Lifestyle

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LIFESTYLE 1/11/24 8:13pm

Elon Cares raises over $2000 during 17th annual fundraiser

By Sarah T. Moore

Through two shows, 17 raffle items and the work of over 40 students, Elon Cares raised over $2,000 in combined cash and online donations to support the national nonprofit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in its 17th annual benefit cabaret on Jan. 10.  The money raised at the event will help provide medication, meals, financial assistance and other resources to people living with HIV, AIDS and other critical illnesses. According to senior Sara LiBrandi, the creative team wanted entertaining songs that centered LGBTQ+ stories, or could be performed through an LGBTQ+ lens, because HIV disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ communities.

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LIFESTYLE 12/21/23 5:33pm

Elon Watches: “Blue Eye Samurai”

By Lucy Samuels

In the shadows of Japan’s samurai legacy lies one unique warrior: Mizu, The Infamous Blue Eye Samurai. Written by Michael Green and Amber Noizumi for Netflix, “Blue Eye Samurai” is a wildly refreshing and action-packed adult animated series. The series follows Mizu, a downtrodden warrior who is outcast because of her blue eyes. In the show, her mixed race heritage of half-Japanese and half-European is seen as a subhuman trait as portrayed in the show. As a result, Mizu hides her blue eyes with tinted sunglasses and a Ronin hat, concealing her identity as both mixed race and female.

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LIFESTYLE 11/26/23 2:51pm

Alamance County’s art community rebounds

By Cailey Cetani

In a county marked by its rural character and economic differences, Alamance County has had a slow start to bring together the art community once more after the pandemic restrictions were lifted. Artists and event organizers alike have been eager to revive the art scene in Alamance, but have faced challenges in their quest to do so. With COVID-19 restrictions lifted, Burlington Recreation & Parks Department is able to resume events at pre-pandemic capacity. Echeverria said they are now able to revamp and improve the events put on. The only problem is getting the attendance to match the improvements. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/23/23 6:31am

Elon University alums dance through New York City in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

By Sarah T. Moore

Hannah Kevitt ’23 graduated from Elon University in May and made her Broadway debut in “Back to the Future: The Musical” shortly after. Kevitt will be performing alongside the cast of “Back to the Future: The Musical" at the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Nov. 23 in New York City — broadcast on NBC. “How to Dance in Ohio,” with Elon junior Marina Jansen, is also in the parade lineup.

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LIFESTYLE 11/22/23 6:16pm

Finding folk: the North Carolina “Festival of Discovery”

By Jenna Manderioli

For North Carolina Folk Festival’s director of operations, Lynn Witherspoon, this festival is “no Coachella.” Rather, she refers to it as the “festival of discovery.” People don’t attend the three-day festival in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina because they know all the words to every song. The festival’s goal is to expand its audiences’ music palette. The National Folk Festival was founded and started in Greensboro in 2015. In 2018, the National Folk Festival disbanded into different faceted festivals around the country. The “North Carolina Folk Festival” is still hosted in Greensboro and is in its 6th year.

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LIFESTYLE 11/20/23 9:13am

Irazú supports Elon University community with family values

By Lilly Molina

Irazú started out as a dream for Rod Salazar. He had pitched the idea of opening a coffee shop in the Burlington community to his mother Rosario Villalobos in 2004. The pair quit their jobs and rented a space on Church Street that required intense renovations. Villalobos said at the time, there were no coffee shops in Burlington, so they were eager to open the shop and fill this need in the community. However, when they opened in 2004, so did the Starbucks on Church Street. Becky Villalobos, Rosario’s daughter and current manager of Irazú, said how this deeply hurt the business. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/17/23 1:37pm

From McCrary to Manhattan: Elon University’s presence on Broadway

By Sarah T. Moore

From May 5, 2022 to April 27, 20 actors from Elon performed in a Broadway show. According to Playbill, a national magazine and website for theatergoers, Elon is the 13th most represented college on Broadway in 2023 — a three-place drop from Playbill’s 2022 list of represented colleges and universities. As Elon University junior Marina Jansen joined Elon’s cohort of Broadway performers, they also became one of four people from Elon to make their Broadway debut in 2023, alongside Steven Telsey ’18 in “Harmony,” Nick Martinez ’15 in “Moulin Rouge” and Hannah Kevitt ’23 in “Back to the Future: The Musical.”

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LIFESTYLE 11/15/23 9:29pm

Elon University digital art showcase displays importance of recognizing Indigenous artists, history

By Charlotte Pfabe

Elon University’s Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education hosted a beading workshop, as well as an Indigenous digital art showcase, as part of its Native American and Indigenous Heritage Month celebration. The workshop was led by Vickie Jeffries, a tribal administrator for the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, and took place in the CREDE office Nov. 13. “Inventive Minds: An Indigenous Art Showcase” displayed a variety of artworks from different time periods. Set up in the CREDE office on the second floor of Moseley, viewers walked around and looked at art from museums, caves and more. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/15/23 1:19pm

Student-written play at Elon University explores nuances of LGBTQ+ identity, significance of safe spaces

By Sarah T. Moore

In her sophomore year, now junior Laney Lynch was sitting in an acting class when she got the idea to write “Cardboard Boxes.” Lynch said the class was going over Anton Chekhov, a 19th century Russian playwright whose work included Elon University’s 2022 spring play “The Cherry Orchard.” “Cardboard Boxes” is a contemporary play that follows a group of college students learning how to be true to themselves. Lynch said this theme stemmed from wanting to explore the nuances of being LGBTQ+ in college. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/12/23 10:11pm

Elon Watches: “Killers of the Flower Moon”

By Tucker Price

Two of this year’s most acclaimed films are not only dramatic retellings of historical events but are created by two of the most prolific directors of all time. While Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” may have beaten Martin Scorcese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” at the box office, “Flower Moon” towers over Oppy as a masterclass in storytelling and directorial achievement. “Killers of the Flower Moon” follows Ernest Burkhart, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Molly Berkhart, played by Lily Gladstone, as they navigate life under the pressure of a series of murders in a territory during an intense dispute driven by jealousy.

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LIFESTYLE 11/10/23 11:13am

Students make directorial debut in Renegade’s fall play at Elon University

By Sarah T. Moore

Elon seniors Brynn Lackey and Janie Chamberlin met for the first time six weeks ago; now, the two are co-directing Renegade Productions’ fall play “Peter and the Starcatcher.” The play will have three runs in the Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10, 5 p.m. Nov. 11 and 10 p.m. Nov. 11. Tickets are free for all attendees and can be reserved online through Renegade’s Eventbrite page. Renegade is a student theater organization at Elon that is open to all students, regardless of major or theater background.

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LIFESTYLE 11/4/23 11:57am

Elon University art festival showcases local art

By Lilly Molina

The Alamance Artisans Guild hosted its annual Art Extravaganza at the Inn at Elon University. The free art show gave 21 local Alamance County artists the opportunity to display their artwork to the community. The festival took place Oct. 28 and 29 and was Elon’s first time hosting the event. Cindy Biles, an artisan who founded her sculptures and hypoallergenic jewelry business called Out of Fire, said her artistry journey started at Elon when she signed up for a pottery and ceramics class. She said that she has been a part of the Art Extravaganza since the beginning.

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LIFESTYLE 11/3/23 8:25pm

‘Spring Awakening’ brings 19th century cautionary tale to Elon University

By Sarah T. Moore

When performing arts professor Kim Shively was approached about directing Elon University’s fall main stage musical, “Spring Awakening,” she said she thought about how the musical's message applies to the world today. “Spring Awakening” is a rock musical set in 19th century Germany that follows young teenagers navigating their society and sexuality. Elon’s closing performance is at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 and tickets are available through the university’s ticketing website for $15 or free with an Elon ID. Shively said beneath the layers of teen angst, the musical serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when people don’t cultivate curiosity, conversation and understanding. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/3/23 10:32am

Elon University showcases art exhibition connecting humanity, consumerism

By Abigail Hobbs

Every time Elon exhibiting artist Joshua Newth went for a walk around his Missouri neighborhood in 2019, he would pick up a piece of trash. Bridging his degree in biology and interest in painting, Newth created “Confessions of the Consumer,” a collection of paintings and sculptures that reuse litter to get his audience to think about the connections between nature and humanity. The collections will be on display in Arts West until Dec. 1. In his works, Newth, an art professor at Southeast Missouri State University, said he uses the human form “accessorized” with litter to explore humanity’s relationship with consumerism in a non-confrontational way.

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LIFESTYLE 11/2/23 8:10pm

Elon University Percussion Ensemble celebrates shared spaces

By Nia Bedard

Music instructor Isaac Pyatt directed his percussion ensemble students and other instructors in a fall concert at the Yeager Recital Hall on Nov. 1. In his first semester at Elon University, Pyatt taught the ensemble of five students who enrolled in the Percussion Ensemble class this fall, all of varying ages and majors. In addition to the five students, professor Mariana Poole,  drumline instructor for Elon’s marching band — the Fire of the Carolinas — Alex Richard and Pyatt also participated in the concert.

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LIFESTYLE 11/2/23 8:10pm

Elon University Percussion Ensemble celebrates shared spaces

By Nia Bedard

Music instructor Isaac Pyatt directed his percussion ensemble students and other instructors in a fall concert at the Yeager Recital Hall on Nov. 1. In his first semester at Elon University, Pyatt taught the ensemble of five students who enrolled in the Percussion Ensemble class this fall, all of varying ages and majors. In addition to the five students, professor Mariana Poole,  drumline instructor for Elon’s marching band — the Fire of the Carolinas — Alex Richard and Pyatt also participated in the concert.

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LIFESTYLE 11/2/23 7:21pm

Student-written, produced play debuts at Elon University

By Sarah T. Moore

Elon University’s club for student playwrights, NewWorks, is producing “Cardboard Boxes,” written by junior Laney Lynch. Lynch wrote the play throughout her sophomore year and now, “Cardboard Boxes” will have its opening night at 5 p.m. on Nov. 3 — with additional performances at noon on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 and a 5 p.m. performance on Nov. 4 — in the Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre. The play follows a group of college students in a film club learning who they are and how to be true to themselves.

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LIFESTYLE 10/31/23 11:59am

Elon Community gathers for pumpkin festival

By Michael Leung

Elon University’s garden studio class hosted its annual Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 27. Visitors gathered around the community garden entrance as they participated in a variety of activities and explored what the Elon Community Garden had to offer. The event started slowly, with more visitors arriving at the garden as the minutes went by. Within the first 30 minutes, the garden was filled with dozens of visitors, both from the Elon Community and outside of Elon. Pumpkin carving in particular was one of the more popular activities.

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LIFESTYLE 10/29/23 10:41am

Elon University junior advocates for suicide prevention, awareness through dance

By Sarah T. Moore

“Semicolon,” a student-run dance production three years in the making, involved more than 40 students and community members collaborating to tell the stories of those impacted by suicide ideation, convey a message of hope and create a safe space for community members to share their stories. With three performances across Oct. 20 and 21, Director and choreographer junior Pheriby Bryan’s research was presented to the public through four dance pieces. The production featured recordings of Burleson reading excerpts from his journals, and the live choir Bryan envisioned came in the form of the Elon Camerata.

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LIFESTYLE 10/28/23 12:18pm

Junior at Elon University advocates for mental illness by eating rotisserie chicken

By Madison Powers

Every day for 40 days, junior Jack Zapata is eating a whole rotisserie chicken to raise funds and awareness for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Zapata’s goal is to raise $100,000 for NAMI, $10,000 of which he has raised as of Oct. 20, when Zapata hosted a chicken eating contest with university President Connie Book and student government president senior Britt Mobley. At the event — his 28th day of chicken eating — Book won the contest by donating $100 to $200 for every piece of chicken eaten by an attendee, donating a total of $1,500.

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