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ELON, NORTH CAROLINA | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011 1 VOLUME 37, EDITION 25
www.elonpendulum.com
Occupy movement gaining ground nationwide
Elon students join thousands in protests against economic inequality
Caitlin O'Donnell
News Editor
It was a time of immense fear, coupled
with equally immense optimism.
They brought back tales of meetings
filled with thousands of voices, stand
offs with the NYPD and a sense of
triumph as they marched into Times
Square.
But for the Elon University students
who traveled to New York this month
to participate in the Occupy Wall Street
protests, the movement is bigger than
even they can grasp.
They joined in solidarity with more
than just the thousands marching
through the streets of New York City.
They became a part of a movement that
is as far-reaching as it is grassroots.
Beginning Sept. 17, a group of
loosely organized protests began in
Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park to draw
attention to corporate greed and
economic inequality. Now, a month later,
the battle cry of “we are the 99 percent”
has echoed around the country and the
world.
"It's much bigger than any of us-
expected and can figure out,” said senior
Maggie Castor, one of the participants.
“It's huge and it’s wonderful and I’ve
never been more optimistic.”
Arrival at the camp
The group of about 10 Elon students
arrived in New York early the morning
of Oct. 14, shortly after a planned
eviction of the park had been called
off. Originally scheduled because of
sanitary issues, the protestors worked
together to clean up the entirety of the
site and keep the space.
At the end of the day, they
attended the General Assembly, a non-
hierarchical open meeting used to
determine various initiatives including
how to use funds and develop a list
of demands. With an estimated 1,500
in attendance and no single leader,
the meetings were conducted using
a system known as the human mic
check, in which participants repeat
the comments of an individual until
everyone has heard.
It was a particularly moving
experience for senior Kathleen Blackney
and one she said should be replicated in
general political discourse. Even when
an attendee did not agree with the
statement being made, participants had
to repeat it.
“I think it’s so beautiful because
people are frustrated with each other,
they do disagree, but with most
political discourse in America, when
%
^^ photo SUBMir
Junior Lauren Clapp and senior Maggie Castor were two Elon University students involved in an Occupy Wall Street march in New York City.
we disagree, we just don’t talk to each
other because it will just turn into a
stalemate,” Blackney said. “People do
disagree and get heated, but then they
come back. It’s direct democracy in
action. It’s difficult but it’s working.”
Topics ranged from using funds to
purchase puppets for use in marches
to upgrading to a larger account at UPS
to accommodate the more than 400
packages of donations the movement
receives daily.
While protestors were not allowed
to pitch tents in Zuccotti Park, Castor
said other resources were plentiful,
including three daily meals, stations
to make clothing and a warehouse
filled with mattresses. According to
estimates she heard while at the camp,
more than $125,000 has been donated
to the cause so far.
The march begins
Oct 15 designated as a Global Day
of Action for branches of the movement
worldwide, began with an 11 a.n^
gathering to prepare for the march
from Zuccotti to Washington Square
Park, but not without stops along the
CLAIRE ESPARROS 1 Staff Photographer
Visitors to the Occupy Greensboro site are welcomed with signs highlighting the movement.
way.
At every Chase Bank along the route,
the protestors circled the block and
chanted. Castor said. At one point, about
25 people were arrested at a nearby Citi
Bank for closing their accounts.
“It’s unclear what was happening
because there is one video of a woman
standing on the street after she closed
her account and an undercover cop
comes over and arrests her,” Castor
said. “It’s unclear if there’s a law
prohibiting closing accounts in mass.”
After arriving at the destination and
See OCCUPY I PAGE 2
puiiucai discourse m America, wneii ranv,
Elon addresses shortage of math, science educators with new master s programs
- . _ I ^ l«^ ✓A O 1
Caroline Hood
Reporter
Elon University officials hope to start
a new master’s program for science
and math education in December 2013,
according to David Cooper, dean of the
School of Education.
The new program is still in the
beginning phases of development and
Cooper said he thinks a comprehensive
proposal will be ready for review by the
end of this semester. .^Hi.des
Drafting the proposal inc^aes
planning out the program in significant
detail. The proposal
students will take, the likelihood of
sludents getting a job after completing
the program, student teaching in public
schools and research
The education department, facu ty
the Elon graduate counc. ^^d ^he
North Carolina Department of Public
Tnstruction will then review the
proposal, which can take several
months.
A budget model for the program
will also be developed. Cooper said he
hopes the program will be eligible for
federal grant money, especially since
some students will be leaving full-time
jobs to complete their master’s degrees.
“An interesting challenge will be
financing the program because some
students might not be able to give up
full-time salaries to come into the
program,” he said.
Scholarships will be offered to
students during the 14 months they
will be engaged in full-time study. The
funding for those scholarships is still
in the planning process.
Senior Jeff Serra, a North Carolina
Teaching Fellow and mathematics with
teacher licensure major, said the new
program will expand his options after
See MASTERS I PAGE 3
T EL