Elon University’s fall convocation special speaker

A ray of hope for Afghanistan

By Meaghan Carey

 

The image of a large hole in the ground where refugee Afghani families reside in the wintertime would be something Khaled Hosseini would never forget. The life changing experience occurred when Hosseini was shown this particular hole by a young boy from a refugee camp in northern Afghanistan who said him and 22 of his family members would huddle together in the colder months.   It was at this exact moment that Hosseini decided to create The Khaled Hosseini Foundation which mission is to improve the lives of Afghani’s living in poverty, specifically women and children.

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan.  His father was a diplomat and worked for the Afghanistan Foreign Ministry.  His family then relocated to Paris, France because of his father job; eventually Hosseini ended up living in political asylum in San Jose, California.  Hosseini studied medicine and afterwards wrote two books: “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns.”

Hosseini was chosen to be the speaker at Fall Convocation that took place on Tuesday afternoon in Alumni Gym. In his latest book (which was the selected book for the Elon University’s class of 2013) “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, follows two Afghani women in the struggle to live in Afghanistan.  The best-selling novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” also reflects Hosseini’s own beliefs about Afghanistan women.  Hosseini said, “women in Afghanistan are the answer to success to Afghanistan.”  The author also believes that more presence women have in society the more Afghanistan will transform into a more progressive and modern nation.

Afghanistan’s past has proved to be imperative into understanding why injustice for women still remain in the country.   Past rulers efforts to change the treatment of women included banning burkas, providing education, banning child marriage, and granting women the right to sue their husband. In turn, “every turn has been met with resistance,” said Hosseini.  Hosseini also said that “what the Taliban did was a great disservice [to Afghanistan and women].”

With the United States and Afghanistan fighting, Hosseini said for him personally, “this is not a war on terror, it is a war on poverty.”  Hosseini said one out of five Afghani children do not make it to the age of 5.  The effect of poverty has caused more Afghani people to die than the civilian deaths from the current war.  That aside, Hosseini said he has become “more sober about the magnitude of challenge in Afghanistan.”

Hosseini is adamant about the need for Afghanistan to incorporate women into society as well as to fight for the bettering of Afghanistan peoples’ living conditions. Since the publication of his books, Hosseini has established The Khaled Hosseini Foundation that lends grants and gifts in order to provide shelter and food for impoverished citizens of Afghanistan.  Furthermore, Hosseini has become a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The message was clear by Hosseini at Fall Convocation: individuals need to travel to gain perspective of the world, as well as be aware of issues such as the brutal treatment of women in Afghanistan and rampant poverty. The Khaled Hosseini Foundation’s website provides a mission statement: “The rebuilding needs of Afghanistan are great, and containing the tide of human suffering there is a task of Herculean proportion. But we can all contribute. We can all do our part, however modest.”

More American’s are reading, a study says

American reading rates increase, according to recent NEA study

By Meaghan Carey

 

According to a National Endowment for the Arts survey, for the first time in more than 25 years the rate at which adults are reading has increased.  Specifically, the biggest increase is among young adults aged 18-24.

One may ask, why or what has caused this increase in readers?  Beverly Brown, an employee at Mynt, a fashion boutique in Elon, said “there are more books now.”

Brown estimates that she reads a book every two weeks by any number of authors.

“I read best sellers,” she said. “I don’t read one author.  Dan Brown, Stephen King, Thomas Friedman, some religious books and lots of classics.”

Brown said she reads more now because she did not read as much growing up. Her parents, who worked on a farm, did not encourage reading.  But she encouraged her children to read often because, she says, parents have a great influence on whether their children will choose to read.

“My girls who are in their 20s are reading.,  Brown said.

Students, in contrast with adults, say they do not have as much time to enjoy books.  A typical college schedule does not leave much room for a leisure activity such as reading.

“I can’t read for pleasure,” said Meghan Gribbon, a sophomore at Elon University, who typically reads more in summer because she has more downtime to enjoy and read books such as fiction novels, period pieces or comedic literature.

Grace Sweeney, a sophomore at Elon University, also had the same problem of finding time to read books for pleasure outside of class.  Sweeney said she prefers classic books, as well as the Chelsea Handler series.

“It’s a different way to entertain yourself other than going on Facebook or watching television,” Sweeney said.  “It’s more satisfying.”

Sweeney also said there has “been an emphasis on reading.  A lot of hit novels have convinced people to read more.”  Sweeney said hit series Twilight and Harry Potter have been popular in past years and are still currently popular.

Taylor Sperry, who is also a sophomore at Elon University. said she reads a good amount.  Sperry said she tends to prefer biographies and fiction novels. As to why adults are reading more? Sperry says it’s accessibility.

“I think it’s happening because there is more access [to books],” Sweeney said.

Broadcast News Stories

KEY: “Pregnant Women and Alcohol…”

REPORTER: Meaghan Carey

MEAGHAN CAREY (WABC NEWS)

ELON UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS RELEASED A THREE-YEAR STUDY THAT CONFIRMED THE LINK BETWEEN DRINKING AND BIRTH DEFECTS.  DOCTORS FOUND THAT CHILDREN BORN TO PREGNANT WOMEN WHO DRINK HAVE HIGHER RATES OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ABNORMALITIES, WHICH INCLUDE MENTAL RETARDATION AND DELAYS IN DEVELOPMENT.

JIMMY CONNOR (BIOLOGY PROFESSOR)

WE DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH ALCOHOL MAY BE SAFELY CONSUMED BY PREGNANT WOMEN, SO WE RECOMMEND ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL ABSTENION FROM ALL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DURING A WOMAN’S NINE-MONTH TERM OF PREGNANCY

MEAGHAN CAREY (WABC NEWS)

BIRTH DEFECTS OCCUR WHEN ALCOHOL FROM A MOTHER’S SYSTEM PASSES INTO THE BLOODSTREAM OF HER CHILD.  THE CHILD’S BODY CANNOT HANDLE THE ALCOHOL.THIS IS CALLED FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME.

SARA JONES (CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR)

WE ARE PLEASED WITH THESE FINDINGS BECAUSE THESE KIND OF RESULTS HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME COMING

KEY: “Town debate on handicap parking spots…”

REPORTER: Meaghan Carey

MEAGHAN CAREY (WABC NEWS)

THE BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL MET LAST NIGHT TO HEAR AND DISCUSS COMPLAINTS ABOUT ABLE-BODIED MOTORISTS USING HANDICAPPED SPACES.

PATRICK WHEATON (VETERAN ASSOSCIATION MEMBER)

I’M PLAIN OLD SICK AND TIRED OF SEEING HANDICAPPED SPACES BEING USED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO DISABILITY.

MEAGHAN CAREY (WABC NEWS)

PREVIOUSLY, THE FINE FOR PARKING IN A HANDICAP SPOT WAS 20-DOLLARS.  THE COUNCIL VOTED FIVE-TO-TWO TO RAISE THE FINE TO 250-DOLLARS.

DANA WARBURTON (VETERANS ASSOSCIATION MEMBER)

IT CAN’T GO IN SOON ENOUGH BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO WRONGLY PARK IN HANDICAPPED SPACES DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED SEVERELY.  I THINK THE FINE SHOULD BE 1,000-DOLLARS.

PAM HATTER (COUNCIL MEMBER)

WE HEARD THE COMPLAINTS FROM THE ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED, AND WE RESPONDED IN AS STRONG A MANNER AS POSSIBLE.

MEAGHAN CAREY (WABC NEWS)

THE FINE MONEY WILL GO TOWARD ENFORCING AND ADMINISTERING PARKING REGULATIONS.  THE REST MAY GO TOWARD BUILDING HANDICAPPED FRIENDLY ACCESSES TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Lighthouse Tavern Feature

Lighthouse Tavern shines bright in Elon

By Meaghan Carey

A dark entrance leads to main room of The Lighthouse Tavern.  Neon signs are lined up against the walls and their shine falls down on the long lacquered wooden bar.  There is a pool table, plasma screen TV and a stage.  This seems like any other town bar, but The Lighthouse Tavern is not the typical local watering hole.  It has been a part of the Town of Elon, has gone through significant renovations and is now owned by Elon University.

Elon University’s decision to purchase The Lighthouse Tavern was finalized in January 2008.  Since acquiring the property, Elon students and administrators have made additions to the town hangout, including a change in its layout. .

To revitalize The Lighthouse Tavern further, Elon has tried to tie together the past and the present.

“Some features of our programming in Lighthouse have been Karaoke on Thursday nights, which is a holdover from the old Lighthouse, and live music every Friday night,” said Robert Dunlap, assistant director of student activities at Elon University. “We have also had a mechanical bull operating outside to provide fun activities for students.”

When the news of the university purchasing The Lighthouse Tavern spread across campus, many students were upset and feared that the place they once loved to hang out and relax would become strict and uninviting. But Dunlaps said that was not Elon’s intention.

“When the university purchased the bar, they made an effort to reach out to students to get an idea of what they wanted in a bar,” Dunlap said.

In fact, now that Elon owns and operates The Lighthouse Tavern, student groups have taken the opportunity to host various events.  The Student Union Board has created SUBlive at Lighthouse where bands play on Fridays.  Sweet Signatures, the all-female a cappella group at Elon University, held a concert at the Lighthouse Tavern in early October.

Bradley Dickens, assistant manager of the bar, also said students need to know that the university is not trying to take away from the experience that students would get from The Lighthouse Tavern.

“I’d like to see the place packed more,” Dickens said.  “I want people to enjoy and feel the college experience when they come here.”

Dickens did say he would like the university to allow the bar to publicize events it might be holding.  Dickens said right now the bar is only allowed to distribute flyers, which he said is probably the reason why the bar is not always packed and more popular among students.

Still, because Elon’s homecoming is this weekend and because alumni still have favorable memories of the “old” Lighthouse Tavern, Dickens expects a larger crowd at the “new” Lighthouse Tavern.

The slew of weekly events hosted at the Lighthouse Tavern has resulted in “a noticeable increase in attendance this year as opposed to last,” Dunlap said.         Additionally, the formerly restrictive hangout has changed its visiting policy and now allows non-Elon students to go to the bar and attend events.

Although things may seem all positive for the Lighthouse Tavern, there have been some bumps in the road.

“Attendance has improved,” said Jenna Thrash, a SUBlive co-chair.  “But I think many students are still skeptical of the university’s involvement with the place.”

Additionally, Thrash said, “we just added trivia night, but it has not gone as well. I think since because it’s new and the word has not gotten around is why the event has not been popular among students.”

Ultimately, the goal for the administration is to include and incorporate student opinions to maximize the popularity potential of The Lighthouse Tavern.

“Without their support, the bar would not likely be there in any form and I do not think that students would want that,” Dunlap said.

Dunlap and others involved with The Lighthouse Tavern productions said they would like to see the bar become a regular hang-out space.

With the bipartisanship between students and administration The Lighthouse Tavern will continue to shine its light in hopes of attracting students and non-Elon students.

Local Elon Crime Stories

Local Burlington teenager is missing

By Meaghan Carey

A Burlington teenager was reported missing Sept. 14 after running away from home the night before following an argument with police, according to Burlington Police Lt. Billy Black.

Cynthia Lookingbill, 16, was last seen by her father, James Lookingbill, at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 13 wearing white shoes, a black shirt and blue jeans.

“The scenario indicates Lookingbill is a likely runaway,” Black said.

Lookingbill , who also goes by “Susie.” weighs 120 pounds, is 5 feet 8 inches, has brown eyes and hairs and has a scar on her right knee.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact Black at 336-555-6220.

Armed robbery toll soars to four

By Meaghan Carey

A Burlington woman was stabbed by an armed robber early Sunday morning outside her Pine Lake Street home after returning there from work as a night-shift nurse at Alamance Regional Medical Center, according to police.

Lucinda Appleby, 51, arrived home around 7 a.m. and was approached by an unfamiliar man after parking her car in the garage, Burlington Police Cpt. Kelly George said. The man demanded money, and Appleby told him she had none.

“The man knifed her in the chest, grabbed her purse and fled on foot down Pine Lake Street,” George said. “She struggled into her house to phone for help.”

Appleby is in critical condition at Alamance Regional, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Her assault is just the latest in a string of robberies. Three robberies with assaults have been reported in the past month in the Burlington area after only 10 were reported in the entire 2006 calendar year.

On Sept. 13, two people were stabbed in the neck and arms near Riverview Apartments on Blaine Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Burlington police 336-555-3624.

Five victims injured in head-on-collision

By Meaghan Carey

A Dodge truck and Ford Taurus collided head on at the intersection of Main Street and Blackwell Street Wednesday morning in Burlington, injuring five people, according to police.

Kobe Smithfield, 22, the driver of the Dodge, was traveling west on Main Street, when he crossed the center line and crashed into the Ford. The Dodge burst into flames for a short time, and a patron at the nearby Longbranch Steakhouse called 911.

Extrication tools were necessary to rescue crash victims from both vehicles.  Burlington fire, rescue and police vehicles responded, and 16 specially trained personnel were involved in securing the safety of the victims involved in the crash.

Smithfield and his passenger, Janettea Ulaitne, 20, are both in critical condition, at UNC-Chapel Hill Medical Center, ccording to a UNC spokesperson.  Brenda Gee, 32, was  driving the Taurus, and she was accompanied by her children Beverly, 10 and Blaise, 5.  An Alamance Regional Medical Center report said that all three passengers are in good condition.

“The children in this situation were saved by the correct use of safety harnesses and their placement in the back seat,” said Burlington Police Captain Kelly George.

The wreck is still under investigation.  No charges have been filed.

Rick Halperin speaks at Elon University

Former Director of Amnesty International Speaks Out Against the Death Penalty

By Meaghan Carey

Long-time human rights activist Rick Halperin presented “The Death Penalty in the USA: Current Trends and Realities” before an audience on Thursday evening at LaRose Theater in the Koury Business Center.

Halperin, who has twice served as the director of Amnesty International and is the current director of the Southern Methodist University Human Rights Education program, recounted the history of violence and execution in America, expressed his desire for the abolition of capital punishment, and called for justice among those who are prosecuted for serious crimes.

Not only did Halperin generally discuss the death penalty as an aberration of the U.S. justice system, he also said that “the real issue, the large issue way beyond the death penalty, is the disease of killing.”

Halperin described violence in the United States as being very much a part of American culture. He said more than 40,000 people a year are killed by guns, and 1,175 people have been executed via capital punishment in the country’s history.  Thirty-four states have the death penalty, and 28 of those have actually have put people to death.  California has the most people on death row (but only 13 have been killed), while Texas has killed the most (441).

In the 1870’s executions “stopped being public spectacles,” according to Halperin. With the 20th century came greater technology, so electricity was used for executions.  Also, accused criminals gained greater opportunities for justice as a result of U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Miranda vs. Arizona and Gideon vs. Wainwright, which established the right of the accused to remain silent and to consult with an attorney, respectfully.

On July 2, 1976, the US re-legalized the death penalty, and since then lethal injections have become more popular.  Gas tablets, which were used in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, have been used in Arizona and Mississippi.

Halperin made it clear that he does not wish to see those who have been found guilty and in prison to be set free.  Rather, he said he believes that “society has a right to be protected from violent offenders.”

He revealed many problems with the system of execution.  Mentally retarded people are spared the death penalty, but some people with severe emotional disorders are not treated the same way. Individuals as young as 16 have been sentenced to death, as well.

According to Halperin, the most powerful form of injustice in the system is evidenced by numerous cases of “incredible inequity.”  To date, 134 prisoners on death row have been taken off because they have been proven innocent prior to their execution.

Halperin said that people are shocked to learn that Vietnam and Desert Storm veterans have been put on death row, explaining that, “we have veterans that have served and comeback to our country and America wants to kill them.”

Even though the United States has not abolished the death penalty, Halperin acknowledged that the United States has made significant improvements and taken progressive measures regarding the institution.

Still, he said he hopes to see the United States move away from capital punishment because “the death penalty is not a human rights issue, it’s the issue,” he said. People still have “inherent rights,” Halperin’s said, and so they should be afforded “equal justice under law.”

John Owen’s Speech at Elon University

Former Head of CBC analyzes issues in global journalism
By Meaghan Carey

A renowned international journalist emphasized to an Elon University audience Tuesday that people must educate themselves about global journalism if they want to be educated citizens of the world.
John Owen, a former head of television news for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and past Freedom Forum European director presented, expressed a need for journalists and the public alike to demand better international news coverage in his speech, “Global Journalism: Ignoring the World at Your Peril” at the LaRose Digital Theatre.
Owen said journalists need to get in the field and go places to provide the public with sourced and informative news content, but they have to be careful.
“If you are not trained properly, you can’t report on stories correctly,” Owen said.
Covering national disasters, riots, the Columbine shooting and the Virginia Tech shootings all require a great deal of training that most reporters are not prepared for.
Interviewing victims of crimes is important, he said, and reporters must respect the victims’ space when they cover breaking, traumatic news stories.
But when journalists get into the field to report, they must remember to remain objective and unbiased.
“Where I live, it violates the impartiality rules of the broadcasting world,” Owen said.
Owen, who lives in England, said the British media is known for its “robust, hard-hitting interviews.” He said this is a “different nature of discourse” and politicians are “put on the fence all the time.” An example of an uncensored program, he said, is the rugged media outlet “The Today Program” on the BBC.
Owen showed the audience other international media outlets, such as Press TV out of Iran, France 24 out of France, Al Jazeera and A24 Media Agency, a news corporation based out of Africa in which African reporters tell the stories in their countries.
Owen lauded these international media outlets because they help people acquire “a different take on things.”
He also noted that in order to understand the world, you have to learn about stories and news worldwide.

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