town has
always worked closely with
NCRR, including the recent
opening of the pedestrian
tunnel and the removal of
several foot-crossing points in
the early 2000s.
Pending stipulations, Pi Kappa Phi may regain
university organization recognition by November
PI KAPPA PHI from PAGE 1
any statements regarding the issue.
In conjunction with the national
chapter. Pi Kappa Phi will complete
some risk management sessions prior
to Nov. 1, O’Shea said. It’s expected, he
said, the group will be recognized by
the university in November and able
to fully operate with the exception of
remaining on social probation.
“They are doing their best to move
past it,” O’Shea said. “And return to
recognition status on Nov. 1 strong with
lots of great plans to move forward and
reenergize the chapter.”
Hazing was believed to be a factor in
this incident, Jackson said.
“The hazing that we are talking about,
that the president is talking about, is
really situations where students are
in physical danger when you combine
alcohol with coercion,” Jackson said.
“Coercion being defined to include even
situations where students wanting to be
members of organizations believe they
should act in a certain way.”
While students may not be forced to
drink, if there is a perceived expectation
to drink excessively to gain acceptance
or membership into a particular
organization, it can be considered
hazing, he said.
Lambert met with student leaders
earlier in the month to discuss hazing
and its implications.
“Incidents of hazing — in particular
those involved with lots of consumption
of alcohol — cannot stand on this
campus,” Lambert said. “Individuals
who participate
and organizations
that participate in
that kind of activity
should not be a part
of this community
and cannot be a part
of this community."
Both Jackson and
Lambert said hazing
is not isolated to
Greek organizations.
“We’ve had
hazing in religious
life organizations,
in academic
organizations,”
Jackson said. “It’s
not just Greek life or
athletics.”
Under the student
handbook, sanctions
for individuals found
responsible of hazing are “not less than
preliminary suspension with possible
permanent separation: educational
program or project, and campus
restitution hours.”
For organizations, the sanctions
include “losing campus housing,
suspension of official university
recognition for one academic year
with possible permanent removal of
official university
recognition.”
Organizations
rarely have
their university
recognition taken
away, said Jana
Lynn Patterson,
assistant vice
president of
student life.
The
suspension of
recognition doesn’t
happen very often
at all,” she said.
“And sometimes
organizations may
have permanent
suspension of
recognition,
but that hasn’t
happened in years
and years.”
An organization could lose
recognition for many different reasons
including one major event, Patterson
said. Or a combination of violations.
“PI KAPPA PHI IS A VERY FINE
STUDENT ORGANIZATION
AND THEY HAVE BEEN, OVER
THE YEARS, OUTSTANDING
CONTRIBUTORS TO CAMPUS
LIFE AND STUDENTS’
SUCCESS, BUT NO MATTER
WHO THE GROUP IS, WE
ARE GOING TO HOLD THEM
ACCOUNTABLE. AND WE
ARE CONFIDENT AFTER THE
SUSPENSION PERIOD THEY
WILL BE BACK, STRONG AND
VIABLE.”
-SMITH JACKSON
VICE PRESIDENT AND DEAN OF
STUDENT LIFE
“It could just be where things have
added up until you really have to say,
‘let’s take a break, reevaluate’ and then
see how you do when you come back,”
she said.
Citing student’s privacy, Patterson
would not comment on the incident
that led to the fraternity’s losing
organization recognition.
The fraternity presented its case
before the Interfraternity Council, a
recommending board that oversees all
fraternity organization charges related
to alleged violations of the honor code
and GreekLife Risk Management Policies.
The IFC found Pi Kappa Phi responsible
and recommended sanctions that were
presented to Patterson.
Pi Kappa Phi appealed the outcome to
Jackson, who didn’t accept the appeal.
The fraternity handled themselves
professionally throughout the
investigation process and will return to
campus strong, Jackson said.
“Pi Kappa Phi is a very fine student
organization and they have been, over
the years, outstanding contributors to
campus life and students’ success,” he
said. “But no matter who the group is,
we are going to hold them accountable.
And we are confident after the
suspension period they will be back,
strong and viable."
Elon students face multiple assaults during the previous weekend
Anna Johnson
Managing Editor
Three Elon University students
found themselves the victims of
various off-campus assaults Sept. 18.
According to a Town of Elon Police
Department incident report, Elon
sophomores John Patrick Riley and
Joseph Michael Naso were walking
on Haggard Avenue toward the main
campus at 2:40 a.m.
The two sophomores passed four
black men who were walking slowly
on the sidewalk, also toward the main
campus. When the students passed
the four men, one struck Riley on the
head and demanded money from the
students.
“Once we were in front of them, one
hit me on the side of the head," Riley
said. “I fell down and when I got up,
he asked us to empty our pockets.”
Riley gave the men $50, and the
suspects walked to their car at the
East Gym entrance.
The suspects’ car is described as an
older model four-door tan Chevrolet
Impala, and the students could only
describe one of the four men.
The suspect that assaulted Riley is
described as 6 feet, 180 to 190 pounds,
having a shaved head and wearing
a faded yellow long T-shirt and long
blue jeans shorts.
An e-mail from Smith Jackson, vice
president and dean of Student Life,
was sent out to the student body later
in the day.
Elon police officers worked with
Gibsonville Police Department
to circulate the area, but were
unsuccessful in finding the suspects.
Later in the evening another
student was assaulted.
According to an Elon Police
Department incident report,
sophomore Elliot Dawes was returning
home from a party when he was struck
in the face by an egg.
The suspects are believed to be a
group of white men in a white pick-up
truck throwing eggs.
Fragments of eggshell were found
under Dawes’ eye and he was taken to
Alamance Regional Medical Center.
Elon Police officers circled the area,
but were unable to locate the article.
An arrest has been made, according
to an e-mail sent out by Jackson.