THE
PORTFOLIO OF
ANDIE DIEMER
Andie DIEMER 2720 Eastcleft Dr. Columbus, OH 43221
614.406.4843 andiediemer@gmail.com http://issuu.com/andiediemer/docs/portfolio
Qualified and experienced Photo Producer educated in journalism, graphic design, fine arts and photography
MEDIA EXPERIENCE ELLE Hachette Filipacchi Media Photography Department Intern | Summer 2009 Manhattan, New York • Assisted with locating wire photos, securing high-res images, coordinating shoots • Researched locations, filed expense reports and invoices, mailed issues to contributors • Created contact sheets, maintained photo department e-mail, completed special projects Cookie Condé Nast Publications Photography Department Intern | Summer 2008 Manhattan, New York • Assisted coordinating shoots on and off location, completed all administrative work • Scouted locations, researched models and photographers to condense report for editors • Ordered/tracked invoices, photographer’s portfolios, archived past art in filing system The Pendulum Elon University’s Student Newspaper Editor-in-Chief | January - December 2009 PACEMAKER • Oversaw and managed staff of 50+ for weekly publication with circulation of 4,500 WINNER • Shifted content to daily online updates with mutlimedia packages • Planned and managed $60,000 budget, expanded staff, launched intern program News Editor | January - December 2008 • Managed dozens of reporters, assigned photo and graphic assignments during the 2008 presidential election year, edited stories before publishing online or in print Special Project’s Editor | January - December 2007 • Executed similar tasks as News Editor sans reporters for in-depth doubletruck The Society of Professional Journalists Elon University’s Chapter President | August 2008 - August 2009 • Motivated members to actively pursue various media outlets, planned educational trips/projects, including audio interviews with Iraqi war veterns currently housed in the Library of Congress
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Internet Governance Forum United Nations Conference Head Student Researcher | November 2009 Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt • Conducted interviews with participants to track trends and forecast future of the Internet • Presented findings at 2010 National Conerence for Undergraduate Research in Montana 2010 Periclean Scholar Project Pericles, Elon University Steering Committee, Event Planning Committee, Sustainability Committee Member | Spring 2007 - Present • Worked to promote socio-economic development in Ghana, West Africa via networking with local and external communities to raise awareness and funds to build a sustainable health care center and staff housing to serve 10,000 Ghanaians • Visit http://org.elon.edu/pericleanscholars2010 for more information • Studied Abroad in Ghana | Winter Term, 2008
COMMUNICATIONS PROFICIENCY Elon University Elon, North Carolina Journalism Major, African Studies and Art Minors | August 2006 - May 2010 • Active student, set to graduate cum laude and with multiple other honors PC and Mac Proficient • Knowledgeable and proficient in AP Style; Adobe Bridge, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop; QuarkXpress; Microsoft Office Programs; possess Web. 2.0 Skills; familair with Adobe Flash • Extensive experience with page, shirt, logo, advertising and letterhead design
HONORS & AWARDS Personal
The Pendulum
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2010 Elon University Media Board Member of The Year, The Pendulum 2010 Omicron Delta Kappa Student Communications Media Award 2009 SPJ Mark of Excellence Award, 3rd Place, General News Reporting 2009 Elon University Balanced Woman Scholarship 2009 Priestly Journalism Scholarship Member of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communications honor society Member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society Journalism and Communication Fellow Scholarship, Elon University’s School of Communication honors program
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2009 ACP Pacemaker Winner, four-year, non-daily newspaper overall 2009 ACP Best of Show, 1st Place, four-year, non-daily newspaper 2009 SPJ Mark of Excellence Award, 3rd Place, best non-daily student newspaper 2009 Elon University Organization of the Year, 30+ Members References available upon request
WRITING CLIPS
THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2008
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VOLUME 34, EDITION 8
Community reacts to muder of UNC student body president CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Eve Carson was found dead in a residential neighborhood a week ago, but her mysterious murder is still unsolved. The death of the former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president has left the Elon community questioning the act and supporting the neighboring campus. Carson, 22, was found dead after being shot multiple times — at least once in the right temple — early Wednesday morning, according to Chapel Hill Chief of Police Brian Curran. He said the incident was thought to be isolated and random. Surveillance photos of an unknown male at an ATM in Chapel Hill attempting to use Carson’s bank card were released Saturday. Investigators believe he may be connected to Carson’s death. He is the biggest lead they have in tracking Carson’s murderer, according to the Daily Tar Heel. Curran said he doesn’t believe any of her other bank cards have been used,
Senior Maggie Caswell waits at Polk Place to write a public message to Eve Carson. Chancellor James Moeser briefly spoke there, addressing the community about their loss. but that Carson’s cell phone records have been turned over to the police as well, which could help lead them in another direction. Elon’s student body president Rob
Saunders said that he and the Senate are still in shock over the news, since it occurred so close to campus. “Our university is also 30 percent North Carolinians, including myself, so
although we might not have known Eve ourselves, we have siblings and friends that go to UNC and know what a special person she was to that campus,” Saunders said. Associate professor of communications Brooke Barnett and Tom Mould, assistant professor of sociology and general studies, met Carson in Chapel Hill Feb. 26 at a mutual friend’s house. Barnett said she was saddened to learn of a Carson’s death. “She was a bright, interesting, engaging woman,” Barnett said. “We’ve lost someone who truly would have made a difference and already had in so many people’s lives.” UNC has been on spring break this week, which may help students heal quicker, Elon Dean of Students Smith Jackson said. He has been in contact with administrators from UNC and is crushed by their loss. “Maybe there was nothing she could
See MURDER | PAGE 3
Carson murder still unsolved MURDER from Page 1 have done differently, but what if it was the reverse, what if it was here?” Jackson said. “I think the word that just comes to mind for us is just tragic. It hits so close to home that you just look at it and say ‘Wow, it can happen anywhere.’” Carson, who was a prestigious Morehead Scholar and pre-medicine student from Athens, Ga., was last seen at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday as her roommates left her house. She stayed behind to finish homework and was not heard from again. Two consecutive calls were made to the Chapel Hill Police Department a little after 5 a.m. on Wednesday, reporting that gunshots were heard in a residential neighborhood that Curran deems a “low crime area.” Police arrived to find Carson, then unidentified, in a T-shirt, sweatpants and sneakers without a wallet or keys. Her roommates called the police to report she was missing around 2 a.m. Thursday; she was identified by a medical examiner around 10 a.m. Thursday. Jackson said North Carolina has around one-sixth the national rate of murders for college campuses, which already rests at about 15 murders a year, making this a very rare occasion. While Elon’s security and administrators have not issued any new precautions, they are continuing to urge students to practice good safety habits. Meeting weekly, Elon’s staff is able to discuss any students or behavior on campus that may concern them. A larger police force and the addition of E-alert, among other
already installed measures on campus, keep the Elon community at the cuttingedge of safety, Jackson said. Administrators are also being guided by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper’s report of campus safety, which was issued after the shootings at Virginia Tech. Carson’s car, which is thought to somehow be linked to her murder, was located around 2 p.m. Thursday on North Street after a resident noticed it matched the description of her missing vehicle, Curran said. Her vehicle was found with a parking ticket, which was issued before the car was identified as hers, is currently housed in a locked facility and is being dusted for fingerprints and other evidence. In a press conference held Friday, Curran requested that anyone who had seen Carson’s blue Toyota Highlander between 1:30 a.m. and midday Thursday to come forward. A $25,000 reward has been offered for assistance. Saunders said because there are so many people in a concentrated area, college campuses make students easy targets. “As college kids we think we are protected and that nothing bad can happen to us, especially when we are on or around campus in an area we feel safe in,” Saunders said.“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Carson family and the UNC community as they deal with this tragic loss." If anyone has any information, please phone the Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC Crimestoppers at 919-9427515.
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=207
THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2008
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VOLUME 34, EDITION 22
Five students robbed at gunpoint in Costa Rica Andie Diemer News Editor After just a few days exploring their new home in Costa Rica, five Elon students spending a semester in the country were faced with the harsh reality of being targeted as tourists on Aug. 30 when they were held at gunpoint and robbed by three local men. None of the students were harmed, but among the items lost in the incident were backpacks, cameras, iPods, wallets, money and credit cards. None of them were carrying travel documents at the time. Laurence Basirico, dean of International Programs, said the students had just returned from a portion of their orientation at Poas in La Paz before a bus dropped five of the seven Elon students studying abroad there off at the grocery store. This is where their shopping is usually done. They then decided to walk back to their homestays and said they felt comfortable doing so, since they were in a group and it was a nice neighborhood, Basirico said. It was then that the men confronted the group. “They were as close to shock as you could be at that point,” he said. Immediately, measures were taken by Elon to lend students money before more could be wired to them, cancel credit cards and arrange for individual conversations with an Elon counselor. The students then spent the night with Elon Philosophy Professor Anthony Weston and his family in his apartment, Basirico said. Basirico contacted Dean of Students Smith Jackson and also spent time having “lengthy conversations” with each student’s parents.
Students opting to remain in study abroad program COSTA RICA from PAGE 1 A complaint was not filed with the local police department. The group requested to speak with Basirico to learn more about their options. Some were wondering if they would be able to transfer into classes back at Elon if they chose to return to campus. “I didn’t try to talk anyone into staying,” Basirico said. “I talked about things to get them to be more secure so they could feel more confident. I said we would do as much as we possibly could and I think they were happy about that and that Elon was supporting them and that they had an option.” None of the parents requested that their children return home. Their responses ranged from wishing their student wouldn’t come home and see this as a valuable experience to respecting the student's decision to return or not. “This was a really unfortunate event,” Basirico said. “We didn’t try to trivialize or minimize it at all, but unfortunately this world is a scary place and this can happen anywhere. It happened at Elon a week before.” The week buffer that students were given to make a decision about returning home has passed and Basirico has not heard any of them express a desire to leave. “I think it's admirable, and I’m very happy
they’re staying because I think the program is fantastic,” he said. “In some ways, it was a really important thing to have happen because it will make them aware of, and sensitive of the world, and make them be able to be responsible for their behavior.” While Basirico acknowledges the students did not do anything wrong, he said foreigners aren’t normally interested in harming their targets but in intimidating them. If they don’t have the right items, they’re usually off to the next tourist victim. With about 15 students registered to study abroad in Costa Rica in the spring and another 54 ready to take off for Winter Term, Basirico said plans remain intact to continue to send students. After 19 years of the running the program and more than 700 students later, Basirico said having only four travelers mugged in the past was a solid track record. But it’s one that the administration is not taking lightly. Before any students study abroad they are made very aware of the risks involved, he said. Every precaution is taken to ensure their safety and students will never travel if they are going to an unsafe area or a State Department Travel warning is posted. Last Winter Term a trip to Sri Lanka was canceled due to a warning. “We try to minimize all the possibility, but the risk is real,” he said. “We’re completely upfront with the students when they prepared for this program. We hide nothing. We want them to know because we don’t want them to be uncomfortable and we think it’s best for them to know beforehand what they’re getting into.” Though safety is his top concern, Basirico said
WHEREVER YOU ARE, STAY SAFE:
See COSTA RICA | PAGE 2
•Travel with a group •Never go out at night alone •Take a cab home at night •Trust your instincts, they are usually correct •Stay away from bad neighborhoods •Stay in lighted, visible areas •Don’t take the same path daily •Try not to look like a tourist •Don’t carry a lot of items •Keep a credit card in your shoe and $20 in your pocket
the administration would be canceling programs left and right if student safety had to be guaranteed. “We still encourage people to study abroad,” he said. “We think it’s a valuable experience. We can’t ensure anybody's safety, but we’ll take as many steps as possible to minimize anything bad happening. But unfortunately they happen around the world and at home as well.” He said because the students are often surrounded by other Elon students they feel like they are at campus and let their guard down. But he hopes that every student studying abroad will take a lesson from this incident. “These students really worked hard to overcome this fear that they had and that is just such an important aspect of their growth,” Basirico said.
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=821
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THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
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VOLUME 34, EDITION 14
Candidates campaign across the state
ANGIE LOVELACE | Photo Editor
Senator Barack Obama addresses the Chapel Hill community about bridging the gap between political parties in an effort to bring order back to Washington. “[People] want the politics that are about lifting the country up,” he said.
Obama calls for youth action at Chapel Hill campaign stop Andie Diemer News Editor CHAPEL HILL—Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) continues to try to reel in the youth vote, most recently at the UNC Chapel Hill Dean E. Smith Center Monday night by revealing what he stands for and why he entered the presidential race. Even though his opponent, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), attempted to rally Elon voters last Wednesday when former President Bill Clinton visited campus on her behalf, Obama refused to let North Carolina — especially students — slip through his grip before the May 6 Democratic primary. “I believe there’s such a thing as being too late,” Obama said. “And that hour, North Carolina, is almost upon us. We are at a defining moment in our history.” Creating awareness to vote was the backbone of the rally; the audience was called to action to participate in One-Stop Early Voting locations, which allow North Carolinians to vote at various locations between April 17 and May 3 by simply calling 1-888-NC-Early and typing in a zip code. By calling the hotline, users are provided with automatic information about their county’s closest voting location;
those who are not currently registered to vote can register and vote at the same time. Simply voting was not the only prod to spur change in the air. Referring to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s notion of the “fierce urgency of now,” which calls for immediate action instead of standing back, Obama applied its meaning to his platforms ranging from education to economics. “In such circumstances we can’t afford to wait,” Obama said. “And that is why I am running for President of the United States of America.” Even though there may be massive complications abroad, he said it is the issues occurring on U.S. soil, such as health care, rising food prices and gas prices, that make the American people feel like they are losing the American dream. “Nothing can stop us. No challenge is too big. No destiny is out of reach,” he said. To achieve this, a unity must be reached across all divides, including both political and non-political faults, he said.
See OBAMA | Page 7
OBAMA from Page 1 Referring to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s notion of the “fierce urgency of now,” which calls for immediate action instead of standing back, Obama applied its meaning to his platforms ranging from education to economics. “In such circumstances we can’t afford to wait,” Obama said. “And that is why I am running for President of the United States of America.” Even though there may be massive complications abroad, he said it is the issues occurring on U.S. soil, such as health care, rising food prices and gas prices, that make the American people feel like they are losing the American dream. “Nothing can stop us. No challenge is too big. No destiny is out of reach,” he said. To achieve this, a unity must be reached across all divides, including both political and nonpolitical faults, he said. “We know the challenges that we face can’t be laid at the feet of just one party or just one person,” Obama said. “Because the truth is that we have been dealing with some of these problems for decades. Despite the promises, despite the big plans, despite the unveiling approach nothing ever happens. Why is that?” UNC sophomore Anneliese Gegenheimer said Obama excelled in relating to his audience by connecting his platforms with great examples. “Every candidate is going to talk about how they plan to initiate change, but I think that Obama justified it well when he
ANGIE LOVELACE | Photo Editor
“Ordinary people can do extraordinary things,” Obama said. “Change happens from the bottom up, when the American people decide it’s time for change.” said he decided to run because of the American people and because of the ‘fierce urgency of now,’” she said. “I was very impressed with Obama’s talk and vision and the way he presented himself with integrity.” Obama said he is not in the race to run against Sen. Clinton, but to change how business is done in Washington. This includes ending political gameplaying and lobbyist agendas. Former UNC student and current
ANGIE LOVELACE | Photo Editor
(left to right) North Carolinians Mary Greene, Evan Perry and Deanna Bryant Nichols cheer on Obama as he talks about his goal of unifying the nation.
Chapel Hill teacher Laura Logan said she came out to see what all the fuss was about surrounding Obama. “He wasn’t overly critical of anyone, and he hit all of the things that we think about on a daily basis as a person,” Logan said. “I was really impressed by the crowed that he drew.” Though she is an independent, Logan said hearing Obama made her “absolutely consider him” for the primary. More Independents like Logan are attracted to Obama since he has a philosophy of disagreeing without being disagreeable. Here, he said, bridges can be built to attract the public to work together instead of working to tear each other down. “We are Americans first. We are Republicans and Democrats and Independents later,” Obama said. When the media may play up certain events or candidates focus on the negative aspects of their opponents instead of what they themselves bring to the table, it is often forgotten that this election is about the American people, he said. “We can make this country more just, and more equal, and more prosperous and more unified. That’s why I love this country, that’s why you love this country, that’s what this election is about, that’s what we’re voting for,” Obama said. “You and I will transform this country, and transform this world.”
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=469
THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
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VOLUME 34, EDITION 14
Food-related illness sends two to hospital Andie Diemer News Editor For juniors Mike Milano and Dan Rickershauser, seeing their families during Elon’s annual family weekend wasn’t in the cards. But each was forced to reunite with their loved ones in a rigid scene: the hospital. Both students were hospitalized last week with internal bleeding and released Sunday once they had recovered. At press time the exact ailment had not be determined, but the students said their doctor, Robert Elliott, said he was 99 percent sure it was a food-borne illness, most likely food poisoning and bacteria-related. “We had the same exact thing,” Milano said. “I had it a little bit worse, a little more progressed.” Jana Lynn Patterson, assistant vice president of student life, said the administration was contacted Friday afternoon and told two students had been hospitalized, one on Wednesday and one on Friday. “Given the severeness [sic] of the illness, they needed to survey our records to see if there was anything similar,” she said. Patterson said Elon was also contacted by the health department to see if there was any connection. “There is not any set pattern or anything,” Patterson said. “Any time you’re going to have that kind of connection, two students at one time in the hospital, then [the health department] feels like they’re going to need to follow through.” While the health department consulted each student to determine a link between their cases, the only thing each had commonly eaten were a chicken sandwich and fries from Chickfil-A Wednesday evening, Rickershauser said. But he said the health department asked for every item consumed since Sept. 15, making it difficult to assist them. Milano, who does not regularly dine on campus, said he still doesn’t know where it may have come from. Since Sept. 23, seven people visited the health center with symptoms that could possibly mirror Milano and Rickershauser’s symptoms, Patterson said. She said that it is not an atypical number and that none of the other cases were severe. “There’s nothing right now where we’ve seen a bunch of people or any out of the ordinary numbers,” she said. “That may change.” On Wednesday both Milano and Rickershauser started having stomach pains, among other symptoms such as vomiting. Milano said the sharp, stabbing pains he experienced immediately denoted something was wrong. Thursday morning he skipped his morning class and visited the urgent care unit next to Alamance Regional Hospital. From there he was immediately handed off to hospital specialists and was admitted into the hospital once the severity of his situation was recognized. After visiting the Elon Health Center Thursday morning, Rickershauser was
sent home with Dramamine, Pepto Bismol and instructions that should his situation worsen he needed to seek immediate medical attention at the emergency room. He entered the ER later that evening and was treated for his symptoms but was then released. He wasn’t admitted to Alamance Regional until Friday after he met with a gastrointestinal specialist and was clearly not getting healthier. Once both students were in the hospital, they were pumped with fluids, painkillers and antibiotics. “I had internal bleeding,” Milano said. “My whole digestive tract was bleeding out.” Both patients underwent multiple tests including X-rays, CT scans and blood cultures, among others. “My chest X-ray showed that my colon and large intestine were inflamed and huge,” Rickershauser said. He said he was told the diagnosis is difficult to nail since the students were already being treated with antibiotics when he entered the hospital, which killed the bacteria. Milano lost 13 pounds in three days since he wasn’t permitted to eat solid food and was fed items like ice cream and pudding. “Anytime you have a student who’s sick we want the hospital to keep them a little longer because if they’re coming back to a dorm then they don’t get a lot of rest,” Patterson said. “I think everybody wants to be on the safe side about things.” Both have check-ups today and were told if they felt any pain before then to return to the ER since it could signal kidney failure. Neither had experienced additional problems up until Tuesday. Patterson said she spoke to each student on the phone Friday afternoon and that the administrator-on— call, Brian O’Shea, and university physician Jim Hawkins visited the students Friday evening. Elon Health Services also followed up with the other seven students that had similar symptoms to ensure they were healthy and collected additional information the Health Department may need, Patterson said. None of the other seven cases investigated were serve enough to warrant hospitalization. However, Patterson was notified Monday that another student was admitted this weekend for similar symptoms. It has been determined that they are not related to food consumption. So far no changes by the administration, supervisors or health department have been made to ARAMARK’s food service. ARAMARK Resident District Manager Jeff Gazda said his employees work hard to ensure food safety on campus. “Our top priority is to ensure that the food served at Elon is of the highest quality within the safest environment possible,” Gazda said. “We continuously train our managers and employees on proper techniques in food handling and food safety procedures.” Patterson said in the case there would be a wide-spread issue similar to Milano and Rickershauser’s experience, Elon would work with the health department to notify the community.
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=1000
THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008
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VOLUME 34, EDITION 24
PALIN
The Elon community showed its support of a McCain-Palin administration in a variety of ways, including T-shirts, buttons, posters, hats and, for some students, painted faces and chests.
paints campus
Palin stressed why she was at Latham Park: “I’m here to ask you, are you ready to help us carry this state to victory?”
RED
Palin donned heels that matched her Republican flair. PHOTOS BY DAVID WELLS |Photo Editor
THE SPEECH: Palin rallies McCain supporters Andie Diemer News Editor More than 10,000 people crowded Latham Park decked out and toting election apparel Oct. 16 for a chance to see Republican vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin stump for Sen. John McCain. “I hope you all got to watch last night’s debate because the man from Phoenix proved once again that he is our best choice to be our next president,” Palin said. This choice, she said, is between a politician in government and a true leader who puts his faith in the American people. “It’s a choice between a candidate that will raise your taxes and the other choice is a true leader,” she said. “John McCain is going to Washington to work for Joe the Plumber and so many of you that own small businesses.” She said these people are the backbone of the American economy and that is why a McCain-Palin administration would be the best choice for America. “Our opponent wants to raise taxes because he thinks like that other Joe,” she said, referring to Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. “They
think government is the solution. I disagree with that. Government too often is the problem and we need government put back on your side.” Only then, she said, will businesses and families be able to keep more of what they produce and earn. “That’s how jobs are created and our economy [gets] moving again,” Palin said. The election is a race between two tickets, one of inspiring words and another of trustworthy deeds that come from McCain, she said. To Palin, the deeds are greater than empty words and promises. “Now, North Carolina, the choice is yours to make,” Palin said. Visit www.elon.edu/pendulum Palin also mentioned each candidate's track for full articles, slideshows and records, the Iraq War, college tuition, national videos of Palin’s visit to Elon. debt, energy and assisting special needs in her speech.
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=1166
THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2008
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VOLUME 34, EDITION 31
University research trip canceled after terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India Andie Diemer News Editor On Saturday night, a five-member research group from Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center should have been in New York boarding a plane to Hyderabad, India, to attend the third annual UnitedNations facilitated Internet Governance Forum. But when terrorist attacks broke out in Mumbai, India — about 450 miles away — on the previous Wednesday, it was up in the air if the group’s research efforts would be jeopardized by the possible safety threat. Trip organizers began to monitor the violent attacks in Mumbai, where the research group's travel plans were routed through, since the terrorists were targeting Americans and the British. The attacks on Mumbai, which is India’s largest city and financial capital, started on Nov. 26 in what culminated as 10 coordinated terrorist attacks. Indian security forces were able to regain control on Nov. 29, but not before at least 172 people — 34 of which were foreign nationals — were killed and at least another 293 were injured. Attacks took place at a railway station, café, popular tourist restaurant, hospital, Mumbai Police Headquarters and two five-
INDIA | Page 8
Trip canceled after 10 consecutive attacks INDIA from Page 1 star hotels. Mumbai’s port area was also under fire and a taxi explosion near the airport is currently being investigated as a connection. While a decision had to be made about the continuation of the research group's plans, administrators and trip organizers had to wait until the day before departure to make a final assessment of whether or not sophomores Eugene Daniel, Drew Smith, junior Ashley Barnas, senior Shelley Russell and trip adviser Colin Donohue, communications professor and Pendulum adviser, should go. The U.S. State Department was not advising against travel, but it was advising people to be ‘vigilant’ if they were traveling to India. But even though the flights could have been rerouted and officials from the United Nations and the Government of India assured Elon officials it was still safe to travel, plans were canceled for the Dec. 1-6 trip. After consulting with Larry Basirico, dean of international programs, and Nancy Midgette, associate provost, during break and given the information on hand at the time, School of Communications Dean Paul Parsons made a recommendation to Janna Anderson, head of the Imagining the Internet Center, to cancel the trip. “A decision like this always involves a comparison of risk versus reward,” Parsons said. But since the terrorist attack introduced risk into the equation, a decision to forego the trip had to be made before it could asserted if the risk was minimal or not, Parsons said. "The students and I were excited for the trip to India. It would've been a wonderful research and working experience for everyone involved," Donohue said. "It was a shame that the trip had to end, but the terrorist attacks
that lasted three days were tragic and worrisome." Donohue said others who were supposed to attend the IGF canceled their reservations and several businesses headquartered in Mumbai and Hyderabad canceled their plans in wake of the terrorist attacks. “In the end, I wanted to make sure we erred heavily on the side of caution, and that feeling was taken into consideration before the trip was canceled," Donohue said. "It was a deciding factor.” Smith said the trip had been in the works for about a month and that he had been conducting weekly meetings with Anderson to discuss the research being planned to conduct. “I got my visa in the mail two weeks ago and I was all set to go until we got news about the attacks,” Smith said. While the trip would have provided him with a research opportunity and different cultural experience, he said he did feel uneasy about flying through Mumbai since the attacks were ongoing and targeted at someone like himself. “It was a let down for it to get canceled the day before we were supposed to leave, after all the preparation,” he said. “But it’s understandable the school decided not to send us because the attacks happened days before we were set to arrive.” Smith said it affects the Elon’s Imagining the Internet Center the most. “The center had documented all of the previous IGFs, and now the piece of Internet history that is happening in Hyderabad will not receive the same depth of coverage,” he said. The group was set to produce documentary video reports on the IGF, which would have been added to Imagining the Internet, an online resource illuminating the past, present and future of the Internet.
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=1382
THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2008
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VOLUME 34, EDITION 31
Vandals strike work of Elon scholar-in-residence Andie Diemer News Editor On Saturday afternoon Iraqi artist and journalist Ahmed Fadaam, who was also a scholar-in-residence at Elon, received a disturbing phone call from psychology professor Tom Arcaro. Arcaro, who played a large role in bringing Fadaam to Elon, had to deliver awful news to Fadaam: The sculpture he had been working on for three weeks and planned to gift to Elon had been devestatingly disfigured on Thursday night. Fadaam’s masterpiece, what will be a bronze sculpture of a Middle Eastern woman, had had her face smeared, her breasts lopped off and a hammer smashed into the back of her head, among other damages. Working out of a warehouse in Burlington, Fadaam also learned that paint from the studio had been used to write a phrase on the wall that is not completely legible, but said Visit www.elon.edu/ “I come in” followed by an pendulum for a slideshow upside-down peace sign, more and video of the damage words and “haha.”
“I was surprised, I was speechless for a moment,” Fadaam said about receiving the news. “I wasn’t expecting someone would do such a thing, especially to a piece of art that was meant to be at Elon.” Fadaam said it was never his intention to offend anyone or criticize anything with the statue that represents the struggle of Iraqi and Middle Eastern women. “It was talking about a noble cause, it was talking about the women in the Middle East and their fight for their future,” he said. He said it looked like a worker had accidently left the back door unlocked, which is how the vandalizers most likely entered. After the owners of the building realized their venue had been broken into on Friday, they phoned Arcaro who then contacted Fadaam, who was speaking at a conference about human rights at UNC Chapel Hill. The police were also notified immediately, and finger and footprints were collected, Arcaro said. While Arcaro thinks it was just some “silly vandals” that struck, he said the way the statue was disfigured makes him think it was a misogynistic, though he cannot be sure. Also, the building next door had been attempted to be entered and the alarm went off. This means the vandals
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The vandals scrapedof away the facescholar-in-residence of the statue, Vandals strike work Elon mutilated the breasts and created a hole in the
VANDALISM | Page 6
back of the figures head.
Artist mends damage, refuses to be derailed VANDALISM from Page 1 could have just been going around randomly, or had found the wrong building first. “When I saw it, it was like a fist in the gut,” Arcaro said. “It was like ‘Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe somebody would do that.’ I’ve seen all the work that he’s put into it and it’s a literal blow to see the destruction.” While it is very disturbing, Arcaro said he had the same reaction as Fadaam to redo the creation and move forward. “I know about the kind of skill that I have, and I told [Arcaro] ‘Don’t worry, no matter what damage is done to the statue I can fix it and bring it back again,” Fadaam said. He returned Sunday to begin making repairs. Fadaam doesn’t believe the statue was targeted intentionally, but that the vandalizers were ignorant people who found an open door and thought they may find something valuable. Instead, he thinks they were excited at the site of the work and damaged it. “I want to believe this was random,” Fadaam said. “I came to this country and found lots of great things and
lots of great people. I don’t want to spoil this image that I have drawn in my head about them by thinking that someone would attack my statue just because I’m Iraqi.” Part of the mold that had been applied to the clay to be cast was damaged, which means he has to remove the mold and reshape the clay. “It was a delay, but its not something that can stop me,” he said. “After five years of war, this is nothing.” He said the setback won’t impact the unveiling of the final product, since the committee deciding where it will be placed on campus still hasn’t settled on a location and the base for the statue still hasn’t been constructed. Five years ago, Fadaam saw his art school and studio in Baghdad being looted by similar people. “When I came to the States, I wasn’t expecting to find the same people here that would target an art piece and vandalize it,” he said. “You’ve been saying that the Iraqi’s who looted their own buildings and destroyed their own statues are ignorant, so why are you doing this now?”
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=1332
THE PENDULUM ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2009
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VOLUME 35, EDITION 16
Royster case raises questions on confidentiality of sexual abuse victims Andie Diemer and Alexa Milan Executive Editors The arrest of an Elon employee on April 29 and the case’s dismissal last week have brought confidentiality laws to the forefront of campus discussion. Leigh-Anne Royster, coordinator for personal health programs and community well-being, was arrested on charges of resisting a public officer. According to the arrest warrant, Town of Elon Police Detective Kelly Blackwelder arrested Royster for “refusing to provide (an) officer with vital information related to a sexual assault that had occurred within Elon Police Department jurisdiction.” According to a press release from
the Town of Elon Police, “The Elon Police Department needed to determine the identity of the alleged perpetrator in order to initiate criminal proceedings. It was these circumstances that culminated in the filing of a charge against Royster.” Royster said she did not reveal the information to the police because the victim spoke to her about the assault confidentially. “I was upholding Elon’s, and my own personal, policy of confidentiality regarding students who have experienced sexual violence,” Royster said. According to a statement released by the university a few days after Royster’s arrest, the university said it believes Royster was following established protocols and acting in the best interest
of the victim. Jana Lynn Patterson, assistant vice president for student life and associate dean of students, said the administration is currently in dialogue with the town about Elon’s protocols. The Student Handbook states the university holds reported incidents of sexual assault in the highest confidence and the victim will retain control over whether his or her identity will be released. The Handbook also states, “the names of accused students will not be released as directed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.” Royster’s position at Elon relates to sexual assault response and prevention. Her primary job in terms of response is to explain to students who have
experienced sexual or relationship violence what his or her options are, and, to help them decide which course of action to take. Royster said she was shocked and confused when the police arrested her outside of Moseley Center upon her arrival at work April 29 and placed her under a $500 bond. She said the police handed her the warrant, but did not talk to her directly. According to the Town of Elon Police press release, the department’s energy is currently focused on working with the university to develop procedures that will protect the identity of sexual assault victims while providing the police with the information they need
See ROYSTER | PAGE 5
Employee’s arrest dealt with victim confidentiality From ROYSTER | PAGE 1 to conduct investigations into sexual assault allegations. Pam Kiser, professor of human services at Elon, said in the 28 years she has worked in the mental health field she has never heard of anyone being arrested for not breaking confidentiality. But she said it is fairly common for victims’ advocates to run into complications surrounding confidentiality. “It’s not at all infrequent for victims’ advocates to come under pressure from law enforcement, from family members — whoever— to break confidentiality,” Kiser said. “It’s not an infrequent dynamic, but it is infrequent for it to play out in this way.” Kiser said in her experience a person is much more likely to get in trouble for breaking confidentiality than for not breaking it. She said she has always been taught the only circumstances in which a victims’ advocate should break confidentiality are if the victim is a minor or if there is an imminent danger to the victim or others. This is consistent with the victims’ rights literature currently being distributed by the U.S. Department of Justice. According to the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime Web site, “Any decision made by the victim must be respected and honored. The advocate must refuse to disclose the victim’s confidential information.” Ann Cahill, associate professor of philosophy and author of the book “Rethinking Rape,” said she agrees that confidentiality should only be breached in those two instances, and even that should be approached with caution because those cases don’t apply to the vast majority of victims. For example, stranger rape would probably pose the greatest threat to a community, but it is the most unlikely form of rape, she said. “Confidentiality is not just a legal nicety,” Cahill said. “It’s not just an ethical nicety. It’s crucial to the process of rebuilding the survivor’s sense of self. And that’s why it is a principle that has got to be upheld.” Cahill said it is important to offer victims confidential counseling because they are usually very reluctant to confide in anyone. In her research, she has found the average
time between an incident of sexual violence occurring and the victim reporting it is 15 months. “We have to recognize that the person who does choose to confide to a counselor or confidant has to be in charge of that information, has to be in charge of who knows her identity and under what conditions, because she’s got a lot to lose and she’s already lost an enormous amount,” Cahill said. Deana Joy, executive director of CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response & Resource Center in Alamance County, said CrossRoads always maintains all of the information they receive with the “upmost confidence,” but said there are certainly exceptions, such as a subpoena from a court of law. “If that ever happens, the victim would be told that first and they would be given an opportunity to work with us so they are not caught off guard,” Joy said. She said CrossRoads has never had a situation where a counselor was arrested, or where someone else made a report to law enforcement for someone else without the victim’s knowledge. “I think that confidence is of the utmost importance to a victim, but again I think you need to be careful what you promise to a victim as well,” Joy said. Changing policies to where a victim would have to report to the police before anything else could dramatically impact the recovery process, since each victim should be provided with the right to services and having concerns and questions answered before making a decision to report to the police or not, Joy said. Royster said she feels there is still discussion to be had about better collaboration for supporting victims of sexual violence. “I hope that what comes out of this situation is more open and critical dialogue about sexual violence for the campus and the community,” Royster said. Kiser said she hopes students can look at Royster’s case and feel more comfortable coming forward about sexual assault. “I think the good thing that can come out of this is that students on this campus can feel ‘I am really safe here. My story will not be told,’” Kiser said.
View online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=2244
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