Elon wants inaugural address straight up: What does Obama plan to do about the economy, the war and the country’s future?

By Hannah Williams
Dec. 11, 2008 

ELON, N.C. – President-elect Barack Obama will address the nation as America’s 44^th president and first black president in his inaugural address on Jan. 20, 2009 – just 40 days away.

Obama enters the presidency in a time of economic and social turmoil. The US is in the midst of an economic recession and a war on two fronts overseas and has just emerged from a divisive election.

The economy, the war and the future of the country are all issues people in Elon, N.C. said they hope Obama will address in his first speech as president.

The economy looms large

“I sure hope he touches on, in detail, how he’s going to help our economy because it’s certainly the biggest thing on everyone’s mind,” said Dale Hughes, a software writer from Burlington, N.C. “If he could reassure America about that, he’d be off to a good start.”

Trevor Kelly, who works in Elon University’s IT department, agreed that the economy was the most pressing issue.

“People are scared about the economy and we need to hear something reassuring about it from our new president,” Alyse Knorr, a senior at Elon from Cummings, Ga., said.

Other Elon students expressed concern about how the economy will affect them personally and their career outlook.

“I want to hear about the economy because I am graduating soon,” Ashley Culicchia, a junior from New Orleans said. “I want to hear that I am going to be able to get a job.”

“The job market is a scary thing and I would like him to talk about how he plans on turning around the economy for future generations,” said Michelle Longo, a junior at Elon from New York.

“Obviously he needs to address the economy since we’re in a recession,” Jennifer Burns, a junior from Eden, N.C., said.  “I can’t imagine he would, but it would be nice if he talked about the bailout. I think it would be a refreshing start if someone addressed an issue head-on.”

Kathleen Knoechel, a homemaker, said that Obama needed to address the obvious: the economy, the environment and foreign affairs.  “I would be disappointed if he didn’t address those three, because they affect me personally,” said Knoechel.

Don’t keep quiet on the western front

Locals said they hope Obama will spell out his plan regarding U.S. foreign affairs and its role in the international community.

Gas prices and the war in Iraq are the main issues Michael Medley, a Target employee, said he would like Obama to address in his inaugural speech.

“Those are the two things I was thinking about when he got elected,” said Medley, “what he would do about those two situations.”

 

“I hope he will address the war and his plan for withdrawal. I just hope he will talk more about what his plans are for the future and getting our troops out,” said Sarah Hindle, a junior from Lakeland, Fla.

 

Knorr said she also hopes Obama will discuss his picks for his cabinet.

A country divided will not stand

“[Obama] needs to say something to get the people behind him,” Liz Payne, a sophomore from Virginia Beach, Va. said. 
“[He] needs to say something to gain confidence in him.”

After a fierce presidential campaign, the country is still divided. The president-elect needs to garner support from both Republicans and Democrats in order to be effective.

“He needs to prove he’s more than an idealist,” Kyle Fisher, a sophomore from Atlanta, said.

“I hope to hear exactly how Obama plans to implement change,” said Lindsay Gund, 20, said. “He won, so he can afford to let us in on some of those juicy details now.”

Gund is from Washington, D.C. and will attend the inauguration.

“I am going to try to circumvent the masses and the cold by watching from a nearby office building combined with TV coverage and friends,” Gund said.

The 2009 Presidential Inauguration will be a historic event, and those around Elon’s campus said they hope Obama will deliver a message of hope, as he has done previously.

Setting expectations and following through on promises

“I hope Obama addresses whether or not he will live up to all of his promises and all the expectations we have of him,” Knorr said. “I want him to say something that will continue to give us faith in him.”

“He needs to make a speech that’s inspirational,” said Burns. Knoechel agreed, saying the country needed to hear uplifting words from Obama.

“I want him to stick to what he promised during the campaign, but what I’m most concerned about is that he’s inspiring,” said Amy Reitnouer, a senior from Lebanon, Penn.

 “That may sound trivial, but we all know the president will make changes and try to help the economy. What this country really needs now is some inspiration and hope, and I thoroughly believe that Barack Obama can provide that for America.”

Elon Community Abroad Still Invested and Engaged in Election

An International Round-Up of Elon’s Election Reaction
By Hannah Williams
Nov. 5, 2008

ELON, N.C. – Sen. John McCain conceded the presidency to Sen. Barack Obama at 11:18 p.m. EST, but for many Elon students and faculty abroad it was the wee hours of the morning when they received news of their president-elect.

“It was a nice wake up call,” junior Ashley Barnas said. Barnas, currently in London, was awoken by one of her Elon flatmates announcing Obama’s victory at 4 a.m. British time.

Elon students in London gather at a local pub to watch election coverage prior to the polls closing stateside. Photo by Ashley Barnas.

Barnas and other students gathered at a pub to watch pre-election coverage. When polls started to close, everyone in her six-student flat was “glued to the television watching BBC1,” said Barbas.

“We could hear the students in the flat above us cheering and yelling as each state was announced for Obama,” said Barnas.

Slowly her flatmates trickled off and went to bed, leaving one student to witness Obama’s victory and share with the group.

Professor Brooke Barnett, teaching in London, pulled an all-nighter, observing the media coverage of the election results at Sky News.

Barnett simultaneously watched a multitude of broadcasts while sitting next to the executive producer, the graphics producer and the line producer of Sky News.

Sky News would not call the election even when Electoral College projections for Obama surpassed the 270 mark.

“He hasn’t won when he gets 270. He hasn’t won until McCain concedes,” said Barnett of Sky News’s methodology for determining the president-elect.

Also in London, Professor Tom Mould noted the difference between American coverage and British coverage.

Mould was watching the BBC on television while monitoring the NBC site. While NBC projected 103 electoral votes for Obama and 34 votes for McCain, the BBC projected 54 to 10, respectively.

Barnett said she was more surprised by how quickly every station followed suit in calling the election for Obama, within 6 or 7 seconds, rather than by the hour at which the election was called.

“When it did end up getting called, it didn’t seem early because there had been a thought that it may have ended earlier,” she said of the reaction in the Sky newsroom.

Alex Walton, a junior studying in Perugia, Italy, said he watched the election results at the only place in town with English coverage: a bar that stayed open all night and broadcast CNN.

People gather at Merlins, a bar in Perugia, Italy, to watch the election results broadcast on CNN. Photo by Alex Walton.

“I’m not sure how they got it, but it was CNN,” he said.

Perugia doesn’t typically offer much news in English, he explained.

“It was pretty heavily in favor of Barack Obama,” said Walton. People would cheer when states were called for Obama and boo when they went to McCain.

“I was sitting next to a local who said if he were American he would vote for Barack Obama,” said Walton.

Walton said it looked as though Obama would win when he departed the Perugia viewing party at 8:30 p.m. EST. “There were people celebrating already.”

A flier advertising the St. Andrews election coverage all-night viewing party. Photo by Lisa Bodine.

In St. Andrews, Scotland, Lisa Bodine attended a University watch party simultaneously screening various news feeds with a crowd that was about half American students.

The atmosphere was very pro-Obama, said Bodine. “Every chair had someone standing on it and each blue state that showed up caused an eruption of cheers. Every red state caused some booing.”

Students in St. Andrews Scotland cheer as election results are broadcast around 8:00 p.m. EST. Photo by Lisa Bodine.

“I was pretty happy once I saw that Ohio went to Obama,” said Bodine, who left thereafter, confident he would win.

All students interviewed said they voted from abroad. Some said they weren’t sure how their absentee ballots would be calculated, but they were glad they voted.

“I was a little worried that I wouldn’t have enough turn-around time, but I’m pretty sure that I got it back in plenty of time,” said Walton in Italy.

Barnas in London said that the Brits were very interested and informed about the American election. “It almost seems that they know more about our candidates than we do.”

Bodine said, every non-American student she speaks to about American politics is in favor of Obama.

“Some of the Danes in my hall literally had tears in their eyes [they were so happy Obama won],” Sara Pasquinelli, a junior studying in Copenhagen, Denmark, said.

“When I got off the tube, people were mobbing the newspaper stands,” said Barnett who left Sky News during the morning commute.

The international audience was mainly interested in the presidential race and the congressional balance of power, she said.

Barnett said, “As soon as I got home I rushed in looked at Burlington Times-News and The Pendulum for the results of local races.” 

Freeze frames of the international media’s election coverage throughout Tuesday night follow.

The BBC appeared more cautious about its projections said professor Tom Mould. 

The BBC site at 11 p.m. EST Nov. 4.

The BBC site at 10:15 a.m. EST Nov. 5.

Sky News waited for confirmation from two major US networks before calling states for either candidate, said Brooke Barnett, an Elon communications professor who observed the station’s coverage from inside the Sky News newsroom.

The Sky News site at 10:30 p.m. EST Nov. 4.

The Sky News site at 11:07 p.m. EST Nov. 4.

The Sky News site at 8:15 a.m. EST Nov. 5.

Alex Walton, a junior studying in Perugia, Italy, had rare access to CNN International in a local bar that stayed open all night for people to watch the election results.

The CNN International site at 10:25 p.m. EST Nov. 4.

The CNN International site at 11:01 p.m. EST Nov. 4.

The CNN International site at 8:15 a.m. EST Nov. 5.

 

Politely Protesting Palin’s Politics Part II

Politely Protesting Palin’s Politics Part II
Elon students and faculty oppose Republican VP’s visit

By Hannah Williams
Oct. 16, 2008

ELON, N.C. – Gov. Sarah Palin’s rally at Elon University was well-attended by supporters and protesters alike, but not all were welcomed.

Lauren Taylor, center, protests Palin's rally at Elon University holding a sign that reads, "Palin does not speak for this woman." Photo by Lindsay Eney, courtesy of The Pendulum.

Sophomore Andy Milne was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace after refusing to hand over his sign and shouting “Obama” and “No more blood for oil!”, according to a Pendulum article. 

The protester was escorted from the rally while Palin was speaking. Cheers erupted from the crowd near third base as Milne was led away.

Palin deviated from her speech to say that perhaps the young man should stay and listen, that he might be able to learn something.

Watch Dan Rickershauser’s 2-part video coverage of Milne’s protest.

As attendees left the event, they walked from the baseball field toward the lake, passing many vendors selling McCain Palin merchandise. They also passed Taylor and other protesters.

Lauren Taylor, president of Elon’s feminist group E.F.F.E.C.T., carried a sign reading “Palin does not speak for this woman” outside of Latham Park Thursday afternoon as Palin’s supporters rallied on the baseball field at Elon University.

“People came over and yelled obscenities at me,” said Taylor, who said she was holding her sign in peaceful protest in what she believed to be an appropriate area as it was outside of the yellow tape.

“Then, my dean took my sign away from me,” she said, referring to Dean of Students Smith Jackson.

Jackson was summoned to the area to resolve a security issue. He removed Taylor’s sign and relocated it to the designated protesting area, which was located on the other side of Lake Mary Nell, east of McCrary Center for the Arts.

Jackson said he was not directly involved in the planning, but that he believed the designated area was intended to provide a venue for opposition to showcase their beliefs in view of the rally.

“I think the area was [further] removed because of the smaller sized crowd [than expected],” explained Jackson.

Bystanders said that the protesters were asked to relocate to provide for the safety of all event participants, including their own. 

Joe Killian, a reporter for the Greensboro News-Record, said he was kicked to the ground by a McCain-Palin supporter when he attempted to interview one of the protesters to find out why he was there and what he was trying to accomplish. 

Killian declined comment, referencing his blog as his statement of the events. He said he did not intend to become the story by writing about the incident. 

“As he was telling me a large, bearded man in full McCain-Palin campaign regalia got in his face to yell at him,” Killian writes in his blog. He asked the man to hold tight while he interviewed the protester. 

“The man began to say something about how of course I was interviewing the Obama people when suddenly, from behind us, the sound of a pro-Obama rap song came blaring out of the windows of a dorm building.”

Killian said the other McCain-Palin supporters around started chanting “U.S.A.” to drown out the stereo and yelling at the students in the room. 

Killian writes in his blog:

It was a moment of levity in an otherwise very tense situation and so I let out a gentle chuckle and shook my head.

“Oh, you think that’s funny?!” the large bearded man said. His face was turning red. “Yeah, that’s real funny…” he said.

And then he kicked the back of my leg, buckling my right knee and sending me sprawling onto the ground.

From my position there I saw the bottoms of a number of feet almost accidentally stomping me to death as the two political camps screamed back and forth, the music continued to blare and some of the Obama crowd moved the large bearded man and his friends away. When I was helped to my feet the bearded man was walking away quickly.

The incident left him with a bruised leg and a reason to work on becoming Joe-Six-Pack wrote Killian.

Some other Obama supporters also attended the rally, both to witness the event and to represent their candidate in the midst of the republican fervor. They met some resistance, but were not escorted off the premises.

Cedric Pulliam, a freshman, said “It’s a historical event on the campus that I attend, so I decided that I had to come, even though I’m an Obama fan.”

Pulliam said he hoped the event would encourage Obama or Biden to hold a rally on Elon’s campus. He and his friends, who also supported Obama, lounged on blankets in the outfield.

Watch Pulliam’s comments.

Conley Lyons, a student from North Carolina, said that she didn’t feel threatened by the republican supporters even though she was wearing her Obama t-shirt.

“I came out because I wanted to do a peaceful protest supporting my candidate, Barack Obama,” said freshman Anna Becker.

"I was just trying to preach peace," said Freshman Anna Becker who was out supporting Sen. Barack Obama at Gov. Sarah Palin's Elon rally. Republican volunteers tried to block Becker from view with their bodies, clipboards and signs.

“McCain volunteers started coming up to me and telling me that they didn’t need my kind at this rally; they don’t need me in this country,” Becker said. The volunteers attempted to block Becker’s arms from view with their bodies and “Country First” posters. 

Police officers stepped in to ease tension between the volunteers and Becker, separating them and allowing both parties to peaceably watch the rally.

Listen to Becker’s comments.

 

 

Gov. Sarah Palin addressed the crowd of North Carolinians and Elon students at Latham Field Thursday afternoon.

 

Sophomore Danica Shipley shows her support for the democratic ticket as she aims to photograph Palin.

 

 

Another student protester is shielded from view by a colleague volunteering for the Republican campaign.

Politely protesting Palin’s politics, Part I

Elon students and faculty oppose Republican VP’s Elon rally

By Hannah Williams
Oct. 16, 2008

Elon, N.C. – Elon students and faculty who oppose Gov. Sarah Palin’s political stance plan to showcase their opposition at or to avoid entirely the vice presidential candidate’s campaign rally at Latham Park at 3 p.m. today.

Many political opponents interviewed said they did not have any qualms with the university’s decision to host Palin, seeing it as a part of the political process. Still, they had no plans to support her appearance. 

Lauren Taylor, president the feminist group E.F.F.E.C.T., said she worried that the public would assume that Elon’s hosting of the event would mislead the public to believe that the university endorsed her candidacy.

“It’s frustrating to me that a woman who is in a position of leadership, such as Sarah Palin is, to not really working on feminist issues and assumptions,” said Taylor. “She should set aside her own personal values to focus on women in general and equality in general.”

Taylor and some other Elon feminists will informally be protesting the event with signs asking Palin to answer questions. Taylor said she hopes her protest will raise awareness that she will not be voting for Palin solely because she is a woman.

Taylor planned to attend the event and to listen to what Palin had to say, but said she would not support the candidate because Palin hasn’t challenged traditional gender roles and hasn’t addressed specific issue questions.

Watch Taylor’s response. .

College Democrats President Daniel Shutt said the group would not protest the rally but rather campaign on Sen. Barack Obama’s behalf during the event and welcomed others to join them at 2:30 p.m. by Fonville Fountain.

“We’ll be knocking on doors throughout the town of Elon, reminding Obama supporters that Early Voting has started, and providing voters with rides to polling places,” said Shutt. “We believe that strong grassroots organizing, not big rallies, will make the difference in this election.”

Ann Cahill, philosophy professor and department chair, said that although she has deep political differences with Palin, she is fine with the university’s decision to host her.

“She’s a compelling public figure, and we’re on the brink of an historic election.”

Listen to Cahill discuss her political beliefs.

Cahill said she would unfortunately be unable to attend the rally due to her class schedule.

“My first responsibility as a teacher is to offer my students the opportunity to continue their learning in our class; whether they do so, or attend the Palin rally, is their choice.”

Elon University administration announced it would adhere to the regular course schedule, despite the rally.

Palin’s “Road to Victory Rally” is scheduled during a hectic midterm week proceeding fall break at Elon. Many community members’ plans made it impossible for them to attend.

“Quite honestly, even if I were here and didn’t want to protest, I would feel like a bit of a hypocrite showing up at her event and appearing to be a supporter merely by my presence,” senior Amy Reitnouer said

Reitnouer, an Obama supporter, had planned to leave for fall break early Thursday afternoon prior to the announcement of Palin’s appearance.

“I can only hope that if Elon students do not agree with Palin’s, or the Republican party’s, positions, they will have the freedom, and guts, to still stand up and protest,” said Reitnouer.

She said it was unfortunate Elon agreed to host the candidate largely due to her recent media popularity.

“I’m not interested in anything she has to say,” said junior Andrew Pressley who scheduled his fall break departure specifically to avoid the rally.

Communications Professor Ocek Eke, who did not reveal his own political affiliation, welcomed Palin’s visit to Elon as an opportunity to engage the political process.

“This is what makes democracy vibrant, to expose ourselves to all different points of view,” he said. “I have encouraged my students, whether it’s Palin, Biden, Obama or McCain, to hear everybody. Listen to everybody. Make up your own mind.”

Eke said he expects a mixed reaction on campus.

“We have to respect people regardless of whether we agree with them or not,” he said.  “I think that Governor Palin deserves our respect and also our welcome. If people want to protest her, they should definitely do that respectfully. “

Watch Eke’s interview about Palin’s rally.

Students, faculty and staff may still obtain tickets for the rally between 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the Koury Concourse.

The College Democrats will be gathering at Fonville Fountain in front of Alamance at 2:30 p.m. today to canvass support for the democratic ticket.

If interested in joining, contact Daniel Shutt at dshutt@elon.edu.

More to come after the rally.

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter tackles economy, election and entertainment media, advises Elon journalists

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter tackles economy, election and entertainment media, advises Elon journalists


By Hannah Williams

Sept. 29, 2008

ELON, N.C. – Jonathan Alter, a Newsweek senior editor since 1991, answered student questions and addressed a crowded auditorium regarding the 2008 presidential election, media campaign coverage and how to succeed in communications professions at Elon University Monday. 

House rejects bailout, jeopardizes economic stability

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry earlier Monday with Republicans voting two-to-one against the plan and Democrats voting two-to-one in favor of it.

“I don’t care if they’re Democrats or Republicans,” said Alter, “to have voted against this plan is the height of irresponsibility.”

Alter conceded the poor sales job of the financial plan as a rescue package for the economy. He said the 3-page proposal soliciting $700 billion issued by Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson Jr. seemed more like an edict from on high than a necessary relief measure.

“From the start, it smelled like a dead fish when it was laid in front of the people,” Alter said.

Failed financial bailout shifts power balance

The rejection of the plan also indicated the waning influence of the current president.

“The President of the United States is not just a lame duck; he’s a dead duck, politically,” Alter said. “He has no political clout anymore.”

The financial crisis also redirected the presidential campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

“The bad news is our financial system is in danger of melting down,” Alter said. “The good news is (‘Other than that, what did you think of the play, Mrs. Lincoln?’) … that we’re focusing on something serious and central to our country, which is the stability of our economic future. “

Alter said the rejection of the bailout shifts campaign coverage from antics to pressing issues.

“The period of what we look back on and remember as the lipstick-on-a-pig phase of the 2008 campaign, when the process could be hijacked by trivia, stupid attack ads, gaffs and other sort of distractions, may now be ended,” Alter said. “We can focus on the real issues.”

Youth voters may decide president in historic, chaotic election

“In politics the only constant is change,” Alter said. This election has been marked by the engagement of youth and the introduction of technology.

Both candidates will have to garner the youth vote and use technology to their advantage to secure the presidency.

“Literally, the votes of the students on this campus could change the outcome of this election,” Alter said.

This is the first YouTube presidential election said Alter, who said he is in favor of democratizing the democratic process via technology. Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has freed democratic engagement from real-time constraints. 

“Now we have a tower of Babel, but it’s in the great democratic tradition of argument,” Alter said. “As long as is relatively civil, not personally insulting, the political noise is a positive.”

Election outcome still unpredictable, big stakes in vice presidential debate

“In a lot of ways, politically, these are the good years, when we’re having a very vivid, and if the last debate is any indication, substantive debate,” Alter said.

Neither intelligence nor experience alone dictates a successful presidency, said Alter.

“Certitude plus ignorance equals disaster,” Alter said.

The selection of a running mate tells a lot about a candidate’s character, said Alter.

McCain established himself as a candidate of change with what Alter described as his “hail Sarah pass” – selecting Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

“The Republican Party felt they had been rescued by this moose-hunter and mother-of-five from Alaska,” Alter said.

Obama’s selection of Sen. Joe Biden adds more experience to the Democratic ticket.

“There is really only one issue in this election,” Alter said. “That issue is which candidate can restore America’s leadership position in the world. Every other issue is related to this.”

Alter said he’s asking the following questions to deem which candidate earns his vote: “‘Who’s the right person for the particular challenge at the time?’ and ‘who has the temperament, judgment and wisdom to confront a vast array of different issues?’”

Alter said neither candidate has the presidency in the bag.

“At this point I would put $5 on Barack Obama, but I wouldn’t put $10 on him,” Alter said.

Campaign coverage guidelines follow media’s golden rules

Alter said that pop culture references in news media are successful to attract the attention that news deserves.

“Give ‘em a little bit of candy to get them to the meat and potatoes,” Alter said.

Alter’s wife works for The Colbert Report. He said shows like this educate people and require people to stay informed; otherwise they won’t get the jokes.

In order to be a successful communications professional, Alter suggested to students, “Keep in mind the things you learn in kindergarten. If you’re in journalism, you don’t make it up. If you’re in PR, you don’t lie.”

He offered the following advice to student journalists: Be diligent. Be knowledgeable. Be just. 

Sam Bianchetti, a sophomore broadcast major at Elon University, shared her reaction to Alter’s question-and-answer session.