THE PENDULUM
Elon, North Carolina • Wednesday, April 30, 2014 • Volume 40, Edition 12
Democracy
Matters may
be newest
Elon political
organization
Michael Bodley
News Editor
A new student political organization is
aiming to join the likes of Young Ameri
cans for Liberty (YLA) and the Elon Col
lege Democrats next fall.
Democracy Matters, a national non
profit and nonpartisan organization that
seeks to “get big money out of politics and
people back in” is in talks with Elon Uni
versity to establish a chapter.
The organization’s National Field Di
rector, Anita Kinney, said it’s important
not only to educate young people about
politics, but to mobilize them and harness
their energy also.
“We strive to tell college students that
there is always something you can do,”
Kinney said. “You can raise awareness, not
just money. You can take your congress-
people to task for what they should be do-
• yy
mg.
A group of a half-dozen students are
working with the Student Union Board
(SUB) to get initial approval for the new
organization. From there, they plan to
work with Jana Lynn Patterson, assistant
vice president for student life, to finalize
details before presenting to SUB’s Stu
dent Life Committee, which grants the
final approval for student organizations
on campus.
Freshman Kelsea Johnson, who has
been involved in the planning stages of
the hopeful Elon organization, said stu
dents are generally aware of political is-
SeeDEMOCRACYpageS
wv^w.elonpendulum.com
Interfaith community restructures staff
CAROLINE OLNEYI Photo Editor
The first strategic plan for religious diversity created the Numen Lumen Pavilion, the Hillel Center and the Better Together Living Learning Community.
Stephanie Lamm
Assistant News Editor
As a part of Elon University’s com
mitment to a campus wide interfaith dia
logue, the Truitt Center is rolling out sev
eral new projects and restructuring their
chaplain offices.
Elon’s efforts to diversify in all aspects
of campus life have been dictated by care
fully thought-out strategic plans. As the
university wraps up the fourth year of the
strategic plan outlined for 2010-2015,
leaders in the Truitt Center are reflecting
on what they can do to reach out to people
of different religious — or non-religious
— traditions.
University administration and Tru
itt Center staff are already in the forma
tive stages of drafting the next strategic
plan for the interfaith initiative. In the
fall, students will have the opportunity to
give input on the plan. The committee is
scheduled to unveil the next strategic plan
in March 2015.
While Elon’s many initiatives call for
increased diversity, University Chaplain
Jan Fuller said long-term change can only
be achieved through small, calculated
steps.
“We take a big step, and then we re
group. That may look like we are not mov
ing forward, but we are gaining strength
for our next move forward,” Fuller said.
“It’s a kind of dance.”
Keeping up with student needs
This dance can be seen in the restruc
turing of the university chaplaincy posi
tions. The university is currently searching
for a new assistant chaplain to take over
for Adam Miller-Stubbendick at the end
of the year.
Originally, the search committee looked
for candidates from all religious affilia
tions, but senior administrators pushed for
a Protestant chaplain. Administrators be
lieved the Christian students on campus
felt left out of the diversity initiatives, and
as a result they remained in fragmented,
disengaged segments.
See DIVERSITY page 4