Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Sept. 19, 2012, edition 1 / Page 4
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News Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • page 4 Elon expands Village Project, Kernodle Center to downtown Burlington Katherine Blunt News Editor Elon University extended its reach into downtown Burlington with the purchase of a building at 217 E. Davis St. The building will undergo slight renovations to create office space for the Village Project and the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engage ment’s community outreach efforts. The Village Project, an initiative headed by Jean Rattigan-Rohr, as sociate professor of education, began in 2007 to help children in the Bur lington area improve their reading skills. The program pairs education majors with local students in kinder garten to fifth grade. For six weeks during the second half of each se mester, about 50 Elon students meet with local children and their parents in the May Memorial Library each Wednesday night. But the library is small, and the program is growing to include tutoring in science, as well, so additional space was needed. When Rohr expressed the need for additional space, the university assessed the available real estate in downtown Burlington and contact ed local churches with the capacity to host the students. This year, tutor ing for reading will remain in the May Memorial Library and science tutoring will be offered in the First Presbyterian Church at 508 W. Da vis St. What used to be the offices of Alamance and Alamance Woman maga zines will pro vide additional office space for both the Vil lage Project and the Ker nodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement. The university finalized the sale last week. Two of the building’s four office spaces will most likely be combined to create a 16-per- son meeting room, but the university is also consider ing a 24-per son classroom, Francis said. Rohr will oc cupy one of the remaining offices, and the Kernodle Center volunteers will occupy the other. Mary Morrison, director of the Kernodle Center, said she is excited about the opening of the community outreach office. “We’re hoping that having a QQom I JX sm" A m e® GRAPHIC COURTESY OF ELON UNIVERSITY The downtown building will most likely be renovated to resemble option A, although option B remains under consideration. downtown center will encourage faculty and staff to come down to the downtown area, utilize that space and familiarize themselves with the center of the city,” she said. “We’re going to focus on accommodating the needs of faculty, staff and stu dents as they do more for the com munity.” PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS Elon finalized the purchase of 217 E. David St. last week to expand the Kernodle Center and the Village Project into the downtown Burlington area. Loy Farm property will become Environmental Education Center Ethan Smith Senior Reporter The Loy Farm property by the Magnolia Cemetery of Elon will be converted into a restored mead ow this fall and will be renamed the Elon Environmental Educa tion Center. A restored meadow means the property will be restored to its natural state. The idea emerged after a num ber of feasibility studies were con ducted regarding the use of the property, according to Tom Flood, assistant director of Physical Plant operations at Elon University. “A few things gelled together at the right time, and the idea 'of a restored meadow and educational center came about,” Flood said. President Leo Lambert sug gested the meadow be used for education and research, according to Flood. “The purpose of the center is to expand the environmental resourc es of the university for education and research,” Flood said. While the land will compli ment intellecutal development, Steve Moore, a lecturer in the de partment of environmental studies who was instrumental in the deci sion regarding the land’s use, said he envisions a significant future for the education center. ' ' ' “The* big' drea'm ' i's that * we ' evolve it into a synergy of studies on environmental issues, offering a wide variety of studies to students,” Moore said. “We could create a sustainable living community with a net-zero carbon footprint build ing that produces more energy than it takes in and provides a place for students to live what they study.” Elon’s academic expansion— the addition of multiple new build ings and properties — and the hir ing of Moore directed the selection of the land’s use. Agroecology is the science of ecology applied to the design, development and man agement of agriculture, a practity already implemented in Moore’s classes. i ■ i i c i - >. Moore’s classes are building a solar powered greenhouse on the property. Moore also conducts classes in the botanical garden to provide an engaged learning expe rience for his classes, he said. Other parts of the property are being, or will be, used for garden areas, field plots, a compost facility, woodland areas and a native plants collection. The university will also make part of the field restored piedmont prairie grasses, revert ing the field to its wild and natural state. Only limited construction will begin this fall as a two-lane gravel road and parking lot will be locat ed on the Property to slllow' access. The next step will be fencing in the property and restricting access so that more construction can take place, according to Flood. Additionally, part of the center may become a photovoltaic farm tc allow the generation of solar power, according to Flood. A photovoltaic farm uses solar panels to convert solar power into electricity. The future plan for the Loy Farm represents the mission of the university, according to Flood. Considering Elon is a botanical garden and, as a result, committed to research, education and display, the transformation of the property advances these three missions of a bdtanitai garden,‘Plbod* said".' ■'
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