UNDER THE OAKS
“This is one of the oldest school buildings in the state of North Carolina on its original site,” Elon President Leo M. Lambert said during a May dedication ceremony, “which is something to really treasure.” Renovations were made possible with support from Glen Raven Inc., and Allen Gant Jr., the North Carolina company’s chief executive officer and a member of Elon’s board of trustees. At the university, Executive Vice President Gerry Francis, University Historian George Troxler and Archivist Katie Nash lent assistance to the effort, and Professor Emerita of History Carole
Watterson Troxler worked with students more than a decade ago to research the history of the Cable School, as the building is known. Another Elon connection is Alfred Isley, the great-great-grandfather of President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46 who taught at the school in the 1850s. Danieley’s great-grandfather, Frank Isley, also taught there following the Civil War; he later helped clear the land where Elon College would be built in 1889. The school will be used as a learning resource for students in Elon’s School of Education and members of the community.
What's in a Class? This fall Elon welcomes about 1,450 students to the Class of 2018—quite an increase from the university’s initial enrollment of 76 students in 1890. Below are some facts about the makeup of the incoming class.
10,441
he number of applications received T for enrollment in the fall.
96
The number of international students in the newest class representing 20 countries.
MA
NC
many people experience tension at such events, mostly because they set unrealistic expectations. Basirico started researching the interpersonal dynamics at play during family reunions about 15 years ago after he returned from his own family reunion. He was intrigued at how some people reacted after he told them he had spent a week at the beach with his family; he heard “I’m sorry” a lot and “Hope you had a good time.” Tensions flare up during reunions, he concluded, because of colliding realities: the one people develop while growing up and the one they create as adults after leaving the nest or starting their own family. When these two realities converge, there are bound to be sparks. Students learn that while group dynamics vary among families, keeping expectations in check and having open communication with family members leading up to the event can minimize pre-reunion anxiety. Developing a well-structured plan so rules, activities and chore schedules are set ahead of time is another proven way to avoid conflict because it eliminates ambiguity, Basirico says. “If you go into this wanting everything to be perfect, you’re going to be disappointed and think there is something wrong with your family,” he adds. As part of the class, students read articles, watch movies, participate in daily discussions via a class blog and write reflection papers. Basirico wants his students to leave with a firm grasp on sociological theories and techniques for avoiding predictable family reunion problems. “The class is primarily a vehicle to learn sociological concepts,” Basirico says, “but I also want students to apply what they’ve learned in class to their own lives.”
16%
NJ
NY
11% 8%
8%
The percentage of students who come from North Carolina. Next on the list are Massachusetts (11%), New Jersey and (8%) and New York (8%).
1834
The class’s average SAT score. The average GPA is 3.9.
Business
The most popular intended major among members of the incoming class. Biology, psychology, communications and finance complete the top five intended majors. Source: Office of Admissions, preliminary numbers as of July 15
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