Features

LIFESTYLE 4/22/26 12:14pm

Teaching Fellow studies alternative teaching methods

By Megan Walsh

After stepping foot in a local elementary school’s garden, Elon senior Grace Rasmussen said that’s when she realized learning could be full of joy, and she knew she wanted to provide that for her future students. Rasmussen, an Elon University Teaching Fellow, is now conducting two national surveys exploring how schools incorporate outdoor and progressive education practices.

NEWS 4/21/26 5:34pm

Burlington Police sees increase in productivity through AI use

By Charlotte Pfabe

The Burlington Police Department may implement artificial intelligence to help officers write case reports. The department is using a program called Truleo, which BPD Intel Sgt. Misha Braja said the department has already used for almost two years to analyze body-worn camera footage. “Report writing is the bread and butter of law enforcement,” Braja said. “We have to document everything that we do.”

LIFESTYLE 4/20/26 8:37pm

Student research discovers suspected cause of plant disease

By Trista Panagakos

During his freshman year, now-senior Billy Impagliazzo took two classes taught by biology professor Antonio Izzo. When he got to Elon, Impagliazzo said he knew he wanted to take part in research projects. In his sophomore year, Impagliazzo went to Izzo to discuss research opportunities he had in his lab. Izzo said he believed Impagliazzo would conduct research for only a semester, but almost three years later, Impagliazzo has identified the main microbe infecting the blue curls plant and has presented his research on SURF Day. 

LIFESTYLE 4/20/26 12:37pm

Elon student digs into Burlington’s past after historic hotel demolition

By Elissa Leka

The Rockefeller Integrated Hotel stood on Burlington’s Maple Avenue before being demolished a few weeks ago. Created by McBride “Mack” Thompson, a prominent African American entrepreneur in the Jim Crow South, the hotel was both his home and a place for Black travelers to stay somewhere safe. A single box of papers was recovered from the demolition site by a neighbor. Marshall Sears, a sophomore researching African American entrepreneurship in Petersburg, digitizes documents including those found in the demolition, as a part of his undergraduate research.

NEWS 4/19/26 8:49pm

NC Republican senators contend for top job after senate leader’s primary loss

By Miles Hayford

With North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger conceding his primary against Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, the political structure of North Carolina has been flipped on its head and several Republican senators are putting their names up for consideration to be the next Senate leader. The Senate leader is often seen as the most powerful position in North Carolina state government and Berger has exerted great influence over his 26 years in the senate and his 15 years as the leader of the Republican senate caucus.

NEWS 4/19/26 3:44pm

Elon University announces 2026 Lumen Scholar winners

By Miles Hayford

Fifteen students have been granted $20,000 to support their mentored research and projects for the next two years after the Lumen Advisory Committee announced Elon University’s 2026 Lumen Scholar winners. Director of the Lumen Prize Michael Carignan said the committee had to make very difficult decisions because there were many strong proposals submitted this year.

LIFESTYLE 4/19/26 2:03pm

Main Street Vinyl celebrates Record Store Day

By Norah Wolf

Whether they were crate-digging for something rare or just soaking in the vibe, attendees lined the street bright and early for some fun. Burlington record store, Main Street Vinyl, participated in celebrating Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18th. Inspired by the nationally recognized day, the record store offered limited edition albums only available in independent record stores, as opposed to mainstream ‘box’ stores. 

NEWS 4/19/26 11:33am

SURF Day hits record number of submissions

By Fiona McAllister

Elon University’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum has hit a record number of submissions this year, with 387 participants. The forum will be held April 28. There are no campus activities or classes during this full day of research presentations. Associate Director of the undergraduate research program Jennifer Hamel has spent the past three years at Elon helping with SURF Day. Hamel said SURF Day has expanded during her time and from what she has seen in the past. 

NEWS 4/18/26 5:31pm

Elon University senior’s research explores whether expectations can amplify exercise’s benefits

By Norah Wolf

For Asia Green, a senior exercise science major at Elon, being curious about undergraduate research evolved into something more: a nationally recognized research project exploring the coaction between mindset, movement, and outcomes. Green traced her initial spark of inspiration and interest in the field of undergraduate research back to her sophomore year, when she first attended the Student Undergraduate Research Forum. The forum exposed Green to student-led research that produced meaningful, real-world impact. From there, she said, she sought out mentorship to get started.

SPORTS 4/18/26 11:57am

Elon women’s tennis builds championship culture on energy, trust

By Kathan Gandhi

As junior Mariana Reding was preparing for her serve, she first checked in with fellow junior and longtime doubles partner Simone Bergeron. Reding nodded, affirming Bergeron’s suggestion. The small gesture was enough. Bergeron called for a kick serve out wide. The plan worked. Reding served outside, moving her opponent off the court. Bergeron pounced on the shallow angle the team got in response, forcing their opponents to hit a weak return. Reding had an easy volley to finish off the point. She missed it. But walking back — it’d be hard to tell. Instead of screaming or crying, Reding laughed. 

NEWS 4/17/26 5:48pm

Elon University physics major explores connection between quantum, classical physics in SURF project

By Miles Hayford

Junior Muhammad Awal Tahiru’s project for this year’s Student Undergraduate Research Forum is focusing on how small-scale things move and how to bridge together quantum physics and classical physics. Classical physics deals with the predictable behavior of human-scale objects; whereas, quantum physics deals with probabilities of the smaller, atomic world of particles. These two types don’t always fit together, according to chair of the department of physics and astronomy Martin Kamela, who served as Tahiru’s research mentor.

NEWS 4/17/26 3:20pm

Belk Library to add neuroinclusive spaces guided by student research

By Lily Mosbacher

Over the summer of 2026, Elon’s Carole Grotnes Belk Library will create two new neuroinclusive spaces to better support diverse learning needs, building on the success of two classrooms in Lindner Hall that have been in use throughout the school year.These spaces are a result of research conducted by students: senior Kira Campagna, junior Benjamin Krasnow, and junior Kaz Kelly, who are studying what makes a classroom accessible and effective for all learners.

NEWS 4/16/26 10:27pm

Visiting scientist shares importance of evolution education with Elon community

By Virginia Vance

Director and curator of fishes at the Museum of Natural Sciences at Louisiana State University Prosanta Chakrabarty demonstrated the importance of evolution by sharing tests done for his own colon cancer diagnosis, which he is still undergoing treatment for. “The way cancer evolves looks very much like the same way organisms evolve and populations evolve,” Chakrabarty said early in his speech.

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