Softball splits in weekend series, prepares for the Stetson Classic

by Jack Rodenfels, March 2, 2011

• Senior outfielder Emerald Graham watches a pitch in a Feb. 20 game from East Field. File photo by Merissa Blitz.

Sometimes all it takes is a change of mindset.

Such was the case for the Elon women’s softball team as it traveled to Columbia, S.C., for two games against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks Feb. 26.

While losing its first game 2-0, the Phoenix rebounded to defeat the Gamecocks 8-1 in the nightcap.

“The main difference in the games is that we made adjustments hitting,” head coach Patty Raduenz said. “We came out the second game with more energy and were able to take advantage of their pitching mistakes to get a victory.”

The pitching mistakes came right away, as Gamecocks freshman pitcher Julie Sarratt only lasted one-third of an inning and gave up three runs. The Phoenix tacked two more runs on the board in the second inning, and increased its score to 5-0.

Elon kept the pressure on the Gamecocks pitching and defense for the entirety of the game.

Junior pitcher Erin O’Shea pitched a complete-game six-hitter while only allowing one run. O’Shea improved her record to 3-0 on the season. In addition to her work in the pitching circle, she got a hit and an RBI in the top of the first inning.

“It’s important to go into hitting with a complete slate,” O’Shea said, describing her unique dual role of pitching and hitting. “No matter what I’m doing on the mound, I need to remember that if I am a successful hitter, it will just help my cause while pitching.”

Raduenz said her pitchers are multifaceted, and can both pitch and hit.

“We’re blessed to have three pitchers on our staff who can hit,” Raduenz said. “They know how to concentrate while pitching and while hitting, and know how to channel their energy in each.”

Last season, the women’s softball team went 38-21 and won the Southern Conference tournament and got an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Although Elon lost both games in the NCAA tournament, the experience the team gained has helped so far this year.

Elon is 8-2 overall this season, and has outscored its opponents 57-21. With six of its 19 players seniors, the Phoenix has proven leaders that have been around the program and know what the team needs to do to win.

“Last season, our team was very close both on and off the field,” O’Shea said. “With new girls brought into the system, we’re beginning to get that cohesiveness and put it together on the field for success.”

With last year’s successes, Raduenz said the Phoenix has a target on its back this season after winning the conference championship last season. Elon can’t go through the motions and just expect to win, though. The team is seeking more consistent play from the beginning to the end, Raduenz said.

“We have to really work at steady play throughout the game,” Raduenz said. “We can’t simply expect to put up runs in the sixth or seventh inning and win. It’s important to start our games stronger and play consistently throughout.”

The Phoenix gets a chance to work on its consistent play, as it travels to DeLand, Fla., for the Stetson Classic this weekend, where Elon will play five games in three days against Tennessee State University, Binghamton University and Stetson University.

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America’s Best Newspaper Writing–The Profile and Feature Story

Top Tips for Feature Writing. Graphic by Jack Rodenfels

Feature writing and “human interest” stories are often used to “humanize” stories.  They go below the surface to delve deep into a story that is meant to be uncovered.  A hallmark of good feature stories is to “discover what is worth celebrating in the life of uncommonly common men and women” (164).  This is often an interesting angle of a story that’s never been uncovered before, or someone who’s work goes largely unnoticed by the general public.  In today’s media, feature and profile writing are being changed in the way they are presented.  With newspaper readership on the decline, and space an issue, feature and profile pieces have been moved to the web and to specialized magazines, where there is more room to run these types of stories.

According to America’s Best Newspaper Writing an important part of feature writing is to have the reader feel as if they are in the action—in order to use specific and rich detail to pull the reader in.  In 2009, Lane DeGregory of The St. Petersburg Times won a Pulitzer Prize for her story of a little girl who was found neglected in a room infested with cockroaches, who was not able to feed or talk.  The little girl was adopted later by a family who would care for her, but her rich detail to description accounted her for winning the Pulitzer.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2009-Feature-Writing

Often, profile pieces uncover stories that we know nothing about.  They go into the lives of ordinary people with extraordinary stories that need uncovered.  Such was the case in a profile piece Jim Sheeler wrote for The Rocky Mountain News about a Marine who helps families of fallen Marines cope with their losses.  A special report run in The Rocky Mountain News, bridges differences that separate readers to bring an extremely poignant story to light.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2006-Feature-Writing

Close attention to detail is a trademark of good profile and feature writing, no matter how much of a story that a reporter has to work with.  Julia Keller of The Chicago Tribune told the story of a 10-second tornado that swept through Utica, Ill. and ruined everything in its path.  While only 10 seconds, the tornado caused extreme damage to the small town of Utica.  Keller does a wonderful job detailing the destruction from many different accounts and vantage points.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2005-Feature-Writing

With feature writing, it’s important to remember that the people who are being written about can become a touchy subject and an area of caution, especially in dealing with details of their lives.  Thomas French of The St. Petersburg Times wrote a narrative about a mother and two daughters who were slain on a Florida vacation and the three-year investigation into their murders.  While dealing with an extremely personal and haunting subject, French was successful in being a compassionate writer and honoring their names through his writing.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/1998-Feature-Writing

Another example of this compassionate writing came from Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post for a story he wrote on parents who accidentally kill their children by forgetting them in cars and abandoning them for even a short time.  While difficult to write about, Weingarten is successful in compassionately writing a harrowing story.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2010-Feature-Writing

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America’s Best Newspaper Writing: Chapter 5 — Business Reporting and Explanatory Journalism

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In 2008, the Los Angeles Times wrote a seven part series about wildfires, and how America can better combat them.  Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart worked hard to put into detail the imminent destruction of forests from wildfires, and the effect that is has on society.  A different approach that Boxall and Cart approached this series with was to go into the costs that went into combating wildfires, and what was the most effective way of extinguishing the fires.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2009-Explanatory-Reporting

America’s Best Newspaper Writing details that an important part of explanatory reporting is to give life to important details and make readers “own” them.  Kenneth Weiss and Usha Lee McFarling reported, and Rick Loomis photographed a six-part series in 2006 about the world’s distressed oceans, and how it has been affecting the environment.  Weiss and McFarling worked extremely hard to take difficult scientific terms and explain them so that the general public can better understand the importance and severity of distressed issues.

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2007-Explanatory-Reporting

While the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 shocked the world, there was also many examples of strong and detailed journalism that arose from the disaster.  The New York Times staff won a Pulitzer for detailed reporting covering the information, and having “concern for what citizens know and understand about their community” (America’s Best Newspaper Writing 113).  The reporting spanned an entire year, with the majority of the reporting done before the September 11 terrorist attacks, showing the importance of setting up the story and having relevant details that can be used later in the process of a story.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2002-Explanatory-Reporting

In explanatory journalism, the most important aspect that reporters seems simple, but can sometimes be overlooked.  Gareth Cook of the Boston Globe reported in 2005 about stem cell research. A highly controversial issue, Cook made sure to steer clear of any opinion, and took a great journalistic approach – to report the facts as clearly and as accurately as possible. Cook made a confusing and scientific process simple, and easy to understand.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2005-Explanatory-Reporting

In explanatory journalism, America’s Best Newspaper Writing details the importance of recalling vivid facts, especially for those people who have not experienced the story. For someone who is new to a topic, to have the reader truly feel empathy for the subject and be able to relate to it in some way, even if they are miles away from the action. Eric Newhouse of The Great Falls Tribune does exactly this in his descriptions of alcohol abuse in Great Falls, Mont., and how it has affected the community there. Even for people who are not in Great Falls, Newhouse’s reporting makes it seem like you are there in the city.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2000-Explanatory-Reporting

Overall, it’s important to remember to have vivid, clear  and concise descriptions when writing explanatory journalism.

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Baseball goes 3-1 hosting Elon Invitational, faces Saint Joseph’s

by Jack Rodenfels, March 9, 2011

Pitching and hitting both came alive last weekend, March 4-6 as the Elon baseball team went 3-1 in the Elon Invitational.

The Phoenix lost its first game of the weekend March 4 9-4 to Wright State University but rebounded to outscore opponents 35-6 in the final three games of the Elon Invitational.

“Our starting pitching was consistent throughout the entire weekend,” said head coach Mike Kennedy. “In all four games, the pitchers went six innings strong and gave the team a chance to win.”

One of the main differences between Elon’s first game of the tournament and the following three was relief pitching.

On Friday, Elon’s relief pitching combined to allow seven earned runs, with five of those surrendered by senior Thomas Girdwood, who was named to the 2011 Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List, honoring the top relief pitcher in Division I baseball.

In the two games for the Phoenix Sat. and Sun. the bullpen allowed only two runs.

“We certainly didn’t have to panic over our pitching after (Friday),” Kennedy said. “We were able to get timely hitting throughout the weekend, and it allowed us to win by large margins.”

While the Phoenix plated 39 runs in four games, no player was more consistent throughout the past week than senior infielder Neal Pritchard.

Reaching base safely in each game, Pritchard batted .615 with two home runs and eight RBI. Additionally, Pritchard had four RBI in Saturday’s game against the West Virginia University Mountaineers.

His play garnered Southern Conference Player of the Week honors for the first time in his Elon career.

“We’ve had a lot of confidence in our pitching staff this season, and it rubs off on the hitting,” sophomore outfielder Niko Fraser said. “As a hitter, it’s contagious and you are relaxed under pressure and can better perform.”

The Phoenix hitting has been hot to begin the year, as four regular starters are averaging above a .300 batting average. Four players have more than 10 hits in the team’s first 12 games, with sophomore catcher Alex Swim leading the Phoenix with 18 hits.

“We need to continue to be consistent while hitting,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had highs and lows, it’s all about having a consistent approach at the plate, and to get timely hits.”

While the Phoenix is 8-4 on the season, the team needs to get better at situational hitting, Kennedy said.

“When we have runners on second and third with less than two outs, we have to get better at bringing the runs in” Kennedy said. “We have kids trying to do too much with the bat, and they are coming off of the ball and not hitting it squarely.”

The Phoenix hosts the Saint Joseph University Hawks 4 p.m. today, March 9 and travels to Boone for a three-game set against the Appalachian State University Mountaineers starting Friday, March 11.

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NASA space program shifts focus in 2011

Elon sophomore Chelsea Saggese talks about the future of NASA.  Video by Jack Rodenfels

Although the Discovery space shuttle took off for the International Space Station on Feb. 24, the future of similar voyages is unclear.

A 30-year program that started with the Columbia space shuttle in 1981 orbiting the Earth has an ambiguous future, as President Barack Obama laid out his 2011 budget requests.

In his fiscal plan, $19 billion has been set aside for NASA in the future.  Currently in progress is a $9 billion plan investigating more manned missions to the moon.  An additional $2 billion will be needed to cancel the moon program.

“This is a crippling blow to America’s human spaceflight program,” said congressman Pete Olson (R-Texas).  “It has taken over 50 years to build an develop America’s ascension to its rightful place as the dominant player in human spaceflight.  That dominance is apparently no longer desired.”

An independent committee led by former Lockheed Martin CEO reviewed NASA’s moon plan and suggested NASA wouldn’t make it back to the moon until 2028, based on changes that needed to be made and funds that needed to be allocated to the program.

“Space exploration helps us understand things beyond Earth,” Elon University senior Russell Joyce said.  “It helps us get a better idea of who we are and why we are here.”

The Discovery waits on the platform at Port Canaveral, Fl. as it took off for its final voyage on Feb. 24. Photo courtesy of NASA.

John Miller, a parent of a prospective Elon student, remembers the inception of space exploration with Apollo 11, and sees that the United States needs to expand its fleet and its view of space.

“It was such a defining moment for our society, to the point that everyone’s eyes were on what was beyond Earth,” Miller said.  “[We] need to expand our views and look upwards, knowing that we always need to keep exploring beyond our comfort zone.”

Through space explorations in the 20^th century, astronauts and orbits were able to better understand what surrounds Earth and what we can learn from these explorations.

“Mars used to be sustainable for an ecosystem, and it shows what Earth could become,” Elon sophomore Chelsea Saggese said.  “The impact that space has on Earth is really important.”

Obama’s 2011 budget request has been allocating funds differently under NASA’s jurisdiction, including $20 million increase to support education and public outreach, according to Lori Garver, NASA’s deputy administrator.

“It’s good to know as much as we can about the space program, but increasingly important for us to know more about what’s beyond Earth,” Elon freshman Dave Stone said.  “In the future, who knows how connected and knowledgeable we will need to be about life beyond our ecosystem.”

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Dates for dollars: Elon University’s InterVarsity holds “Date Auction”

BrightPoint for children partners churches in the United States with communities in Africa to give them supplies and necessities. Graphic courtesy of http://www.brightpointforchildren.org.

Elon University’s InterVarsity Christian Fellowship sponsored a date auction Tuesday night to raise money for families in third-world countries.

To raise money, various items were auctioned off during the night, including 12 upperclassmen men to go on dates with.

“It’s much more than just a date,” sophomore emcee David Gwynn said.  “It’s a fun way to raise money for people who need it much more than us.”

All of the night’s fundraising efforts went to BrightPoint Ministries, a ministry started by the father of current Elon sophomore Shannon Smith.

“BrightPoint pairs churches in the United States with churches and communities in third-world countries to provide them with the essentials they need,” Smith said.  “Whether it’s food, clothing or shelter, the ministry is focused around the relationship that’s built between the local church and the community.”

Dates and buyers for the 2011 InterVarsity Date Auction. The auction made over $2000 for charity. Photo by Jack Rodenfels.

Paired with the date auction was a silent auction, where Elon students bought goods and services from other Elon students.  Services such as cleaning rooms, doing laundry and cooking dinner were some of the options for bidding.

In the third year of its existence, the silent and the date auction made $2,096 for those in need in third-world countries.

The idea started two years ago with then-senior Alex Nicodem who was looking for a way to give back to the community.  He thought a date auction would be a fun and different way to raise money for those who need it.  Not knowing exactly what it would entail, the first year’s date auction made $330 for charity.

Last year, $1300 was raised to provide aid to victims of the Haitian earthquake.

In its third year, members of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship see date auction as a long-standing way to reach out and give back.

“I think this is something that can grow to where we involve the community even more,” senior emcee Richard Blount said.  “There’s no way we thought we would make over $2000 for third-world countries this year, there’s no telling what we can do in years to come.”

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Tips for Crimes and Courts Reporting

Information from "America's Best Newspaper Writing."

The most important element to remember in reporting on crimes and the courts is to remain level-headed.  Emotions can easily spiral out of control, according to America’s Best Newspaper Writing, and it’s important to get to the root of the issue and to be careful whom to trust.

Available in most newspapers, the crime and courts beat is often covered by rookies in the field, which makes for an interesting dynamic, considering the emotional strain it can have on those involved.

America’s Best Newspaper Writing highlights three such writers who made sure to keep emotions in check while reporting on crime in their communities.  All three women showed that covering crime and courts doesn’t necessarily have to be depressing. Yes, it can be emotional ,and the effect of the writing can influence families and those both directly and indirectly involved in the crime, but it also provides for very compelling storylines and characters.

For me, the best piece of advice was given by Cathy Frye, who wrote a three-part installment in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about a girl who was stalked on the internet.  In her commentary, Frye states that “narrative writing’s greatest strength lies in the way it puts the reader somewhere” (75).  It’s important for me to remember with crime reporting, that it’s not just names, dates and facts.  Rather, it’s real people who have been affected in large part, and it’s important to remember that, while at the same time putting the people not directly affected into the story through narration, so they can better understand the situation.

A great example of crime reporting comes from Walt Bogdanich of The New York Times for a series of stories he wrote in 2005.  These stories were written about a corporation attempting a cover-up dealing with fatalities at railway crossings.  He took a comprehensive look at different railways funded by Union Pacific, trying to see if there was any corollaries between fatalities and the company.  Through his persistent work to uncover the truth, he helped lead Union Pacific to changes in its railways.

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2005-National-Reporting

In 2006, the San Diego Union-Tribune worked with Copley News Service to bring Rep. Randy Cunningham to prison for accepting bribes while in office.  The staffs worked collaboratively to “rely on the timeline” (75) of events to narrate the audience through the bevy of information in a cohesive way.  The staffs looked to uncover why the politician had purchased a new home, boat and plane.

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2006-National-Reporting-Group2

The staff at The Seattle Times received a Pulitzer for Breaking News Reporting in 2010, following the shooting deaths of four police officers in a coffee house.  The Times staff worked dilligently in a four-day span to uncover the source of the murders, articulating the importance of “reporting and writing against their fears…with courage and persistence” (74).

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2010-Breaking-News-Reporting

The Los Angeles Times covered a botched bank robbery and police shoot-out in 1998, earning the staff the Pulitzer for Breaking News.  The staff was so adamant about immersing themselves as the characters in the story, giving the articles a personal feeling that larger audiences could humanize.

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/1998-Breaking-News-Reporting

All crime reporters need to be able to “consistently populate the page with flesh-and-blood characters” (97).  This is just what the Hartford Courant did when it won a Pulitzer for breaking news in 1999.  The staff detailed the coverage of a man who worked for the state lottery and killed four supervisors before killing himself.  The staff made the characters come alive on the page, while still keeping the delicacy of the human life in mind.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/1999-Breaking-News-Reporting

While it wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice for a beat, I am able to better understand just how much investment, both in time and emotions that crime and court reporting must be.  These journalists need to make sure to report the facts without letting their own emotions get in the way, no matter how hard it may be.

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University breaks ground on Elon Town Center

Officials from the Town of Elon, Elon University and EDG properties, LLC break ground on the 24,000-square foot building on Wednesday, March 2. Photo by Jack Rodenfels

Construction on the Elon Town Center officially got underway at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 2with a groundbreaking ceremony on the corner of Williamson and W. College avenues.

The future home of the Elon University bookstore and The Pendulum, the three story, 24,000-suare foot building will also house retail shops throughout, according to a recent article by The Pendulum.

“It’s really encouraging when we are just starting to build and retailers are already coming to us looking to rent out the space,” Elon mayor Jerry Tolley said.

With opportunities for more retail shops into downtown Elon, students at Elon University are seeking for a variety of possible vendors being housed in the new Elon Town Center.  In an informal survey of 89 students at Elon Univeristy, 65 were in favor of the construction of the Town Center.  16 students didn’t support the construction and eight students had no opinion.

A mock-up of what the Elon Town Center will look like when complete. Courtesy of Elon University.

“The Town of Elon needs to be built up,” senior Lindsay Fendt said.  “I think we should get more stuff that they have at other college towns.”

Elon mayor Jerry Tolley speaks to the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Elon Town Center on Wednesday, March 2. Photo by Jack Rodenfels

The top three options students want to see in the Town Center, according to the survey is a pharmacy, a grocery store and healthy food options, either in a grocery store or restaurants.

“A grocery store would be really nice because the only place locally for people to get groceries is Collonades,” senior Hannah Lane said.  “Everything is really expensive there.”

Although restaurants and grocery stores were pressing needs, according to the students, one student saw the space at the Elon Town Center differently, seeking more academic work.

“I’d like to see a room that’s soundproof so bands can have rehearsal spaces,” sophomore Neima Abdulahi said.  “An area that (people) can rehearse as loud as they want to without someone telling them to turn it down or stop.”

Senior Hannah Lane discusses her thoughts on the Elon Town Center

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