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NEWS 1/21/26 11:46am

Elon University, AAC&U finds college faculty fear AI overreliance

By Miles Hayford

A new survey conducted by Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center and the American Association of Colleges and Universities found that 95% of college faculty fear that generative artificial intelligence will increase student overreliance on AI. The study also discovered that large majorities of faculty believe that AI will diminish critical thinking while decreasing attention spans.

NEWS 1/20/26 9:16pm

Invictus Project educates Alamance County on child exploitation

By Anjolina Fantaroni

The ‘It’s Time to Talk’ event hosted by the Invictus Project, a nonprofit that fights child sexual exploitation, began with a prayer from Pastor Josh Gresham at Trailhead Church in Graham on Jan. 20. Ray Dawson, founder of the Invictus Project, addressed attendees and said the event would cover heavy topics. “You need to hear because this is the truth,” Dawson said to the crowd. “This is what our children are up against.”

LIFESTYLE 1/20/26 1:57pm

Hundreds gather in Burlington for annual MLK Day celebration

By Abigail Hines

Dancers, singers, and guest speakers took the stage at the City of Burlington’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Jan. 19. The event took place in the Mayco Bigelow Community Center and welcomed around 450 people. Recreation Center Supervisor for the North Park, Zion Cash, helped coordinate the day’s program. He said the main message from the day was unity, keeping the hope alive and knowing the work’s not done. 

NEWS 1/19/26 9:32pm

Buddhist Monks walk for peace, compassion on 2,300-mile journey

By Abby Gravely

The monks began their walk for peace on Oct. 26 in Fort Worth, Texas, and reached the Piedmont Triad at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 19. The journey, which covers nine states and ends in Washington, D.C., is a demonstration to encourage peace, loving kindness and compassion. Each day of their walk, the monks stop to deliver peace talks to crowds that have grown from small gatherings to ones like High Point —a standing-room-only baseball stadium. Spiritual leader of the walk, Bhikkhu Pannakara, said he never expected crowds as big as the one that filled the stadium for their midday talks.

NEWS 1/17/26 5:57pm

Elon seeks ABA approval for new, full-time law program in Charlotte

By Sarah T. Moore and Anjolina Fantaroni

Elon University is seeking approval from the American Bar Association to establish a new full-time law program in Charlotte, according to Elon University President Connie Book’s email to students Jan. 13. According to Book, the university plans for the upcoming program to begin in fall 2027. According to a press release, Elon Law plans to operate both law programs from the Queens University of Charlotte campus.

LIFESTYLE 1/15/26 12:25pm

Elon Community Church pastor retires after nearly 15 years

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Former Elon Community Church pastor Randy Orwig said he once thought he would spend the rest of his pastoral career at a church in St. Louis. However, things did not go as expected. That experience led him to worship at Elon Community Church in 1992, the first United Church of Christ congregation he had ever attended. In 2011, he assumed the pastor role. He has served as pastor of Elon Community Church for nearly 15 years. At the start of 2026, his time as pastor officially came to an end, after he notified the United Church of Christ congregation by letter in July. 

LIFESTYLE 1/15/26 12:15am

Annual Elon Cares cabaret raises money for HIV/AIDS relief

By Evan Cooper

The Elon University performing arts students hosted their 19th annual benefit cabaret, Elon Cares, on Jan. 14 in Yeager Recital Hall. The cabaret was in support of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS charity. The event organizers aimed to raise $2,000 for the charity, and reached their goal before the second show began. Sophomore Laird Stearns, who is on the Elon Cares artistic board of directors and a performer in the show, said that as of 10:30 p.m. they estimated the event had raised $2,300.

NEWS 1/14/26 8:45am

Best Of 2026

 

Elon News Network’s annual Best Of special edition highlights campus and local favorites, as voted on by readers.

NEWS 1/13/26 10:32am

Elon University announces plans for full-time law program in Charlotte

By Sarah T. Moore and Anjolina Fantaroni

Elon University is seeking approval from the American Bar Association to establish a new full-time law program in Charlotte, according to Elon University President Connie Book’s email to students Jan. 13. According to Book, the university plans for the upcoming program to begin in fall 2027. According to a press release, Elon Law plans to operate both law programs from the Queens University of Charlotte campus.

SPORTS 1/12/26 8:56am

Elon University’s star quarterback transfers to Louisiana State University

By Kathan Gandhi

Elon’s starting quarterback Landen Clark is transferring to Louisiana State University, commonly known as LSU. Clark announced his decision on social media Jan. 11, ending a recruiting battle among multiple Power Four programs, commonly considered the toughest conferences in college football. Clark was named the Coastal Athletic Association Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025. In his first full season as a starter, he emerged as one of the conference’s premier dual-threat quarterbacks, passing for 2,231 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 11 more. 

LIFESTYLE 1/11/26 5:55pm

Elon University winter play explores connections between ‘Love and Information’

By Megan Walsh

Featuring more than 50 short scenes, Elon University’s winter play explores the concepts of technology and how it impacts human relationships. The show, titled “Love and Information,” will have 10 performances in Roberts Studio Theatre in Scott Studios from Jan. 17 to Feb. 1. Director and professor of the performing arts Kirby Wahl said the show holds true to its name, focusing on the connections between love and information across different contexts. 

LIFESTYLE 1/11/26 1:01pm

Shuffle N Roll game nights welcome newcomers, regulars

By Cassie Weymouth

Shuffle N Roll, a tabletop game store in Mebane, hosts a game night every Thursday at 6 p.m. and every Saturday at 7 p.m. for all game players, but particularly for “Magic: The Gathering” lovers. “Magic: The Gathering” is a collectible trading card game where players “duel” using their customized card decks. The store, opened by owner Austin Smith, has been a longtime dream of his. This game night has filled a space in Mebane where people can gather and connect to those with shared interests. “I started Mebane game nights just for something to do in Mebane,” Smith said. “I didn't like having to drive 15 to 20 minutes out to go somewhere. And then, just because of how it grew, I figured I was able to do it with my personal timeline.” 

SPORTS 1/10/26 11:17pm

Elon University men’s basketball completes comeback in Saturday night thriller

By Miles Hayford

A euphoric cheer. Earbursting levels of crowd noise. A steady flow of “defense!” chants. Those were some of the scenes in Schar Center on Jan. 10 a minute before the ending of an absolute thriller for the Elon University men’s basketball team. In the team’s first home game since winter break, 1,743 fans were in attendance delivering a powerful home court advantage as Elon won 83-82. Head coach Billy Taylor said he was happy with the team’s resilience.

LIFESTYLE 1/9/26 8:12am

Buried in Elon: Story of early international student resurfaces

By Lilly Molina

Elon University recently renamed Global Commons to Sato Commons after Toshio Sato, the first international student to graduate from Elon in 1920. However, Sato wasn’t the only international student attending Elon at the time. There was also 35-year-old Modesto Lopez from Spain. “Mr. Lopez had not learned to speak English, so we could not know him well, but his ambition and efforts were worthy and commendable,” Elon Archivist and Assistant Librarian Randall Bowman read an excerpt from the Christian Sun, a newspaper of the church Elon had been affiliated with before the university became a multifaith campus.  

LIFESTYLE 1/9/26 8:11am

Enterrado en Elon: La historia de unos de los primeros estudiantes internacionales resurge

By Lilly Molina

La Universidad de Elon renombró recientemente el edificio Global Commons como Sato Commons en honor a Toshio Sato, el primer estudiante internacional en graduarse de Elon en 1920. Sin embargo, Sato no era el único estudiante internacional que asistía a Elon en ese entonces. También estaba Modesto López, de 35 años, originario de España. "El Sr. López no había aprendido a hablar inglés, por lo que no pudimos conocerlo bien, pero su ambición y esfuerzo fueron dignos de admiración", leyó Randall Bowman, archivista y bibliotecario auxiliar de Elon, un fragmento del Christian Sun, un periódico de la iglesia a la que Elon estaba afiliada antes de que la universidad se convirtiera en un campus multirreligioso.

LIFESTYLE 1/8/26 10:35pm

‘Dr. King was a flawed individual in some ways,’ Kwame Anthony Appiah shares civil rights wisdom

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Kwame Anthony Appiah, a philosopher and political ethicist, spoke to the Elon University community about civil rights, race and their connection to ethics and politics. “We have a history of imperfect equality for people, different income levels, different classes,” Appiah said in the interview. Appiah said people can be enormously and positively important for questions of political justice and still be flawed. “Dr. King was a flawed individual in some ways, as we all know, we're all flawed,” Appiah said. “Nobody's perfect, and I think it's good to be able to recognize and celebrate someone for the things that are great about them, while acknowledging things that are not so great.”

LIFESTYLE 1/8/26 8:03pm

Asheboro High School’s drone soccer team helps students build skills in leadership, engineering

By Alice Morrissey

Anthony Woodyard, chief information officer for Asheboro City Schools, was searching for a new program to bring to the high school — something hands-on, academic-driven and fun. While exploring potential options he heard about an organization that pushed him in an unexpected direction, introducing an entirely different opportunity — drone soccer. “It was just a passing comment, but I immediately keyed in on it and wrote it down,” Woodyard said. “I did a little research on U.S. Drone Soccer and knew it was something we had to bring to our city schools.” Asheboro often ranks high on national leaderboards and currently sits at No. 26  as of January 2026.

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NEWS 08/04/2026 9:11pm
Alamance County community members gather to protest N.C. HB 958

The Poor People’s Campaign North Carolina Division hosted a protest against N.C. House Bill 958, a bill focused on new voting regulations, in front of Elon’s Town Hall. Approximately 40 community members attended the protest, which lasted around an hour Monday evening. 

NEWS 07/30/2026 8:00am
N.C. attorney general will not sign new Duke Energy settlement

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is not joining a proposed settlement submitted by Duke Energy Carolinas, the largest electricity provider in Alamance County. Jackson acknowledged the concessions Duke Energy has made, but he was not satisfied with the proposed rates, according to a press release by the North Carolina Department of Justice.

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