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Edtoliai: Promised to many, work-study p ^aves jfflne qualifiers m the h(^e pg. 10 Brooke Greenberg Eloti athletes face releases first chatfenges to study pg.18 single pg. 12 Q&A with SGA Executive Presidential candidates Avery Steadman and Sean Barry pg.6 PENDULUM Elon, North Carolina • Wednesday, February i8, 2015 • Volume 41 Edition 4 f facebook.com/thependulum www.elonpendulum.com ©elonpendulum 'i Kappa Phi suspended Second fraternity to be scrutinized for alleged hazing this school year Leena Dahal Assistant News Editor Elon University’s chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity is currently under investigation for alleged hazing in its new member education process, according to a statement by Vice President for Student Life Smith Jackson. All Pi Kappa Phi activities and operations — including any formal or informal new member meetings, activities such as broth erhood events, chapter meetings, intramurals or philanthropy on or off campus — have been sus pended pending the outcome of the investigation. “The university takes these al legations seriously,” Jackson said. “[We] are working expeditiously to complete a thorough investi gation and make appropriate re sponses. Student safety and well being is our top concern.” The university-owned frater nity house assigned to Pi Kappa Phi will remain open only for the members currently living in the facility. According to Jackson, university officials are working closely with the Pi Kappa Phi National office to thoroughly in vestigate the claims. Greek Life staff has been working with the men in the chapter to ensure they are briefed on the details of the situation and will guide them in the process through the investigation process. In an email to The Pendulum, Eric Burgess, the Chapter Pres ident, said, “The brother’s of Pi Kappa Phi are aware of the alle gations and are focused on fully cooperating with Elon University as well as our National Organi zation throughout the investiga tion.” The Epsilon Alpha chapter of Pi Kappa Phi was founded at Elon in 1979. According to the fraternity’s website, their chap ter focuses greatly on academic success — they have 13 members currently serving on student gov ernment, a large proportion of members are enrolled in one or more fellows programs as well as many of the honorary profession al fraternities and six out of the last seven Student Government See PI KAPPA PHIpage 9 Frozen in February Octavia break for some, work for others PHOTO BY JANE SEIDEL i Photo Editor Left to right: Physical Plant workers Seaton Blackwood, Terry Rogers and Tanner Long clear an icy set of stairs outside Lakeside Dining Hall Tuesday morning. Physical Plant employees worked around the clock Monday night into Tuesday morning as a nasty wintry mix coated the Triad, prompting Gov. Pat McCrory to declare a state of emergen cy. Though there were a handful of car accidents reported around campus, no student Injuries were reported as of publication. After some hesitation, the university closed on Tuesday as travel proved treacherous. See pages 2,3. In search of a ceiling Historically-low Elm budget increase weighs cost, quality Michael Bodley Editor-in-Chief In an era in which the cost of college climbs higher and higher each year, Elon Univer sity recently delivered a bold statement with the rollout of its 2015-2016 fiscal year budget. Slashing the tuition increase to a 27-year low of 3 percent — down from last year’s 3.96 per cent bump — the new spending plan was said by senior univer sity officials to toe a hard line on the cost-quality conundrum. Despite persistent student grumbles on the rising cost of higher education — at Elon and elsewhere — some constraints are concrete, according to Greg Zaiser, vice president of admis sions and financial planning. Rising inflation and in creased operating costs asso ciated with a growing campus make a net decrease now all but impossible for the uni- CD QQ C3 C/3 CO lO CM Tuition, room and board S43.170 $500,000 A 1,450 p First-year I student target 3% Total cost % is the than 27 years New staff positions ? & 'hysical plant positions jrl»,ygr£iOn versify to offer to its wistful students, he said. “Operational costs increase regularly,” Zaiser wrote in an email. “I have great respect and appreciation for our Board of Trustees, President Lambert and others for recognizing and addressing increasing costs of higher education. They have GRAPHIC BY HALEY LONGBOTTOM | Design Editor taken a significant stance by keeping next year’s total in crease the lowest it has been in 27 years.” Roped into a national high er education landscape that has shown few signs of slowing its scope, Elon’s hands are in some ways tied — it can be hard to cut costs while maintaining fa- SeeTUmON pages Elon elects In 2015, SGA looks to boost involvement and voter turnout Caroline Fernandez News Editor The 2015 Elon University SGA Elections listed only five candidates for the four 2015-2016 executive positions. The position of executive pres ident was the only contested spot, with juniors Avery Steadman and Sean Barry running against each other. The positions of executive vice president (Adam Knaszak T6), executive treasurer (Leo Morgan T6) and executive sec retary (Grace McDavid T6) re mained unopposed. The lack of candidates left many questions about why more students were not running for ex ecutive positions. SGA candidates and members attributed the lack of students running for office to the large time commitment SGA requires. Many times, the time commit ment interferes with students who want to study abroad. To have an executive position — executive president, executive vice president, executive treasurer, executive sec retary — a student needs to be on campus for three semesters be cause the terms run from April to April. “A lot of students who are sophomores now and would be excellent candidates on Exec are studying abroad,” said current executive treasurer and execu tive presidential candidate Avery Steadman. “It’s a huge thing we have to give up to have a position.” Current organizational devel opment member and Love School of Business Academic Council candidate Alex Hunter said she thinks people get intimidated by the competition. “I think SGA is a very presti gious position on campus and I think a lot of people get nervous,” Hunter said. “I think the competi tion aspect scares people away. We need to address that there are seats open and it is open to everyone. I think that people think that so many people are running so their chances [of winning] are lower.” Another trend with SGA elec tions is low voter turnouts. The number of students who took to the polls in 2014 de- See SGA page 6
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Feb. 18, 2015, edition 1
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