Features

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NEWS 9/17/25 4:58pm

‘What does it mean to be human?’: Elon University, RTI International host conference on AI, humanity

By Nia Bedard

Since 2021, the number of large-scale artificial intelligence systems has increased in the United States by 3,775%. With AI becoming more prevalent, Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center and RTI International, a research institute based in the Research Triangle, hosted a conference Sept. 17 reflecting on what it means to be human in the age of AI. “All institutions must seriously address the coevolution of humans and digital systems and work to reimagine the animating human spirit of organizations, workflows, communication, teaching, learning and research activities,” Elon University President Connie Book said. 

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NEWS 9/17/25 8:02am

Siembra NC strives to protect immigrants in the workplace, build community support

By Kate Gray

Siembra NC was founded in 2017 in response to growing fears about deportation and a gap in support and resources for Latine communities. Maria Mejia, a philosophy professor at Elon University, first became involved with Siembra NC when she attended a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement verification training at a local church. She worked with organizers to plan a similar community preparedness session at Elon University in May 2025. “I knew that students at Elon wanted to do something, and they were upset about the fact that there weren’t a lot of spaces where this was being talked about," Meija said. 

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NEWS 9/17/25 8:02am

Siembra NC se esfuerza por proteger a los inmigrantes en el lugar de trabajo, fortalecer el apoyo comunitario

By Kate Gray

María Mejía, profesora asistente de filosofía en la Universidad Elon, se involucró por primera vez con Siembra NC cuando asistió a un entrenamiento de verificación de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos. en una iglesia local. Trabajó con los organizadores para planificar una sesión similar de preparación comunitaria en la Universidad Elon en mayo de 2025. “Yo estaba conectando con estudiantes que estaban realmente preocupados por esta retórica anti-inmigrante, y no solo retórica, sino las redadas que estaban ocurriendo”, dijo Mejía. “Sabía que los estudiantes en Elon querían hacer algo, y estaban molestos por el hecho de que no había muchos espacios donde se hablaba de esto”.

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SPORTS 9/16/25 11:28pm

Elon men’s soccer controls match to stay undefeated

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team beat Davidson College 2-0 to win their fifth game of the season. It is the fifth consecutive win for the team after tying their season opener against Old Dominion 0-0. Elon controlled the majority of the match, leading for almost the entirety of the game. Head coach Marc Reeves said he was proud of the team’s ability to lead the game wire-to-wire for that extended amount of time. “Coming away with the win feels really good and to know that we are leading most of the time just helps build our confidence,” Reeves said.

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SPORTS 9/16/25 6:08pm

Los Carolina Cowboys suben en la clasificación por equipos de los Professional Bull Riders

By Sarah T. Moore

El Coliseo First Horizon en Greensboro suele hospedar conciertos y partidos de baloncesto. Pero del 12 al 14 de septiembre, el Coliseo se llenó de tierra mientras los jinetes de toros captaban la atención del público. Con una mano en la cuerda del toro y la otra en el aire, los jinetes animaban al público mientras un cronómetro contaba hasta ocho segundos. Cowboy Days es un evento anual de tres días que se celebra en el Coliseo First Horizon. Cada día se disputan cinco partidos con un total de 10 equipos. 

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SPORTS 9/16/25 12:55pm

Sophomore running back embraces high expectations before Elon University's football season

By Benjamin Berfield

Sophomore running back TJ Thomas Jr. enters this season as one of the notable returning skill positions for Elon University football. As a freshman, Thomas made an immediate impact as the second running back on the depth chart behind senior Rushawn Baker, accounting for 696 total yards from scrimmage. Despite a shoulder injury that cut Thomas’ freshman campaign short, he has his sights set on a comeback. “I want to just do what I do,” Thomas said. “Don’t even think about anything. Just keep my mind on football and get the job done.”

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NEWS 9/16/25 10:31am

Elon University announces merger with Queens University of Charlotte

By Nia Bedard and Monika Jurevicius

During College Coffee on Sept. 16 Elon President Connie Book announced that Elon University would be merging with Queens University of Charlotte.Book, who is currently in Charlotte, said to College Coffee attendees in a prerecorded video that Elon will assume operational oversight of Queens and the university will become a new home for Elon graduate students. Elon University currently has multiple programs based in Charlotte including a flexible law school program, a sport management program and a physician’s assistant program set to open in 2027. 

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SPORTS 9/16/25 7:08am

Elon University cross country enters 2025 with a sense of direction

By Kathan Gandhi

After a year defined by both growing pains and promising steps forward, Elon University’s cross country team enters the 2025 season with something they lacked in 2024: consistency. Elon was under the guidance of first-year head coach Mark Rinker in 2024, who was hired from the University of Eastern Michigan after the departure of head coach Kevin Jermyn, who had been in the position for seven years. “Obviously, we are disappointed to have not won the women’s conference championship,” Rinker said. “Finishing third is not what we wanted, but we had a really young team and a lot to look forward to.” 

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NEWS 9/15/25 11:06pm

NC College Voter Summit returns to Elon, encourages voting in local elections

By Kate Gray

The 10th annual NC College Voter Summit was held at Elon University and involved students and staff from 16 schools across the state. It was co-organized and co-sponsored by members of the NC Campus Voting Coalition. “A lot of college students, especially if they're not from the city or the state that they're going to college in, might feel like they don't necessarily have a role to vote in that community,” Samantha Delap said, a program coordinator for North Carolina Campus Engagement. “That's not true, because it's your electricity bill, it's the sidewalks that you walk on."

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NEWS 9/15/25 10:07pm

Alamance County Commissioners approve ABSS grant applications, consider health department consolidation

By Miles Hayford

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners approved five applications for needs-based grants to the Alamance-Burlington School System and decided to move forward with a plan to consolidate the county’s health department. The grants, which ask for funding from the state, include one for a roofing project at Southern Alamance Middle School that would cost the county $700,000 because the county must match 25% in funding of the total project cost. The four other grants were for heating, ventilation and air conditioning repairs at Southern Alamance High School, Western Alamance High School, Graham Middle School and Eastern Alamance High School.

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SPORTS 9/15/25 12:40pm

Elon University women’s soccer uses 2024 turnaround as fuel for fall

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University women’s soccer team saw a huge turnaround during the 2024 season. After winning just three out of 17 games during the 2023 season, they improved their record by 10 games en route to an appearance in the Coastal Athletic Association semifinals. Looking back at their turnaround season, redshirt junior forward Isa Murdock and junior defender Grace Gelhaus said they believe the team was able to use its mindset to their advantage on a consistent basis. “The mindset is there now,” Gelhaus said. “It’s more competitive and we’ve learned from our mistakes in the past two seasons.”

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LIFESTYLE 9/15/25 10:28am

‘You think you’re invincible until you’re not’: Student returns to Elon University after medical leave

By Charlotte Pfabe

Lexi Rogers didn’t expect to have to celebrate her 21st birthday back home. “Worst 21st birthday ever,” Rogers said. Rogers finished her first round of chemotherapy right before her birthday in February. Rogers was later diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. "If I can even help one person just realize that something’s wrong and go to the doctor, even if they don’t have lymphoma, just to go to the doctor and get everything checked out, like that’s all I could really ask for,” Rogers said.

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NEWS 9/15/25 6:53am

Elon community comes together with Walk for Hope

By Alannah Klingsporn

Elon University students gathered Sept. 12 on Medallion Plaza to close out Suicide Prevention and Life Awareness Week with the Walk for Hope around Lake Mary Nell. Participants held signs with phrases such as “You matter” and “The world is better with you in it,” written on them. Sophomore and Vice President for Active Minds Phoebe Struminger said she came to the event to spread awareness. “There's never enough information out there,” Struminger said. “It's become a super big stigma, which definitely needs to be broken as many people struggle with it.”

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SPORTS 9/14/25 2:44pm

Carolina Cowboys move up in Professional Bull Riders team standings

By Sarah T. Moore

The First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, typically hosts concerts and basketball games. But from Sept. 12 to 14, the Coliseum was filled with dirt as bull riders captured the crowd’s attention. With one hand on a bull rope and the other in the air, the riders had the audience cheering as a timer counted up to eight seconds. “Being able to see them do something that matters so deeply and that they put their entire life into — risking their lives on a day-to-day basis — that was the best part,” High Point University student Kylin Starr said. 

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SPORTS 9/14/25 1:16pm

Elon men’s soccer wins physical match to remain unbeaten

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team beat University of South Carolina Upstate 1-0 to win their fourth game of the season. It is the second consecutive year the Phoenix have opened the season unbeaten through the first five games. “You have to compete first,”head coach Marc Reeves. “I thought we did a really good job of that. They’re a very strong team with some really good players and I thought we dealt with it all well.” The Phoenix will host its next game against Davidson College at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at Rudd Field. 

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SPORTS 9/14/25 7:38am

Elon men’s soccer regains key offensive piece for 2025 season

By Kathan Gandhi

As Elon University men’s soccer kicks off its 2025 campaign, it’ll be looking to deliver on promising developments from 2024, with contributions from new leaders and returners such as senior Colin Veltri, who is returning after an injury stalled his 2024 season. Despite his injury, Veltri is excited to return to the pitch this season. “I want to be a part of helping us get the win,” Veltri said. “If that means changing my role or doing more to help the offense, I’m willing to do that.” 

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LIFESTYLE 9/13/25 2:09pm

Elon University’s Black Student Union struts out for fashion show

By Harrison Narens

Elon University’s Black Student Union hosted their Art around the World fashion show on Sept. 12 in Alumni Gym in collaboration with Late Night Elon, taking the audience around the world without even hopping on a plane. “Truly, all of these students did amazing work. I’m so proud of our Elon community coming together especially as a student of color,” Elon freshman Ernesto Arellano-Perez said. “It's important that we have events like these to really show the diversity here at Elon.”

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SPORTS 9/13/25 9:11am

Elon football team looks to carry last season’s momentum after key offseason losses

By Miles Hayford

After starting the 2024-25 season 1-5 with four losses at home, the Elon University football team bounced back and won their last four games. Head coach Tony Trisciani said the team is hoping to carry that momentum into this season. “I expect us to be highly competitive,” Trisciani said at the Coastal Athletic Association Football Media Day on July 24. “We got a lot of juice, a lot of energy in our building, and these guys are ready to go.” 

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LIFESTYLE 9/12/25 7:15pm

Elon University Truitt Center destroys annual sand mandala

By Emma Luckman

The Sacred Space in Numen Lumen was filled with members of the Elon community and beyond as Tibetan Buddhist monks Geshe Sangpo and Geshe Tenzin from the Kadampa Center pushed the vibrant sand of the Green Tara sand mandala into the middle of a table to represent that nothing is permanent. Hillary Zaken, Director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement at Elon University, said starting the year off with a strong symbol of peace within the sacred space, is essential to harmonious academics. “The beginning of the year is hectic,” Zaken said. “Everyone's coming in from all kinds of different places. "

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LIFESTYLE 9/12/25 5:24pm

Eso! Jarabe Mexicano returns to perform at Elon

By Lilly Molina

On Sept. 11, Jarabe Mexicano played their Fiesta and Familia program in McCrary Theatre. This is Jarabe Mexicano’s second time on campus after performing last year. During Jarabe Mexicano’s last visit to Elon, they were in a rush to get back to the West Coast, according to Acoser. However, this time the band has time to check out the local community. “We often like to go out and visit your community and go see the sites or both,” Alcoser said. “Maybe visit the Hispanic community, the nearest Hispanic community.”

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