Eric Townsend

Elon University students study abroad in much greater number than their counterparts at other colleges, and when it comes to activities outside the classroom, the percentage of students here who take part in co-curricular programs – like student government or club sports – is twice that of the national average. That information and more is contained in the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement, which showed that students at Elon greatly value their experiences here.

The director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities visits Elon next week as part of the Voices of Discovery series to discuss challenges posed by gaps in health care between the people of developed nations and Third World countries.

Five people who make a difference in their communities will be honored on campus Nov. 5 in the 14th Annual “Hometown Heroes” awards ceremony. From the man with a fatal disorder who refuses to let his condition temper his spirit, to a guidance counselor who opens her home to troubled high school students, the honorees' own actions show what it takes to lead a noble life.

A member of the Class of 2007 at Elon who died earlier this year was honored in September with a Special Award for Lifetime Achievement by The Knowledge Trust, a program headed by the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.