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.
Elon News Network’s annual Best Of special edition highlights campus and local favorites, as voted on by readers.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
After Jeff Snuffer retired from coaching the Western Alamance Warriors football team for 16 seasons, he described his biggest accomplishment was less about wins but rather about the connections among his players. “I wanted to impact people the way I was impacted,” Snuffer said. “I love working with coaches but you don’t get into this business for the approval of adults. If you’re a teacher or a head coach, you should be doing it for the people learning from you.”
As Elon University begins Winter Term, students will see a change in the Historic Neighborhood. Mooney Building will be closing its doors starting Jan. 8 and will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and into the summer. The renovations, which will start on Jan. 14, will include replacing windows on the first and second floors, replacing the HVAC system and ductwork. Kohn also wrote that part of the renovations process will include consulting with an external professional engineer about gutters, building drainage and water intrusion.
As students across the Alamance-Burlington School System head back to school after their Winter Break ended on Jan. 5, ABSS announced they would begin the rezoning process for the district on Jan. 6. “We are committed to handling this process with care and transparency,” Superintendent Aaron Fleming said in a statement from ABSS. “We are gathering community input before any zone options are even created because your voice matters in guiding these future decisions.” ABSS is currently conducting a survey, will hold listening sessions and is expected to complete the final rezoning plan is expected to be completed this spring.
A water main broke on South O’Kelly Avenue near Elon University’s Ellington Center for Health & Wellness. An E-alert sent around 11:45 a.m. Jan. 6 said to avoid the area near the health center until further notice. Town of Elon Public Works and Utility workers are repairing the water main. Worker Swanson White said they have identified where the break is and their next step is to cut into the road and dig the pipe up. The process should take at least four hours, according to White and other workers on the site.
From her first trip off campus with the Elon College Fellows Program, senior Brooke Gustafson, a theatrical design and technology, and arts administration double major knew she wanted to use her fellows research project to engage the university with the local community. “I realized then and there that there was a large bubble around Elon University that wasn't connecting with the community,” Gustafson said. That led Gustafson to create her research project, Fitting Futures, which aims to provide free clothing alterations to the local community and establish a model for other universities to replicate the program.
Elon University’s Student Government Association had an eventful fall semester following the implementation of a new funding model, freshman elections and an atypical town hall. “Change is change,” Vice President of Communications for SGA Kennedy Steiner said. “People don't always love change, but I think for the future, I think this could be really good, people asking, maybe why something didn't get funded, and just making sure everything was as equitable as possible for organizations.”
As Winter Term approaches on Jan. 5, the new Gateway parking lot located at the Francis Center will be open for freshmen students starting Jan. 3. The project was originally announced in November 2023 and was supposed to open in fall 2024. The new parking lot’s opening was continuously delayed with the most recent announcement of a delay occurring in August 2025. According to an email sent from Chief of Elon Campus Safety and Police Joe LeMire to undergradua students on Jan. 2, students with a parking permit marked “FY” will be parking in Gateway and the eastern lot of the Danieley parking lot.
North Carolina state Rep. Stephen Ross announced he will not seek re-election, ending his sixth term after more than three decades in public service. Ross has spent more than three decades in public service, previously serving as a member of Burlington City Council, Mayor of Burlington and chairman of the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments. He said he reached a point where he felt it was time to step aside. Ross said he wants to spend more time with his family. Ryan Moffitt, an Elon Law alum and Burlington attorney, has announced his candidacy for the seat.
Cuando Lucero Marti entró por primera vez a The Blend hace siete años, se enamoró al instante del lugar. "Le pedí a Dios: 'Me encantaría que este lugar fuera mío algún día'", contó Marti. Y gracias a su participación en el Club Rotario local, una organización humanitaria sin fines de lucro de alcance mundial, la conexión de Marti con The Blend se fortaleció. Los miembros del Club Rotario comenzaron a celebrar sus reuniones en la cafetería, lo que le dio la oportunidad de entablar una amistad con el antiguo dueño. Cuando este, tras casarse, se vio imposibilitado para seguir gestionando el negocio, le propuso a Marti que se hiciera cargo. Ese momento crucial marcó un nuevo comienzo, y ella se convirtió en la nueva propietaria el 2 de enero.
When Lucero Marti first walked into The Blend seven years ago, she quickly fell in love with the space. “I asked God, ‘I’d really love for this place to be mine one day,’” Marti said. And through her involvement with the local Rotary Club, a global nonprofit humanitarian organization, Marti’s connection to The Blend deepened. The Rotarians began holding their meetings at the shop, giving her the chance to build a friendship with the former owner. When the former owner found himself unable to continue running the business after getting married, he approached Marti about taking it over.
