It's time for Elon News Network's Best of 2021 edition. In our survey, vote for your favorite things and places in and around Elon.
Jenipher and Jerry Smith, of Whitsett, are co-owners of Deep Roots, a smoothie bar that they hope to open in Elon this December. The couple said they began their own wellness journey and wanted to bring a healthy quick-service option to the area.
With the onset of the pandemic, Elon choir and a cappella groups are now adapting to new rules and regulations put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In accordance with the new regulations, singers now wear masks, practice virtually or at socially distanced rehearsals and are shifting their focus from large concerts to making new recorded music.
In light of the racial tensions and disparities occurring in the United States, Elon students from the physics, biology, chemistry, exercise science and the engineering clubs started the STEM for Black Lives Matter club. The new club emerged on campus in July to promote diversity and advocate against racial disparities in the STEM communities.
Every October since 2015, Alamance Pride, a nonprofit that serves the LGBTQIA community, has held an annual Pride festival in downtown Burlington, but this year’s sixth annual event was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Students who test positive for COVID-19 or are in close contact with a positive case are required to quarantine. These students are in isolation to contain the spread of the virus. But as a result of their solitude, their mental health can face negative effects.
Junior Mac Lengyel and other students at Elon University’s Gender and LGBTQIA Center recently started the podcast SexualiTEA. The podcast focuses on discussing the intricacies of gender and sexuality along with sharing the stories of Elon students, faculty, staff and alumni.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Foundation awarded Elon junior Eliza Spear the 2020 Jay Gorney Award along with co-writers Lindsay Gitter and Rachael Williams for their song “If I Don’t Try.” The award is given to a songwriting team or songwriter, who is not affiliated with a label, for their original work and is handed out based on the song’s social implications, according to the ASCAP Foundation.
Elon University senior Megan Noor is in search of a new caretaker for the bees she’s helped manage the last three years. Noor, who spent the spring taking care of bees, has been interested in bees ever since she joined took a class with the Alamance County Beekeepers Association her freshman year.
Senior Kamal Lado has always envisioned creating a space for Black students to showcase their artwork, but they never thought such an event would be realized within their four years at Elon University. However, the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement following the killing of George Floyd this summer spurred Kamal to ensure their vision came to life.
Elon’s Student Union Board has organized free weekend activities for the student body since 1984. But when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way that people can safely interact with one another, SUB had to alter their event planning for the fall 2020 semester.
Elon Engineers, a small group of students with a passion for engineering, is an organization that is pioneering projects and working alongside faculty to develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs at Elon.
In June 2019, Brigette Hedvat '20 launched UENVI with her sister, Adrienne Hedvat, who is now a senior at Elon University. UENVI is a sustainable lifestyle company that makes an array of one-of-a-kind pieces ranging from t-shirts to swimwear.
Si bien la música ha formado una gran parte de la cultura de Kevin Alvarado, las raíces de su familia en Ecuador también han tenido un efecto en la persona quien es hoy en día. Durante su infancia, Alvarado pasó un verano con sus abuelos en Cuenca, donde pudo sumergirse en la cultura de sus padres.
While music has been a large part of Kevin Alvarado’s culture, his family’s roots in Ecuador also have impacted cultivating the person he is today. During his childhood, Alvarado spent a summer with his grandparents in Cuenca, where he was able to immerse himself in the culture of his parents.
The From the Flames Challenge includes a semester-long scavenger hunt and other unconventional competitions. According to Schmiederer, it was created to help bring the community together and to encourage students to get to know Elon on a deeper level. The “quirky” scavenger hunt, found on their new Instagram page, encourages students to get to know Elon on a deeper level, while having fun solving clues for challenges.
Even during a global pandemic, the Student-Made Store continues to expand. The store has grown its online presence by developing audiences on social media and building up their website. Artists for the store sell their art at on-campus events and now also come from schools beyond Elon.
Hispanic Heritage Month is officially observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, beginning on the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile also celebrate their independence on Sept. 16 and Sept.18, respectively.
While the spotlights’ beam descended onto their costumes at the 2020 Spring Relay for Life, the team soaked up the audience’s praise. After the celebratory dance concluded, Elon Junior Ellie Mitchell took a moment to observe how the team’s hard work paid off in the crowd’s reaction.
A key component of every introduction to sociology class is the “looking glass self,” a concept created by American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley. The looking glass self describes how people develop their characters from interactions with others. But due to COVID-19 physical distancing regulations, interactions with others have changed, leaving some to wonder what the long-term impact on mental health and interpersonal relations will be.
