The Pendulum, March 1, 2023

PENDULUM THE

Established 1974 | Volume 52, Edition 20

Elon News Network is a daily news organization that includes a newspaper, website, broadcasts and podcasts. Letters to the editor are welcome and should be typed, signed and emailed to enn@elon.edu as Word documents. ENN reserves the right to edit obscene and potentially libelous material. Lengthy letters may be trimmed to fit. All submissions become the property of ENN and will not be returned.

KYRA O’CONNOR

Executive Director of Elon News Network

CAROLINE MITCHELL

Managing Editor of The Pendulum, Design Chief

ABIGAIL HOBBS

Associate Managing Editor of The Pendulum, Copy Chief

MIRANDA FERRANTE

Managing Editor of elonnewsnetwork.com

ELLIS CHANDLER

Executive Producer of Elon Local News

ERIN MARTIN

Executive Producer of ENN On Air

RYAN KUPPERMAN

News Editor

AVERY SLOAN

Politics Editor

SYDNEY SPENCER

Sports Editor

BETSY SCHLEHUBER

Lifestyle Editor

ERIN SOCKOLOF

Opinion Editor

ERIN HRONCICH

Photo Editor

ABBY SHAMBLIN

Analytics Director

ANJOLINA FANTARONI

Social Media Coordinator

COOPER LYON

Digital Brand Manager

Women’s History Month Crossword Puzzle

DOWN

1. First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

2. Spotify crashed when her album "Midnights" dropped

3. First female speaker of the House

4. American poet and civil rights activist

6. Elon’s new provost

7. Initials of the president that signed the Equal Pay Act into law

8. Chief of Elon Police Department

9. First female secretary of state

11. Also known as "Queen Bey"

12. Elon’s head softball coach

15. First female U.S. vice president

17. First U.S. state to give women voting rights

ACROSS

5. Jordan Brand's first NIL athlete

10. First woman to graduate medical school in the U.S.

13. Elon’s head women’s basketball coach

14. Protested on an Alabama bus in 1955

16. 116th governor of South Carolina

18. Last name of iconic tennisplaying sisters

19. Realtor in Burlington

Women’s History Month Word Search

EDITORIAL POLICY:

ENN seeks to inspire, entertain and inform the Elon community by providing a voice for students and faculty, as well as serve as a forum for the meaningful exchange of ideas.

CORRECTIONS POLICY:

ENN is committed to accurate coverage. When factual errors are made, we correct them promptly and in full, both online and in print. Online corrections state the error and the change at the top of the article. Corrections from the previous week’s print edition appear on this page.

Contact corrections@elonnewsnetwork.com to report a correction or a concern.

WHEN WE PUBLISH:

The Pendulum publishes weekly on Wednesdays

Elon Local News broadcasts Mondays at 6 p.m. ENN On Air uploads Wenesdays at 6 p.m. elonnewsnetwork.com publishes daily

Corrections

In the previous edition of The Pendulum, Maria Cerimele’s name was misspelled in “Cost of college: emotional and financial.” Elon News Network regrets this error.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Susan B. Anthony

Marilyn Monroe

Anne Frank

Simone Biles

Queen Elizabeth

Mother Teresa

Helen Keller

Billie Holiday

Oprah

Amelia Earhart

Harriet Tubman

Jane Austen

Rosa Parks

RBG

Sarah T. Moore, Sarah Dawkins, Harry Silber, Ranya Russo and Evie Wittmann contributed to the design of this edition. Gram Brownlee, Sarah T. Moore and Madalyn Howard contributed to the copy editing of this edition.

SARAH DAWKINS | DESIGNER

From Elon’s founding in 1889, women have been making strides on campus

IRENE JOHNSON IS ELON’S FIRST FEMALE GRADUATE AND BECOMES THE FIRST FEMALE FACULTY MEMBER.

GLENDA PHILLIPS BECOMES THE FIRST FULL-TIME BLACK STUDENT AT ELON.

SIGMA SIGMA SIGMA IS ELON’S FIRST SORORITY TO BE NATIONALLY CHARTERED.

BASKETBALL BECOMES THE FIRST WOMEN’S VARSITY SPORT AT ELON WITH SANDRA KAY YOW COACHING.

MARY CARROLL BECOMES ELON’S FIRST BLACK HOMECOMING QUEEN.

BREANNA DETWILER BECOMES THE FIRST ELON STUDENT TO RECEIVE THE TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP.

CONNIE BOOK IS SELECTED AS THE FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY.

FIRST FEMALE BASKETBALL JERSEY HUNG IN RAFTERS OF SCHAR CENTER, VANESSA CORBETT (#55) WITH 2,430 CAREER POINTS. THIS STILL STANDS TODAY AS THE MOST BY ANY ATHLETE IN PROGRAM HISTORY.

JANICE RATLIFF IS THE FIRST BLACK WOMEN AND PERSON TO HAVE A BUILDING NAMED FOR HER.

Female law enforcement officers address workplace discrimination, plans for equity

“There are several myths you grow up believing: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and a female cop.”

Even after 22 years, town of Elon Chief of Police Kelly Blackwelder vividly remembers her field trainer telling her this in her eight weeks of police training when she was 23 years old. No one said anything, even the other female officer in the room. Blackwelder never spoke out about the incident in fear of isolating herself and rocking the boat.

Female law enforcement officers make up less than 14% of all officers in the U.S., and as of 2020, women make up less than 4% of police chiefs, according to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Across the nation, police stations are making the 30x30 pledge — a commitment to making 30% of law enforcement employees women by 2030, according to the 30x30 website. The town of Elon and Burlington Police Departments are two departments making that effort.

Workplace discrimination

Throughout her career, Blackwelder said she felt she had to try harder than her male coworkers.

“I felt like I had to prove I was twice as tough as the young guy next to me,” Blackwelder said. “I think it instilled in me a very driven mindset that I already knew. I almost had that chip on my shoulders, I’m already going to be at a disadvantage, so I’ve got to do it harder, faster, smarter and better than anybody else.”

Blackwelder said she faced sexist jokes and innuendos from coworkers and sexual harassment from superiors as a young officer.

“The culture was very different, and it was not uncommon to have sexual harassment in the workplace. And I was a victim of that, I faced that,” Blackwelder said. “I think if you’re a female, everybody’s wanting to be your friend, but some of that was misplaced. They wanted to be your friend in order to get closer to you because they were interested you in a different reason — not because you were a peer and a brother or sister in law enforcement.”

In a 2020 study published by the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 70% of female officers have reported sexual harassment by coworkers and superiors.

Balckwelder said she is conscious of the experiences she’s had while policing in the community.

“I’m probably more sympathetic toward domestic violence issues because I’ve seen that in the home; More sympathetic with sexual abuse situations because I’ve seen it in the home; More in tune to … the struggles that women have in general — in our police department, but also in our community,” Blackwelder said.

Lieutenant Shelly Katkowski of the Burlington Police Department also said the benefits of being a female in the field, including helping in domestic violence cases and intense situations.

“Typically, what you see is that women in law enforcement, they use less force. They have less complaints. They discharged their firearms less,” Katkowski said. “I’m very careful

YOU CAN ASK ANY OF MY OFFICERS ACCOUNTABILITY IS NO. 1. IF WE CAN’T BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS IN HOUSE, HOW DO WE HOLD FOLKS OUTSIDE ACCOUNTABLE FOR BREAKING THE LAW?

BLACKWELDER

with my words, like there’s almost always a conversation before a fight. So I always try and I think a lot of times, you can bring a calming voice to a situation before a fight.”

Town of Elon officer Crystal Pyron also said her experiences as a woman and a mother have affected her work in the force.

Pyron knew she wanted to start a career as she watched her 21-yearold daughter get sworn into law enforcement. Pyron had been a stayat-home mother for 24 years before deciding to follow in her daughter’s footsteps and join the police force.

“I do have five daughters, so I would have to say that I am more sensitive to different things and feel like I have more passion towards things,” Pyron said. “I do love being in the community. I love being with the elderly people and different things like that might have a little bit more of a sensitivity of being a female.”

Katkowski said she struggles with being taken seriously by people in the community who are expecting male officers to respond to the call.

“They’re not expecting a woman to show up on scene because that’s not what people think of historically and police officers, they have this image of this big strong guy doing this job,” Katkowski said. “I have people make comments of, ‘Oh, how do you set everything on your belt,’ ‘Oh, look at you. You’re so cute.’ Like, you’re just like, ‘Oh, please, I train. I work just as hard. I do the same things that the men do.’ But there’s just that expectation of what historically police officers have been right.”

Making change

After the discrimination Balckwelder faced as a young officer, she said she is cognizant of these issues in her position now.

To hold her officers’ behavior accountable, Balckwelder hired lieutenants to supervise them 24/7.

“You can ask any of my officers — accountability is No. 1,” Blackwelder said. “If we can’t be accountable for our own actions in house, how do we hold folks outside accountable for breaking the law?”

Blackwelder said supervisors are required to have monthly meetings with their officers to ensure accountability in the station.

“We have had female officers here come forward and say, ‘Hey, this happened and I felt uncomfortable about it.’ And we address it,” Blackwelder said. “It was enough that she was uncomfortable and we dealt with it, so I know that it works. And I think it all has to do with leadership and accountability and making sure that we are the shepherds, so to speak, of our own herd. Not to mention the folks that we’re out here protecting.”

In addition to holding officers accountable, the town of Elon Police Department is also making an effort to hire more females.

Acknowledging the reasons women may not be working as officers, such as having children, Blackwelder has hired two part-time women officers.

“I just think women in general are super strong. I don’t think people understand the things that we have gone through,” Blackwelder said. “At times, they do see us as a weaker sex. … I think we have a long way to go, but I think we’re just a powerful group.”

Female officers currently make up 19% of the Burlington Police Department, but the department is still dedicated to making it 30% by 2030, according to Katkowski. She also said increasing diversity in the department is an important goal.

“Any police department, you want to match the demographic of your community,” Katkowski said. “Diversity is important and we know that and we know that diverse people bring different skill sets to all positions and recognize that that is valuable and it’s valuable in our community when we have diversity we can meet those needs as a community.”

BY THE NUMBERS

14%

4%

70% of female officers have reported sexual harassment by coworkers and supervisors, according to a 2020 study by the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Policewomen from town of Elon, city of Burlington discuss sexual harassment, jokes

Town of Elon Chief of Police Kelly Blackwelder said she had to prove she was “twice as tough as the young guy” that trained with her.

KELLY

TOWN OF ELON POLICE CHIEF

Abigail Hobbs Associate Managing Editor | @abigaillhobbss

The percentage of female law enforcement officers in the U.S. in 2020.

The percentage of female police chiefs in the U.S. in 2020, according to Federal Bureau of Justice.

Classes revolving around women’s history, issues

COR 4060 Women’s Health Issues

Professor: Resa Walch

What is it about?

This course will identify a broad range of health issues that are either unique to women or of special importance to women. The roles that women play as providers and consumers of health care will be examined. The student will be provided the opportunity to explore health care issues of women from adolescence through old age. The interface of gender, socioeconomic advantage/disadvantage and minority status will be studied. A primary objective of this course is to enable the student to become an informed consumer of health care services. This course is writing intensive. Open to students in the third or fourth year of study.

Why is it important?

“It allows students an opportunity to really delve deep into how did their perspective evolve around women’s health? How might they need to rethink that perspective? And where they land as an advocate for themselves and others, and students often end up realizing, ‘I definitely want to advocate for myself and my own health from all these perspectives, but how can I be an advocate for others?’ So I think it’s important because it really meets the intent of the Core Capstone at Elon. And I don’t know how familiar you are with that, but ethical, ethical reasoning and social responsibility and those things are essential to core capstone courses. So it just makes sense that the contents of this course would really look at that the ethical reasoning around all different issues in women’s health and social responsibility. I just really believe firmly that we still have a long way to go with women’s health. But students take this course to have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a woman seeking health care in today’s society, what it looks like from a historical perspective. And what might it look like in the future so to that it’s more fair, more accessible, and better outcomes for all women.”

WGS 1100 Sex and Gender

Professor: Antoinette Polito

What is it about?

This course addresses the following issues: the difference between sex and gender, how sex and gender are socially constructed, the relationship between sex, gender, and sexuality; and the various types of feminisms. Students will develop and demonstrate the ability to critically explore how these identities intersect with each other as well as with other identities such as race, class, physical ability, and so on, and consider how their own identities are constructed.

Why is it important?

“I think it’s very important myself because I obviously think this information is important for folks to know, But what my students tell me and this is the fourth time I’ve taught this, they always say that they wanted to take this class because these issues are so important in their real life. So we try to make a lot of connection to everyday living right for those who identify as women we talk about, what is that like to be in a broader society for those who identify as male? We ask the same question and we try to, you know, talk through some issues together. When folks are non binary, we talk about how does that fit into a feminist framework, but I think it’s a really good place for people who aren’t necessarily going to be historians or, you know, Women’s and Gender study majors. It gives them a good sense of that history of women’s struggle. So, you know, even though it’s only been the past 200 years, we do give some grounding in kind of what things have been like for women over over time, and I think that’s particularly important during March you know, when we try to think about how far women have come in, I always tell my students, you know, it’s interesting because I’m much older than they are right, so I can tell them what it was like back in the day, you know, and, and they can teach me what it’s like now. so it’s a really nice, mutual education.”

WGS 3000 Current Controversies in Feminism Professor: Shayna Mehas What is it about?

This interdisciplinary course, designed for students ready to do advanced work, will explore several of the most highly contested issues within feminist thought and activism. Particular attention will be paid to writings by women marginalized by race, class, nationality and/or sexuality. Students will be expected to undertake a research project and/or activism.

Why is it important?

“I think first like teaching it through a feminist pedagogical lens is important because it gives my students specifically WGS students kind of a better understanding of like, what what does it actually mean, right? What is feminism rooted in? Again, I would say, and everybody can define this kind of their own ways, but I really say it’s community equality, right, equity, justices, etc. And so this creates a classroom environment where you can actually live that and work that as well as a lot of times. I think, when I think of a capstone class, I think of a capstone class as being something that prepares you to go out into the real world, right? And so when you go out into the real world, you don’t get a syllabus. You don’t get an assignment that has, you know, A, B, C, and D. But rather you have to learn to kind of work together in projects and to create something. Something bigger than what’s there before, right? And so this gives both a foundation of kind of understanding feminist pedagogy, as well as like creating an environment that hopefully will give some, quote, unquote, like real world experience into like project management or project work in terms of women and women’s history, as a Latin Americanist historian. I’m always trying to find ways to show really, how oftentimes in history we get very I’m trying to think of a good way to say this. People get written out of history all the time. And so how do we look from the ground up? How do we look at those populations that have been considered minorities or that have been othered and bring them back to the center? So I try to recenter feminism and really this idea of feminism as being human rights, which is where we are currently in feminism as something that Latin American women were doing in the 1920s. But what happened to them? Why don’t we hear their stories and so that’s really what I try to focus on is how do we bring these women that were so important to the movement back into kind of everyday knowledge?”

COR 4690

Women in Music

Professor: Allison Wente

What is it about?

This course will look at the lives and music of women musicians, composers and performers and the social structure within which they lived. The course will allow students to investigate the artistic impact of historical events and trends in not only America, but also the world, and how women in different eras were able to interact musically.

Why is it important?

“We are naming a lot of people that are not normally named, and we’re discussing a lot of things about identity and how it relates to music. I think that it’s creating connections between music but also the arts more broadly, and culture and I think it helps show students how the culture and media they consume reflects the culture they’re experiencing and living.”

Shayna Mehas

Resa Walch

Allison Wente

Antoinette Polito

Women in politics: representation, contention

Avery Sloan Politics Editor | @AveryLSloan

Sophomore Reese Guckert said that she first became interested in politics after feeling judged for expressing her views during the 2016 presidential election. Today, Guckert said she is both inspired and frustrated by both political party’s responses regarding women in politics.

Guckert, the public relations chair for the university’s College Republicans club, said that a candidate’s appearance is not something that the candidate themselves nor voters should be focusing on. Guckert said this is something she likes about Republican 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who announced her campaign midFebraury.

Haley previously served as the governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and was the Trump administration’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Haley is also an Asian American woman with immigrant parents, making her the first female governor with Asian American heritage in South Carolina.

Guckert said while she likes the idea of more women in politics, she doesn’t think the candidate’s

appearance needs to be a main focus.

“I also liked how a lot of her campaign — she’s not basing it on the fact that she’s a woman,” Guckert said. “It’s kind of a little more powerful because she’s trying to get people to focus on her accomplishments, instead of just her gender or what she identifies as.”

Sophomore Sami Engel said part of the problem for women in politics is less that they make their campaign about their identity, and more that women have to do certain things to appeal to a larger group of voters.

“I think women in politics make a point to talk in a lower voice and present themselves more masculine than they normally would to show that their femininity will not be a distraction as president,” Engel said. “Women in politics definitely make a point to demonstrate that being a woman is not a negative aspect.”

Guckert agreed that women receive more criticism for feminine characteristics, and pointed to the 2016 election where the attacks between former President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton became more personal.

“Trump also focused a lot

on the appearance of Hillary,” Guckert said. “Women get judged for appearance, smiling, whatever.”

Jason Kirk, professor of policy studies, published “Rising Star: The Meaning of Nikki Haley, Trump’s Unlikely Ambassador” in late 2021. Kirk said that looking ahead to the 2024 presidential election in a race with a candidate like Trump, it is likely that he would weaponize language against a candidate like Nikki Haley — as he has before.

“He’s called her an ambitious woman, which is kind of coded language,” Kirk said. “It lands a little differently often when

you’re talking about women as leaders, as compared to men. … Ambitious can have more negative connotations when it’s associated with women as leaders. So Trump will probably continue to try to use that framing in a negative way.”

Engel said that the language used in the 2016 election showed her how women running for political office were perceived.

“People use the argument that women are too emotional, and their menstrual cycles will take a toll on them,” Engel said. “Gender should not be playing a role in politics and I think in the 2016 election, Trump really took advantage of calling women horrible, horrible names.”

Engel also said that overall gender should not be the main criteria people use when voting; however, she views having more women in office as a good thing. Engel hopes to pursue a career in working for political campaigns and said that she hopes to see people in office who better represent the overall demographics of the U.S.

“I’d love to see a woman who meets the standards and the qualifications,” Engel said. “There’s so many women that are qualified, that should be running for president, and I’d love to see them win. And just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you should win. Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you should win. But I think it would be great for the future of the country if a woman does become president.”

Womens’ contributions to history acknowledged across Alamance-Burlington School System

working mother of three children.

“I think it’s nice to give other females a voice, particularly in my case mothers,” Ellington-Graves said. “In the role that I’m in, it’s nice to be able to say, ‘I understand. I sympathize with you.’”

Margaret Faust

Elon News Network | @MargaretFaust5

At 11 years old, Dasia Roberson dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. She wants to graduate from Princeton, Yale and New York University. She said she has to plan ahead to make that dream come true.

“I’m making sure that I’m an all ‘A’ student. I drive my mom crazy with talking about it,” Roberson said.

Roberson describes herself as outgoing, kind and well-spoken — all things she uses to lead Hillcrest Elementary School as the student body president.

“You have more responsibility, more leadership and more of being a role model for the younger kids,” Roberson said.

Earlier in February, her presidential duties brought her to lead Board of Education Chair Sandy Ellington-Graves on a tour through her school. Roberson immediately made an impression on Ellington-Graves.

“Dasia was the leader that I would love to see in all of our students. And I’m thinking at fifth grade, this girl’s going to do big things,” Ellington-Graves said.

As Women’s History Month begins, Ellington-Graves finds herself reflecting on how her gender affects her role in the board of education, especially as a

Elected in 2020, EllingtonGraves has served as a member of the board of education for three years, the last two years as the board chair. The Southern Alamance High School graduate is overseeing the board as it tackles redistricting. Ellington-Graves is in charge of running civil board of education meetings. She said sometimes this means she has to restore order.

“It’s hard to pick up that gavel from time to time,” EllingtonGraves said.

But Ellington-Graves said she does not face gender discrimination on the board.

“I’ve never really run into, ‘You can’t get this promotion because you’re a woman,’ or ‘You can’t do this because you’re a woman,’” Ellington-Graves said.

Ellington-Graves said it’s important for ABSS schools to address women’s history, especially the female trailblazers. Ruby Bridges is one female trailblazer Roberson has already learned about in school. Bridges was the first African- American student to desegregate an elementary school in the south in 1960. During Black History Month, Roberson admired Bridges for her bravery at school and passion for education.

According to Chief Academic Officer Revonda Johnson, women’s history is taught in all ABSS schools, not just during Women’s History Month, but all year long.

Johnson also said particular emphasis is placed on women who have shattered glass ceilings, such as women in carpentry and the automotive industry.

“We know there are girls out there who do want to be in those fields, but sometimes the stigma that may come with that, ‘This is what boys do,’ we try to work really hard to eliminate that,” Johnson said.

How women’s history is taught varies at different grade levels. Sixth and seventh graders in ABSS are required to take technology education courses which expose them to different technical careers. High school students can opt into similar courses. Here career development coordinators

invite women to come to class and talk with students.

“We want to make sure that our young women understand that there are no barriers for them anymore, and that we want them to have those opportunities, if that’s something they’re interested in or have a passion for, that they explore those opportunities and push on,” Johnson said.

North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study offers expectations for what every student must learn in the classroom at each grade level. The eighth grade standards mention women twice. One history standard says teachers must, “Explain how the experiences and achievements of women, minorities, indigenous,

and marginalized groups have contributed to the development of North Carolina and the nation over time.”

While public schools are required to follow state curriculum, Johnson said teachers have the autonomy to introduce women’s history in other lessons if they want. Ellington-Graves said she wants every student to learn from those lessons, not just women.

“I want our kids to feel like they’ve got the confidence, the independence to do what they wanna do, regardless if they’re male or female, tall or short, Black or white, doesn’t matter,” Ellington-Graves said. “Find what makes you special and run with it.”

CLARE GRANT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dasia Roberson, Hillcrest Elementary School student body president, stands in her fifth grade classroom.

With announcement of Nikki Haley’s campaign, students want more women in politics

ABSS students, district leaders emphasize female trailblazers during Women’s History Month

NANCY LANE MEDIANEWS GROUP/BOSTON HERALD/TNS FOR WIRE PHOTOS OBTAINED FROM TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Newly announced Republican candidate for president Nikki Haley during a Feb. 16 town hall in Exeter, New Hampshire.

LADIES LIFTING empowers women to get active

Female, nonbinary participants worked with student instructors to gain confidence in the gym

The gym was quieter than usual as it was emptied out for six female instructors to help empower female and nonbinary participants to gain confidence and exercise skills.

Thirty participants found escape from a typically maledominated space when the Koury Athletic Center closed at 8 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. Feb. 21. Students cheered on their classmates as they tried out new skills, played music and collaborated with instructors and peers.

Ladies Lifting, hosted by Campus Recreation and Wellness, involved students worked closely with instructors and personal trainers to educate themselves on their gym form, proper regressions and safe use of equipment.

The annual event is part of Love Your Body Week, which aims to create a safe space for all people to learn about their bodies and how they can respect and love them.

SPARKS Peer Educators helped facilitate Love Your Body Week alongside Campus Recreation and Wellness.

Throughout the event, participants could attend four of six different stations led by group exercise instructors and personal trainers who attend Elon University.

Sophomore and group exercise instructor Katie Kapp led the yoga station at Ladies Lifting. She stressed the importance of exercise, referencing a quote she once heard saying, “Your body does not speak English.” Kapp said the quote inspired her to teach other

women about exercising.

“You can tell it, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’ however much you want, but by physically taking care of your body and giving it that boost of endorphins, it really shows yourself that you do care about yourself and you are taking care of yourself,” Kapp said.

For sophomore Allison Durand, the female-dominated and beginner-friendly setting of Ladies Lifting helped her focus on exercises and on taking care of herself.

that she strives to empower women to create and enter spaces such as Ladies Lifting, where they can learn in a community of women who face similar challenges and can properly support each other.

“At times, we as women focus on what we fall short on,” Dabbs said. “I think if we can turn that around and focus on what we thrive on and what we really bring to the table, we’re instilling a sense of positive reinforcement and confidence we all need on a regular basis.”

While a group setting was beneficial to those who participated, Ladies Lifting also gave some students the confidence to move into individual workouts.

Freshman Annabel Miller had a teacher at her high school help her toward success in the gym. Entering college, she said she felt intimidated without an instructor. Miller said Ladies Lifting helped her feel more secure and become more independent in a gym setting.

“I feel that it’s more of a safe space right now,” Miller said. “I feel more comforted and I’m able to ask more questions without being embarrassed or shy.”

“I am often consumed by what I’m seeing in the mirror rather than what body part I’m actually working out, which is something I’m working on,” Durand said. “It especially did not matter tonight because you could tell that we were all there for the same reasons. Everyone in the gym did not know something and that’s why we all showed up tonight.”

The group setting of Ladies Lifting proved itself to be a supportive learning space for beginners in the gym. Shaina Dabbs, sports management professor and director of Women In Sports — a club encouraging the education and mentorship of women in sports management — elaborated on the effect of offering women dominated learning spaces.

Dabbs said

Whether working out independently or in a group, confidence is beneficial in the gym setting for many reasons. Professor of exercise science Erika Bonadio said working out can be beneficial for mental health.

“It can give us energy and can be just as useful as a cup of coffee,” Bonadio said.

The Lancet Global Health journal found that globally, women participate in physical activity less than men and at lower intensities. Out of all the countries studied, 159 of 168 showed that insufficient physical activity was more prevalent among women.

These findings are yet another motive Bonadio uses to encourage women to exercise and be active. She said women are more

prone to certain diseases later in life, such as osteoporosis, and exercise can help prevent future diseases and possible current health issues.

Bonadio stressed the importance of providing underrepresented groups with opportunities and safe spaces to participate in physical activity for the benefit of the participants.

Campus Recreation and Wellness for fitness and aquatics, said that anyone can exercise in any space comfortable to them.

“Exercise can be any bodily movement that increases your heart rate. That can be as simple as walking around campus,” Johnson said. “It does not have to be in the gym. Embrace what you like doing.”

For Durand, Ladies Lifting changed her perspective on working out. She credits the event for boosting her mood in the gym.

“That was the happiest workout I’ve ever had,” Durand said. “I rarely ever leave the gym in a genuinely good mood and I’m leaving in a really good mood tonight, which is something I’m going to carry with me.”

Personal trainers have varying floor hours in the Koury gym where students can ask questions without an appointment. To find out about floor hours for a designated week, you may ask Koury Athletic Center Staff. Students can sign up for group exercises free of charge, as well as make a one-on-one appointment with a personal trainer for an indepth and individualized workout.

“If women aren’t comfortable lifting weights, or taking a yoga class, then they’re giving up a prime opportunity to build that bone mass that will be so important throughout the rest of their lives,” Bonadio said. “I really feel like it is our responsibility — as exercise scientists or gym managers — to create safe spaces for women because we are at greater risk for thinning bones and things like that.”

Beginning a fitness journey, however, is not something limited to the gym. Burley Johnson, coordinator of

Anne Thyfault Elon News Network | @amthyfaulted

I FEEL MORE COMFORTED AND I’M ABLE TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS WITHOUT BEING EMBARRASSED OR SHY.

ANNABEL MILLER ELON FRESHMAN

I RARELY EVER LEAVE THE GYM IN A GENUINELY GOOD MOOD AND I’M LEAVING IN A REALLY GOOD MOOD TONIGHT, WHICH IS SOMETHING I’M GOING TO CARRY WITH ME.

ALLISON DURAND ELON SOPHOMORE

Women empower Elon University softball team

Earning her 278th victory as Elon University softball’s head coach was a large accomplishment for Kathy Bocock, as she became the winningest softball head coach in program history Feb. 19. But what was even better, Bocock said, was the people around her — both her team and coaching staff — who helped her along the way.

“There’s a lot of times that people don’t get that opportunity in their lifetime,” Bocock said. “For me to get that was great, but it was with the people that were around me that made it really special. Great coaching staff, great players that have been a part of this all along. You don’t get there without those people. Granted, it might have been my moment, but it really is about the program and what we’ve done here.”

Bocock is assisted by the associate head softball coach Mallory Borden and assistant softball coach Taylor Waldrop. Each said they have been playing the sport since they were young and have enjoyed keeping it in their lives.

“For all of us we all got to play it, and coaching is a way for us to still be involved in something that was a big impact in our life,” Waldrop said. “Now we get to keep helping and building softball because it’s always growing. Even being the youngest on the staff, it’s changed so much in my few years being out of college. It’s cool to watch the game grow and be able to be part of that process.”

The trio makes up the only all-female coaching staff at Elon University, as every other sport in some capacity is coached by one or more males. Being a part of this staff is something that inspires them and their athletes.

“It’s important for women to be in sports,” Borden said. “We’re able to coach females and it’s a female role model that these young ladies have.”

This season will be Bocock’s 13th as the head coach, where she previously spent two years as an assistant coach. She had been coaching for 24 years prior to coming to Elon, and said she has loved her career and is proud of her accomplishments.

“It’s all about relationships, and I love the game. It’s given me the opportunity to be part of the game and to build relationships,”

Bocock said. “I was an athlete myself, so to be able to do that for my career, I get up every day very grateful.”

Borden and Waldrop were both brought onto staff by Bocock, and the three work together in a variety of roles to build and improve the Elon program season after season. Waldrop said that being an all-female staff is inspiring, but coaching the sport and helping her athletes is her main priority.

“It’s pretty cool to sit and think about our staff, but I’ve been given an opportunity by coach Bo,” Waldrop said. “She went with who she thought was best for the job and I’m super grateful for that. Every single day I get to come here, I get to do what I love. I’ve played since I was four years old and here I am still able to do it.”

While Bocock herself did not set out to only hire female athletes, she said that it just so happened that the all-female staff is what

works best for her team.

“I have had some males on my staff, which has been fine and they’ve done a great job, but over the years it’s all about who’s going to do the job for me,” Bocock said. “Whether it be a female or a male, my assistants are the ones that we hired and they’re doing a great job.”

Growing up in a male dominated industry has been challenging for all three at times, but Bocock said she is happy that athletics and the softball industry are continuing to include more and more women in higher positions.

“I have brothers and nephews that have been very active in sport, so for me when I was growing up, my mom and dad never really emphasized the boys or the girls, we were all the same,” Bocock said. “But it is huge because athletics is changing all the time. Softball is a female sport and we want

to see more females coaching and really doing well with the sport.”

These powerful female role models have been essential to the success of two Elon seniors: utility players Megan Grant and Carley Davis.

“It’s so amazing because not only have they been in our shoes, they understand what we go through on a daily basis,” Grant said. “All three of them played collegiate athletics and they know what it’s like to show up here every day and put in the work, and they know the mental processes of our sport.”

Davis said that being a female athlete and coached by females has inspired her throughout her collegiate career.

“It’s also empowering being women college athletes seeing what we could do because the coaches do so many great things, and they’re very relatable for us on a day to day basis,” Davis said.

Grant echoed Davis, who said she had never had a female coach until she got to Elon.

“It’s definitely a shift, but it was a shift in a very positive direction,” Grant said. “Things that you might not be able to talk about with a male coach, you feel truly heard and understood with a female coach. That shift in terms of what they are teaching us isn’t necessarily different, but the empowerment that you get from that is truly something that’s so special and something that I’m so grateful to have here.”

Grant and Davis both said that they appreciate coach Bocock, Borden and Waldrop for the life lessons and ideals that they have instilled in them, both on and off the field.

“The biggest lesson that coach Bo has given me is the art of communication,” Davis said. “I came in and I was a leader but I wasn’t a vocal leader, I didn’t really step out of my comfort zone, and she really pushed me to do that last year. She really just wanted me to step up and use my voice in a positive light to lead the team alongside Megan.”

Bocock hopes to continue her inspiring ways throughout her time as head coach of the Phoenix.

“For me, I had people when I was an athlete, I had coaches that helped me through my life and career movements, and general life lessons,” Bocock said. “So I try to give that back now because I had people do that for me and now I’m getting the opportunity to give back.”

Kathy Bocock is assisted by Mallory Borden and Taylor Waldrop, the only all-female coaching staff at Elon

Sydney Spencer

Sports Editor| @SydneyASpencer

JACOB KISAMORE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Head coach Kathy Bocock (right) stands alongside associate head coach Mallory Borden (middle) and assistant coach Taylor Waldrop (left) on Feb. 19. The trio makes up the only all-female coaching staff at Elon University.

JACOB KISAMORE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Head coach Kathy Bocock shares a hug with junior pitcher Meredith Wells after becoming Elon’s all-time winningest coach Feb. 19 at Hunt Park. Elon defeated James Madison University 8-2.

Social district to open in downtown Elon

Come April, Town of Elon will establish designated areas for individuals over 21 to drink alcohol outside

The town of Elon is establishing a social district — an area that allows patrons of downtown businesses to purchase and drink alcohol outdoors — outside of local restaurants such as Pandora’s Pies, MaGerks Pub & Grill and TANGENT Eat+Bar.

The social district extends from the corner of West Lebanon Avenue and North Holt Avenue, to South Williamson Avenue. It ends in the area on the corner of South Williamson and West College Avenue.

A North Carolina General Assembly pandemic law expanded outdoor dining and alcohol consumption, but expired Aug. 15, 2022. Following the expiration date, the idea for the district was proposed at a Town Council meeting and approved Sept. 26, 2022.

Prior to COVID-19, possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages on public streets in downtown Elon was not permitted unless it was in a designated area during a special event.

Town of Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe said the district is soft-launching now — with signs up to let people know what it is and what parts of downtown it includes. The district will officially open April 21 when the town’s concert series, Music 2 Dine 2, kicks off for the spring and summer.

“It’s something that we took advantage of for two years and then all of a sudden, it was like, wait— we can’t do it,” Sharpe said. “So now I’m excited. I think it has been a really great opportunity for our businesses to expand their dining services in some way, shape or form and this just adds on to that.”

Downtown Development Director Jill Weston said it was important for the

town to start the social district project while downtown was undergoing other expansions, such as the permanent patio space next to Pandora’s Pies.

“We didn’t want to lose that momentum, we still want to allow that socializing and allow the over 21s to enjoy drinking outside in our dining areas and at our events,” Weston said.

Elon junior Juliana Mack turned 21 in the fall and said she goes out for drinks with friends at MaGerks. She said she likes the idea of having the space, but isn’t sure how often she’d use it.

“It’s a good idea in theory but because the rules are so specific about what you can have and where I feel like it will deter

students from using it,” Mack said.

Sharpe said downtown Elon restaurants are participating using stickers — noting if beverages are sold there, if drinks are welcomed in the business or if drinks are not allowed. “Sold here” denotes locations with authorized licenses to sell alcoholic beverages. “Drinks welcome” means that patrons can bring drinks inside a business they are shopping at or visiting. “No drinks please” means that a business is not participating in the social district. Only beer and wine can be purchased and taken into the social district. The beverages must be purchased from a participating business and in the business’ designated cups. No outside alcohol is allowed, and alcohol of any kind isn’t allowed in parking lots or alley ways.

Weston said the most important part of developing a social district is safety. Town police will be patrolling the social district.

Previous concerns from the town council before the district was voted on included confusion over where the perimeters for the district were and what alcohol could be consumed there. Sharpe and Weston said

they hope putting signs out now, during its soft launch, with details that answer those questions will help people understand the boundaries, purpose and rules of the social district ahead of its opening and afterward.

“The rules apply as they have always applied,” Weston said. “It’s just basically expanding from an outdoor patio to our sidewalk area that’s on our map and the dining areas and nothing beyond that will be like they would normally get a citation if they were outside of an area that’s allowing alcohol.”

Weston said she’s excited that the town is offering this to the community and to students who are over the age of 21. She said the social district is a kickoff to the master plan that the town is currently working on.

“We’re really proud of the fact that we are the first town or city in Alamance County to launch a social district,” Weston said.

The social district is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and no alcohol is permitted on sidewalks or dining areas outside of these hours.

Ellis Chandler

Executive Producer of Elon Local News | @ellis__chandler

ELLIS CHANDLER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Green social district signs in downtown Elon show that customers can buy alcoholic beverages from that business. Pandora’s Pies is participating in the social district.

COURTESY OF TOWN OF ELON

The updated rendering from the town of Elon shows the final outline for the downtown social district.

AVERY SLOAN | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Downtown Elon’s social district is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and offically launches April 21.

Eric Mulford: paramedic, student, husband, father

The 41-year-old nursing student aims to help others in his cohort grow and continue to learn despite his age

Betsy Schlehuber

Lifestyle Editor | @betsyschlehuber

As soon as Eric Mulford graduated high school, he received his EMT certification. Shortly after that, he became a firefighter paramedic. Twenty two years later, he decided to attend nursing school at Elon University.

Mulford, now a sophomore, is the oldest nursing student in the first cohort at 41 years old and said he feels like a “big brother” to the other students.

“I had the opportunity to come here and be part of something that’s pretty big as far as developing this program and helping these younger students get through the program and become great nurses,” Mulford said.

Outside of classes and working at the Burlington Fire Department, Mulford is married to Cara Lucia, Elon professor of sports management. Mulford and Lucia have four children among them, three from Mulford’s previous marriage and one from Lucia’s. They also have two bulldogs, Hamilton and Lincoln.

Mulford has to balance family life on top of career and school, and while he said it hasn’t been easy “by any means,” he and Lucia have come up with time management strategies that allow them to take time for themselves.

Lucia said one of these strategies is using a shared calendar to plan date nights and family events as far as three to four months in advance. She also said that when Mulford isn’t working a night shift, they will not talk about school for the first 30 minutes of catching up at the end of the day.

Mulford worked in Roanoke, Virginia, before moving to North Carolina five years ago. He landed a job as a paramedic with the Burlington Fire Department and still works there while attending Elon. There are days, he said, where he will be up all night in the fire department and up all day in the classroom.

Despite working in Burlington, Mulford said that firefighting is a “younger person’s game,” and he had to take a step back from specific tasks because they have become too physically demanding.

“Being 41, it gets to the point where I can’t even keep climbing up and down these ladders and trucks and doing all these different things,” Mulford said.

Growing out of these activities was part of why Mulford chose nursing school, he said.

But he also decided to attend Elon because he “always had a passion for taking care of people,” especially working in public safety.

Because of his past and current experience as a paramedic, Mulford serves a bigger role than just a student — he also teaches classes and assists with research, which requires him to perform tasks such as taking blood samples. He said he takes on these projects as part of being a big brother.

“If you have knowledge or you’re able to help somebody, it’s important to share that information and grow that person up to where you are so that you can continue growing as a person,” Mulford said.

While Mulford will soon age out of public safety, he said being older in college is beneficial. Not only does he have more life experience, but he said he also doesn’t get distracted by factors normally important to typical college students.

“There’s a lot of on campus activities and things a college person usually does like events, and games, and tailgates, and sororities, and fraternities and so on,” Mulford said. “And I don’t have all those distractions. I have outside, regular-life

distractions.”

Mulford and Lucia met online shortly after Mulford moved to North Carolina in 2018. Their first date was at the Durty Bull Brewing Company in Durham. Nine months later, they were engaged. Mulford asked Lucia to marry him during a Reese Witherspoon trivia night at their first date location.

The Durty Bull knew about Mulford’s plans to propose, so they asked a bonus question to trivia participants where the answer involved a wedding proposal. Lucia said Mulford jumped up, got the correct answer and proceeded to ask Lucia to marry him in front of everybody. Later they found out that the security cameras captured the proposal on video — a tape they still own.

The couple got married on Oct. 10, 2020 because the date used the numbers “10, 10, 20, 20.”

Lucia said she and Mulford are all about supporting each other, which is partly why Mulford chose Elon, her place of work, over other schools with nursing programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she said they were able to support each other at home easier, especially when Mulford got into a serious car accident that left him with a broken jaw, broken ribs and shoulder damage.

“You couldn’t have people really come visit. … We would do a lot of sitting outside on the porch so he could see people across the street,” Lucia said. “I would get him chocolate milkshakes because with your mouth wired shut, it provides some hope.”

Lucia said it’s interesting to have a student perspective in her household, even if it’s not coming from one of her children. She likes hearing about how he navigates classes.

While Mulford is a nontraditional student, he urges anybody, no matter how old they are, to pursue higher education — even if they’ve already done it.

“I think education is important, and you should continue to grow and learn every day,” Mulford said. “So as far as me making a decision to go back to school later on in life, I think that that’s continuous growth. And my purpose is to grow and to continue to help people.”

Mulford wants nontraditional prospective students to know Elon is a good choice for them.

“Elon University doesn’t have many nontraditional students here. It’s just not known for that, it’s known for traditional student access,” Mulford said. “It’s important to know that they are welcoming to non-traditional students and that anybody can come here and go back to school, if they want to.”

ERIN MARTIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomores Sydney Tort and Eric Mulford practice skin assessments during a nursing lab Feb. 22.

ERIN MARTIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore Eric Mulford uses a hyper realistic mannequin to demonstrate to other students in the Elon nursing cohort how to properly identify someones race by examining their tongue.

IF YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE OR YOU’RE ABLE TO HELP SOMEBODY, IT’S IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION AND GROW THAT PERSON UP TO WHERE YOU ARE SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE GROWING AS A PERSON.

ERIC MULFORD SOPHOMORE NURSING STUDENT

ONLINE:

SPORTS

A teaser for online content goes here and here and herey

Men’s basketball vs. William & Mary | CAA Men’s Basketball Championship Washington, D.C.

MARCH 4 | NOON

Baseball vs. Quinnipiac Series

MARCH 3 | 4 PM

MARCH 4 | 2 P.M.

MARCH 5 | 1 P.M.

NEXT STOP: COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT

Elon University men’s basketball heads to Washington D.C. for the CAA tournament

As the clock hit zero Feb. 25, the realization set in for graduate student guard Sean Halloran, graduate student Torrence Watson and the three other seniors that they had played their final game at the Schar Center.

However, while the loss to the University of Delaware was the last game that the seniors would get the chance to play at Schar, it isn’t the last time they will have the chance to hit the hardwood. With the Colonial Athletic Association tournament scheduled to start March 3, the team will look to rebound after a heartbreaking regular season finale.

Head coach Billy Taylor said despite not pulling off the win Feb. 25, he is pleased with where the team is headed to the tournament.

“For a team to be picked close to dead last to be in the eight vs nine game is really a testament to all the injuries that we’ve dealt with,” Taylor said.

The Phoenix will enter the playoffs ranked ninth out of the 13-team conference, and is set for a matchup against the No. 8 seeded

William & Mary Tribe on March 4. Halloran said he hopes the team is able to find the connection that was present during the hot stretch in its last month of games.

“When we went on a winning streak, all five guys on the court and even the people on the bench were on the same page at all times,” Halloran said.

Halloran said if the Phoenix is able to do that, no one will want to run into Elon come tournament time.

“If we stay on the same page we can beat anybody in the conference,” Halloran said.

The Phoenix was able to rattle off six wins in its last 10 games, five of which coming in February. In the 10 game stretch, the Phoenix shot 42% from the floor, and scored an average of 67 points per game.

As well as resparking the chemistry that was present in the last month, the Phoenix will need to rely heavily on its senior leadership if it wants to defy the odds and climb to the top of the CAA tournament.

Only two of the current Phoenix players, graduate student guard Jerald Gillens-Butler and senior guard Zac Ervin, were on the seventh ranked squad that climbed through the ranks of the CAA tournament before it lost in the final round to the No. 6 overall Northeastern University Huskies in the 2019-20 season. As well as Ervin and Gillens-Butler, the two graduate transfers in forward John Bowen III and Halloran bring

championship level experience from Belmont Abbey College.

Taylor said with a team built around talent that can execute in the games biggest moments, anything is possible.

“We have guys that know how to get it done at this time of year,” Taylor said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to elevate our game and I know they will be dialed in preparation wise.”

Two games in the decisive 10game stretch came against the very team the Phoenix will face on Saturday: The William & Mary Tribe. After hosting the Tribe at the Schar Center on Feb. 11, a game it won 66-55, the Phoenix traveled to north Williamsburg, Virginia, to face William & Mary just 12 days later and fell 70-63. Now, the teams are getting set for their third matchup in three weeks. Taylor said despite the frequent meetings, Elon will stay consistent in its preparation this week at practice.

“We’ll take some time to focus on ourselves first, and then we will start to focus on William & Mary,” Taylor said. “We will go through all of our plays and adjustments to make sure we are ready.”

As the postseason begins, Taylor said he expects the Tribe to come out stronger than ever, but has faith in his team.

“This is the conference tournament,” Taylor said. “Everybody is laying it all on the line because the season is at stake. I know our guys will be ready to compete.”

Graduate student Sean Halloran goes to shoot a basket in Schar Center. Halloran played previously under head coach Billy Taylor at Belmont Abbey.

JACOB KISAMORE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Elon men’s basketball team gathers together before facing off against Hofstra University at Schar Center on Jan. 16. The team gathers together while wearing warm up shirts with the acronym S.A.L.T. that stands for being selfless, being accountable, loving each other and being tough.

Max Wallace Elon News Network | @Max_C_Wallace

MAKE HEADLINES

INTERESTED IN JOINING ELON NEWS NETWORK?

WE’RE HIRING.

OUR TEAMS:

- Multimedia Reporting

- News

- Politics

- Lifestyle

- Sports

- Opinions

- Photography

- Design

- Broadcast Production

- Copy Editing

- Social Media

- Media Analytics

- Branding

WHY JOIN:

I am extremely grateful for the invaluable learning opportunities and hands-on experiences that Elon News Network has presented throughout my involvement in this organization. ENN has not only given me the chance to develop my skills as a journalist, it has also shaped me into a more confident, curious and hard working individual.

CAROLINE MITCHELL MANAGING EDITOR OF THE PENDULUM, DESIGN CHIEF