Dan Anderson

About 50 students, faculty, staff and local community members gathered Jan. 16 for the Beloved Community Peace Journey and Candlelight Vigil, an annual event that includes a march around campus.

More than 600 Elon students are studying abroad during January, 2011. Read their daily blog posts at: http://blogs.elon.edu/elonstudyabroad/

Athletics staff and coaches began the move into Alumni Field House on Jan. 14. The 30,000-square-foot facility at the north end of Rhodes Stadium in the North Athletics Complex is the new headquarters for Phoenix athletics.

Veteran ACC assistant football coach Jason Swepson has been named Elon's new head football coach. The announcement came at a Jan. 10 news conference in Alumni Gym, attended by more than 300 Phoenix fans and members of the football team.

The Elon University Board of Trustees voted Oct. 22 to designate a 56-acre undeveloped tract north of University Drive as the Elon University Forest, a dedicated land preserve and natural area. The action protects the largest remaining intact forest in the Town of Elon and safeguards thousands of species of plants, animals and other organisms.

Through a special Facebook project, many members of the Elon family have written personal tributes to those who bring light into the our community. Read what they have to say, watch a special video to get into the spirit, and then leave your message. Take time to give a simple gift, and let someone at Elon know how much they contribute to life at our university. Links to the video and the Facebook page are below…

A special report by the Chronicle of Higher Education on graduation rates at 1,400 four-year colleges and universities highlights Elon's improving rates at a time when many other schools are experiencing declining numbers. In this study, Elon ranked #16 out of more than 300 private master's-level universities, the top school in the Southeast in this category.

Alumni have made more than 100 gifts to the university after viewing Elon's Real Alumni of Genius video, the second in a series of videos this year that will highlight the importance of annual giving. Check out this new video featuring three Elon presidents and one faculty rock star: http://www.elon.edu/alumniofgenius

Be sure to attend one of Elon's favorite annual traditions at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2, on Scott Plaza surrounding Fonville Fountain. The celebration will include hot chocolate and cider, carol singing, a brass quintet, a Menorah lighting, the illumination of the area from Alamance Building to Moseley Center, and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Elon sophomore Chris Thomas was named the 2010 Southern Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Year and six Phoenix players earned all-conference honors.