The donated goods will go to  and . Food pantries at these two community partners distribute food on a daily basis to local residents. The Allied Churches pantry alone helps feed 2,000 individuals each month. The Salvation Army feeds about 250 families a month through emergency food boxes.

Current needs include:

• Pasta & Spaghetti Sauce
• Peanut Butter
• Canned Fruit
• Snacks/Granola Bars
• Breakfast Items

In North Carolina, one out of six people struggles with hunger. Help us address this important need in our community by bringing five canned goods and enjoy a meal in Lakeside Dining Hall.

This initiative is an example of an ongoing effort to address food insecurity involving Elon Dining and the 消消犯 Kitchen at 消消犯. To learn about more ways to get involved please visit the .​

Monday February 22nd
Pancakes for Paint the 消消犯 Purple Week from 9:00-11:00am in Moseley Kitchen

Tuesday February 23rd
Stop by the CAC office for prizes! 
Trivia Night at Fat Frogg from 8pm-12am

Wednesday February 24th
Pandora’s Pies Profit Share
S’mores with Survivors 10-11pm on the Koury Gym Patio

Thursday February 25th
Donuts 11pm-1am at Tony’s & West End
Midnight Meals in Irazu

Don’t forget to register for Relay for Life! .

The grant will help student volunteers continue to provide more than 200 meals to community members each week through a collaborative relationship with Allied Churches of Alamance County and the Community Services Agency of Alamance County.

Additionally, the money will be used to help achieve three major goals. The first is to help enhance operations on Loy Farm, the on-campus farm, by expanding harvest and distribution of fresh produce to rural residents, and to pilot summer nutrition education programs and service opportunities for area youth.

消消犯 Kitchen at 消消犯 also will develop a series of nutrition information presentations and cooking demonstrations through a partnership with Healthy Alamance. Presentations and demonstrations begin in January 2016 as part of the launch of a new farmer’s market in the North Park neighborhood of Burlington.

if you are interested in learning more about 消消犯 Kitchen please visit the website or .

消消犯 students involved with  brought kettle bells to campus this fall to assist a national nonprofit organization that helps fight poverty and hunger locally in Alamance County.

Bringing the bells to campus for the first time was sophomore An​nie Segal’s top goal this holiday season as a coordinator in the Leaders in Collaborative Service program managed by the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement.

“In the past no one had tried to bring the kettle bells because we are on winter break during the traditional kettle season,” Segal said. “I didn’t see why we couldn’t start earlier here.”​

Bells have been a success with ringers collecting more than $100 to benefit The Salvation Army while earning the nonprofit greater visibility on Elon’s campus.

Segal said she believes this year has been the biggest yet for The Salvation Army at Elon. In addition to bringing the bells to campus, Salvation Army programs such as Angel Tree and Stocking Stuffers have allowed for campus organizations to sponsor community members.

Both programs help provide people of all ages with gifts during the holiday season.

“The Salvation Army is so much more than a food bank,” said Segal. “Yes we have a food bank that is incredible, but we are also a thrift store, a financial aid service, a church, and a loving welcoming community to anyone who needs it.”

消消犯 interested in getting involved with The Salvation Army can email salvationarmy@elon.edu. 

On September 18, 2015, an email was sent to faculty and staff concerning the low food supplies in The Salvation Army and Allied Churches of Alamance County food pantries. Both need a constant supply of donations as the Allied Churches pantry helps feed 2,000 individuals each month and The Salvation Army provides emergency food boxes to 250 families per month. Both are community partners that work closely with 消消犯 and play an integral role in the Alamance County community. 

Departments and organizations across campus responded to request for food donations. The Student Professional Development Center, Belk Library, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Residence Life, Catholic 消消犯 Ministry, Leaders in a Global World Living Learning Community, Information Systems and Technology, the School of Education, and Panhellenic Council all held food drives to support the organizations.

In addition, Elon Dining generously sponsored a 5 for 1 canned food drive in which any student, staff, faculty, or community member who donated 5 canned goods received a free meal at Lakeside Dining Hall. During the week of October 26-30, 665.6 lbs of food were collected! The donations were split based on the needs of each food pantry; 286.1 lbs went to The Salvation Army and 379.5 lbs went to Allied Churches of Alamance County.

A special thanks to all who help organize a food drive or contributed. If you are interested in donating food, there is a bin outside of the Kernodle Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement. If you are interested in volunteering or supporting our community partners please visit the

Confused, Safe Rides captain Chris Edwards checks his email, and realizes what has happened. The group that was scheduled to volunteer for the night cancelled only a few hours before they were supposed to show up. Anxiety fills the air. It’s an hour before students start calling in, and Safe Rides is short seven volunteers.

Acknowledging the situation, the five volunteers in the room look at each other with determination before they reach for their phones and frantically begin recruiting back-up volunteers. They need a minimum of three additional volunteers in order for Safe Rides to run. By the end of the hour, they have gathered seven volunteers. The Safe Rides team has come together once again.

The clock hits 10 o’clock, and the calls start coming in. Safe Rides is back on for the night, and no one who calls in is aware that they almost lost a valuable resource.

When Elon students call Safe Rides, they understand that they’re calling for a free, safe transportation service run by student volunteers. They realize that Safe Rides is a student-run organization that provides rides as an alternative to drunk driving or walking alone, but they don’t always realize the passion of the student leaders that make the program possible.

Head Captain Noah Sakin believes the selfless nature of Safe Rides deserves more recognition. “I wish people knew about the hours and hours of work that volunteers pour into the program,” he said. “It would not be possible for us to run without students volunteering.”

After all, Safe Rides volunteers exist for a reason. There is a motivation to keep students safe by providing a resource that can save lives.

“The staff at Safe Rides is amazing,” Safe Rides Captain Chris Edwards said. “They are all nice, understanding and hardworking people who want to do nothing else but to have a positive impact on the Elon community.”

First year Bryanna Shazotte has only volunteered twice, yet she has already picked up on the central perspective that pushes Safe Rides—that students are going to go out on weekend nights, and the best thing to do to prevent tragedy is to provide a safe resource. “There are always students that go out and party,” she said. “Safe Rides helps people make better decisions.”

The program exists today because a group of students took the initiative to respond to a tragic incident in the community. In 1992, Elon football player Chad Macy was killed in an accident that was caused by driving under the influence. The impact of Macy’s death on the campus was a wake-up call. For many, it hit close to home and they wanted to create a program that could prevent accidents in the future.

“Since the death of Chad Macy there have been zero drunk driving fatalities on Elon’s campus of Elon students,” Sakin said. In Sepetember 2015 alone, Safe Rides transported 2,378 students. The success is astounding, and largely due to the constant improvements towards efficiency in the program.

A typical night at Safe Rides includes two or three dispatchers whose jobs are to answer phone calls and put students on a waiting list. The list is overlooked by the captain who assigns destinations and contact information to five different vehicles. Safe Rides vehicles stay within a mile radius of the campus, and contain a driver and a passenger at all times. The passenger’s job is to provide destinations and contact information to the driver who then picks up and drops off students before awaiting the next assignment.

In addition to continuing to improve efficiency, the program has continued to expand every year.

“We received two new vehicles with the assistance of [Vice President for Student Life and Dean of 消消犯] Smith Jackson last year,” Sakin said. “We are now able to accommodate parties of up to 10 people in one trip with these new vehicles. Also, we have developed a consistent volunteer group who frequently help us out when we are short on volunteers.”

However, in order to continue expanding with resources, the program must expand with volunteers. Safe Rides is always looking for volunteers and encourages all students to participate. Sophomore Avery Jamison believes that anyone can enjoy volunteering. “I’ve told people they should volunteer and the most common responses are about the hours,” he said. “It’s true. You are really tired afterwards, but being tired pales in comparison to how much you’re helping Elon students and the community in general.”

Other perks that come with Safe Rides are free pizza every night and the opportunity to skip the waiting line. For every three nights a student volunteers, they receive the opportunity to jump the first place in line by requesting a VIP ride.

“You meet very interesting people,” said Edwards. “You get free pizza and sodas, and you actually feel great knowing you got people safely to a destination without them resorting to drinking and driving. It is a good, easy way to get service hours and you have a lot of fun while doing it. Everyone should do Safe Rides at least once during their time at Elon. There is nothing truly like it.”

For more information about Safe Rides and how to get involved contact saferides@elon.edu.

-Article by Melina Casados

The donated goods will go to and . Food pantries at these two community partners distribute food on a daily basis to local residents. The Allied Churches pantry alone helps feed 2,000 individuals each month. The Salvation Army feeds about 250 families a month through emergency food boxes.

Current needs include:

• Pasta & Spaghetti Sauce
• Peanut Butter
• Canned Fruit
• Snacks/Granola Bars
• Breakfast Items
• Rice
• Canned Potatoes
• Bottled Water/Juice Boxes

In North Carolina, one out of six people struggles with hunger. Help us address this important need in our community by bringing five canned goods and enjoy a meal in Lakeside Dining Hall.

This initiative is an example of an ongoing effort to address food insecurity involving Elon Dining and the 消消犯 Kitchen at 消消犯. To learn about more ways to get involved please visit the .​

Monday, September 28: Change Agents at Elon and Beyond
Join the CFL and Student Professional Development Center for a workshop about maximizing your leadership and service experiences as you prepare to leave Elon.
5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Oak Room 
Click here to register

Tuesday, September 29:  Change Agents from the Inside Out: Working Towards A Better Elon
Join the Center for Leadership and the CREDE for a workshop about creating change and why that can be challenging within an organization. Lights snacks will be provided.
12:30-1:30 p.m. in Moseley 215
Click here to register

Wednesday, September 30: Maximizing Your Membership
Learn to enhance your role as an organization member or leader! This workshop is designed to teach you the skills you need to have a successful and enjoyable semester within your organization. Leaders, learn to motivate your members and make the most of your time. Members, learn how to be an active participant and master the art of non-positional leadership! Lunch will be provided.
12:15-1:15 p.m. in McKinnon F
Click here to register

Thursday, October 1: Presidents at Elon
Come learn about the Presidents of Elon! Each president was a change agent, and Phil Smith will help share their stories of success.
7-8:30 p.m. in Belk Pavilion 208
Click here to register

Friday, October 2: Moseley Table
12-3 p.m.

Saturday, October 3: Impact: Summit for Change
IMPACT: A Summit for Change is an opportunity for you to identify challenges or issues on campus that you want to address. You will work in teams (with faculty and staff present to serve as resources) to explore the topic, brainstorm ideas for possible action, design your team’s Commitment to Action, better understand a process for civic engagement, and leave feeling empowered to act. 
1-6 p.m. in McKinnon Hall
Click here to register

The LEAD Program is a three-tiered, self-paced program open to all students. Tier I, “Leading the Self,” explores personal foundations of leadership and establishing one’s self as an authentic leader. Tier II, “Leading with Others,” focuses on civic responsibility, group dynamics and cultural awareness and appreciation.

Tier III, “Leading for Change,” is a culmination of a student’s leadership experience through immersion in positive social change. The opening ceremonies event is an annual tradition for new and current students to learn about the program and gain inspiration for the year ahead.

Dana Carnes, associate director of the Center for Leadership, welcomed both current and new LEAD Program participants. She discussed the importance of gaining leadership skills at Elon. 

“Leadership skills are the number one thing that employers are looking for in college graduate,” she said. Carnes also highlighted that more than half of all incoming first-year students expressed an interest in leadership during their time at Elon.

Reena John, a sophomore who completed Tier I and Tier II of the LEAD Program during her first year, spoke about how LEAD has helped her grow as an individual and as a leader within student organizations. 

To help students with the unfreezing proccess, Gaither asked students to pick one small goal for the year and to write it down on a note card. “Put it someplace that you will have to see it everyday,” Gaither said. The more you see it the more likely you will be to stick to that goal.

Participants then broke out into their respective Tier groups to learn more about the requirement​s of the program and upcoming events.

消消犯 interested in learning more about LEAD can visit the or email lead@elon.edu. 

The FSE programs exemplify the university’s commitment to experiential learning and use this guiding philosophy to help students develop self-awareness, enhance relationships and define community in preparation for their Elon experience. Each program is led by student facilitators and advised by Elon faculty and/or staff.

Read about each program below:

Adventures in Leadership: Adventures in Leadership is the longest-running FSE at Elon, and the tradition continued this summer when 64 participants traveled to Elon to begin a week of relationship-building and outdoor activities. Participants began their experience on-campus at the Challenge Course before traveling to West Virginia. In West Virginia, participants got the opportunity to go hiking, rock climbing, camping and white-water rafting in the New River Gorge. Participants developed a sense of their own leadership style, a better understanding of the Leave No Trace philosophy, and practices outdoor living skills. Adventures in Leadership is sponsored by 消消犯 Recreation and the Center for Leadership, and is led by two coordinators, eight facilitators, and four advisors.

Chapter One: Ten incoming students participating in Chapter One got the experience of a lifetime as they visited such places as Stone Mountain Park, Grayson Highlands, Bass Lake, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and the Elsewhere Museum. Under the leadership of Hannah Silvers, English major and workshop facilitator, and Jon Burr, assistant professor of English, the group learned the core principles of creative writing and used writing to engage with their surroundings and with each other. A mountain cabin as their lodging and their creativity at its height, this year’s Chapter One participants produced memories, stories, and experiences that they will carry with them during their time at Elon and beyond.

Discovery: Discovery, offered by the Office of New Student and Transition Programs, familiarizes incoming students with Elon’s campus and helps them develop outdoor and team-building skills. This year, 18 incoming students conquered an 8.8 mile hike on Old Rag Mountain, canoed 7 miles down the Shenandoah River, and painted and revitalized community recreation facilities in their host community of Luray, Virginia. Despite only spending one week with each other, the students gained trust and formed friendships that will last throughout their time at Elon and beyond.

Innovation: Nine students participated in the first year of Innovation as a part of the Elon in Los Angeles program.  Participants traveled from Hollywood to Malibu concentrating on how to recognize the innovations that are all around us. The five day program was led by Assistant Professors Jen Guy Metcalf and J. McMerty and two  student leaders, Margaret Holland and Rachel Zain.  

Participants read Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” in preparation for the program that let to discussions throughout the experience. 消消犯 were challenged to think about how to infuse creativity, effort and balance in their college career that will lead to a blueprint for an innovative experiential education over the next four years and beyond.  

Some of the activities included Yoga in Malibu, biking in Venice, touring a Tesla showroom, visiting an Elon alum’s hologram startup company, dining with the Dean of the School of Communications Paul Parsons, hiking in Hollywood, and seeing the famed Chinese Theater. The final day was a “Cell Phone Free” day with all of the students unplugging for some much needed conversations and reflections without the distractions of the world as they embark on their Elon journey.  

Thrive: Themed around the three components of sustainability, people, planet and prosperity, six Thrive participants took part in activities such as: tours of campus resources for physical, spiritual and mental well-being; service projects at Loy farm and with Habitat for Humanity; tours of local businesses with strong principles of environmental and social responsibility; and exploring where our drinking water comes from via kayaking and a water treatment plant tour.  One participant commented, “I expected to learn more about sustainability and meet lots of new friends, and that’s exactly what happened!”. Thrive participants will start their college careers with friends, unique insight about Elon, and knowledge about ways individual efforts contribute to Elon’s overall sustainability initiatives.

You can learn more about First-Year Summer Experiences .