Letters from the editors

'A school paper that reflected the times'

"My time at Elon was part of the wind down of the Viet Nam war and subsequent unrest on campus. We watched former POWs return and at least one father (a former POW) son's presence on campus did influence coverage. Debbie Cochran and I started The Pendulum as much for a need to have a school paper that reflected the times, as well as changes toward women's rights.

"Being the first co-editor of The Pendulum, we had no real experience with any part of producing a paper. We did have a faculty adviser with whom we would on occasion clash because her views and ours were different, but we managed to find compromises."

— Patsy Lynch, class of 1975

'A tremendous confidence booster'

"The Greensboro News-Record called our office to ask if we could spare a reporter to cover a speaker who was speaking at Elon that evening. The GNR did not have a reporter to cover the event. I didn't want to ask another writer at the last minute to cover it, so needless to say, I covered the event. I was given a deadline to meet that evening, and since this was pre-computer/email, I had to write the article and actually call it in. When the article published I actually had a 'byline.'

"Two, maybe three weeks, later I received a letter from the Greensboro News-Record. Enclosed was a copy of the print article and a check made out to me. I don't remember the exact amount but I do remember it was a very nice amount for a college student. Kidding with the staff, I told them I was no longer an amateur reporter. I was a professional because I got paid for an article.

"Working and writing for The Pendulum provided me with writing, communications, and people skills that continue to benefit me to this very day. My tenure there, along with a public speaking class taught by one of my favorites, Dr. Ann Ponder, was also a tremendous confidence booster. The confidence in me shown by the previous Pendulum Editor Kemp Lyles, the adviser Dr. Mary Ellen Priestley, and another one of my all-time favorites, Elon’s first full-time chaplain, as well as, publications director, Media Board chair, coordinator of personal counseling and associate dean of student affairs, Bill Sharpe, was extremely instrumental. With the right people pushing you, you'll always get to the right place!"

— Bryant Colson, class of 1980

'A lot of late nights'

"EVERYTHING was manual. Nothing was computerized. Publishing the paper took forever. Lots of late nights.

"Since everything was manual and the paper was actually published off-site at a former Burlington weekly which has long since been forgotten, we worked a lot of late nights and got kind of punchy. There was a lot of late night pizza ordered and lots of exhaustion the next day."

— Sherri (Moore) Fields, class of 1983

'Sometimes, you have to roll the dice'

"I joined The Pendulum within a week or two of arriving at college, encouraged by my beloved adviser Anne Ponder.

"In addition to the thrill of simply working for the newspaper, I got to attend my first professional journalism conference as a Pendulum staff member. Hearing tales by working reporters about how they Got The Story blew me away and helped convince me that it might be the coolest job ever.

"I also had the amazing good fortune to land a summer internship in Germany working for the Stars & Stripes, thanks to the connections of Prof. Bob Nowell. Bob once said in passing regarding whether to take a chance on something (I forget what) that, 'Sometimes, you have to roll the dice.'

"I've done that repeatedly over the course of my career, applying for, and getting, jobs at The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Would I have done these things without Elon and The Pendulum? I doubt it."

— Jo Craven McGinty, class of 1985

'It was a real bonding experience'

"It seems like the Stone Age now, but we had to lay out the pages and physically take them to the Burlington Times-News office to be printed once a week! That made for a late night for our tiny staff in the middle of the week. But it was a real bonding experience!

"Working at The Pendulum was great prep for a career in the news biz. I got the journalism bug and started working for the Alamance-Orange Enterprise a week after graduation, where I was well-prepared for wearing the hats of reporter, photographer and paste-up person there! My career in journalism lasted through four newspapers and eventually the transition to media relations, which I'm still doing today."

— Jane Kidwell Martinez, class of 1986

'I wouldn't trade those times for the world'

"Because I experienced the pressure of being a student journalist, I think I have a deeper appreciation for the work our current student journalists are doing. They're really amazing!

"Being involved in student media at Elon is sort of a family tradition for me. My dad worked for the student newspaper at Elon when he was a student. And, of course, I came along and was involved with The Pendulum and with the very beginning stages of our video production program. Then, my brother, Rick, carried on the tradition when he was an Elon student by spending a significant amount of time working on video shoots.

"The memory I love the most is of the fun we had during all of the late nights a core group of us would spend in The Pendulum office on Mondays and Tuesdays getting that week's edition ready. My best friend (Yvonne Evans Morrison, '87) and I would usually go downstairs to Brown & Company (where The Oak House is now) and get dinner. Then, around 10 p.m. or so, we'd take another break and go back down for a hot fudge cake sundae and maybe some cheese sticks. Then, we'd usually end up staying at the office until 3 a.m. or later before calling it a night. It was tough. But I wouldn't trade those times for the world.

"One of the main reasons we'd be working so late each week was due to the labor it took to actually produce the paper — beyond just writing and editing stories (and developing black-and-white photos in the darkroom). We used a photoelectric typesetting machine to set type and print galleys of the headlines, photo captions, columns of text, etc. We had to proofread the galleys, trim them out, run them through a waxing machine, and then roll them onto these huge mechanical sheets. We also had to use pica poles for measuring and proportion wheels for resizing photos. Then, we had to physically deliver all of the mechanicals to The Daily Times News office in downtown Burlington on Wednesday morning so they could print our paper with their press. When I look back on that process now, I wonder how we ever got a paper out on time. But we did — week after week.

"I also got to meet some amazing people along the way — several of whom I still stay in touch with (like Greg Zaiser; Jane Kidwell Martinez, '86 and my predecessor as editor of The Pendulum; and, of course, Yvonne).

"I also think that my work at The Pendulum helped me when I went to law school. As editor, I had to make good decisions quickly, absorb and process a LOT of information in a very short amount of time, and effectively manage my time. All of these skills were put to use in law school and beyond."

— K. Michele Lashley, class of 1987

'The Pendulum allowed me to better understand people not like me'

"Putting the paper together as a team was a blast. We had great times in that little office at the top of the stairs. However, one memory of the newsroom taught me a valuable lesson in writing. I was the lead writer on a series of stories addressing low minority enrollment. I had written what I thought was an outstanding story on the topic and it had all of the perfect quotes, research, etc. It was a long story. I had printed the story out in a single column for paste-up and proudly showed our faculty adviser, Dr. Jerry Adams. He looks at me over his glasses, walks softly over to the layout table, and parted the story in half, handing me the first half and throwing the second half in the trash. 'Remember,' he said. 'There is nothing you can write today that can't be edited tomorrow.' After reading back over my entire, LONG and WORDY story, he was right. It wound up being a more concise and well-written piece. But, I will never forget it and I use Dr. Adam's teachable moment often with my own students, when needed.

"Working at The Pendulum taught me many life lessons, not just a seed for my career. The most important lesson was in working with people I might not normally work with. Every newsroom I have ever been a part of has been very diverse, by nature. Sports, news, lifestyles, arts, and more covers a wide range of information that went into each edition, and it took as many personalities to deliver that information for our readers. When that happens, many different value systems come together to make deadline and put out a quality paper each week. The Pendulum allowed me to better understand people not like me, and that helped me grow.

"As editor of the Pendulum you realize very quickly what deadline means, especially when the Burlington Times (printer) is waiting on you. Back in the day we had to "paste up" the editions using strips of copy, a wax machine, and a brayer to physically lay out the paper. One particular week we were way behind and the deadline to have the layouts to the press was the next morning by 8 a.m. We knew we could not miss the deadline, so we had a pizza party to get as many hands on deck as we could. As the night went on, one by one the workers dwindled until there was only myself (editor) and Kathy Meadows Waters (managing editor) to finish the job. Finally, at 7 am the sun was coming up and we had MADE DEADLINE!"

"In spring of 1988 we raised the question of minority enrollment at Elon. This led to a series of stories that peeled back the cover to data that showed a very low minority enrollment. This was not a 'gotcha' series but did open up dialogue with administration to address the low numbers and what could be done to increase minority enrollment. I hope it made a difference in years to come."

— John Hoyle, class of 1989

'There are no small outlets'

"I was the editor in November 1989, when The Pendulum BECAME the news ... locally, regionally and even nationally. The dean of admissions objected to a front-page story that ran right before a big visitation weekend for prospective students and their parents, and she ordered that all copies of the paper be removed from stands and destroyed. That, of course, catapulted us into the center of a bigger story as a Media Law & Ethics class developed right before our eyes. Thanks to the story being picked up by the Associated Press, tiny Elon College and its student-run paper entered the national spotlight for a news cycle or two. When we attended the annual student journalism conference that year, EVERYONE knew the names 'Elon' and 'The Pendulum.'

"Shortly after I became editor, former President Jimmy Carter came to campus as a speaker. A press conference had been organized and we asked that The Pendulum be allowed to send one representative. I drew the long straw. When I arrived at the press conference, there were so many seasoned journalists in the room, and they were all clamoring for attention and talking over one another. I kept raising my hand to ask a question and the 'professionals' kept being more assertive than me. Finally, President Carter said something to the effect of, 'This young lady has been incredibly polite and patient, and I'd like to hear her question now and give her my full attention.' I identified myself as the editor of the college paper and asked my question -- about Habitat for Humanity -- and he simply lit up. He thanked me for my question, acknowledged the importance of student journalism and did, in fact, give me his full attention. I thought he was incredibly kind and gracious, and he made me feel like The Pendulum -- and I --were legit. Now I'm on the other side of the equation -- organizing press conferences and coaching speakers about handling the media -- and I always remind them to pay attention to EVERY journalist in the room. There are no small outlets and everyone deserves their attention."

— Mindy (Schneeberger) Bianca, class of 1990

'You'll get out of it — what you put into it'

"I was fortunate enough to work for four years on The Pendulum from serving as a photographer my freshman year to being the first junior to serve as editor in chief. I also worked on the paper during a time of transition. My first two years - we would still print articles in column inches, run them through a waxer and put them down on the galley sheets. My last two years there - we were able to upgrade to larger printers/computers and create digital layouts.

"I covered everything from presidential visits with President Clinton in '92 to the off-campus Khaki House fire, where a group of my friends lived. The fire broke out on a Tuesday afternoon, which was the day we usually finalized the stories/layout for the Thursday edition. We had to scrap the entire planned front page and worked through the night until about 6 a.m. where once we were finished - I personally drove the layout to the Times-News for printing.

"My first job interview during the spring of my senior year at Elon was with the daily paper in Kinston. The editor there was so impressed with my resume and clips. I had lots of bylines from The Pendulum and from working part-time as a sports reporter for the Burlington Times-News during my junior and senior years. The editor said to me, 'I never really heard of Elon – tell me about the course work, because I’m impressed with the number of clips you have.' So I told him about how The Pendulum had a new adviser (Joey Senate, who was a former 10-year investigative reporter), who revamped the journalism classes. How we ran the newspaper like a business. The revenue we generated from ad sales went to pay for equipment and salaries or professional development trips to conferences. How we had a news information and gathering class. Each week we would have to find different public records – such as ‘What is the fire chief’s salary?' or 'Who lives at 2824 Haggard Avenue and what to they pay in taxes?' This was before all that information was available online. I hope I never forget his response: 'That’s impressive. I just hired a young lady with a master’s from Chapel Hill and if I asked her to go look up a warrant at the courthouse – she wouldn’t know where to begin.' That made a huge impact on me. It’s something I tell my kids – it doesn’t really matter where you go to college. You’ll get out of it – what you put into it."

— Erick Gill, class of 1995

'I wanted to be a reporter, and working on The Pendulum reaffirmed that'

"I knew coming to Elon that I wanted to be a reporter, and working on The Pendulum reaffirmed that. I worked for a daily newspaper and a weekly business journal for 11 years total before switching to PR. I am now the chief operating officer of a PR firm with offices in Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte. When we are looking at intern resumes, it is always exciting to see one from a Pendulum staffer!

"The Pendulum office at the time was on the second floor of Moseley Center and one of the windows opened up onto a piece of roof covering part of the patio. When the weather was nice, we used to sit outside on the roof in the middle of the night on production day for a bit of a break. I also remember staff dinners together every Tuesday night during production - such a great bonding experience!"

— Michelle (Cater) Rash, class of 1999

'We got into a little bit of trouble'

"The Elon Phoenix mascot was announced while I was editor. Our online editor discovered it before the initial announcement and ran the story online. We got into a little bit of trouble over it.

"I had the opportunity to meet with Gloria Steinem when she spoke at Elon. She's an icon and one of my heroes. I went with my assistant editor, both of us women, and when we introduced ourselves, Gloria made a comment that she wished more college newspaper editors looked like us back in her day.

"I met my husband when I was working as the arts & entertainment editor, and he was the online editor at The Pendulum. We became friends and we spent even more time together as I took on editor responsibilities. We have now been happily married for 22 years and are the proud parents to a 14-year-old daughter."

— Lisa Sanders, class of 2001

'We made mistakes, but each week we got a little better'

"My favorite part of working with The Pendulum was the people. We were all so different, but every week, we came together to create a newspaper. I loved the weekly rhythm that became our lives. Tuesday nights were always late nights. We gathered in the office as classes finished up for the day. We shared dinner together in between proofing each other's work and laying out the paper.

"We met on the loading dock Thursday morning to deliver the finished product across campus before coffee and breakfast. And without fail, by the end of the week, our advisor, Janna Anderson, would deliver a copy of the paper full of her red pen marks to the office. We made mistakes, but each week we got a little better. We worked hard and were proud of what we accomplished together.

"So many skills I learned from The Pendulum have stayed with me. I learned to manage a complex project from start to finish, build relationships, not be afraid to ask questions, and seek out good stories. These are skills I use every day in my job."

— Jennifer Parris, class of 2003

'It was a privilege to be part of a team'

"During my time with The Pendulum (2001-2005), reporters were able to cover Elon's substantial growth: the addition of the Academic Village and the Koury School of Business, significant enrollment increases, accreditation for professional schools, the first years of competition in Division I athletics, discussions about starting a law school, the opening of Rhodes Stadium and its first football game, and more.

"Not a single one of those stands out alone, necessarily, but taken together, those stories paint a picture of a university in rapid motion and offer a glimpse at a growth spurt that defined Elon's future. It was a privilege to be part of a team that reported those stories (thanks to sources at all levels who always willingly gave their time to student reporters).

"I covered the first football game and the first men's soccer game in Rhodes Stadium. Elon athletic events don't always feel electric, but those two games on that field showcased a student body at is most passionate about Elon sports — the noise, the interest in the game, the sticking-around-after-halftime, the support for the athletes. It's a feeling we haven't been able to replicate regularly, but it's also one I won't forget."

— Colin Donohue, class of 2005

'I learned the value of seeking input'

"Serving as editor of The Pendulum was my first experience as the senior leader of an organization. During my tenure, we expanded the staff, increased ad revenue, and enhanced our online presence. I learned the value of seeking input and coaching. I confronted my need to develop boundaries around work, even work I believe in. I gained confidence that I could lead others toward common goals. Because of these experiences, I've been able to step into leadership roles of large organizations and enjoy the opportunity to do so."

— Jessica Patchett, class of 2005

'The paper provided me with every stepping stone I needed'

"During the 2008 presidential election, we were crossing the state attending rallies for months. Bill Clinton spoke on campus at one point, as well as Sarah Palin. On election night, once Obama was projected to win, I remember running out of The Pendulum office (which had recently moved into the old bank building) and following a crowd of students throughout campus as they cheered and chanted that Obama had clinched the presidency. You could feel the history being made in the moment, and it was an honor to report on the entire campaign for our community.

"My most memorable experience is having the privilege of being editor-in-chief when we won the 2009 national Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press in Austin, Texas. Being able to accept the award on behalf of my fellow editors was one of the highlights of my life. I knew how much work went into getting the paper to where it was, and it felt so rewarding to take home the highest honor the ACP awards. The ceremony took place on Halloween, so we celebrated afterward by changing into costumes and hitting the streets of Austin together. It was a great day.

"I started writing for The Pendulum my second week on campus. By the middle of freshman year I was the special projects editor, followed by news editor my sophomore year and finally editor-in-chief the following year. I had to interview, hire, manage, direct, edit and motivate my own peers while also overseeing our advertising team. It was an awesome amount of responsibility, and put me on a fast-track to success since it was such pure experience compared to my peers. Having so much exposure to the entire process sharpened my hustle. My work at The Pendulum helped me get an internship at Conde Nast in New York City when I was 19, which in turn helped me get more internships and eventually here I am 14 years later as the photo director of a design magazine. I've worked on staff for Elle, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, SELF, Martha Stewart Living and GQ. I was asked to work on a book with Gucci Mane for Simon & Schuster, helped launch a print publication called Kazoo that aims to empower young girls, and have been part of the Emmy-winning crew of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. And my final article for The Pendulum was printed in the last issue of the 2010 academic year, at my own graduation. The paper provided me with every stepping stone I needed to make the jump to a career in publishing."

— Andie Diemer, class of 2010

'We all seemed to learn and grow together'

"I loved working with everyone in the old bank office. It was such a unique building and it was a second home to all of us who worked there. No matter the time of day, someone always seemed to be in there, whether working on a story, doing school work or just hanging out. I loved all the conversations and mix of people in that office. When I was editor we had a very young staff and we all seemed to learn and grow together.

"It helped make me a better leader most importantly. Now I manage a staff at the library I work at, and while it's different than leading other students at The Pendulum, I learned a lot about communication there that I use in my job every day."

— Pam (Richter) Calfo, class of 2011

'Joy, pride, defeat, exhaustion — you'd feel it all on a Pendulum production night'

"On the national level, I remember Barack Obama's re-election in 2012 very vividly. The Pendulum partnered with Elon Local News — a bit of a rarity back in those days — to jointly cover Election Night as thoroughly as we could, and The Pendulum office (above Pandora's Pies at the time) was converted into an Election HQ of sorts, with political signs everywhere, and a flurry of activity all night long as our staff wrote breaking news stories for The Pendulum's website and periodically jumped in on ELN's live on-camera coverage. It was as close as most of us had ever come to turning Elon's student media offices into real, professional, chaotic newsrooms, and all of us learned so much that night about writing quickly and thinking on our feet as major news unfolded in real time.

"On the campus level, there was quite a lot of discourse regarding the presence of Chick-fil-A on campus in 2012, which divided students quite a bit after it came out that CFA's profits often funded anti-LGBTQ organizations. It might all feel far away and frivolous now, but at the time, it was a hot-button issue for Elon's campus, as many students encouraged the administration to cut ties with Chick-fil-A, and others had no problem with CFA's presence at the school. It was important that our staff learned how to navigate a thorny topic with both journalistic integrity and respect for others' opinions; many Pendulum staff members had strong opinions on how we should address the Chick-fil-A debacle in our writing, and it was a valuable learning experience to watch our staff balance their professional ambitions with their personal feelings on the matter.

"During my tenure as editor-in-chief, I was thrilled and impressed by how daring my staff was willing to be, both in writing and in visual design. One of our most memorable front pages came amid anti-LGBTQ legislation in the country, and featured two male students kissing, but their lips were covered by caution tape that read 'Danger.' Our photo editor at the time — Al Drago, an exceedingly talented alum — coordinated the photo shoot, which only involved myself, Al, our design chief for The Pendulum, and the two men being photographed, to allow for privacy with such an intimate concept. At the time, we knew we were pushing the envelope with this front page idea, and we were aware we could get in trouble with the administration or take criticism from our peers. But our staff, and the students who made that front page possible, were always willing to take risks, catch readers' attention and find bold ways to tell the campus' stories, even with something at stake. I'll always treasure those moments behind the scenes at The Pendulum, as my staff and I trusted our instincts and made fearless decisions.

"I look back with fondness on the many, many, many slap-happy production nights I experienced at The Pendulum. There's nothing quite like feeling punch-drunk with your peers in the wee hours of the night, as you work together to get a whole newspaper compiled and sent to the printer. Joy, pride, defeat, exhaustion — you'd feel it all on a Pendulum production night, and somehow, it was always a blast.

"I have no doubt that many career doors would have remained closed to me if I hadn't worked at The Pendulum for so much of my time at Elon. I came to Elon with an interest in entertainment journalism above all else, and my tenure as both arts & entertainment editor, followed by editor-in-chief, for the newspaper were massive stepping stones on that path. In fact, during my tenure as editor-in-chief at The Pendulum, I interviewed for, and later accepted, an internship at the TV news website TVLine; 11 years later, I am now managing editor at TVLine, and could not be more thrilled with that trajectory. Without the experience and skills I gained through The Pendulum, I'm not sure those professional dreams would ever have come true so satisfyingly."

— Rebecca Iannucci, class of 2014

'Working for The Pendulum changed me entirely'

"Flying back from spring break as editor-in-chief, my staff timed it so that right before I took off, I was told in no uncertain terms that a tree had fallen through the office window in the middle of production night and no one knew what to do.

"That was a long flight. After booking it back to campus, turns out there was no tree. Joke was on me.

"Working for The Pendulum changed me entirely. I don't know what I'd be doing today without it, but I certainly would not have found my calling in journalism. Nervously ambling into that interest meeting, in the old office hidden away above Pandora's, two weeks into my first Elon semester was one of a handful of truly award-winning decisions I've made.

"Not so long later, I'd be skipping classes to cover stories. My GPA probably didn't appreciate it. But I was learning more outside the classroom than in, and I have The Pendulum to thank for that."

— Michael Bodley, class of 2016

'It showed me the importance of leadership and culture'

"2016-17 was an eventful year for The Pendulum. We covered the presidential election, including sending reporters to debates and the national conventions, as well as the death of president emeritus J. Earl Danieley and the news that President Leo Lambert would step down.

"Coverage of Dr. Danieley's death and the university leadership transition was particularly memorable because of the teamwork and collaboration shown by Pendulum staff. We worked quickly to produce special editions on these landmark events, informing the community with a variety of stories that captured the impact those men had on Elon.

"Barely a week after arriving at Elon, Pendulum sports editor Andrew Wilson asked me if I wanted to cover Elon football's home opener with assistant sports editor Matt Krause. I was over the moon and humbled to have such an incredible opportunity so early into my time on campus. I wrote about Elon using multiple players at several positions, comparing it to hockey line changes, and some family members had the article -- which ran on the back page of the following week's paper -- framed for me as a gift.

"Not only was this a ton of fun and a chance to learn about how to cover sports at a collegiate level, but it was the start of a friendship with Matt that has continued today. He'll officiate my wedding this fall.

"The Pendulum gave me valuable experience in news judgment and storytelling, but more importantly, it showed me the importance of leadership and culture in a news organization. My time with The Pendulum inspired me to seek out leadership opportunities professionally and taught me lessons in how to be a strong and effective leader. I credit my time at The Pendulum, along with my advisers and fellow students, for fueling a passion for leadership and pushing me to become a better leader.

"I'm grateful to have played a role in the creation of Elon News Network and fostering more collaboration between Elon's student media outlets. This required me and others to be creative and innovative in our storytelling, pushing us to learn new skills and experiment.

"At some point in 2015, we acquired a boxing mannequin that lived in the office at Elon Town Center. I think his name was Lester, and sometimes he wore sweatshirts and hats left behind in the office. He came in handy on stressful production nights.

"When we moved offices in 2016, Lester had to move across the street. Someone took an awesome video of Alex Simon and others wheeling him across Williamson Avenue ... and Lester tipping over and falling in the street. He was resilient, thankfully."

— Tommy Hamzik, class of 2017

'The Pendulum became a bridge'

"When a writer broke one of our top 10 AP Style Guide rules, we would stamp pages with our custom made "DISHONOR ON YOUR COW" stamp in the Copy Cave. So satisfying.

"Because copy editing and later leading the print publication sharpened my editing and research skills, I kick-started my career at Dictionary.com and at a nonprofit marketing agency. I couldn’t have passed muster in either of those writing-intensive environments without those four years in the Copy Cave teaching me how to write, edit, research and rework on the fly.

"The Pendulum offered me, an English major, as well as many other non-Comm School students, the opportunity to engage in a professional setting we would never have had access to otherwise. And because we were proud, we brought copies to new buildings and brought stories back from across campus to cover. The Pendulum became a bridge."

— Hannah Silvers, class of 2017

'I chase the same dream I had as a student reporter'

"The chaotic evening productions, coffee-fueled morning distributions and inspiringly direct critiques for The Pendulum will forever be Elon at its best to me.

"My time at The Pendulum began at 'convergence' with Elon Local News. This fulfilling four-year grind with Elon News Network started with the Trump inauguration and ended with the outbreak of COVID-19 and nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. The camaraderie forged among the students and faculty in the clusterf*ck that is student news continues to be some of my most treasured and fulfilling friendships.

Now, four years after graduation, I chase the same dream I had as a student reporter. This pursuit of journalism, which kicked off with the total redaction of my first front page story, has led to heartbreak and absolute bliss. I wouldn’t change a thing.

— Anton Delgado, class of 2020

'I grew so much as a writer, a photographer and a leader'

"I covered President Connie Book starting her tenure as Elon's ninth president and the SEIU protest for non-tenure track faculty members in 2018.

"My most memorable experience was publishing the 2019 commencement edition as interim Managing Editor. Despite the year wrapping up (coupled with students finishing their finals and moving out), I was so proud of my staff who stayed and worked hard to make the edition a success - even when the printers were not on our side. It was a lovely way to send off our seniors who were very involved in The Pendulum's production for four years.

"The toughest job of any editor is deciding what will be above the fold. On campus, we always went through many trials and tribulations of photographic experimentation for the cover - whether it was a visual depiction of a robbery or grabbing staff members to pose with flags on campus - it was always eventful. At the end of the day, though, we always met our deadlines and flexed our creative muscles.

"Before I arrived at Elon, I knew The Pendulum was exactly where I wanted to be. I loved everything about the paper - whether it was early distribution at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays or staying up late with my staff to make our deadlines. I grew so much as a writer, a photographer and a leader during my four years of service at The Pendulum. The camaraderie and leadership skills I developed during my time at ENN have transformed me into the person and professional that I am today. Long live critiques!"

— Abby Gibbs, class of 2021

'Gave me more of a belief in myself'

"The fall of 2020 was the most memorable semester I had at Elon. We were covering our first semester back since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 elections in a swing state and protests over the local Confederate statue.

"My most memorable story was the final investigative piece I did my senior year on the lack of female coaches in Division I college sports at Elon and across the country. I was passionate about the topic, I had the opportunity to speak with Elon athletes and coaches and recorded the ENN podcast with my sister on this subject afterward.

"I came into my time as managing editor with lots of experience designing and laying out a paper but, only having written one story in my journalism career. So, leading and helping edit 20 or so editions of The Pendulum is something I am very proud of.

"My time at ENN grew my confidence in sharing my thoughts and gave me more of a belief in myself. I used to pitch ideas to Kelly weekly, which helped me get more comfortable sharing and defending my ideas even if they weren’t all award-winning.

"Also, I will forever not use an Oxford comma because of ENN."

— Grace Terry, class of 2021

'It was very much a class where I was always in the field'

"I remember scooping that Elon University was falling behind in its contact tracing efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. It's a story where I learned that students depend on our coverage to share problems they're facing with the school. It's also a story where I learned that there was miscommunication between officials in the university administration.

"You know it's going to be a good story when a university official messages you the night before going to print on if/when the story is getting published.

"I was design chief during the 2020 election and was tasked with preparing three different front covers. Working in a newsroom during an election will always be a memorable moment.

"There was a night where broadcast, print and online were all working super late. I think Dominos was ordered maybe seven different times. No one coordinated on who was ordering what or when. I would just hear people getting up from their desk, going to the loading dock, and coming back with a pizza. Next thing you know, another person walked in with Dominos. I couldn't tell if I was in a newsroom or Dominos.

"I wouldn't be where I'm at today if it wasn't for The Pendulum. The work I produced for the paper is what landed me a great internship, which then opened the door for me to an amazing job.

"I always shock my colleagues when I tell them I didn't graduate with a degree in journalism, but I tell him how The Pendulum was practically my journalism degree. The paper provided me with daily assignments, long-term projects, and lots of research and writing. It was very much a class where I was always in the field."

— Nyah Phengsitthy, class of 2023

'It's OK to show emotion as a journalist'

"The most memorable news event during my time at The Pendulum was the death of a student, Jackson Yelle, in May 2023. This was my first time ever covering a story like that, and I stressed a lot about doing the story justice to him, his family and friends, and to the Elon community. That story taught me about my strengths, my weaknesses and how it's OK to show emotion as a journalist.

"Working at The Pendulum has given me so many incredible opportunities, including conducting amazing interviews, going to conferences, connecting with the community and meeting some of my best friends. The Pendulum opened my eyes to different career paths and interests that I had never thought possible."

— Abby Hobbs, class of 2025

'Helped remind me what is important in the work that we do'

"During my tenure managing The Pendulum, there have been highs and lows. One of the more memorable events for me was covering the death of a student and talking to her family after the fact. That news event put things in perspective for me and helped remind me what is important in the work that we do.

"A highlight of the semester was creating the cover for our Women's History Month edition. For this cover we created a photo illustration featuring different Barbies of different careers. In order to do this, we bought multiple different Barbies with different accessories and photographed them together, creating a cover that was talked about around campus and leaving us with an extra Barbie for the newsroom. For this cover, the Pendulum staff and I anticipated students around campus would possibly criticize our use of Barbie to represent Women's History Month, however we received positive feedback. This seemed to be a rare situation that there was less pushback than anticipated.

— Avery Sloan, class of 2025