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Editorial: Spring football practice should be limited in light of brain injuries Blast Off!: Students prepare for Elonthon, a 24-hour dance marathon, pg. 7 Impact of new public transportation system: Burlington residents given more access to and from work. pg. 4 Meet Avery Steadman: Elon student body president plans for upcoming year. pg. 6 access lo ana rrom worK. pg. 4 The Pendulum Elon, North Carolina • Wednesday, April i, 2015 • Volume 41 Edition 9 facebook.com/theDendulum www.elonpendulum.com Cl ©elonpendulum Neil deGrasse Tyson to headline Spring Convocation Lauren Phillips Assistant Style Editor A line of Elon University faculty, staff, students and community members coiled through the Center for the Arts lobby. As they waited for the box office’s two windows to open, they were unaware that most of them wouldn’t receive tick ets to Elon’s 2015 Spring Convocation. At 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, tickets to Spring Convocation became available at the box office. They were sold out within 30 minutes. “They sold out faster than anything else,” said Joan Dawson, program assis tant for cultural programs. One man caused this overwhelming demand for tickets: astrophysicist, au thor, TV personality and general science superstar Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson will visit Elon Thursday and serve as the keynote speaker for this year’s Spring Convocation: “The Sky is Not the Lim it.” Tyson is well known in the science community, but he also has a wide appeal that compelled faculty and students to fill all of the approximately 2,200 spaces available in Alumni Gym. “It’s great to see such a broad interest in this guy,” said Tony Crider, associate professor of physics. “Unlike some oc casions when you might bring a science speaker to campus, our job isn’t to bring students there — it’s to keep students out.’^ The high level of interest didn’t sur prise Crider. “He’s as close as you get to a rock- star in science,” he said. “The day they announced he was coming to campus, SeeTYSON page 12 Campus security creates phone app Students can download app for own safety and to report tips Katy Canada Senior Reporter Elon Universi- / ty’s Campus Safety \ and Police launched 4 LiveSafe, a smart-\ phone safety applica- \ tion, on March 30. Campus Safety and ' Police has been working ^ since November to bring \ a safety app to Elon. ; LiveSafe cost the univer sity around $11,000, Di rector of Campus Safety ^ and Police Dennis Franks said, but it was an invest ment in safety. “I think you can’t put price tag on safety,” he said. “We enjoy a low crime rate, but you don’t want to take it for granted.” Users who download Live- Safe will first be prompted to create an account. Then, they can report a tip, dial an emergency phone number or view a map that shows where each blue light on campus is located. Safe Walk - another feature of the app - provides the location of students walking alone a virtual bud dy system that allows other users to track on a map. Through LiveSafe, users can also con tact Safe Rides, Elon’s designated driver program, E-Rides, another transporta tion service on campus, and Safe Line, a phone line for reporting incidents of bias. “Probably 99 percent of our students have a smart device,” Franks said. “What better way to help build our community relations?” Junior Kerianne Durkin said she would take advantage of the app even though she considers Elon a safe campus. “I might use Safewalk now because I live off campus,” she said. “Coming back from the library at night can sometimes be kind of sketchy.” Durkin also said she would use Live- Safe to contact Safe Rides on weekends. Students who use the app to report a tip select options from a grid that displays 12 different categories, including traffic accidents, assault and suspicious activity. After choosing a category, users can pro vide a description of the situation, take a photo or video and communicate with the dispatcher on duty. Users may also report tips anonymously. While the app cov ers topics such as cam pus safety and incidents, a section for students to file statements of hazing incidences is not included. Currently, there is no category for students to report hazing, but Franks said students can relay that kind of activity through the “other” category and provide a description. Lie said Cam pus Safety and Police will look into adding hazing to the list of options. To urge students to down load the app. Campus Safety and Police issued a scavenger hunt from March 30 to April 2 that sent students searching for images of the Elon Phoenix across campus. Students who sub mitted photos of the phoenix to Campus Security through LiveSafe were entered to win a daily drawing for two $100 Target Gift Cards, an iPad Mini and a parking spot in the McMichael parking lot. Though Franks said there hasn’t been a jump in crime rates to warrant additional precautions. Campus Safety and Police has taken several measures to increase security in the past year, includ ing installing additional blue lights on campus and purchasing body cameras for officers to wear when they are on duty. Freshman Cailin Jalynski said the app is a worthwhile addition to campus se curity because some of the current safety measures aren’t always readily available. “The blue lights aren’t everywhere, and if you just need something instantly then [the app] is a good way to have it,’’Jalyns ki said. “I think just improving security and options for people is always good.” Phoenix starts spring football practice Tommy Hamzik Managing Editor There’s a great deal of mu tual understanding between the players and coaches as the Elon University football team begins spring practice. After spending last spring adjusting to new head coach Rich Slo-osky and his staff and schemes, the Phoenix knows what to expect during its 15 practices this month, the first of which was held Monday. Skrosky described that fa miliarity through a sequence where senior running back Tracey Coppedge provided some direction to freshman running back Nick Theos, who transferred to Elon in the winter. Coppedge pulled Theos aside, telling him where their group was heading next. “They couldn’t do that a year ago,” Skrosky said. “We’ve established some cul ture, some protocol.” Elon will have a revamped roster in 2015 after a number of departures during the off season. Backup quarterback John Loughery transferred to Temple University, and start ing offensive lineman Thom as McGuire will graduate in May .and head to Division II Minnesota State University, Mankato for his last year of eligibility. Also gone is wide receiver Andre Davis (48 catches, 424 yards in 2014) and defensive lineman Robert Davis. Wide receiver Justin Osborne was dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. So there are still some ad justments to be made. The biggest question sur rounding the Phoenix, which went 1-11 last year in its inaugural season in the Co lonial Athletic Association, is the quarterback position. Mike Quinn, who started all 12 games last year, graduat ed, and Loughery would have been in the conversation if he hadn’t transferred. So that leaves two can didates, neither of whom have taken a snap at Elon — redshirt freshman Connor Christiansen and incoming freshman Daniel Thompson. “Connor has some com- fortability about him because he’s been through it,” Skrosky said. “Daniel is a real compet itive kid, and he’s got a real composure about him. Every day. I’m excited when I come in and see those guys. They See FOOTBALL page 15
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