Lifestyle

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LIFESTYLE 3/30/25 4:18pm

Senior aims to show off the stars using virtual reality

By Nia Bedard

Senior Aubrey Spicola’s honors thesis is a virtual reality planetarium app that allows users to see stars and planets as well as listen to an instructor, who is guiding the user through the VR planetarium. As an honors fellow, part of the program includes students engaging in the study of some sort of defined problem or question over the course of one and a half to two years. With Spicola’s major in astrophysics and her love of planetarium education, she was able to develop her thesis with the help of her mentor and professor Dr. Anthony Crider. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/30/25 1:02pm

Technology creates Oklahoma in Elon for production of ‘Grapes of Wrath’

By Megan Walsh

Dust storms, the Colorado River, a large thunderstorm and a flood — all major plot points of Elon University’s production of “Grapes of Wrath” where technology plays a large role. Lighting and sound are important for the show as it sets the mood of scenes. establishes where onstage audiences should be focused and portrays dust storms, the Colorado River, a large thunderstorm and a flood. The show, based on the novel by John Steinbeck, will be performed April 3 to 5 in McCrary Theatre.

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LIFESTYLE 3/30/25 12:27pm

Kiki Ball brings Elon University’s LGBTQ+ communities together

By Alice Morrissey

Lights dimmed and music blasted as the College Street Taphouse prepared for one of the Gender & LGBTQIA Center’s favorite events of the year — the Kiki Ball. The theme of the ball was out of this world, and participants brought their own flair, drawing inspiration from ballroom culture, voguing and freestyle dance. Competitors captured the audience with their confidence and creativity; some executed dramatic floorwork, while others commanded the space with sharp, precise movements, each performance adding to the vibrant atmosphere of the event.

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LIFESTYLE 3/29/25 12:19pm

Elon University’s Liberal Arts Forum hosts Maysoon Zayid

By Alannah Klingsporn

Students filled Whitley Auditorium on Thursday evening, March 27, as the Liberal Arts Forum hosted Maysoon Zayid as the second speaker of its 2025 spring Speaker Series.  Zayid, a comedian, actress and disability activist living with cerebral palsy spoke about a number of topics, ranging from her personal experiences to choosing her identity. Zayid also focused on the representation of disabilities in the media. Zayid is the founder and co-executive producer of the New York Eric Comedy Festival and the Muslim Funny Fest. She has also written for Glamour Magazine and appeared on 60 Minutes and ABC news. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/28/25 9:47am

Elon hosts Datafest to advance data competency on campus

By Sarah T. Moore

From making curated recommendations on streaming platforms to targeted advertisements and weather forecasts, there is a growing demand for data competency. From April 10 to 14, Elon University’s Data Nexus will host its second Datafest. The four-day event will contain workshops, a “Hack-a-thon,” a creative artificial intelligence contest, a keynote speaker, networking opportunities and the American Statistical Association’s DataFest Data Challenge. Elon is one of over 100 colleges and universities across the world participating in ASA’s DataFest this year. Workshops, a hack-a-thon and other elements of this year’s Datafest are expansions from Elon’s inaugural event last year. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/24/25 8:41am

3 Burlingtons compete in ‘Battle of the Burlingtons’

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Burlington, North Carolina; Burlington, Massachusetts; and Burlington, Wisconsin; are facing off in an epic battle — of reading. With 27 Burlingtons across the United States, these three are logging readers’ minutes to claim the title of the most book-loving Burlington in the country. Participants from each town are tracking their reading and submitting their minutes, contributing to their hometown’s total. There are over 57,000 library card holders in Alamance County, and as of Thursday, March 20, Burlington, North Carolina, has the most logged reading minutes with 147,314 minutes but is ranked third overall. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/19/25 2:12am

Limitless trailblazes hip-hop out of scarcity

By Alex Nettles

Limitless started at Elon University because of a drought of hip-hop and R&B on campus, now it has blossomed into a scene running alongside an institution where 78% of Elon Undergraduates are white. Nailah Ware and Chris Murphy brought culture and creativity to Elon despite barriers of doubt. Limitless is Elon University’s student rap and R&B organization. It took two years for Limitless to grow from a handful of beatmakers, rappers and stage technicians to a community of 40 members. After its genesis in a predominantly white institution, Limitless seeks to expand to other North Carolina colleges. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/17/25 9:08am

Elon Milk Club milks meanings of humor, philosophy

By Megan Walsh

Milk is known to help strengthen bones and muscles, but for Elon sophomore Jacob Bradshaw, it has also helped him build a strong humor-filled bond with his classmates. It all started at Elon’s 2024 fall organization fair where Bradshaw jokingly walked around with a piece of notebook paper asking people if they wanted to join a then-nonexistent milk club. He walked away with 70 signatures. From those 70 signatures, milk club has grown from its joke state to a legitimate organization. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/14/25 2:06pm

‘You have permission to engage’: Vernice Armour encourages Elon community to pursue passions

By Sarah T. Moore

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour — the first African American female combat pilot — gave an high-energy, interactive lecture March 13 as part of Elon’s 2024-25 Speaker Series. Throughout most of her presentation, Armour had the words “You HAVE permission to engage” projected onto the screen behind her. It was a phrase Armour heard from ground controllers when she served in the United States Marine Corps, and it is a sentiment she has embraced ever since. Throughout the lecture, Armour shared anecdotes from throughout her career and personal life. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/13/25 12:27pm

US Navy Concert Band celebrates centennial anniversary with tour, stops at Elon University

By Trista Panagakos

Elon University hosted the United States Navy Concert Band in Alumni Gym on March 12. This is the second show in the band's southeastern tour to celebrate the 250 year anniversary of the Navy and the 100 year anniversary of the Navy Band. Throughout the concert, narrators introduced a new era within the Navy by describing advancements in technology, traditions and the Navy’s presence on the world stage. The band will travel to South Carolina next and finish in Washington D.C. The concerts are free to all attendees. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/11/25 9:42pm

Elon’s Music Theatre Department helps close out a historic era for the Paramount Theater

By Megan Walsh

“West Side Story,” “Into the Woods” and “Sweeney Todd” — only a few of Stephen Sondheim’s works that the Burlington Paramount Theater will be celebrating in “95 Years of Stephen Sondheim.” At 7 p.m. March 13, Elon’s Music Theatre Department will perform “95 Years of Stephen Sondheim” to close out the Burlington Paramount Theater before its year and a half long renovation and expansion. Director of the Paramount Theater Eric Kerchner said the renovations hope to bring more people to downtown Burlington and create a space unique to the area.

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LIFESTYLE 3/9/25 4:30pm

Student-run fashion show generates massive turnout, champions international, timeless apparel

By Elise Whitaker

With every seat taken in Yeager Hall, Elon junior Kaia Brown’s “Flashback Fashion” debuted at 7:45 p.m. March 7, bridging students, community members, and families through international and timeless apparel. Inspired by the iconic runways of Gucci and Versace, the junior student aimed for each model’s walk to reflect their personality, complement their outfit, and align with the runway soundtrack, mixed by DJ and mixing engineer Naila Ware. The event was envisioned as a “teaser” for next year’s fashion show.

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LIFESTYLE 3/7/25 10:52pm

Joe Gatto performs at Elon University

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Joe Gatto, American comedian, producer and actor performed as one of the last events of Elon Day on March 6 in Alumni Gym. Gatto starred in Impractical Jokers, a hidden-camera comedy television series, before leaving in 2021, and is on tour throughout cities and college campuses. The doors to the event, hosted by Elon’s Student Union Board, opened at 8:00 p.m. in Alumni Gym with Gatto stepping onstage at 8:30 p.m. but some students began lining up, such as freshman Alanna Urteaga, as early as 4:30 p.m.

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LIFESTYLE 3/6/25 8:37am

Elon Spring Dance Concert brings light out of the void to McCrary Theatre

By Megan Walsh

Emanation — emerging out of the void, being a bright light in darkness, having hope and internal reincarnation. These are all definitions of emanation and what the choreographers are exploring for Elon University’s Spring Dance Concert. Elon’s Spring Dance Concert entitled “Emanation” will feature a diverse group of dance styles and choreographers all centered around the various definitions of emanation. The show will run in McCrary Theatre with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. March 7 and 8 and matinees at 2 p.m. March 8 and 9.

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LIFESTYLE 3/1/25 4:05pm

Elon Winterguard club fosters community, creative expression

By Kate Gray

A group of six students assembled at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in Alumni Gym, chatting and catching up while pop music played on a portable speaker. Soon, among rows of empty chairs and tossed-aside backpacks, they were spinning flags and practicing choreography. This sport is winterguard, an indoor version of colorguard featuring dance and manipulation of flags, prop rifles and sabers. The winterguard club started at Elon in the 2023-24 school year but really took off this year, according to president and sophomore Leah Funchess.

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LIFESTYLE 2/27/25 5:59pm

Q&A: Fashion designer discusses building his shoe empire

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Stuart Weitzman is a renowned footwear designer who has built a reputation for designing shoes that balance both comfort and elegance. His brand has been worn by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, Tate McRae, Beyoncé and more. Weitzman visited Elon University on Feb. 26 to talk to students and share his passion for designing and navigating the changing fashion industry. "You can't do it alone. And whenever I found someone to help me do it, I always sought the absolute best, most experienced, most talented. I didn't care if it cost twice as much," Weitzman said.

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LIFESTYLE 2/27/25 9:16am

Elon University Carnaval celebration features live music, dancing, cultural food

By Kate Gray

With live steel pan music, mask decorating and a buffet of Caribbean and Latin American food, the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education and El Centro kicked off Elon’s third annual Carnaval celebration on Feb. 26 in McKinnon Hall.  Elon’s Carnaval began with a Brazilian student who graduated last year, according to MJ Larrazabal, assistant director of the CREDE. As the event grows in popularity, it has expanded to include more Latin American countries and showcase African and Indigenous influences.

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LIFESTYLE 2/25/25 10:43pm

Historic photos of Elon put on display in town annex

By Fiona McAllister

The Town of Elon hosted a showing of historic photos from places around Elon — like Elon University. People were encouraged to stop by and write down anything they knew about each photo’s backstory. The photos were enlarged in order for people to see the photos clearly. Artificial intelligence was used to enhance physical features on those in the photographs. Jill Weston, the downtown development director for the town of Elon said the photos went through a very thorough process, until finally ending up back in North Carolina.

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LIFESTYLE 2/24/25 2:40pm

Elon University Truitt Center hosts Ripple Conference, fosters interfaith connection

By Ruby Burckle

With an estimated 150 attendees hailing from over 10 universities, the Ripple Conference, held from Feb. 21 to 23, showcased the importance of interfaith dialogue on college campuses. The Ripple Conference is the largest student-led interfaith conference in the Southeast. This year, the conference’s theme was “The Art of Interfaith” and explored how art can bridge the gap between people of different faiths. On Feb. 21, the first day of the conference, participants gathered in the Richard McBride Gathering Space to hear from keynote speaker Rodger Kamenetz, a poet and author.

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LIFESTYLE 2/23/25 4:12pm

Piedmont Shakespeare Company brings free professional theatre to Triad

By Megan Walsh

This summer, the Piedmont Shakespeare Company will open its inaugural season performing Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” across six locations in the Piedmont-Triad area. The company was created by Elon professors David McGraw, serving as executive director of the company, and Kim Shively, serving as a co-artistic director, alongside University of North Carolina School of the Arts professor Carl Forsman. It aims to bring free Shakespeare to people all over the Piedmont Triad region. On Feb. 15, the company announced auditions will be held on March 2 at Elon and March 9 at UNC School of the Arts.

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