“We are quicker to anger, we let anger drive too many of our interactions,” Bruni said. “There’s a culture that’s taking hold wherever everybody is taking inventory over what their slights are. They’re turning minor slights into major crises. They’re looking for someone to blame. They’re looking for someone to punish. That’s the story of our politics.”

Bruni explores this concept in his New York Times bestseller “The Age of Grievance,” and, on April 9, spoke of how society got to this place and how it can move past it, in a sold-out James P. Elder Lecture in �þ���’s Whitley Auditorium, part of the 2025-26 �þ��� Speaker Series.

Bruni served at The New York Times for more than 25 years as a White House correspondent, the Rome bureau chief, the paper’s chief restaurant critic and op-ed columnist. He is the author of five New York Times bestsellers.

Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Dillan Bono-Lunn welcomed the audience Thursday night, before Charlotte Pfabe ’27, a communications fellow and “ENN Tonight” anchor, introduced Bruni.��The James P. Elder Lecture series was first endowed by former students of the popular professor and mentor. An��estate gift��from Elder in 2021 doubled the endowment of the speaker series, ensuring it will endure for future generations.

Polluted media landscape

In his address, Bruni discussed three ways Americans got to the “age of grievance,” the first being the “polluted media landscape.” This landscape is something Bruni knows intimately after working for The New York Times. As more media outlets exists, along with social media, Bruni says that “nobody is living in the same reality.”

“Truth itself has become a marketplace with lousy merchants,” Bruni said. “There are no more gatekeepers when it comes to the information that’s put out.”

To combat this issue, Bruni says, there needs to be continuous discussions with young people about what is happening on social media and the “lopsided” role of information and whether “they are using social media or it is using them.”

Micro-climates of exclusivity

Another reason Americans have moved into the “age of grievance,” Bruni says, is because of “micro-climates of exclusivity,” how everything from entertainment, travel, dining, etc. has incorporated levels of tiering, mainly based on how much one pays. Bruni says this “pecking order” has existed for a long time in society, but has moved into “every facet, every corner of our lives.” Bruni says social media only makes the issue worse.

“There are all of these peep holes into how other people are living, and they present a very, very warped view that leads people to feel left out and resentful,” he said. “Social media platforms are engines of envy.”

But Bruni says people don’t have to buy into these micro-climates and instead focus on “civic care”: how people are taking care of society around them.��

Primed for disappointment

The third reason Bruni says Americans have moved into the “age of grievance” is because they have become more pessimistic, noting that a minority of Americans now believe their children will do better than them in life.

“We’ve all become catastrophists in front of our children. We’re just so primed for disappointment,” he said. “If I believe that tomorrow is certainly going to be darker than today, if I believe everything is going to hell, then I no longer have a collaborative relationship with you.”

Though he says all hope is not lost, people should avoid activities like “doom scrolling,” where you continuously look at negative news updates on social media, and get out of a cycle of pessimism.

“We need to start talking in a more realistic fashion about whether that pessimism is warranted,” said Bruni. “So much of it is not about the world being worse, it’s about expectations and a shortfall of expectations.”

The key, Bruni says, to get out of this “age of grievance,” and not “feel terrible all the time,” starts with perspective.

“Each of us (needs) to decide not to be that person who always sees things the most darkly, who is primed for offense, who is spoiling for a fight and is looking for people to be angry,” he said. “Because the way a culture changes is with each of us, and then our friends, and then our friends’ friends, and then we actually have enough people to make a difference and have a better America.”

This event is sold out.

Journalist and bestselling author Frank Bruni will deliver the Elder Lecture on Thursday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. in Whitley Auditorium.

Bruni is the author of five New York Times bestsellers including “The Age of Grievance,” a dive into why Americans are so angry. He makes the case that Americans conflate legitimate causes and petty complaints, creating a condition of constant self-victimization. People obsess over how they’ve been wronged and who to blame, which poses a threat to American democracy, rather than choosing to focus on civil, productive dialogue and constructive action.

“The Beauty of Dusk” is a memoir detailing Bruni’s adjustment to the sudden loss of vision in one eye and the acceptance of the reality that the same fate could befall the other at any moment. It earned rave reviews from people and publications including Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, People magazine, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

The first openly gay op-ed columnist at the Times, Bruni is a recipient of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s Randy Shilts Award for his career-long contributions to the LGBTQ community and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Newspaper Columnist. A Pulitzer Prize finalist in feature writing, he is the Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

“These things can be extremely destabilizing and very complicated and very painful, regardless of whether the technology is good or bad, and it’s simply because it just doesn’t even apply (…) to ‘put it in good hands, put it in bad hands,’” said Tufecki. “We have regulated, assimilated, grappled with very complex technologies and problems, on a global scale, that people thought were like, ‘Oh, this cannot be fixed.’”

Tufekci, a New York Times opinion columnist and the Henry G. Bryan Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University, offered her insight on the growing challenges of AI in The Baird Lecture on March 12, part of the �þ��� Speaker Series. The Baird Lecture series was endowed in 2002 by James H. Baird and his late wife, Jane M. Baird of Burlington, North Carolina. The Bairds were the first presidents of the Elon Parents Council, and their family’s involvement with the university has spanned more than 40 years.

Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, introduced the lecture in McCrary Theatre, followed by Amanda Sturgill, associate professor of journalism, who welcomed Tufekci to the stage.

“Dr. Tufekci has what the New York Times called, ‘a habit of being right on the big things.’ So, in an age where everyone has an opinion about technology, she offers something more valuable…insight,” Sturgill said. “She sees patterns where others see chaos, asks hard questions when everyone else is celebrating the latest thing, and reminds us that we should really look at the human consequences of the tools that we’re building.”

Tufecki’s work on the social and moral implications of machine learning, big data and algorithmic decision making argues that the true threat of artificial intelligence is rooted in privacy and human rights violations. In The Baird Lecture, titled “Power, Protest and Algorithms: How Technology Shapes Society and Democracy,” Tufekci argued that AI will bring about destabilizing change, and there are many things, three she highlighted, that society is not prepared to handle:

• Machines that can speak like humans, with no way to discern what is human and what is not: “The idea that millions of people are going to be speaking to a machine that speaks like a human, talks with them, we don’t even have language or concepts to understand,” she said. “This is one of the biggest historic deals ever in human history.”
• AI photos and videos blur the line between what is real and what is not: “There are ways we could think about it that would involve verifying videos and photos as real, in a way that would be compatible with democracy, privacy, but it would involve all sorts of technologies that are just barely developed to get way better,” she said.
• AI can imitate human speech: “Imagine using AI to scan all of Instagram to find all the kids, college students who are in Cancun or somewhere, parents are worrying. You find their phone numbers, it’s very easy to spoof,” said Toufekci. “You just call them all, leave a (scam) voicemail, (asking for) $800 a pop. Nobody’s investigating this.”

“These are already huge things. We need to get on this very quickly,” she said. “It’s going to be the young generation, who’s in college right now, who are going to be at the forefront of this.”

Before opening the floor to a Q&A from both Elon and high school students, Tufecki encouraged them to begin to ask tough questions about AI, research past technologies that have had large impacts on society and find solutions that wouldn’t sacrifice the freedoms of society.

“Don’t let anybody tell you this is so big that we can’t do anything, because we have always done this,” she said. “We just can do it better. We should do it better.”

Here are a few events and opportunities coming up on campus this week you won’t want to miss:

Brenda Dixon-Gottschild – “Challenges, Changes, Chances: My Object Lesson in Reclaiming My Time”

Monday, March 9, 7 p.m., McCray Theatre, Center for the Arts

Join the Lyceum Series to hear from Brenda Dixon-Gottschild, an acclaimed dancer, author and scholar whose work explores race, culture and the arts. Come hear reflections from her six-decade career and experience a presentation that blends storytelling and performance. Visit the for more information.

Understanding the US-Iran Conflict: An Elon faculty panel

Tuesday, March 10, 4:30-6 p.m., East Commons 102

Faculty from multiple disciplines will come together to discuss the unfolding developments in the Middle East. The discussion will aim to contextualize recent developments for the campus community. Sponsored by the Council on Civic Engagement.

Zeynep Tufekci – “Power, Protest and Algorithms: How Technology Shapes Society and Democracy”

Thursday, March 12, 7 p.m., McCray Theatre, Center for the Arts

Don’t miss this year’s Baird Lecture, featuring internationally recognized techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci. A 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary, Tufekci examines the use of social media to mobilize large numbers of people in political protest and why many modern movements lack the direction to foster real change. Visit the Spring Cultural Calendar for more information.

SUB Cinema Drive-In presents: “Wicked: For Good”

Saturday, March 14, 8-10:30 p.m., Innovation Quad Parking Lot

SUB Cinema’s drive-in movie is back with Wicked: For Good. Bring your friends, a car or a lawn chair, and settle in for a movie night under the stars. Visit for more information.

Career tip: Stop by the SPDC today!

Stop by the Student Professional Development Center (SPDC) on the first floor of the Moseley Center to prepare for what’s next – whether you’re a senior searching for a job, a student looking for an internship, or just exploring career paths. Practice interviewing, polish your résumé, and get free printed copies and business cards to help you put your best foot forward as a young professional.

Tufekci is an internationally renowned techno-sociologist whose work analyzes the intersections of science, technology, politics and society. She is known for asking hard questions about artificial intelligence, privacy and surveillance, social movements, and public health, and she answers them in ways that defy disciplinary boundaries.

Tufekci is a New York Times opinion columnist and the Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Her work on the social and moral implications of machine learning, big data and algorithmic decision-making argues that the true threat of artificial intelligence is rooted in privacy and human rights violations. She links the AI-powered erosion of privacy in processes such as facial recognition to the early stages of authoritarianism.

A 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary, Tufekci is the author of “Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest,” which examines the power of using social media to mobilize large numbers of people in political protest and why many modern social movements lack the direction to foster real change once the protest is over.

Prior to joining The New York Times, Tufekci spent years as a contributing opinion writer at several of the nation’s most acclaimed news publications. She was an Andrew Carnegie Fellow, a fellow at the Princeton University Center for Information Technology and the inaugural director of the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security at Columbia University.

Tickets are $15 at or free with an Elon ID.

Community Conversations & Civic Engagement

Deliberative Dialogue – America’s 250: What’s Next America?

Monday, Feb. 23, 4:30 p.m., Lakeside 212

As America marks its 250th year, this dialogue invites reflection on our shared past and the opportunity for diverse voices to share space and ideas to develop a collective vision for the next 250. Sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Political Engagement Work Group

Better Together: Breaking Bread, Building Bridges

Feb. 24 – May 5, every other Tuesday, 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Join us at Better Together this spring for connection and conversation. This time together invites us to live fully in the present and reflect on what makes this moment meaningful. Share stories, explore diverse perspectives, and build community. .

Dr. Habiba Sarabi: Education Rights of Afghan Women

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Alumni Gym

Join a conversation with Dr. Habiba Sarabi on the global impact of Afghanistan’s ban on women’s education and the fight for educational rights and gender equality. Dr. Sarabi, an Afghan politician, women’s rights activist, and medical doctor made history as the first woman to be appointed a provincial governor in Afghanistan, leading Bamyan Province. She previously served as Minister of Women’s Affairs and Minister of Culture and Education, where she focused on expanding education, protecting the environment and advancing the rights of women.

State of the Union Address Watch Party

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 8-10:30 p.m., Moseley 105

Join us for pizza and a live viewing of President Trump’s first State of the Union address of his second term. Come watch, discuss and stay informed. Sponsored by Elon Votes!

Love Your Body, Berry Much

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Lakeside Entrance

Stop by for coconut-lime strawberries and a strawberry mocktail, courtesy of Elon Dining, while also learning tips for mindful eating. Swing through, grab a treat and discover ways to build healthier habits. Visit the for more information.

Cynthia Miller-Idriss – “Man Up: Understanding Misogyny to Prevent Extremism

Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Lecture

Thursday, Feb. 26, 4:30 p.m., Numen Lumen Pavilion, McBride Gathering Space

Extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss examines how misogyny – online and off – fuels the rise in far-right and mass violence, and offers strategies for interruption and prevention rooted in everyday life. The Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Lecture honors Lauren, who was set to join Elon’s Class of 2015 before her murder by a former boyfriend in July 2011. Established in her memory, the fund educates the Elon community on healthy relationships and building a culture free from violence. Visit the Spring Cultural Calendar for more information about upcoming events this semester.

Adventure Time with Elon Outdoors!

Adventures in Leadership Summer Staff Positions Available

Applications are now open for summer Adventures in Leadership staff positions, where you’ll guide incoming first-year students through exciting outdoor experiences. Earn potential internship credit and build leadership skills. Apply today on the Elon Job Network!

Elon Challenge

The Elon Challenge is a great way to help classes, teams, organizations, corporations or cohorts grow through building authentic relationships, learning how to manage resources, developing creative thinking, and applying knowledge in new ways. Visit the Elon Challenge website to review the options, gather your group, and complete the interest form to schedule a customized, no-cost experience.

Last Chance to Become an Orientation Leader

Application Deadline is Friday, Feb. 27

The Orientation Leader application is still live. As an OL, you are an integral part of the orientation process. You will play a pivotal role in the transition of all the new students to Elon, serving as a guide and mentor to new students throughout their transition. by this Friday, Feb. 27.

Author of “A Knock at Midnight,” Barnett writes about her experience advocating for a reformed criminal justice system in the United States. Through her work and long-lasting relationships with her clients, Barnett’s sphere of influence is wide. Barnett founded the Buried Alive Project, which attempts to dismantle life without parole sentences, and Girls Embracing Mothers, an organization that empowers girls with mothers behind bars.

Sandra Reid, associate �þ��� professor of human service studies, will moderate the discussion. Reid’s experience in juvenile justice and the human service field includes her time on the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission and as chair of both the Alamance County Community Services Agency and the Positive Attitude Youth Center.

“She is deeply committed to affirming the dignity and worth of individuals impacted by an unjust criminal legal system, advocating persistently for their release and supporting their successful reintegration into their communities. In other words, she is a super hero,” said Reid.

Since its founding in 1958 by James P. Elder Jr. ’60, the Liberal Arts Forum continues to bring unique academic speakers to Elon and encourage meaningful conversations around the arts and humanities, mathematical and natural sciences, and social sciences, inside and outside the classroom.

Want to choose Elon’s next speaker? Get involved with the Forum every Tuesday in Alamance 207 at 4:15 p.m.

The Department of Performing Art’s production from Feb. 13-15, 2026, featured an immersive sound design developed through collaboration between Associate Professor Michael Smith, Production Manager Rick Earl and music production and recording arts student Brandon Cericola ’26.

The project blends Smith’s sabbatical research in immersive audio with Cericola’s interest in sound design for film and television, where immersive sound is increasingly common. The result was a student production that expanded beyond a traditional theatrical sound system.

“The traditional audio for musicals is augmented by eight surround speakers placed in the audience, some for sound effects, others to bring the performance out into the space more, to surround the audience with vocals,” Earl said.

The production used the department’s existing equipment, along with additional loudspeakers, to create the sound effect. The show used 80 inputs and 38 outputs, with updated software to help automate immersive sound effects. While some immersive systems require major hardware investments, the team developed manual techniques to adapt the live performance within available resources.

“The nature of the show is more rock-oriented, and maybe more intimate than some musicals, and takes place in a city, which by nature is an immersive environment,” Earl said. “The stars aligned — the right student, the recent research, experiences and the desire of all of us to do something like this.”

Cericola had significant creative ownership of the design. Aside from the required elements, much of what the audience heard was his creation. Earl and Smith worked with Cericola over the summer to build a small immersive setup, allowing him to record musicians, experiment with mixing and refining before scaling the systems for McCrary Theatre.

“A lot of what you hear is Brandon’s creation,” Earl said. “Large-scale system implementation like this takes strong project management skills, leadership and mentoring skills, documentation, flexibility, time management, and the ability to know when something isn’t going to work and find an alternative.

“From an audience perspective, I think it will bring them into the ‘world’ that is ‘RENT’ and enhance their experience,” Earl said.

For Cericola, the production represents the combination of the experiences he has had while at Elon.

“This has been the most challenging project I have taken on at Elon, and it is a combination of many skills I have learned here,” Cericola said. “To hear the show come to life during rehearsal was exciting and satisfying. It is evidence of my education and time at Elon.”

Cericola drew on coursework in the Music Production and Recording Arts program, leadership experiences, work study roles with the Office of Cultural and Special Programs and immersive audio research developed as an Elon College Fellow. He also attended the NAMM Show, an international music industry trade show, where he connected with manufacturers, sound designers and an engineer to discuss immersive audio approaches and set-ups.

For Smith, the production marks a full-circle moment following his sabbatical research.

“The research I did on my sabbatical was my main leaping point for trying to do immersive audio on the McCrary stage,” Smith said. “After hearing Brandon’s and Rick’s setup over the summer, I knew the next step would have to be producing a live musical with a similar setup.”

During his sabbatical, Smith built a scaled-down immersive theatre that was later expanded and installed in Roberts Studio Theatre. The 25-speaker system allows each speaker to be individually assigned and controlled, creating a unique learning space for students.

“It is the only theatre in this area that has an immersive audio system for students to do their sound design work on,” Smith said.

Earl, Smith and Cericola made decisions as a team to ensure the project remained manageable and cost-effective. They said the collaboration shows what is possible when research, creativity and student passions intersect.

“Without all three of us working together, something like this wouldn’t have been possible,” Smith said. “Now we realize what possibilities we have for future performances, not just in the Department of Performing Arts but for Cultural event programs as well.”

“The Jazz Festival is always one of the highlights of the year,” said Alex Heitlinger, Elon director of Jazz Studies and festival organizer. “New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz and we are excited to bring these world-class musicians to our campus to share its unique musical traditions.”

The festival opens Thursday, February 19, with a special Lyceum Series performance by Tuba Skinny at 7:30 p.m. in McCrary Theatre. Based in New Orleans, Tuba Skinny has earned an international following for its joyful, deeply informed approach to early jazz and American popular music. Drawing from blues, ragtime, spirituals and swing, the band presents a sound that feels both timeless and alive. Tickets for this concert are $15 or free with an Elon ID and are available at .

The festival continues Friday, February 20, as fourteen local and regional middle school and high school jazz bands visit campus for a full day of performances and educational workshops. A highlight of the day will be a public masterclass from 12–1 p.m. led by featured guest artist Roderick “Rev” Paulin, one of New Orleans’ most respected and soulful saxophonists. This class will occur in the McCrary Theatre and is free and open to the public.

The festival culminates on Saturday, Feb. 21, with a 7:30 p.m. concert in McCrary Theatre featuring the Elon Jazz Ensembles performing alongside Roderick Paulin. This final concert is also free and open to the public.

Roderick Paulin brings more than four decades of experience in jazz. A New Orleans native, he began his musical journey in the city’s brass band tradition under the guidance of his father, Ernest “Doc” Paulin. Over the years, he has become a fixture at iconic venues such as Preservation Hall, Tipitina’s, the Maple Leaf and Snug Harbor. A versatile performer on saxophone and clarinet, Paulin released his 2024 clarinet debut OLD TO NEW, honoring his brother Rickey Paulin and the pioneers of traditional New Orleans music. In addition to his performing career, he is a dedicated educator, serving on faculty at Southern University and the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, and working with students across the country through masterclasses and workshops.

For more information and tickets, visit��/u/cultural-calendar/

View some of the most impactful moments of the past month through the eyes of staff in the Office of University Communications.

The man mythologized

Scholar and ethicist Kwame Anthony Appiah delivered the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Address on Jan. 8, offering a look at the civil rights leader’s life examining “the ultimate moral truth about the man in the pulpit.”

Dorm room gourmet

�þ��� students faced their fears and try new recipes through Winter Term Burst the Bubble courses: free, student-led, non-credit sessions where students with a talent, interest or skill share their knowledge with their peers.

Law in Charlotte

�þ��� has announced plans to further expand its legal education presence in Charlotte and has applied to the American Bar Association for approval to launch an additional full-time law program, with classes planned to begin in Fall 2027.

Love and Information

�þ���’s Department of Performing Arts staged “Love and Information,” British play with a series of short scenes that examines the challenges people encounter in forming and maintaining strong relationships.

The Winter Symposium

�þ���’s Division of Student Life welcomed nearly 250 higher education professionals from across the state for a day of professional development, knowledge sharing, and connection at its annual Winter Symposium.

A snowy day one

�þ��� students returned for the first day of the Spring 2026 semester to a snow and ice-covered campus.