.
NEWS
Seminar ditches cash for time-based currency
Honors course project
provides services through
time-based currency
Christina Elias
Assistant Design Chief
@eliaschrsitina4
When students return to Elon Uni
versity in the fall, there will be a new
way to find a ride to Harris Teeter. The
Better Alamance Timebank — a way
for students and community members
alike to acquire hours that act as cur
rency through service — will officially
launch May 9.
The timebank is the product of a
long-term project by the Honors semi
nar called “Building Better Communi
ties with Civic Technologies.”
“The timebank
An hour is is an alternative
always an hour curren-
- regardless uses time
exchange instead
of tllG SOrVICG Qf money,” said
Offorod. You con sophomore Lind-
use the credits sey Jordan, direc-
in turn to projects
or you con doesn’t matter
donote them to what the scale
others. 'S — somebodys
hours spent
teaching a yoga
class is equivalent to somebodys hour
babysitting or somebody’s hour driving
or anything like that. It places more val
ue on any work that people do.”
The concept of timebanking has been
around for decades, according to Derek
Lackaff, associate professor of commu
nications. Lackaff, who proposed the
class as a sophomore spring seminar for
the Honors Fellows cohort, said the cre
ation of digital platforms for managing
timebanks has “changed the game.”
“Before digital, you basically had a
club of people that already knew each
other,” he said. “And with these digital
platforms, you can actually find people
that you might not already know, so
they allow for these more diverse types
of interaction.”
Lackaff said that timebanks are a
perfect way to participate in the grow
ing “sharing economy” in the United
States, which includes things such as
Uber and Airbnb.
“A timebank is actually a real shar
ing economy because it’s not a company
that’s extracting profits out of all these
interactions, it’s a group of people that
come together and are volunteering
their time and volunteering their efforts
to help each other out,” he said.
Lackaff said a project was built into
the class curriculum, but the students
ultimately decided they wanted to work
together on a larger initiative such as
the timebank. The class formed three
teams — community outreach, strategic
planning and technology — to divide re
sponsibilities.
“Over the course of several weeks,
we looked at several different types of
platforms and types of projects that we
thought might be feasible for this type
of project,” he said. “The timebank was
kind of what emerged as the most likely
candidate. It’s been a focus of the class
since about Spring Break, more or less.”
The class decided on a platform
called hourworld.org, which allows
community members to sign up online,
where they can log hours, request ser
vices and offer their own skills to the
other members.
“We’ve been starting to do exchanges
on the timebank just within our class to
get it up and running, and now we ac
tually have some community members
that have signed up and made accounts
as well,” said sophomore Hope Koene,
the class’s project manager. “I think we
have 19 or 18 members, which is really
cool for us to see that it’s actually spread
ing to the community already.”
Despite the official launch not be
ing until right before finals, the class
isn’t concerned about its long-term
prospects. According to Jordan, con
versations about sustainability have
been a part of the process. They have
discussed several options, including
Lackaff’s continued management.
TIMEBANK LAUNCH
DEIRDRE KRONSCHNABELI
Ccnfribulor
What: Official launch offhe
Befter Alamance Timebank
When: May 917-9 p.m.
Where: Elon Communify Church
monthly member meetings over the
summer or passing the timebank off
to another organization.
The class hopes to work with Elon or
ganizations that may already have con
nections throughout the community to
spread the world about the Better Ala
mance Timebank.
“Our hope is [the timebank] really is
open to everybody in Alamance, both
Elon students and community mem
bers,” Jordan said.
The launch event will take place 7-9
p.m. May 9 at the Elon Community
Church. You can join by going to hour-
world.org and selecting “NC-Elon:
Better Alamance Timebank” from the
list of communities.
Sophomores Ricky
Moody, Anna
Cosentino, Kimberly
Wilson and Lindsey
Jordan meet with
their team to
discuss their civic
technology project
Better Alamance
Timebank.
Local students perform at NPHC Yard Show
Perla Salazar-Rangel
Contributor
@PSalazarRangel
Elon University’s National Pan-
Hellenic Council (NPHC) is hosting
its annual Yard Show, in which
the historically African-American
fraternities and sororities partake in
stepping. This year is different from
years prior, as the invitation to step
in the show has been extended to
Elon Elementary’s Step Club.
Elon Elementary’s Step Club has
previously performed at basketball
games and has been cheered on by
the student section. This time, they
are showing their stepping skills at 5
p.m. May 6 in Iconic Plaza.
The guest appearance was
coordinated by junior Janae
Williams, NPHC vice president, who
is also a member of the Xi Omnicron
chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.
Williams has been working
directly with the children in the
Step Club. She volunteers at the
elementary school every Friday, and
was the one who asked them to be
part of the event.
. “The kids have been practicing
for the past month,” Williams said.
STEPPING IS VERY IMPORTANTTO MY ORGANIZATION AND TO THE DIVINE
NINE ORGANIZATIONS IN GENERAL BECAUSE IT PROVIDES AN EXPRESSIVE
OUTLETTO SHDW DEDICATIDN AND EVEN DEEERENCE TO OUR ANCESTRY.
MODERN DAY STEPPING CAN BE TRACED BACKTO AERICAN DANCE.
NPHC YARD SHOW
What: ffistorically African
American frafernities and
sororifles partake In stepping.
When:May6|5p.m.
Where: Iconic Plaza
ERIC CUNNINGHAM
ALPHA PHI ALPHA rRATERNITY INC.
“They have performed before, but I
think they are a little bit more nervous
considering this performance is
outdoors and they will have to be as
loud as possible. They are nervous,
but also very excited to perform.”
Those who were in attendance
still remember the basketball game
performance by Elon Elementary s
Step Club. Freshman Megan
Hernandez-Greene recalls seeing
the children perform.
“I was caught off guard at how
good they were,” Hernandez-Greene
said. “There were some kids in
particular that caught my attention
because of how passionate they were.
Their energy and confidence made
me enjoy the performance and I
cannot wait to see them again.”
One of the many components
of the NPHC organizations is the
stepping they perform at probates
or events such as the Yard Show.
Eight of the nine total fraternities
and sororities in NPHC have
been chartered at Elon. The nine
organizations are popularly known
as the “Divine Nine.” Currently,
there are only six active chapters.
Those performing at the Yard
Show include: the Sigma Delta
chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, the Omnicron Epsilon
chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, the Sigma Mu chapter
of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the
Omnicron Iota chapter of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, the Alpha
Beta Beta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma
Fraternity, and the Xi Omnicron
chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.
Sophomore Eric Cunningham is
in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and
has been stepping with his brothers
since his freshman year.
“Stepping is very important to
my organization and to the “Divine
Nine” organizations in general
because it provides an expressive
outlet to show dedication and
even deference to our ancestry,”
Cunningham said. “Modern day
stepping can be traced back to
African dance.”
Several of the NPHC
organizations have visited the
members of the Elon Elementary
Step Club in the past. The children
know about the importance of
stepping and what to expect at
the event.
“The children have been
taught the history of stepping,”
Williams said. “The audience
knows them, so I am confident
they will support them.”
Williams hopes that everyone in
attendance will cheer on the Step
Club and appreciate what they bring
to the table.
“The kids are going to be
amazing,” Williams said. “I love
the kids and I hope everyone else
that goes
totheLd MOREONUNE
Show does
as well.”