Beauty

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NEWS 9/3/25 7:15am

Elon University students, faculty adjust to updated Moodle interface

By Evan Cooper

As fall semester classes start at Elon University, students and professors are getting their first look at Moodle 4.5, the latest update to the learning platform. Kelly Reimer, senior director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, declined an interview but wrote in an email statement to Elon News Network that the new update improves accessibility, modernizes the text editor and improves the user interface — also known as UI. According to Reimer, Moodle 4.5 refined workflows for instructors to better manage their courses. “Students will benefit from a more consistent, user-friendly experience that’s easier to navigate, especially as courses evolve with new learning tools,” Reimer wrote.

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LIFESTYLE 9/3/25 12:00am

Best of 2026

By Elon News Network

Based on surveys of students, faculty, staff, and local residents, Best of 2026 highlights the best food, local businesses, sports and more in the area, providing a curated guide to community favorites.

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LIFESTYLE 9/2/25 10:34pm

Class of 2026 reflects on journey at annual kickoff

By Katrina Holtz

The class of 2026 gathered for Senior Kickoff Under the Oaks on Sept. 2, marking the first official event of the year for seniors. For many students, the kickoff was a chance to pause and appreciate the journey from convocation to commencement. Environmental science major Olivia Levy said standing Under the Oaks again brought her back to the start of her time at Elon. “It feels like it’s coming full circle,” Levy said. “I’m really proud of all my accomplishments, and I’m excited to see what I do next. I want to contribute to the planet and see real solutions made.”

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NEWS 9/2/25 1:05pm

CNBC names North Carolina top state for business in 2025

By Fiona McAllister

North Carolina was rated the number one state in the country for business. According to CNBC, North Carolina has a “solid economy, a world-class workforce and a wealth of corporate hospitality” — therefore, North Carolina was ranked the highest overall. Assistant teaching professor of economics at Elon University Devon Hawkins said North Carolina,  received this ranking because of affordability within southern states. “The scarcity of money, the scarcity of choice, affordability, the balance of how much I can afford and my lifestyle here — the more choices we have in life, the more happiness that correlates to that,” Hawkins said.

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NEWS 8/31/25 6:09pm

Alamance local organizes fundraiser for summer flood victims

By Lilly Molina

Lemon Ninjas, a lemonade company owned and operated by a local family in Alamance County, hosted a flood fundraiser to help raise funds and donations for those affected by Tropical Storm Chantal. From vintage cars to a pygmy goat named Oliver, the fundraiser at Straightway Baptist Church included gospel performances, car shows, a petting zoo, vendors and, of course, lemonade. “We wanted to give back to the people that were closer to us too,” owner of Lemon Ninjas and coordinator of the event Christine Jordan said. 

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LIFESTYLE 8/30/25 9:10pm

Elon University’s BSU cookout builds camaraderie on campus

By Sarah T. Moore

The Welcome B(l)ack Cookout is the Black Student Union’s first event of fall semester. This year, the event took place Aug. 30, filling Phi Beta Kappa Commons with laughter and music. Senior and President of BSU Maleah Proctor said that this event means a lot to her. “It’s really near and dear to my heart,” Proctor said. “That’s one of the reasons it was so important for me to continue with BSU. It created such a safe space and was such an important part of me starting my journey here at Elon that I wanted to continue that for other people.”

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LIFESTYLE 8/30/25 5:04pm

‘It’s more than just milk’: Milk Club hosts first ‘Cownival’ with Late Night Elon

By Rachel Holley

Late Night Elon hosted a carnival event Friday night with Milk Club on Young Commons. The two hour event, which had over 150 attendees, included games, food, ice cream sundaes and milk shots. Creative director of Milk Club’s outreach committee Eli Hruska says the club is also for those who don’t like milk. “It’s more than just milk. Whether you’re lactose intolerant, whether you just don't like milk, don't believe in milk, you should still come by,” Hruska said.

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SPORTS 8/30/25 9:32am

Elon University club sport presidents plan to recruit new members at Fall Organization Fair

By Benjamin Berfield

For most of the club sports teams at Elon University, the beginning of fall semester is an ideal time to recruit new freshmen. This includes the club baseball and frisbee teams, who eye events such as the Fall Organization Fair on Sept. 4 as an opportunity to get students to join their team. Club Baseball President and senior Case Marino described the organization fair as the team's biggest outlet for recruiting new members. 

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NEWS 8/29/25 12:42pm

Elon University prepares for demographic cliff

By Charlotte Pfabe

Colleges and universities across the country are bracing for the impact of a ripple effect 18 years in the making — the demographic cliff. Triggered at the start of the Great Recession in 2007, the economic downturn Americans experienced caused a drop in birth rates, which never recovered. With fewer babies born after 2007, there are now less 18 year olds going to college. According to a 2024 report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the number of 18-year-old high school graduates will peak somewhere between 3.8 and 3.9 million in 2025 and will be followed by a 15-year decline.

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NEWS 8/29/25 12:42pm

La universidad de Elon se prepara para una caida demografica

By Charlotte Pfabe

Universidades en todo el pais se estan preparando para el impacto de un efecto en cadena de 18 años en marcha: El precipicio demográfico. Iniciado al comienzo de la Gran Recesión en 2007, la recesión económica que experimentaron los estadounidenses provocó una disminución en las tasas de natalidad, que nunca se recuperaron. Ahora la educación superior está sintiendo el impacto. Con menos bebés nacidos después de 2007, hay menos adolescentes de 18 años que ingresan a la universidad.

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SPORTS 8/29/25 1:05am

Elon football falls to Duke in season opener, gives up 35 points in second half

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University’s football team was defeated by Duke University 45-17 in its first game of the season. Despite the loss, head coach Tony Trisciani said he was encouraged by the team’s performance.“When we play hard one snap at a time, and just trust each other, then we can be very successful,” Trisciani said. “We can win a lot of football games.” Next for the Phoenix, they will face off against Davidson College at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Rhodes Stadium.

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NEWS 8/28/25 10:33am

Elon University campus parking expansions set to ‘build capacity’ for campus lots

By Charlotte Pfabe

This year, freshmen are only allowed to park in designated lots marked with an “FY” sign matching their parking permits. Currently, freshman are temporarily parking in additional designated spaces as construction continues for the upcoming freshman lot. Campus Safety and Police announced another delay in opening the freshmen parking lot earlier this month. The lot, located near the Francis Center, was supposed to open at the start of the 2025-26 academic year. Campus Safety and Police Chief Joe LeMire said construction couldn’t be started until they completed a traffic study and addressed some environmental concerns, including taking into account a nearby stream.

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NEWS 8/27/25 3:41pm

Legislatura de Carolina del Norte anula ocho vetos, aún no aprueba presupuesto estatal

By Miles Hayford

En los últimos meses, legisladores de Carolina del Norte aprobaron casi 70 proyectos de ley y le anularon ocho vetos al gobernador Josh Stein, pero todavía no han aprobado un nuevo presupuesto estatal. El nuevo año fiscal comenzó el 1 de julio y sin un presupuesto nuevo, los gastos se han mantenido en los niveles actuales. Tras un receso en verano, los legisladores se reunieron nuevamente el 26 de agosto, lo que inició el proceso de continuar las discusiones sobre el nuevo presupuesto. 

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NEWS 8/27/25 3:41pm

North Carolina legislature overrides 8 vetoes, yet to pass state budget

By Miles Hayford

Throughout the summer and the last several months, North Carolina legislators have enacted almost 70 bills, but have yet to pass a state budget despite the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. The House and the Senate have struggled to agree on a version of the two-year, $66 billion budget. The House’s version of the budget has higher raises for state employees and wants to slow future tax cuts. North Carolina is one of three states that have yet to enact a new budget for this fiscal year. 

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NEWS 8/27/25 11:44am

El Ayuntamiento de Elon analiza la revisión de riesgos del departamento de policía y actualiza a la comunidad sobre los proyectos.

By Miles Hayford

Durante su reunión del 25 de agosto, el Concejo Municipal de Elon discutió una evaluación de revisión de riesgos completada con éxito realizada por la Liga de Municipios de Carolina del Norte, que incluyó una revisión del departamento para asegurarse de que cumpliera con los estándares de la industria. El consultor indicó que aproximadamente 200 agencias del orden público en todo el estado se comprometieron a realizar esta evaluación de riesgos, pero Elon fue una de las nueve que si la realizaron.

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LIFESTYLE 8/27/25 9:50am

Una nueva tienda abre sus puertas en el centro de Elon

By Fiona McAllister

Una nueva tienda de ropa ha abierto sus puertas en el centro de Elon. Se espera que la tienda, llamada Brown, esté completamente operativa en las próximas dos semanas, según el propietario, Justin Duszlak. Brown se encuentra en East Lebanon Avenue, en el local que anteriormente ocupaba la boutique Simply Oak antes de su cierre el 31 de marzo. Duszlak comentó que las renovaciones comenzaron el 4 de julio y finalizaron en aproximadamente un mes. Duszlak indicó que su objetivo era tener la tienda funcionando en septiembre para el nuevo año escolar.

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LIFESTYLE 8/27/25 9:40am

New shop opens its doors in downtown Elon

By Fiona McAllister

A new clothing store has set up shop in downtown Elon. The store, named Brown, is expected to be fully operational in the next two weeks, according to store owner Justin Duszlak. Brown is located on West Lebanon Avenue, in the store previously used by the boutique Simply Oak before its closing March 31. Duszlak said renovations started July 4 and finished updating the storefront in around a month. Duszlak said her goal was to have her store up and running by September for the new school year. Brown opened earlier than expected on Aug. 22 for Elon’s new student move-in day.

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NEWS 8/26/25 6:11pm

Elon University student activity fees fund various organizations, campus events and traditions

By Trista Panagakos

As students prepare for the 2025-26 academic year, they might notice a $146 fee for student activities as part of their fall tuition bill. This fee is charged every semester to full time students, providing funding for different events, traditions and organizations on campus. Part time students are charged $73 each semester. The Student Government Association receives a large portion of the fee — $440,000 annually. They allocate this money to various organizations and activities through funding requests.

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NEWS 8/26/25 1:05pm

Website traffic on first day of classes causes Moodle issues

By Fiona McAllister

An email sent to all Elon University students, faculty and staff from the technology update team stated that Moodle is experiencing “significant slowness and temporary outages” due to the high traffic on the first day of classes. The technology service team said the vendor for Moodle is looking into this issue and is performing emergency maintenance to resolve the issue. The technology service team suggests that if you need to share time-sensitive files, use Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams and print hard copies of materials.

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LIFESTYLE 8/26/25 11:34am

‘First Gen’ memoir inspires Elon University class of 2029 to share first-generation college stories

By Liya Rike

Every year, Elon University picks one book to help incoming students start important conversations. This year’s pick is “First Gen: a memoir” by Alejandra Campoverdi. The book, chosen as part of Elon’s Common Reading Program, dives into Campoverdi’s experience as a first-generation college student. She writes about identity, family expectations and the pressure of being the “first and only” in spaces that weren’t made for her. Associate Director of First-Year Initiatives Paula Patch is the chair of the Common Reading Committee, and said she believes the book is helping freshman students think differently about what it means to start something new.

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