Lifestyle

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LIFESTYLE 3/20/26 9:00am

Elon University staff member pursues chaplaincy through Duke Divinity School

By Ruby Burckle

Kenneth Brown Jr., assistant director of first-generation student support services at Elon University, is continuing his journey toward becoming a chaplain. Though Brown can’t pinpoint the specific moment he decided to become a chaplain, he said the discovery of this passion was more like pulling the strings from various areas of his life together as he explored what made him “come alive.”

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LIFESTYLE 3/19/26 9:12am

Skateboarders work toward approval of skate park

By Fiona McAllister

For three hours, skateboarders took to the pavement of Beth Schmidt Park — setting up ramps and rails to get some tricks in on a rainy Sunday. But they are all waiting for one thing: a skate park.It has been years in the making, but chairman of the Elon Skate Coalition Scott Ingalls said they hope to break ground on the skatepark this year — either late summer or early fall. Ingalls said that donations help the skate committee and overall funding of the skatepark.

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LIFESTYLE 3/17/26 1:15pm

Local youth program helps teens explore filmmaking, acting

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Teen 2 Teen Video & Theatre, an Alamance County production group, is giving teenagers a chance to showcase their creativity, with help from a Queens University of Charlotte alum. Katie Farrell, who graduated from Queens in 2019, said she was searching for a job when she found an opening at Thataways Youth Center that closely matched her major, a Bachelor of Arts in multimedia storytelling. She first worked for Teen 2 Teen’s summer film lab. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/12/26 10:38pm

Sociologist warns Elon students about AI’s social impact during Baird Lecture

By Mia Torres

Growing up in Turkey with only one television channel and limited access to books, Zeynep Tufekci remembers a childhood with restricted information and American TV shows like “Little House on the Prairie” and the soap opera, “Dallas”. Now, the techno-sociologist and columnist helps society understand the powerful impact of artificial intelligence.

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LIFESTYLE 3/10/26 9:36am

Dance scholar blends dance, activism in McCrary Theatre talk

By Elissa Leka

The Elon community found rhythm in McCrary Theatre as they gathered to hear Brenda Dixon-Gottschild discuss and perform her research on the Africanist presence in American dance. The self-proclaimed “anti-racist” told the audience that while she was reading from her notes, the event would not be a traditional academic presentation. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/9/26 9:25am

Friends of the Alamance County Public Libraries host spring book sale

By Miles Hayford

Readers across Alamance County are filling up the basement of May Memorial Library in Burlington as the Friends of the Alamance County Public Libraries host their spring book sale. The sale began on March 6 and runs through March 15, selling books, DVDs, CDs and vinyl records. Volunteer Beth Cooley said the energy is different in the first few days of the sale. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/6/26 5:30pm

Local quilt guild creates community through craft

By Abigail Hines

Dressed in patchwork sweaters, carrying hand-stitched shoulder bags and wearing name tags made from scrap fabric, the Alamance Piecemakers Quilt Guild meets every month at the Burlington Elmira Community Center. The group, made up of about 50 women, shares their latest crafts, plans upcoming workshops and discusses new techniques they’ve learned. The guild, for many of these women, is about more than quilts; it’s about kinship and collaboration.

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LIFESTYLE 3/5/26 10:18am

Elon Wind Ensemble gives a preview of their Carnegie Hall performance

By Mia Torres

The Elon Wind Ensemble gave community members a preview of its upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall during a concert on campus March 4, offering audiences a first look at the music the group will perform in New York. The Wind Ensemble is a contemporary group focused on performing at the highest level possible. The concert consisted of 5 songs, just over 50 students and over 15 instruments. The show was about an hour long. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/3/26 2:51pm

Author discusses father’s bookstore, identity in lecture

By Abigail Hines

Laurence Roth, professor of English and director of Jewish studies at Susquehanna University, talked about his father’s experience owning a Jewish bookstore during his lecture March 2 at the McBride Gathering Space. Roth read several passages to the audience from his book “Unpacking my Father’s Bookstore”. The book follows Roth’s father’s journey moving from New York City to Los Angeles in the 1960s, opening the bookstore and becoming an important part of the local Jewish community.

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LIFESTYLE 3/1/26 12:55pm

African Diaspora of Elon embraces culture with first-ever African Night

By Elissa Leka

The African Diaspora of Elon closed the university’s celebration of Black History Month with the first-ever African Night on Feb. 28, with music, fashion, comedy and pageantry. Abdul-Malik Harrison, advisor to ADE and assistant director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education said though he has seen the campus put together amazing cookouts, parties and cultural events, African Night was unique and new. 

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LIFESTYLE 2/28/26 6:57pm

Elonthon hosts pickleball tournament to support Duke Children’s Hospital

By Alice Morrissey

Elonthon hosted its semesterly pickleball tournament in Elon’s South Campus Gym on Feb. 28. The event was more than just a competition — it also supported a larger cause. Elonthon operates under the motto “Kids Can’t Wait.” The organization hosts events throughout the year to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network in partnership with Duke Children’s Hospital.

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LIFESTYLE 2/28/26 3:12pm

GLC, CREDE host annual Kiki Ball

By Norah Wolf

Late Night Elon collaborated with the Gender & LGBTQIA Center to host the annual Kiki Ball celebration. Inspired by LGBTQIA ballroom culture, the event is historically centered around queer and trans people of color and serves as a way to honor diversity in expression within LGBTQIA communities. The evening featured music, a stage, and a panel of judges, including an Elon alum, David Carter, who was excited to see the event come together.

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LIFESTYLE 2/27/26 8:10pm

‘Being first’: Elon’s Black Solidarity Conference hosts first keynote panel

By Savannah Hameed

The Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education hosted the 12th annual Black Solidarity Day Conference where students, faculty and staff, and community members gathered together in McKinnon Hall to discuss topics on allyship, anti-racism, anti-black racism, wellness in Black communities, Blackness in a global context, intersectionality in Black communities and socio-political activism. 

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LIFESTYLE 2/26/26 10:21am

Elon University students find community through faith

By Mia Torres

Through a variety of faith-based organizations, Elon University students are finding ways to remain connected to their beliefs while balancing coursework and extracurricular commitments. The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life is used by students on campus to explore different religious worldviews and identities.

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LIFESTYLE 2/25/26 10:54pm

El Centro, CREDE host Carnaval celebration in McKinnon Hall

By Liya Rike

Mckinnon Hall was decorated in gold, green and red on Feb. 25 as students came together for Elon’s Carnaval celebration, a festival celebrated across Latin America before Lent begins. The event featured food, crafts and performances from Elon’s drum line and traditional Afro-Brazilian dance.

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LIFESTYLE 2/22/26 3:40pm

Elon's SUB Game night, light turnout, big impact

By Norah Wolf

Elon’s Student Union Board hosted one of its many events this semester offering a variety of games, snacks, drinks and music Feb. 21. Though the turnout was light with around two attendees, the organization aims to build an inclusive, light-hearted space on weekend nights, channeling a place to meet new people, says Tatiana Lorich. 

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LIFESTYLE 2/20/26 3:30pm

Surrounded by sound: “Rent” transforms McCrary Theater with immersive audio

By Charlotte Pfabe

With 10 speakers and an immersive sound setup, audiences heard a different version of McCrary Theatre for Elon University’s Performing Arts production of “Rent”. All four performances of “Rent” were sold out, according to Elon’s Performing Arts website.

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LIFESTYLE 2/20/26 8:30am

Jazz ensemble brings sounds of New Orleans to Elon

By Abby Gravely

McCrary Theatre received a taste of New Orleans with a concert from Tuba Skinny, a seven-piece Jazz ensemble based in Louisiana. The show was full of foot-tapping and spirited, complex solos from each of the different instrumentalists. 

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LIFESTYLE 2/19/26 7:00pm

Elon University students reflect on Black History Month

By Gaby Maldonado

A collection of quotes from Elon University students about what Black History Month means to them.

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LIFESTYLE 2/19/26 3:45pm

NC walking challenges and groups fuel health, wellness

By Monika Jurevicius

For the past 12 years, the Elon faculty/staff walking challenge has provided a space for Elon employees to stay active and create connections around campus. There has been a spring walking challenge for the past two years, with this spring’s theme being “Elon Olympics Walking Challenge: Race for the Gold.” 

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