There was also, for a time, a fan-produced version of the Fighting Christian. In the early 1970s, a local fan attended Elon College football games wearing a handmade version of the Fighting Christian.听 This homemade costume consisted of a gold and maroon robe and a paper-mache mask, complete with hair and a chin strap beard.

The man, Phil Goble, wore the mask and robe when attending Elon athletic events in the early seventies. Both items were made by Goble鈥檚 mother. Goble was not a student at Elon College, but his family lived in Burlington and regularly attended games at Elon. Years later, Goble was visiting an area school where Elon alumnus Dennis Lawson was the principal. Goble noticed Lawson鈥檚 Elon diploma, and after a conversation about Elon, Goble told Lawson about the Fighting Christian outfit he had worn, and asked if Dennis would like to have it. In 2009, Lawson donated the mask and robe to 福利亚洲国产精品 Archives and Special Collections.

福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 new redesigned Phoenix sports a gold sweater and monogram 鈥淓鈥� which pay tribute to the original 鈥淔ightin鈥� Christian鈥� mascot.听 And while the hand-made costume was not used by the college, it has certainly become part of Elon鈥檚 lore.

鈥淲e invite the Elon community to join us in celebrating and honoring Hispanic Heritage Month by immersing ourselves in the vibrant art, music, food, and traditions that unite and inspire the community,鈥� Amy Gutierrez-Luviano, assistant director of the CREDE, said. 鈥淏y doing so, we are creating supportive spaces focused on mental, physical and holistic health that uplift the community.

Observed annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes and honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities in the United States. Established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week, the celebration expanded to a month-long observance under President Ronald Reagan in 1988 and became law on Aug. 17 that year. The month highlights the lasting impact of Hispanic and Latinx individuals across various fields, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of their vital role in shaping American society.

The celebration begins with the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, with Mexico and Chile following shortly after on Sept. 16 and 18.

Hispanic Heritage Month programming at Elon will run from Sept. 10 to Oct. 30. Highlights of this year鈥檚 events include the annual Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff and 鈥淐rossing Borders: Images of Migration and Voices of Minorities,鈥� featuring film producer and poet Fran莽oise Nieto-Fong, sponsored by Latin American Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, the Center for Advancement of Teaching nd Learning, and Belk Library.

Hispanic Heritage Month 2026 events at Elon

Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff

Tuesday, Sept. 15

5:30 p.m. | Medallion Plaza

Crossing Borders: Images of Migration and Voices of Minorities

Wednesday, Sept. 16听

2-3:40 p.m. | Turner Theatre

Campus Screening: Sunset over America and The Return-Family Separation

Sponsored by Latin American Studies; Peace and Conflict Studies; the Department of World Languages and Cultures; the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning; Belk Library.

Noche Latina

Tuesday, Sept. 29

7 p.m. | Rudd Field

Perspectivas

Wednesday, Sept. 30

5:30-7 p.m. | McKinnon Hall

Soccer Tournament

Friday, Oct. 2

4-8 p.m. | Intramural Fields

Perspectivas

Thursday, Oct. 8

5:30-7 p.m. | McKinnon Hall

Caf茅 con Leche Homecoming Edition

Friday, Oct. 9

3:30-5 p.m. | El Centro (Carlton 114)

Caf茅 con Leche w/ friends!

Monday, Oct. 19

5:30-7 p.m. | Iraz煤

Gala Latina

Friday, Oct. 30

5:30-8 p.m. | McKinnon Hall

Explore the detailed schedule of events for Hispanic Heritage Month on the CREDE website. For questions or more information, please contact Amy Gutierrez-Luviano at agutierrezluviano@elon.edu.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to launch Elon Collect because it gives us a shared digital home for the intellectual and cultural life of the university,鈥� states Dean & University Librarian of Carol Grotnes Belk Library Brian Mathews. 鈥淚t will preserve important pieces of Elon鈥檚 institutional history while also providing lasting access to faculty and student scholarship, creative work, research, reports, teaching materials and other significant contributions. In that sense, it is both an archive of where Elon has been and an infrastructure for where we are going.鈥�

What is Elon Collect?

Elon Collect is an institutional repository, which is a digital system that is used to disseminate scholarly works created at a single institution. However, Elon Collect鈥檚 scope expands more broadly, allowing data and archival materials to stand in conversation with scholarship.

Elon Collect is home to three distinct overarching collections: Elon Works, Elon Data, and University Archives & Special Collections.

• Elon Works is a centralized hub to showcase the research, scholarly, creative and teaching-focused work created across campus.
• Elon Data is home to data created and collected by students, faculty and staff.
• University Archives & Special Collections is the new location for curated images, documents, and ephemera from Elon, church, and local history from Belk Library’s .

Anyone currently associated with 福利亚洲国产精品 is eligible to deposit works into the Elon Works and Elon Data collections to enhance reach and visibility, both around campus and worldwide.

Elon Collect worked with three campus partners鈥搕he , the , and the Digital and Spatial Humanities Consortium鈥搕o showcase examples of faculty and staff work and ensure a smooth campus launch on Aug. 14. Additionally, posters from the have been included to provide examples of how student work can be shared.

What are the benefits & features of Elon Collect?

鈥淓lon Collect will empower faculty, staff, and students to better disseminate and promote their work, exercise their rights as authors, and contribute to conversations in research, creative practice, and teaching and learning,” said Coordinator of Research and Publishing and Associate Librarian Jesse Akman. “Moreover, Elon Collect will simplify grant compliance, improve discoverability for Elon journals and publications, and strengthen internal communications and institutional memory.鈥�

One of the core goals of Elon Collect is to provide wider access to works created on Elon鈥檚 campus. With Google Scholar indexing, any work deposited can be discovered by researchers worldwide. Through Creative Commons license options, Elon creators can more precisely describe how others may use their work. However, for those who may not want their work to be available worldwide, Elon Collect also provides other access options, including embargos to make public at a later date or internal access to only Elon users.

The system can also mint DOIs, or digital object identifiers, to provide a persistent identifier that acts as a stable, permanent link back to the work. DOIs help to standardize citations, especially for users outside of Elon.

Elon Collect also provides Author Profiles, a centralized portfolio for all works in the repository alongside research interests and external publications. The Author Profiles provide comparative statistics for every work connected to the profile owner, making it even easier to find and share the impact of your work.

鈥淎s we enter the final years of Boldly Elon and consider what it means to “Rise,” Elon Collect will help position the university for a future where our authors’ works are preserved and accessible, their rights are protected, and our campus is more enmeshed in scholarly communications than ever before,鈥� said Akman.

What can I submit to Elon Collect?

Elon Collect accepts a variety of deposits from current faculty, staff and students.

鈥淓lon Collect expands beyond the scope of a traditional institutional repository to capture the full breadth of work being created on campus today,鈥� said Emma Powell, archivist and assistant librarian and manager of Elon Collect. 鈥淗istorically, the 福利亚洲国产精品 Archives and Special Collections has only collected undergraduate honors theses. This is an exciting opportunity to diversify the works we share.鈥�

Works that can be deposited include, but are not limited to:

• Campus-based publications鈥攕erial outputs created and published by campus centers like journals or podcast series
• Conference-based works鈥攚orks like posters or presentations created for or presented at a disciplinary conference
• Creative works鈥攐utputs from those working/studying in creative fields like artwork, choreography, creative writing, filmmaking and original music compositions
• Data, software and code
• Grey literature鈥攄ocuments created to be shared but not be published through traditional means like reports and white papers
• Open publications鈥攚orks that have been formally published like book chapters and journal articles, and have Open Access (OA) or self-archiving (Green OA) options
• Student works鈥攚orks completed solely by students that have original writing or research and should be shared beyond the classroom like theses and capstones or SURF and SURE posters and presentations
• Teaching and learning materials鈥攚orks created for use in the classroom that may be reused and/or adapted by others, like assignments, lectures or other OERs

鈥淢any of our new areas of collecting reflect the university鈥檚 continued growth,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淲e collect teaching and learning materials to reflect the excellence in teaching from our faculty, and allow for a wide range of student work to showcase our expansive undergraduate research. Even our data and code collection connects to the continued work of Data Nexus.鈥�

Submitting your work to Elon Collect only takes three simple steps:

1. Find or create a work that you or the university hold copyrights to and wish to share further.
2. Go to and navigate to the 鈥淪ubmit鈥� header. Select a submission form and provide basic descriptions (also known as metadata) to make your work more discoverable.
3. Submit your form and wait for the repository team to review. Once the team has ensured the work fits into the system scope and has the necessary metadata, your work will be made available in the system.

Questions?

To learn more, join Belk Library on Monday, September 21 at 1 p.m.听for the first workshop in our Scholars鈥� Toolkit series: Showcasing Your Scholarly and Professional Work in Elon Collect and ORCiD. .

For further information, visit or email elon-collect@elon.edu.

The series connects two significant milestones in American history 鈥� the nation鈥檚 250th anniversary and the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth 鈥� through opportunities to explore the ongoing pursuit of freedom, equality and justice.

“This series offers our community an opportunity to reflect on the diverse significance of two historical celebrations during a complex contemporary moment. As we commemorate 250 years of American independence, it is a joyous yet complicated time,” said Carla Fullwood, director of inclusive excellence education and development. “Many communities, particularly historically marginalized communities based on race, have not experienced our nation’s principles of freedom, equality, and justice in the same way across the past 250 years. That is evident in the significance of Juneteenth, which marks the moment enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were notified of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been signed years earlier. And that declaration on June 19, 1865 does not account for the many enslaved people who remained in bondage across the South, and in several Union states,听for months after.

Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion

Faculty and staff participating in the Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion series will gather June 9-18 for facilitated conversations inspired by “The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing” by Anneliese Singh.

Through the lens of racial healing, participants will explore how race and racism have shaped Americans鈥� experiences of foundational democratic ideals and consider what concepts such as freedom, equality and justice mean in their own lives and communities.

Registration for the Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion series is now closed. Registered participants should have received their copy of 鈥淭he Racial Healing Handbook.鈥� Additional details will be shared directly with participants.

Juneteenth Commemoration Activities

The Inclusive Excellence Summer Development Series culminates June 18 with a day of educational experiences, reflection and celebration.

Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum & State Historic Site Tour

From 9 to 11:30 a.m., faculty and staff can visit the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum & State Historic Site, home of the historic Palmer Memorial Institute, a pioneering educational institution for African American students in North Carolina. Participants should begin boarding the bus at 8:45 a.m.; transportation will depart campus promptly at 9 a.m. from the Elon sign near the Inman Admissions Building.

Freedom Footprints

Beginning June 8, members of the Elon community can explore Black history, activism and achievement at Elon through . The self-guided experience includes campus walking tour stops marked by lawn signs featuring QR codes that connect visitors to additional historical information.

On June 18, Shaunta Alvarez, interim coordinator of University Archives, Digital Collections & Systems Librarian and associate librarian, will lead a guided version of the tour. Weather permitting, participants will depart from Lakeside 213/214 at 1:45 p.m. following the Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion session. No registration is required.

Emancipation Celebration

The day concludes with Together@Elon鈥檚 Emancipation Celebration from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in McKinnon Hall within Moseley Center. Community members are invited to enjoy a Juneteenth exhibit, music, sweet treats and games while celebrating freedom, resilience and community. Participants can compete in a Spades tournament for prizes or join casually to learn or teach the game. Individuals and teams of two are welcome to

The Inclusive Excellence Summer Development Series is a collaborative initiative supported by Belk Library, Black Lumen Project, the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE), the Committee on Elon History and Memory, 福利亚洲国产精品 Archives and Special Collections, HealthEU Initiatives, the Office of Inclusive Excellence Education and Development (OIEED), the Office of Leadership and Professional Development (OLPD), Together@Elon/Staff Advisory Council and other campus partners.

The events offered through this summer series give us an opportunity to explore that complexity with honesty and care,” Fullwood said. “The Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion series creates space to unpack our understanding of these complexities through dialogue and storytelling. The Freedom Footprints tour and Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum tour center narratives about Black experiences that are often untold or minimized in the context of American history. Closing the series with the Together@Elon event allows us to root all of this learning in community-building. We are proud to offer Elon faculty and staff opportunities to learn, reflect, and heal together.”

Emergency and Crisis Response

• As a reminder, Campus Safety & Police will operate as normal, 24-hours per day, and can be reached at 336-278-5555.听 They can also assist with connections to the Student Life on-call administrators, who are available 24/7 throughout the summer.
• SAFEline is always available at 336-278-3333 for confidential support with sexual and relationship violence response 鈥� it can also be a confidential resource to access on-call violence responders.
• For urgent mental health needs, the Counselor On-Call is available at 336-278-2222.
• For any life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.

TimelyCare Virtual Medical and Mental Health Care 鈥� available all summer

• Telemedicine and telemental health services through TimelyCare will be available to all Elon students, regardless of whether they are enrolled in summer classes, as long as they are in the United States.
• Information is available on the TimelyCare page of the Division of Student Life website, and can also be accessed through the appointments pages of the Counseling Services and Student Health Services websites.

Campus services available during Summer Break

Below are the hours for student service operations during Summer Break.

Belk Library

• Belk Library will be open 8 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, through Thursday, May 28.
• Summer hours begin Saturday, June 1, and are as follows:
  • Mondays – Thursdays: 8 a.m.听 鈥� 9 p.m.
  • Fridays: 8 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Saturdays: 9 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Sundays: 12 p.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
• Visit the for current library hours.

Campus Bookstore

• Starting Tuesday, May 26, the bookstore will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. 鈥� 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. 鈥� 2 p.m. It will be closed on Sundays and holidays coinciding with university closures.
• Visit the for information about hours or online shopping.

Campus Recreation

• Koury will be closed for an operations reset on Thursday, May 21, starting at 2 p.m., and will reopen on Monday, June 1, at 11 a.m. Summer hours for Campus Recreation facilities are the following:
  • Koury Center
    • Mondays 鈥� Fridays:听 11 a.m. 鈥� 7 p.m.
  • Driving Range
    • Mondays 鈥� Fridays: noon 鈥� 7 p.m.
    • Saturdays and Sundays: 9 a.m. 鈥� 7 p.m.
    • Last bucket at 6 p.m.
• Visit the Campus Recreation website for more information.

Counseling Services

• No clinical appointments are available Monday, May 26, through Friday, May 30. Starting Monday, June 2, hours will include the following:
  • Administrative Office Hours: weekdays, 8 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Clinical Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. 鈥撎� 4 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. 鈥� 1 p.m.
  • Closed weekends and holidays
• Call 336-278-7280 during administrative office hours or visit the Counseling Services website to schedule an appointment.
• Important updates on available services and听online scheduling are available on the Counseling Services website.
• On-demand mental health support is available 24/7 throughout the summer using TimelyCare鈥檚 鈥淭alkNow鈥� service. For information about how to access the service, visit TalkNow on the Counseling Services website.

Elon Dining

• Starting Tuesday, May 26, Lakeside Dining Hall will be open weekdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be closed on most weekends and holidays coinciding with university closures.
• Additional hours may be available based on the camps and conference schedule.
• Menus and hours are always available .

Elon Express and Campus Transportation

• All Elon Express routes will stop service at the end of Wednesday, May 20 at 10 a.m. Elon Express will resume routes in August with the start of the Fall semester.
• Elon Express schedules and routes and E-Ride Services are available online.

Moseley Center

• Starting Tuesday, May 26, the Moseley Center’s hours of operation are as follows:
  • Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Saturdays, 9 a.m. 鈥� 1 p.m.
  • Closed on Sundays
• Irazu Coffee will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. 鈥� noon.
• Updated building hours of operation are available on the Moseley Center website.

Mail Services

• Weekdays: 8:30 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
• Closed weekends and holidays coinciding with University closures
• If you are in Elon for the summer (June & July) and would like to continue receiving mail and packages, you MUST complete the Summer Address Notification Form in .
• Visit the Summer Mail page for more information. This only applies to returning students, not students who have graduated.

Student Health Services

• Starting Tuesday, May 26, 2026:
  • Appointments with a provider are available every Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. 鈥� 4 p.m. and every other Wednesday beginning June 3 from 9 a.m. 鈥� 11:30 a.m. in the office and in Francis Center for SHS grads only from 12:40鈥�4:30 p.m.
  • Closed weekends and holidays.
  • Administrative staff will be available by phone Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. 鈥� 4 p.m.; closed for lunch from noon 鈥� 1 p.m.
• Call 336-278-7230 during operational hours to schedule an appointment or make an appointment online through the PhoenixHealth portal (instructions online).
• TimelyCare medical telehealth service is available 24/7 throughout the summer.
• For information about how to access the service, visit the appointments page of the Student Health Services website.

The new publication, 鈥淗uman Wisdom for the Age of AI: A Field Guide to Cultivating Essential Skills,鈥� helps students cultivate the human skills they need to thrive in a digital world, whether working with AI technologies or learning independently of those tools. The guide includes engaging and fun exercises on curiosity, critical and deep thinking, creativity, ethical perspectives, communication and relational skills, among others.

Like the 2024 and 2025 editions, this year鈥檚 guide is provided to students and institutions free of charge and is available for download at: .

The guide draws on 10 voices across centuries and cultures 鈥� from Aristotle, Cicero and Descartes to Mencius and Ptahhotep 鈥� whose enduring insights into human judgment, creativity, ethics and wisdom take on new urgency as AI reshapes how we learn and work.

鈥淲e are excited to share this hands-on field guide with teachers and learners around the world,鈥� said 福利亚洲国产精品 President Connie Book. 鈥淲e must not lose sight of the enduring principles that have always driven human progress. This publication bridges the gap between rapidly expanding algorithmic power and the timeless wisdom of the liberal arts. It empowers students to harness AI technologies where appropriate without sacrificing the empathy, judgment and creative autonomy that only a human mind can provide.鈥�

鈥淎s artificial intelligence reshapes how we learn, work and create, the essential skills students need are not disappearing鈥攖hey are evolving,鈥� said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. 鈥淐apacities such as critical inquiry, ethical reasoning, creativity and communication are more important than ever because they enable students to engage AI thoughtfully, question its outputs and apply knowledge with judgment and purpose. This guide underscores a central truth: in an age of increasingly powerful machines, the learning outcomes of a liberal education are the foundation for meaningful and responsible innovation.鈥�

鈥淭hrough our research at The Princeton Review, we consistently see that students are both excited by AI and uncertain about how to use it well,鈥� said Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek. 鈥淲hat they鈥檙e really looking for is guidance. This field guide meets that moment by translating big ideas鈥攍ike critical thinking, creativity and ethical decision-making鈥攊nto practical habits students can use every day.鈥�

In response to requests from faculty and staff, the new publication includes:

• A set of downloadable with group exercises, worksheets and discussion questions
• An online that allows students to reflect on how they are using AI in their studies and their level of reliance on AI tools.

Students, faculty and staff at more than 4,000 colleges, universities, schools and organizations around the world have accessed the publications. The guide鈥檚 has provided information to more than 87,000 users in 170 countries.

The guide is authored by three 福利亚洲国产精品 leaders and researchers: Daniel J. Anderson, special assistant to the president and former vice president for communications; Lee Rainie, director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center; and Janna Anderson, professor of communications and co-founder and senior researcher for the Imagining the Digital Future Center. They worked in partnership with 24 consulting scholars from 10 countries.

鈥淗uman Wisdom for the Age of AI鈥� is endorsed by:

• American Library Association
• CAA Academic Alliance
• EDUCAUSE
• Gardner Institute
• NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
• Online Learning Consortium
• RTI International

All materials in the guide are provided free and licensed under a Creative Commons License Attribution that allows educators to use and adapt the work for noncommercial applications.

As with the previous publications, colleges and universities may request a version of Human Wisdom for the Age of AI field guide that incorporates their institution鈥檚 logo on the cover, providing a custom edition for distribution within their campus community. For details on obtaining a customized PDF of the publication, send a request along with a high resolution logo file to imagine@elon.edu.

The Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence is an initiative of听福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚听Imagining the Digital Future Center. The publication series grew out of a听2023 global collaboration听that established a听statement of principles听to guide development of AI policies and practices in higher education.

福利亚洲国产精品 the publishers of the Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence

听is the nationally recognized leader in experiential learning, preparing graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical global citizens. For five consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Elon #1 in the nation for undergraduate teaching excellence and the leader in programs that promote student success. Elon enrolls more than 7,000 students at its main campus in Elon, North Carolina, and national campus locations in Greensboro, Charlotte, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.

福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 is an interdisciplinary research center focused on the impact of accelerating digital change and the challenges that lie ahead. The center鈥檚 mission is to discover and broadly share a diverse range of opinions, ideas and original research about the likely evolution of digital change, informing important conversations and policy formation. The center was established in 2000 as Imagining the Internet and renamed Imagining the Digital Future with an expanded research agenda in 2024.

is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions around the world as well as other organizations and individuals.

is a leading tutoring, test prep and college admission services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school-bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and its more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House. The company is not affiliated with Princeton University.

Those who knew Allison Keill remember her passion for education and mentoring and how she touched the lives of every student she encountered in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education.

That legacy will live on in the Allison E. Keill Memorial Global Engagement Endowed Scholarship that has been established by Keill鈥檚 husband, Chad Esposito, of Burlington, North Carolina, along with gifts from dozens of friends and family members who have come together to honor her memory.

Keill, 50, served as director of the Curriculum Resources Center and associate librarian in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education before passing away March 25, 2026.

鈥淎llison brought light and love to all in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education,鈥� said Dean Ann Bullock. 鈥淗er genuine, welcoming spirit and boundless sense of adventure make this scholarship听a fitting tribute to an educator who impacted lives far beyond the classroom.鈥�

The scholarship will assist students with financial need in the Watts Williams School of Education who are pursuing study abroad or Study USA opportunities.

Esposito remembers his wife as a woman of extraordinary grace, strength and heart who loved her family deeply.

鈥淎llison was selfless and giving in every sense of the word鈥攁lways putting others before herself and offering love, comfort and kindness so freely to everyone fortunate enough to know her,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he had a way of making people feel seen, cared for and important, and her beautiful smile could light up even the darkest room. Allison听will be remembered for her positivity, intelligence, resilience and unwavering spirit.鈥�

Keill was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2024 yet refused to let the disease define her, Esposito said.

鈥淓ven in the face of unimaginable hardship, Allison remained inspiring, strong, thoughtful and full of love,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he met life鈥檚 challenges with courage and dignity, and she taught those around her what it truly means to live with purpose, gratitude and grace. Her family was the center of her world, and she poured her heart into every moment spent with them. She also understood deeply that nothing in this life is guaranteed, and because of that, she embraced each moment with love, laughter and intention.鈥�

Esposito hopes the scholarship will inspire students to embrace education and global exploration.

鈥淓ndowing this scholarship ensures that Allison鈥檚 legacy continues in a way that reflects who she was鈥攁 compassionate educator, an inspiring mentor and someone who saw the world as a classroom without borders,鈥� he said. 鈥淎llison had a genuine love of learning, not only through books and teaching, but through experiencing the world firsthand. She believed that understanding different cultures and perspectives made people better educators, better thinkers and better human beings.鈥�

Born in Summit, New Jersey, Keill grew up in Westport, Connecticut, and Brunswick County, North Carolina. After graduating high school from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, she earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from UNC-Greensboro, and a master鈥檚 degree in library science from East Carolina University.

Make a Gift

Anyone interested in donating to the scholarship may contact Brian Baker, associate vice president of university advancement, at (336) 278-7453 or bbaker7@elon.edu.

The event had been in the making since the previous fall. The college鈥檚 Bicentennial committee 鈥� led by George Troxler, then a professor of history specializing in American colonial and revolutionary history 鈥� was deep in planning, threading the spirit of 1776 through everything from athletics to the arts.

An October 1975 weekend had offered a preview of what was to come. The cross country team carried the Bicentennial flag to Hillsborough, North Carolina, and returned to campus along a route used in the 18th century. They formally handed the flag to Elon President J. Fred Young at a ceremony in front of Alamance Building. A golf tournament at Alamance Country Club, a dance at Alumni Gym and a sunrise flag-raising at Elon鈥檚 ROTC site all added to the weekend鈥檚 festive atmosphere. Bicentennial meals with period-appropriate recipes were offered for $2, a fitting nod to colonial-era frugality.

But it was Festival Day on April 10, 1976, that brought everything together. The morning opened with a parade through downtown Elon College, featuring the Alamance- Caswell Marine Color Guard, the Western High School Band, local Boy Scouts and the Elon Middle School Drum and Fife Corps, among others. From Whitley Auditorium, a one-act comedy titled 鈥淢idnight Ride of Paul Revere鈥� drew audiences into the revolutionary spirit of the occasion.

The afternoon unfolded across campus in a joyful sprawl of activity. A picnic on the north end of campus gave way to an art and photography exhibition at Harden Center. The Elon College Concert Band performed on the North Campus lawn. And at 1 p.m., the day鈥檚 most enduring ceremony took place: the dedication of a new campus gazebo. Mayor T. L. Smith of Elon College and President Young offered remarks, and the college鈥檚 concert band and choir provided special music, with a prayer led by the Rev. Clyde Fields.

Later in the afternoon, Bicentennial games were held on the soccer field, followed by a street dance featuring the Western Express Jazz Ensemble and the Western Kids, with the Elon College Middle School Cloggers adding a distinctly local flavor to the festivities.

鈥淭his joint celebration of the Bicentennial and the town鈥檚 birthday concluded with dancing in the street,鈥� The Pendulum, Elon鈥檚 student newspaper, reported at the time.

The celebrations reflected a broader truth about Elon College in 1976: The campus and the surrounding community were deeply intertwined. Festival Day wasn鈥檛 simply a college event.

It was a town celebration, and Elon was proud to host it.

Learn how Elon is honoring 250 years of the American spirit this year in this Today at Elon article.

Campus safety

As a reminder, several 24/7 services are available throughout this time.

• Campus Safety & Police can be reached at 336-278-5555. They can also assist with connections to the Student Life on-call administrators.
• On-call crisis counselors are available at 336-278-2222.
• SAFEline is available at 336-278-3333 for confidential support with identity-based bias, sexual violence, or interpersonal violence 鈥� they can also be a confidential resource to access on-call violence responders.
• TimelyCare free virtual medical and mental health service, is available 24/7 throughout the break from anywhere in the United States.

Residence halls and university apartments

• Residence halls (not apartments) close at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 21. Student staff will be entering all spaces during closing to complete closing room checks.
• Residence halls (not apartments) reopen at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 29.
• Information about requests to stay late or return early can be found on the Break Housing page of the Residence Life website.
• Offices remain open during the break during regular weekday business hours, 8 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m., except when University offices are closed.

Secure your residence

Whether you live on-campus or off-campus, make sure you secure your room, apartment or house.听 Other important steps to take before you leave:

• Unplug all appliances
• Hide or relocate valuables and move expensive items away from windows
• Secure any non-perishable food in airtight containers or cabinets; discard any perishable food from your refrigerator
• Empty all trash; if you live off campus, secure your trash and recycling containers
• Check all water faucets to make sure they are completely off
• Set your thermostat for 50-55 degrees
• If you have a hidden spare key outside of your residence, make sure you remove it
• Make sure all doors and windows are shut and locked

Students residing in off-campus residences may want to request a Vacation Home Check, a service provided by the Town of Elon Police 鈥� .

Parking & Transportation

If you are planning on leaving your vehicle on campus during Spring Break, you may leave it in your permitted lot or you may park it in the South Campus lots or the Innovation Quad lot. FY permits must remain in the FY permitted lots. Make sure your vehicle is locked and you take any valuables with you.

Elon Express and Campus Transportation

• All Elon Express routes will stop service at the end of shifts on Friday, March 20. Elon Express will resume their normal schedule on Monday, March 30.
• A modified Elon Express route from Gateway Parking Lot to Inman will run on Sunday, March 29, from 3 p.m. 鈥� 9 p.m.
• Schedules and routes are available online.

Campus services

Below are the hours for student service operations during Spring Break. Please note that University offices are closed on Friday, March 27.

Belk Library

• Belk Library will have reduced hours: Friday, March 20, will close at 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 21,听 9 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 22,听 10 a.m. 鈥撎� 6 p.m.
  • Monday, March 23 – Friday, March 27听 8 a.m. 鈥撎� 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 28,听 9:00 a.m. 鈥撎� 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 29, 10 a.m. – Midnight
• Visit the for information about the library鈥檚 adjusted hours.

Campus Bookstore

• The Barnes & Noble Store will be open for reduced hours during Spring Break:
  • Saturday, March 21: 10 a.m.鈥� 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 22 and Monday, March 23: Closed for inventory
  • Tuesday, March 24-Friday, March 27: 10 a.m.鈥撎� 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 28: 10 a.m.鈥� 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 29: Closed
• Regular operating hours will resume on Monday, March 30.
• Visit the for information about hours or online shopping.

Campus Recreation听

• Campus Recreation facilities will have adjusted hours from Friday, March 20, through Sunday, March 29.
• The PARC fitness center will remain open from 4 a.m. to midnight daily throughout Spring Break.
• Visit the and scroll to 鈥淪pring Break Hours鈥� for adjusted hours of operation.

Counseling Services

• Counseling Services will be open by appointment with the following adjusted hours:
  • Monday, March 23: 8:30 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, March 24: No clinical appointments
  • Wednesday, March 25: 8:30 a.m.鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 26: 8:30 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Friday: CLOSED
• Throughout Spring Break, students will have 24/7 access to on-demand mental health support through TimelyCare. Information on how to download TimelyCare and access Talk Now is available on the Counseling Services website.
• The Crisis Counselor-on-Call remains available 24/7 by calling 336-278-2222.
• Call 9-1-1 for any psychological emergency that is life-threatening or involves imminent danger to self or others.
• Visit the for information about hours and appointment times, links to online resources, and information about emergency and crisis resources.

Dining Services

• A list of adjusted locations and hours for Spring Break is located .听 Regular dining hours will resume on Monday, March 30.
• Elon Dining is proud to partner with the University to provide a daily meal to students who are remaining on campus over Spring Break. Please bring your Phoenix Card to swipe in at McEwen Dining Hall.
• Menus and hours for dining locations across campus are always available on the .

Mail Services

• Mail Services will have adjusted hours during spring break:
  • Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22: Closed
  • Monday, March 23 鈥� Thursday, March 26: 8:30 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Friday 鈥� Sunday, March 27-29: Closed
• Regular operating hours will resume on Monday, March 30.
• Visit the Mail Services website for updated hours and operations.

Moseley Center

• Moseley Center will have adjusted hours during Spring Break:
  • Saturday, March 21: 听9 a.m. 鈥� 1 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 22: Closed
  • Monday, March 23 – Friday, March 27: 8 a.m.鈥� 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 28: 9 a.m. 鈥� 1 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 29: 11 a.m. 鈥� midnight
• Visit the Moseley Center website for information about adjusted hours.

Student Health Services

• Student Health Services will be closed to patients on Friday, March 20 at 3 p.m., through Sunday, March 29. Regular operating hours will resume on Monday, March 30 at 8:30 a.m.
• Students in search of care during the dates above can call the Elon Faculty Staff Wellness Clinic at 336-278-5569 to make an appointment during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 23-26 and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 27.
• TimelyCare medical telehealth service is available 24/7 throughout the break. For information on how to access the service, visit the Student Health Services website’s appointments page.
• Students who are experiencing a medical emergency should call 9-1-1 for immediate assistance.
• Visit the Student Health Services website for information on hours and appointment times.

Community-based learning (CBL) gives students opportunities to address real-world challenges by partnering with local community organizations. Through their experience leading a community-engaged unit in environmental studies, Merricks and Bitting recognized that little research directly examines how CBL affects students from historically underrepresented STEM backgrounds (e.g., women, students of color, and first-generation college students).

Working with Akman, an expert in systematic reviews, the team analyzed existing research on whether CBL experiences influence students鈥� pursuit of STEM majors or minors, their career intentions, and their sense of belonging in STEM fields. From more than 500 publications published between 1999 and 2024, the authors identified nine studies that met the criteria for inclusion.

Their analysis revealed a major gap in the literature. Few studies systematically examined the impact of CBL pedagogies in STEM. Most did not compare CBL with other teaching approaches, making it difficult to draw strong conclusions about its effectiveness. In addition, only a small number of studies analyzed outcomes across demographic groups such as race/ethnicity, first-generation status, or gender. The authors conclude that more rigorous research is needed, including studies that compare CBL with other pedagogies and systematically examine outcomes across different student populations.