THE PENDULUM
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 // PAGE 5
Elon makes plans for Vibrant Alumni Network
Emily Hines
Reporter
Students rarely consider what their
relationship with Elon will be like after
graduation. From freshmen to seniors,
the thought is often pushed to the back
of the mind.
“Think to a friendship in life where
something happened that caused you
to put less time and energy into the
relationship, and so it drifted apart,”
said Sallie Hutton, director Of alumni
engagement and an Elon University
graduate. “We do not want your
relationship with Elon to be like that.”
This is why the Alumni Association
at Elon is building a new Vibrant Alumni
Network, with the goal of increasing
the number of volunteer Elon Alumni
from 250 to 750 by 2014. This plan was
approved by the Board of Alumni in
early May 2011.
Amy Carraux Price graduated from
Elon in 2007 and sees the new network
as “a spring board for continual alumni
engagement.”
■As the plan for the Vibrant .Alumni
Network states, there are three
components to being an engaged
alumni: being an informed and
involved partner, being an advocate of
Elon and investing in the institution
through annual gifts.
Alumni will receive a Menu of
Alumni Volunteer Opportunities,
which provides reference to various
ways they can get involved. Some of
the opportunities on the Menu include
providing internships to current
students, being a guest speaker on
campus and assisting with affinity
group fundraising.
“I think alumni will be excited to
see the expanded opportunities that
they will have to be involved with the
Alumni Volunteer Network,” said 2007
graduate John Gardner.
Gardner currently serves as the
alumni adviser for Lambda Chi Alpha.
The network will allow alumni to
connect with other Elon graduates
through local chapters and affinity
groups. The chapters hold events
that inform them on the changes and
happenings at Elon.
The Vibrant Alumni Network also
seeks to increase the number of awards
given to alumni from seven to 30 by
2014. They hope these awards will be
given by the various schools on campus.
The Alumni Association and
current alumni both agree that Elon
students gain from the Vibrant Alumni
Network with more internship, career
and mentoring opportunities that are
specifically geared toward students
in the Elon Career Network, which
provides a database of Elon alumni and
where they are currently working.
“One thing we can provide is a
glimpse of what you might experience
when you leave the Elon bubble,” said
Michael Bumbry, president of the Young
Alumni Council.
Highlights of the Vibrant Alumni
Network
-Expansion of the Elon alumni
volunteer network
-Preparing students for life as an Elon
alum
-Celebration of the accomplishments
of Elon alumni
-Bringing alumni back to campus
-Expansion of regional alumni
outreach
Information courtesy of the Elon
University Alumni Association
Students fail to take advantage of SGA loan
program for textbooks, other expenses
Nick Zanetti
Senior Reporter
Elon's Student Government
Association offers loans of up to
S300 and any current Elon student
may apply for the loan. However, no
students have applied this year.
“The loan is meant to be for
textbooks or other student expenses.
SGA decided to do this program to help
students who might be in a financial
bind," said senior Nick Livengood,
executive treasurer of SGA. It gives
students another resource to help
them pay for college expenses.”
There is no interest on the loan,
but if students do not pay back the
loan by the due
date there is a
10 percent late
charge, according
to Livengood.
“Three
hundred dollars
would definitely
pay for my
textbooks,” said
senior Kristin
Genszler. “I had
no idea SGA had
this program.”
The money for
the loan comes
out of the SGA account, which is made
up of the $215 activity fee that every
“SGA decided to do this
program to help students
who might be in a financial
bind. It gives students
anohter resource to help
them pay for college
expenses.”
Elon
pays
her
SGA
student
in his or
tuition,
receives
51 percent of
this money and
allocates it among
various student
organizations.
The other 49
percent of the
money is split
between student
life and the media
board, according
to Livengood.
SGA has budget meetings with
student organizations every year
-Nick Livengood
SGA EXECUTIVE TREASURER
where they decide how to allocate
money.
“All the activity fee money goes
back to students," Livengood said.
Although she said the loan would
be enough to pay for textbooks,
Genszler said she would rather have
the money go toward the organization
she is involved with, Cinelon.
“Cinelon is low on money right
now, so I think I would rather have
the money go towards that," Genszler
said.
To apply for a loan, students
must fill out a promissory note,
an application form and a pre-loan
checklist. All the forms are available
in the SGA office.
JULIA MURPHY | Staff Photographer
The new Multi-faith Center will be located In the Academic Pavilion. The university plans to break ground this fall.
Tentative date set for Multi-faith Center
groundbreaking, funding almost complete
individual gifts, ranging from $1,000 to
$1 million.
The original plan was to raise a total
of $3.5 million through the campaign,
leaving about $400,000 left to raise,
at this point. The remainder of the
cost, which Piatt estimates at about $1
million, will be funded by the university.
According to Piatt, the vast majority
of donors to the project have given
anonymously, more than he has ever
seen in his years fundraising.
“It represents the fact that people
want to support the project but don’t
believe the Multi-faith Center should
have names attached to it," he said.
Typically, when large donations are
made, the project is named in honor of
the donor. In this case, the name has
been decided and the Center will be
called Numen Lumen Pavilion.
“(People realize) this is for the
university, not to be named after
someone,” Piatt said.
Construction of the Multi-faith Center
is a key component of the university’s
strategic plan.
Last year, a commitee of students,
faculty and staff were charged with
developing plans for the facility which
will include areas for learning, practicing
and celebrating religion.
New Middle Eastern Studies program
provides ctiance for class, study abroad
Caitlin O’Donnell
News Editor
The design and budget for Elon
University’s Multi-faith Center, which
will be located in the Academic Pavilion,
have been finalized, according to Smith
Jackson, vice president and dean of
Student Life. The university is currently
planning to break ground sometime this
fall.
While a formal timetable for
construction is still in the works,
Jackson said he predicts a blessing
of the future location will take place
around Homecoming, the week of Oct.
23, 2011 with completion planned for
January 2013.
Earlier this summer, two trees were
cut down at the site to make room for
construction. Eventually, the wood from
the trees will be incorporated into the
Center, either in an alter, wood paneling
or another part of the building, Jackson
said.
Funding for the Multi-faith Center
has been a key facet of the Ever Elon
campaign for a few years, according to
Jim Piatt, vice president for University
Advancement.
A total of about $3 million has been
raised through the campaign, all from
Janae Frazier
Reporter
It is the first semester that an
international studies major regional
concentration and minor on the Middle
East are being offered at Elon Liniversity
after being approved last spring by Elon
University’s curriculum committee.
“The Middle East is an important
place to study because of its long
and rich history," said Brian Digre,
professor of history and coordinator
of the international studies program.
“Religions such as Judaism, Christianity
and Islam come from the Middle East.
The Middle East is critically important
for understanding the w'orld today in
regards to politics, economics, history
and religion."
Digre and a group of colleagues
worked on creating the Middle East
studies program for five years. It is an
interdisciplinary program designed
to promote a deeper understanding of
regional issues and perspectives. Students
can take classes in politics, religion,
history, philosophy and art history
dealing with the Middle East. Arabic
classes can also be taken for the minor
and international studies megor regional
concentration.
According to
Digre, program
development
is ongoing; the
program is looking
to add courses in
Hebrew. A course
titled Media in the
Middle East, which
is usually offered
during Winter
Term, will also be
added to the curriculum, said Digre.
Digre said he encourages all
students who are Middle East minors or
international studies majors with this
concentration to visit the region they are
studying.
“You gain new perspectives and
insights by meeting people there, studying
and taking courses with professors in the
region, and it’s a great opportunity to
improve language slcills," he said.
Through the university, students are
able to study abroad at Kog University
in Turkey, American University in Cairo,
University of Haifa in Israel, the Council
on International Educational Exchange
school in Amman, Jordan and many
other places in the Middle East.
“I believe the Middle East is a very
good destination for our students," said
Woody Pelton, dean of international
programs and director of the Isabella
Cannon Centre. “It represents a very
different culture and allows students to
demystify a part of the world that is often
misunderstood and poorly represented
in the media. I think among the things
that would surprise students is how
similar the people of the Middle East are
to Americans in the way they think and in
their values."
Pelton said there are plans to bring
more study abroad options in the Middle
East to Elon students.
Ronda Ataalla, a junior majoring in
international studies with a concentration
in the Middle East, said she is really
enjoying the major because even though
she is Middle Eastern, she is learning
so much about her own culture. She is
the founder and
president of the
Muslim Student
Association at
Elon.
Ataalla said
the Middle Eastern
Studies classes she
has had so far have
been tough and she
is excited about
taking challenging
courses in Cairo
next semester.
Digre said a lot of students are
interested in the Middle East and expects
the number of students in the program to
rise.
“Knowledge of the Middle East
and Arabic language are both skills
and knowledge bases that are in high
demand," Pelton said.
“Knowledge of the Middle East
and Arabic language are both
skills and knowledge bases that
are in high demand.”
-Woody Pelton
DEAN OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS