PAGE 4 // WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27. 2010
NEWS
THE pendulum
Former chairman of board of trusteos rocGives honorary degree
Becca lynes
Senior Reporter
As a result of his longtime support and
commitment to Elon University, Allen Gant, former
chairman of the Elon University Board of Trustees
and current chief executive officer of Glen Raven,
received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane
Letters during Elon's Fall Convocation Oct. 12.
“He's a great leader, and he’s very excited
about the future of Elon," Mark Mahaffey, current
chairman of the Elon University Board of Trustees
said. “He really cares about Elon.”
Gant served as a member on the board of trustees
for 13 years, including three years as the chairman
of the board. While serving on the board, Gant
was also very influential in the launch of the $100
million Ever Elon Campaign.
“When I stepped up as chairman of the board
of trustees, I asked him to be the chairman of the
Ever Elon campaign,” Mahaffey said. “He is still and
always will be vital to the board and the future of
Elon.”
Mahaffey said that Gant spearheaded The Elon
Commitment, Elon’s current 10-year strategic plan
focusing on enhancing the school’s campus in a
variety of ways.
“Leo, myself and the rest of the board have
worked very hard on the strategic plan,” Gant said.
“It is really a driving force for the university.”
For him, it’s most exciting to see all the new
dorms and buildings being built, Gant said.
“It is so much fun to see the strategic plan go into
action and to know that I had a small part to play in
it,” Gant said.
Mahaffey said helping form the Elon Commitment
was one of Gant’s biggest accomplishments.
“That was quite an undertaking,” Mahaffey
said. “Once Allen became chairman, a lot of things
started happening. The law school became a reality,
and the Ever Elon campaign and new strategic plan
became active."
Typically, a board member will only serve as
chairman of the board for two years. Gant was
unusual in the fact that he served as chairman for
three years.
“When he was asked to take on a third year, he
quickly said ‘Yes, anything for Elon,’” Mahaffey said.
FILE PHOTO
Former Chairman of Elon University Board of Trustees Allen Gant receives an honorary degree from Elon University. President Leo
Lambert congratulates him at the podium during fall convocation.
“Allen has such a strong passion for Elon.”
According to Gant, the chairman’s position is to
help the university set its goals.
“Elon is one of the greatest universities in the
world, and I consider it an honor that I’ve played a
small part in building It for the future,” Gant said.
Gant said that without Lambert and the rest of
the board members, his work with the strategic plan
and the Ever Elon Campaign would not have been as
successful.
“Leo is just the greatest president we’ve ever
had, and the team of people the university has is
incredible," Gant said.
According to Mahaffey, the work Gant
accomplished will be a tough act to follow.
“He’s a very dynamic leader, and as far as being
the chairman of the board and of his own industry,
he set a real example for me and for those who will
follow me," Mahaffey said.
Gant said every member of the Elon community
does something to better the school and make it the
outstanding university that it is.
“What makes Elon so great is that every single
person contributes in some way to make it that way,’
Gant said. “It is a wonderful system that’s working
very well. We are all so blessed to be a part of tte
university."
Elon freshman released
from hospital 5 days after
Haggard crosswalk accident
Anna Johnson
Managing Editor
The Elon University freshman
struck at the Haggard Avenue
crosswalk was released from the
hospital Monday.
Peter Kesarls was on his way to
Belk Library when a gold Mazda,
driven by Elon senior Elizabeth Rice,
hit him as he was
walking through
the crosswalk.
Rice is being
charged with two
traffic violations;
careless and
reckless driving,
andfailuretoyield
to a pedestrian.
She declined to
comment.
Kesaris was
taken to Moses
Cone Health
Center and was alert, said Elon
Police Detective Kelly Blackwelder.
Kesaris said he couldn’t remember
anything from the day of the
accident.
“It seriously hurt,” he said. “1
had two concussion, bleeding in
the brain, cracked tooth, broken
ACL, MCL and partial PCL, and I
have surgery on Wednesday for my
broken nose."
He is in a wheelchair and will
be moving from Brannock Hall to
the Oaks Apartments because it
is wheelchair assessable. He is
currently staying in a hotel with
his mom. Kesaris was in class on
Monday.
“I’m actually dropping one class
to make it a Jittle easier,” he said.
“All of my professors have been
really accominodating. It felt really
{Joed I® ge back -iQ the swing of
things."
According to an Elon Police
Department incident report. Rice
was travelling east on East Haggard
and did not see Kesaris because
of heavy condensation on her
windshield. The report states Rice
was running late to work and didn’t
see the pedestrian until it was too
late.
Smith Jackson, vice president
and dean of Student Life, sent an
e-mail out to
Friends organize fundraiser
in memory of Pfieger
“I’m actually dropping one
class to make it a little easier.
All of my professors have
been really accommodating.
It felt really good to go back
in the swing of things.”
-PETER KESARIS
ELON FRESHMAN
the student
body Friday
afternoon
updating
students
on Kesaris'
condition.
He was taken
to Moses Cone
Health Center
and was alert,
said Elon Police
Detective Kelly
Blackwelder.
Jackson wrote that his mom is with
him at the hospital and he will be in
the hospital for three or four days.
Assistant Dean of Students
Jodean Schmiederer arrived at the
scene shortly after police and spoke
to Rice.
A string of pedestrian and bicycle
accidents in 2009-2010 prompted
university officials to address the
low visibility at several crosswalks
around campus.
In February 2010, new LED lights
were installed in the street lamps
along Williamson and Haggard
avenues. Later in the same month,
larger and more powerful lighting
was installed on Powell Building,
Mooney Building, McEwen Dining
Hall, The Pendulum office and
Smith, Carolina and Sloan residence
halls.
Fnwa 2001 to 2009, there were 15
accidents involving pedestrians and
cyclists in the Town of Elon.
Ca'rtlin O’Donnell
News Editor
Bracelets in memorial of Michelle
Pfieger, the student who collapsed on
campus and then died last month, were
sold last Thursday night in Moseley
center.
Kelly Armstrong, who has been one of
Pfleger’s best friends since elementary
school, and Rachel Taravella, who
met Pfieger at Elon, had around 400
teal bracelets available, engraved with
“Michelle Pfieger 09/24.”
Armstrong said they sold about 250
bracelets and made S740.
“A group of friends from home
ordered the bracelets in memory of
Michelle,” Armstrong said. “The money
will go back to her mom, who will use the
money for a scholarship for a student at
our high school at home (in New Jersey)
or for the 4H club Michelle was a part
of.”
While there was no set price for the
bracelet, students were encouraged to
donate whatever they wished.
Armstrong said the group originally
ordered 1,400 bracelets and sold some at
their high school’s recent homecoming
game.
Armstrong said she became friends
with Pfieger in fourth grade through
their love of horses.
Taravella connected with Pfieger
through her passion for horseback
riding.
“We met through Kelly,” she said.
“And then she took me to the farm where
her horse Velvet was kept.”
Armstrong said Velvet was housed at
HighClere Farms in Burlington.
Following her death, a group of
Pfleger’s friends began a campaign to
raise money to send Velvet back home to
New Jersey. According to Armstrong, as
of last Wednesday, Velvet was returned
home.
“Michelle was a beautiful, intelligent
girl and certainly lived every day to the
fullest, as all who met her could account
for,” Armstrong said in an e-mail to the
student body. “I would like your bracelet
to remind you to do the same and to
never take a single day you have for
granted.”
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