The presidential elections, the economy and faculty opinions in newspaper guest columns contributed to the university's frequent presence in media.
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Elon University faculty, staff, students and alumni have been featured often in news media in recent months for their expertise in the politics, polling, the economy and more.
Making an impact was expert analysis by Elon University Poll leaders Kenneth Fernandez (director) and Jason Husser (assistant director), as well as political science colleagues who shared their insights with journalists as North Carolina again took a prominent role in the presidential election season.
Law faculty were showcased on a syndicated NPR program as well as featured in newspaper opinion pages in North Carolina and beyond.
The following list should not be considered exhaustive and does not include most athletics news.
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9/2/12: The (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Too Good to be True? Users describe ZeekRewards trouble” quotes Associate Professor Christina Benson about a lawsuit surrounding a local company accused of running a Ponzi scheme. (Article no longer posted online) RELATED from the High Point Enterprise: “Economic woes may have fueled pyramid scheme’s rapid growth” (not currently posted online).
9/3/12: BloombergBusinessweek: “Obama In Uphill Fight to Win North Carolina as Convention Nears” reports on a special Elon University Poll released on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. RELATED from PBS Newshour: “Spotlight on North Carolina as Democrats Arrive in Battleground State” RELATED from The Washington Post’s “The Fix” blog: “Obama’s standing in North Carolina before DNC” RELATED from The National Journal: “Poll: Romney Leads in N.C. as Younger Voters Drift Away From Obama” RELATED from The Los Angeles Times: “Polls show North Carolina as Romney’s best pickup opportunity” RELATED from The New York Times/538 blog: “Sept. 2: Split Verdict in Polls on Romney Convention Bounce”
9/4/12: Fox 8 WGHP: “McCrory has sizeable lead over Dalton in Elon poll” cites Elon University Poll survey as an indicator that governor candidate Pat McCrory has a lead over fellow candidate Walter Dalton.
9/5/12: The Diane Rehm Show (NPR): “Fairness in State Courts: Electing Versus Appointing State Judges” features Associate Professor Scott Gaylord on the nationally syndicated public radio program.
9/9/12: Charlotte Observer: “Poll: Young voters less excited than other age groups” uses an Elon University/Charlotte Observer poll to determine that voters between the ages of 18-30 in North Carolina are the least excited about the upcoming presidential election.
9/9/12: Fox 8 WGHP: “Most Piedmont counties see an increase in voter registrations” features Associate Professor Sharon Spray talking about the increased number of registered voters in central North Carolina counties.
9/11/12: Oxford American: “My Search for James Ross, One-Hit Wonder” is an essay written by Associate Professor Anthony Hatcher about his experiences with the work of author James Ross.
9/14/12: The (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Voting on the Future of the Court” was a column written by Assistant Professor Dion Farganis explaining the broader implications of American jurisprudence based on the outcome of the fall campaign season. The column also appeared in the Gaston Gazette, Shelby Star, and (Durham, N.C.) Herald-Sun. (Links to all four newspapers are no longer available online.)
9/17/12: WFMY News 2: “Gun Sales: A Political Issue?” includes an interview with Associate Professor Dion Farganis on the implications of gun ownership and gun rights depending on the outcome of the fall presidential elections.
9/18/12: National Journal: “Pollsters Agree: Romney Needs Something to Happen” cites an Elon University poll that shows presidential candidate Mitt Romney holds a lead in North Carolina.
9/19/12: Cary Citizen: “Native Son Honored at Smithsonian Exhibit” features Elon alumnus Ned Dibner, who majored in art, for having his woodwork featured in the Smithsonian Institute.
9/19/12: News 14 Carolina: “Capital Tonight: Campaign Media Coverage” includes an interview with Associate Professor Rich Landesberg on campaign coverage in the media.
9/21/12: ABC News: “Online voter registration to kick up youth vote, simplify registration” recognizes Elon University as one of fifty college campuses to use TurboVote as a way to register voters and absentee ballots.
9/26/12: Tideland News: “Morris shares credit as Onslow’s top teacher” praises Elon alumna Carrie Morris, an elementary education major, for being selected from 2,200 teachers as Onslow County’s Teacher of the Year.
9/26/12: WFMY News 2: “Impact of Polling: Do Voters Really Care?” is an interview with Assistant Professor Kenneth Fernandez, director of the Elon University Poll, about the impact of polls in the 2012 presidential election.
9/27/12: Inside Higher Ed: “Informing Students About Islam” praises Elon University for its new interfaith center, which will encourage students to learn more about religions other than their own faith.
9/28/12: The (Durham, N.C.) Herald-Sun: “With health care access, we are better off” was a newspaper guest opinion column by English professor Rosemary Haskell about why she supports Obamacare.
9/28/12: Gaston Gazette: “Navigating breast cancer’s long road” was a guest column by Associate Professor Barbara Gordon on her experience battling the disease. The column also appeared in the (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record, the Henderson Dispatch, the Shelby Star, and (Durham, N.C.) Herald-Sun.
OCTOBER
10/1/12: WFMY News 2: “Do Debates Matter to Voters After Months of Political Ads” includes an interview with Assistant Professor Kenneth Fernandez, director of Elon University Polls, on why Mitt Romney’s political fortunes are more dependent on the outcome of televised debates than Barack Obama’s prospects.
10/1/2012: Charlotte Observer: “The Mitt and Barack Show: TV blitz hits Charlotte” uses an Elon University poll about the voting outcomes of the presidential election in North Carolina.
10/2/2012: International Herald Tribune: “A South Korean Star, and the Horse He Rode In On” cites Associate Professor Crystal S. Anderson on the popularity and cultural context in Psy’s hit music video “Gangnam Style”.
10/4/2012: The Business Journal of the Triad: “Elon Law clinics grow as school does” explains how the Elon University School of Law is using its new facilities to expand free legal clinics to elderly or low-income people.
10/4/12: News 14 Carolina: “College student answers growing need for bone marrow transplants” highlights current Elon student Donovan Rainey, who is in the process of becoming a bone marrow transplant for his father.
10/5/12: The Business Journal of the Triad: “Elon Law’s success may just be a starting point in downtown GSO” praises the Elon University School of Law’s success in Greensboro and suggests that the downtown area can be used for other similar purposes.
10/5/12: WFMY News 2: “National Jobless Rate Drops” interviews Assistant Professor Jason Husser about what the unemployment statistic actually signifies.
10/6/12: The High Point Enterprise: “Debate, jobless number shake up presidential race” quotes Assistant Professor Jason Husser on Romney’s impact during the latest presidential debate.
10/8/12: Fox 8 WGHP: “Elon Basketball Coach puts on dancing shoes” features men’s basketball Coach Matt Matheny as he trains for a ballroom dancing competition to raise money for the charity Little Pink Houses of Hope.
10/11/12: The Post-Journal: “Author To Hold Presentation At JCC” features Elon alumna and author, Hilary Corna, presenting at Jamestown Community College in New York about her work experiences in Singapore.
10/11/12: Soccer America: “Thomas leads nation, breaking Elon scoring record” highlights the success of Chris Thomas of Elon’s Men’s Soccer team.
10/19/12: The Business Journal of the Triad: “Elon expanding West Coast program to full semester” explains how Elon is expanding their Elon in LA program by increasing the timeframe and faculty.
10/21/12: WFMY News 2: “Elon U Student finds Scholar-CHIP Which Helps Children of Incarcerated Parents” profiles sophomore Yasmine Arrington’s efforts to create a scholarship to help children of incarcerated parents pay for college.
10/22/12: WFMY News 2: “Elon’s Thomas Wilson Earns SoCon’s Player of the Week Honors” highlights senior football player Thomas Wilson, whose performance in the homecoming football game against Western Carolina earned him a SoCon Player of the Week title.
10/29/12: CNN: “Poll: Locked up race in North Carolina” examines the findings of the latest Elon University Poll. RELATED from the Associated Press (via the Winston-Salem Journal): “Poll: Obama, Romney in a dead heat in North Carolina” RELATED from CBS News: “One week out, polls as close as ever” RELATED from FiveThirtyEight.com (New York Times): “Polling Slows as Storm Wreaks Havoc”
10/29/12: News 14 Carolina: “InDepth: Elon Poll shows dead heat in NC presidential race (interview with Ken Fernandez” RELATED from NC NOW (WUNC-TV): “Elon Poll’s Jason Husser” (starting at the 22:15 mark) RELATED from News 14 Carolina: “Early voting period winds down as presidential race remains tight”
10/29/12: WFMY News 2: “How Hurricane Sandy Impacts the Presidential Campaign” is an on-air interview with Assistant Professor Jason Husser about the political implications of a devastating storm on the East Coast just days before the 2012 election.
10/29/12: The New York Times/FiveThirtyEight.com: “Polling Slows as Storm Wreaks Havoc” features the latest data from the Elon University Poll in the waning days of the election season. RELATED from CNN: “Poll: Locked up race in North Carolina” RELATED from the Charlotte Observer: “Elon Poll: Obama, Romney are in a dead heat in North Carolina” RELATED from the Virginian-Pilot: “Poll: Obama, Romney tied in North Carolina” RELATED from Talking Points Memo: “North Carolina Poll: Obama, Romney Locked At 45 Percent As Democrats See Early Vote Advantage”
NOVEMBER
11/6/12: Various Media: Four political scientists – Sharon Spray, Kenneth Fernandez, Jason Husser and Dion Farganis – joined by Elon University Poll Director of Communications John Robinson, were featured on live television broadcasts across the state as election results became known in the 2012 presidential and gubernatorial contests. Broadcast outlets included WRAL and WTVD in the Triangle region of North Carolina, FOX News Rising and WBTV in Charlotte, and Fox 8 WGHP and WFMY News 2 in the Triad.
11/15/12: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Climate change back on the table” was a newspaper guest column by faculty members Michael Strickland and Janet MacFall in which the professors reflect on the way Hurricane Sandy has shifted public discourse on global warming. The column also appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times and the (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record.
11/15/12: WPTF News Radio: “Job Loss Recovery” was an interview with Professor Mary Gowan on ways for workers to bounce back from being laid off. The story was based on mass layoffs at a North Carolina health center. (Not currently posted online).
11/19/12: WRALtechwire: “Broadband takes center stage at Elon University” reports on the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) Community Day 2012 held on campus and featuring Associate Professor Janna Anderson.
11/21/12: Fayetteville Observer: “A ‘sleeping giant’ awakens” is a guest column by Assistant Professor Kenneth Fernandez, director of the Elon University Poll, on the rising influence of Latino voters. The column also appeared in the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News, the (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record and the Winston-Salem Journal.
11/27/12: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “SHARE-ing some love” profiles a student group with members who volunteer time to accompany animals awaiting adoption in a local shelter.
11/29/12: Winston-Salem Journal: “Laughing at ‘secession’ misses the bigger problem” is a guest column by Assistant Professor Jason Husser in which the assistant director of the Elon University Poll probes the depths of political polarization in the United States today. The column also appeared in the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News, the Gaston Gazette, the (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record and the (Durham, N.C.) Herald-Sun.
11/30/12: WFMY News 2: “Elon Festival of Lights” showcases an annual university tradition with 1,500 luminarias lighting campus.
DECEMBER
12/4/12: News & Observer: “NBC news anchor to speak at Elon University commencement” includes information on the May 2013 ceremony where Elon parent Brian Williams will address graduates. RELATED from the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “NBC anchor Brian Williams to speak at Elon commencement” RELATED from Fox 8 WGHP: “NBC’s Brian Williams to give 2013 Commencement at Elon”
12/5/12: WFMY News 2: “The Art of Negotiating a Deal” is an interview with Assistant Professor Jason Husser on the techniques successful negotiators use. The segment was produced in the context of ongoing discussions about the “fiscal cliff” Americans face with possible tax increases and spending cuts in 2013.
12/5/12: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Project puts books into young readers hands” is a story on “The Village Project” organized by Associate Professor Jean Rattigan-Rohr in the School of Education.
12/9/12: Charlotte Observer: “A Newby recusal on redistricting would set bad precedent” was a guest column by Professor Scott Gaylord in which he examined the implications of a conservative judge not hearing a case because his campaign received donations from conservative causes.
12/12/12: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Long-time Elon coach Morningstar sets spring retirement” shares details of Bill Morningstar’s 2013 planned retirement from his alma mater.
12/16/12: The Roanoke (Va.) Times: “Another year, another Apocalypse” was a guest column by Associate Professor Lynn Huber exploring American fascination with Doomsday prophecies. The column also appeared in the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News, the (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record, the Asheville Citizen-Times, the (Durham, N.C.) Herald-Sun and the Winston-Salem Journal.
12/17/12: The Roanoke (Va.) Times: “When preventing crime stunts moral growth” was a newspaper guest column by Elon Law Associate Professor Michael Rich on emerging technologies that prevent people from exercising the freedom to choose to commit a crime. The same column also appeared in the (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News.
12/17/12: Business Journal of the Triad: “BB&T donates $500,000 to Elon University’s softball park” reports on a major gift to the university from the North Carolina-based bank. The gift will help complete Hunt Softball Park. RELATED from the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon receives money to aid softball project”
12/23/12: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “Downtown, the night before …” was the monthly business leadership column authored by Professor Emeritus David Noer examining civic issues in Greensboro.
12/23/12: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “After Newtown, consider ‘child genocide’” was a guest column by Professor Tom Arcaro taking a global view at the way Americans grieve for certain childhood deaths but not others. The same column also appeared in the Roanoke (Va.) Times, the (Durham, N.C.) Herald-Sun and the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News.
12/27/12: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon busines students find Germany worth studying” profiles the Business German program coordinated by faculty members Scott Windham and David Neville.
12/27/12: Business Journal of the Triad: “Elon, Wake Forest and UNCSA cited for value” reports on the accolades Elon received this fall from Kiplinger’s.
12/30/12: News & Observer: “Wake continues to weigh role of year-round schools” includes research by Assistant Professor Katy Rouse in a broader story on the future of year-round schooling in North Carolina’s largest public system.
12/31/12: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “A depressing visit to a N.C. gun show” (not currently posted online) was a guest column by Associate Professor Anthony Hatcher where he described the scene of a firearms event the day after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. The same column also appeared in the Hickory (N.C.) Daily Record and the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News.
12/31/12: WFMY News 2: “Senate Dem. Aide: ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Deal Reached” includes an interview with Assistant Professor Jason Husser on the politics behind the recent “fiscal cliff” negotiations in Washington.