A new addition to the series streams at 8 p.m. each Wednesday night on the Facebook pages for ,ĚýĚý˛š˛ÔťĺĚý. On the menu tonight – Chef de Cuisine Candace Lawson shares the recipe for McEwen Dining Hall’s famous Alfredo sauce.

In the May 6 edition of Phoenix Flavors, Executive Chef Jay Vetter and special guest chef Jon Dooley, vice president for student life, made cereal milk french toast and cereal milk lattes. Watch the video below:

Each Wednesday, Today at Elon will feature last week’s video, and a look ahead at what’s on the menu this week.

Check in with Elon Dining’s Phoenix Flavors webpage to find new cooking videos from an Elon Dining chef, along with their recipes. Elon Dining will also share additional recipes, and is taking requests for dishes to be featured in upcoming videos. Have a culinary question? There’s a way to ask those, too.

Tune in each week, and bon appetit!

A new addition to the series streams at 8 p.m. each Wednesday night on the Facebook pages for ,ĚýĚý˛š˛ÔťĺĚý. On the menu tonight – a special Cram Jam-themed episode, featuring special guest chef Jon Dooley, vice president for student life, making cereal milk french toast and cereal milk lattes.

In the May 6 edition of Phoenix Flavors, Elon Dining Pastry Chef Adam Neill and  Executive Chef Jay Vetter demonstrated how to make homemade cookies and cookie skillets. Watch the video below:

Each Wednesday, Today at Elon will feature last week’s video, and a look ahead at what’s on the menu this week.

Check in with Elon Dining’s  to find new cooking videos from an Elon Dining chef, along with their recipes. Elon Dining will also share additional recipes, and is taking requests for dishes to be featured in upcoming videos. Have a culinary question? There’s a way to ask those, too.

Tune in each week, and bon appetit!

A new addition to the series streams at 8 p.m. each Wednesday night on the Facebook pages for ,ĚýĚý˛š˛ÔťĺĚý. On the menu tonight – how to make homemade cookies with Elon Dining Pastry Chef Adam Neill.

In the April 29 edition of Phoenix Flavors, Elon Dining Chef and Hospitality Services Director Keith Griffin and Executive Chef Jay Vetter demonstrated how to make fried chicken and biscuits. Watch the video below:

Each Wednesday, Today at Elon will feature last week’s video, and a look ahead at what’s on the menu this week.

Check in with Elon Dining’s  to find new cooking videos from an Elon Dining chef, along with their recipes. Elon Dining will also share additional recipes, and is taking requests for dishes to be featured in upcoming videos. Have a culinary question? There’s a way to ask those, too.

Tune in each week, and bon appetit!

The cancellations included the Department of Performing Arts’ April 23-27 production of the musical “Violet,” the story of a scarred woman who embarks on a cross-country bus trip to be healed by a minister, discovering the true meaning of beauty along the way.

“Violet is my absolute dream role, so I was pretty crushed when we found out we wouldn’t be able to put on the full performance,” said Noelle Cornelius ’20, who played the production’s title character. “It felt really weird to end the show without any form of closure, so I came up with the idea to get the whole cast together and create something short from the show.”

With permission from licensing agency MTI, which has allowed schools and amateur groups to produce a single number from performances cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cornelius and the cast of “Violet” put on a virtual show of their own.

On Monday, the group released a virtual performance of the production’s opening number, “On My Way,” in a YouTube video.

Elon’s production of “Violet” was directed by Paula Kalustian, adjunct assistant professor of performing arts, with music direction by Valerie Maze, lecturer in performing arts and music theatre music director/conduct.

Cornelius worked with Tara Patterson ’20, Katie Paris ’20, Sydney Dye ’21 and the “Violet” cast to create the virtual performance. Dye said preparations for the live “Violet” production began at the start of the 2019-20 academic year, which is why it was so important that the group’s efforts didn’t go to waste.

“The work that had already been put into this show before COVID-19 was absolutely incredible,” Dye said. “Being able to share this video and let people experience a small part of all of the hard work that had been done is incredibly special.”

Even though the group missed the opportunity to perform their entire production live, Cornelius says she was proud to see the video come together and allow the cast and crew to share their work and passion with the world.

“I am so thankful that we still had the opportunity to share what we had been working on and have this closure for our show,” Cornelius said. “The entire cast, crew and production team of ‘Violet’ were all incredible, and I feel lucky to have worked with a group of such passionate, creative, hardworking people.”

The list includes 63 works spanning literature, non-fiction, short stories, poetry, essays, plays — plus films and podcasts — that speak to the ways we respond to diseases and pandemics. Around a dozen Elon faculty collaborated on the eclectic list with attention to diverse tastes and themes, and highlighting many works already taught in Elon’s English courses.

Creatively categorized by Assistant Professor of English Dan Burns, the works are grouped into genres like “Contagion Classics,” “Cabin Fever Fiction” and “Disaster and Resilience.” (Yes, there’s also a section dedicated to ever-popular zombie apocalypse.)

For those without a ton of devoted reading time on their hands — we hear you, parents-turned-at-home-teachers — the list begins with “Quarantine Essentials” to arm you with at least one exceptional work to contextualize the current state of the world.

The project began as a department-wide Google doc, with professors adding favorite works and literature they’ve taught or knew would add perspective to this moment.

“We all have our go-to’s, the classics we teach because they stand the test of time,” said Senior Lecturer Paula Patch. “But we also all have favorites from our lives that spoke to us as readers.”

What emerges is a collection that doesn’t spare us from reality, but offers hope in human resilience, faculty said.

“The emotional resonance of reading is important,” said Assistant Professor of English Erin Pearson. “This list isn’t escape literature for the most part, but even though it may be ‘heavy,’ that’s not to say that there isn’t pleasure to be found in it. There’s a comfort, emotional relevance and hope.”

Burns reflected on the project through the lens of his course, The Apocalyptic Imagination, which includes readings of British literary critic Frank Kermode. Kermode suggests that because we can’t remember our births and can’t predict our deaths, we find ourselves perpetually “in the middle of things,” Burns said.

“This instability leads us to seek closure by projecting our anxieties about the future onto history in the form of fictions that we hope come close to predicting it. Kermode believed that literature of this kind provided consolation in the face of a great uncertainty, which I know everyone is struggling with these days.”

Along with their colleagues, Burns, Patch and Pearson are proud of the list. They feel it displays the depth of thought and instruction evident in Elon’s English courses and the value of thinking through events from different perspectives.

“When you are widely read across time and themes … you are able to see the human experience as something ever-changing and ever the same,” Patch said.

“There isn’t one way through this list,” Pearson said. “We hope people feel curious and find some comfort in this difficult time.”

The ABC Framework encourages community members to keep active – physically socially, mentally, culturally and spiritually (Act); stay connected to friends and family or get involved in groups and local community activities (Belong); and commit to a cause by volunteering, learning new skills or taking on new challenges (Commit). The framework has already taken many virtual forms as students, faculty and staff continue the semester away from campus.

“I think it’s such a dynamic framework that it’s going to constantly change how we engage and interact with the Elon community – that is an advantage,” said Caroline Ketcham, professor of exercise science and chair of the Department of Exercise Science.

The ABC Framework aims to build and inspire a culture of positive mental health and holistic well-being. The pillars are more important now than ever while the Elon community is physically away from campus.

“We had such an abrupt halt to everything as we were moving into one of the busiest months on the calendar,” said Director of žĂžĂČČ Recreation and Wellness Larry Mellinger. “Folks moved from having so many different things to do every day to completely changing how we live, learn, socialize and prioritize.”

Mellinger says a way for individuals to continue practicing Act-Belong-Commit is to find ways to create routines at home while navigating the online learning model and its many systems.

To help the community establish routines at home, the university has developed a number of resources to help students, faculty and staff continue to practice positive habits that promote mental wellness. Elon’s Community Building team has introduced the Elon Staying Connected initiative, transforming several campus traditions and events into virtual experiences to keep the campus community engaged. Elon Counseling Services also offered a variety of resources to help students near and far from campus during this period of online learning. žĂžĂČČ Recreation and Wellness is also offering ways to stay physically active while at home.

This time away from campus can also be an opportunity to reevaluate all the things you have on your plate, Ketcham says.

“Right now, for many, there is more time, but there are several of us who find less time because of the overlap of all of our responsibilities,” said Ketcham. “It’s really about refocusing on ‘what are you committed to, what matters most, and how do you fit it all in?’”

Ketcham and Mellinger recommend considering your responsibilities and routines and determining which ones positively affect your mental wellness. And in your free time, try new skills or pick up old hobbies that bring you joy. Then, find ways to incorporate those positive actions into your daily life once schedules return to normal.

“I think when we return this fall, we should consider how we might come back to campus and not immediately over-commit ourselves,” Mellinger said. “We can leverage this opportunity to stop and pause, so that when life accelerates again we find a way to do the things that we need to do, while continuing to prioritize activities we enjoy and that make us physically and mentally healthy.”

For more information about Act-Belong-Commit at Elon and ways to practice habits that promote mental wellness during this period of social distancing, visit the ABC Framework website.

President Connie Ledoux Book hosted an online town hall Wednesday, fielding questions from students who joined the WebEx event remotely and discussing plans for Commencement and a return to campus this fall.

The online gathering offered an opportunity for a three-student panel to discuss how their lives have changed since the shift to online learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, how they stay motivated, and some of the bright spots during this tumultuous time. Book shared about how she is approaching her role and how the university community has pivoted and adapted during this unprecedented event.

“I am motivated by the fact that we continue to learn new things,” Book said when asked by panelist Fredrick Evans ’20, a senior history major from Winston-Salem, N.C., who has remained on campus. “This new awareness will teach us important lessons we will use in the future.”

Evans was joined on the panel by Robbie Miley ’21, who was elected Student Government Association executive president this spring and who joined from his home in Mt. Airy, Maryland, and Sarah Myers ’22, a first-year mentor for the Leadership Fellows who is majoring in strategic communications and communications design.

Myers shared that connecting online through videoconferencing in two of her classes — seeing her classmates’ faces and hearing their voices — has helped create a “nice sense of normalcy” during a time when much has changed. With both of her parents working from their home, she’s had to jockey for space for her own work, but she’s enjoyed spending time with her family during a period when they otherwise would have been apart.

“Seeing them and spending time with them has been nice, and kind of a break that I didn’t know I needed,” Myers said.

Miley said he’s also appreciated the unexpected boost in family time that remote learning has provided, and said he’s also focused on remaining connected with Elon friends through videoconferencing. “I’ve made an intentional effort to stay connected with my friends, and I’ve been trying to go on runs to get into shape,” Miley said. “My professors have been really flexible, and that’s made it easier.”

Miley encouraged his fellow students to stay connected and to continue to care for their mental health, using the resources that are available remotely from Counseling Services at Elon. There can be challenges since mental health counselors can’t practice across state lines, but Counseling Services can still help you find a resource outside the state of North Carolina during this challenging time.

One student asked President Book for an update on how faculty are doing during this time of online learning. Book noted that Elon faculty “don’t end up here by accident,” and are drawn to Elon’s model that includes close interaction and engagement between students and faculty. But faculty members have been nimble and resourceful as they have moved online, she said. “We’re doing it, and we’re doing it well, but we’ll be glad when we’re finished and able to reconvene on campus in the fall, since that’s our strength,” Book said.

Asked more specifically about plans for fall semester, Book reassured students that “we will come back in the fall, and it will look different.” On Monday, Book announced the creation of a task force headed by President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert that has begun the work of planning for a return to in-person instruction this fall. That will include new provisions to manage social distancing requirements and ensure students, faculty and staff abide by healthy habits.

“I am really confident that that task force is going to develop recommendations that keep our community healthy when we come back in the fall,” Book said.

Evans shared that his time on campus, which has continued to be home to several hundred students during this time, has allowed him extra time to exercise and read. The decision that Commencement could not be held in May “hit us hard,” he said, but he’s confident that he and his classmates will still have a meaningful experience as they conclude their Elon education.

Elon will confer diplomas on May 22 through a virtual ceremony, and an on-campus celebration for graduates and their families will be held later. Book noted that there are student members on the committee that is planning the in-person celebration for the Class of 2020.

Evans said he tells classmates who are down about the shift in Commencement plans to “remember the school that you go to.”

“There’s something special about this place,” Evans said. “There’s a pride we have in the traditions we have. It’s going to look different, but we’re going to stay true to our traditions, somehow, someway.”

“It helps to assess the situation from their shoes when you’re literally in their shoes with them,” said Miles Caraballo ’22, a music education major and orientation leader at Elon.

Orientation leaders like Caraballo are some of the first people first-year and transfer students meet when they arrive at Elon on Move-In Day. After leading students through the orientation process, the mentors spend the rest of the year making sure each new student is adjusting to the campus community by hosting events or simply checking in throughout the following months.

This semester, orientation leaders have had their training put to the test as students, faculty and staff have transitioned to online learning procedures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Over the past few weeks, instead of meeting in person with their students, orientation leaders have found ways to stay connected virtually.

Some have played virtual games, hosted virtual Netflix parties, and found other ways to keep students engaged in the university community. For international business major Taylor de Castro ‘22, keeping in touch was as simple as creating a group text chat with students to share cute dog photos.

“We understand their situation better since we’re going through it ourselves, and it helps us be more understanding and empathetic of the situation as a whole,” de Castro said.

Caraballo has hosted video conferences with the students in his orientation group. “Even though we’re not there with them right now, I can still stay connected through texts, video chats or FaceTime just to still be able to give a listening ear for them,” he said.

Situations like this, although unprecedented, are exactly why orientation leaders are such an important part of the student experience at Elon. They work with first-year and transfer students throughout the year to make sure their transition to campus is as smooth as possible, even if “campus” is back in their hometowns for a few months.

“Transitions are mitigated and eased by the social connections that we have and the positive role models that we have who have gone through it before us,” said Director of New Student and Transitions Programs Emily Krechel. “Connecting with them provides a sense of ease and a sense of connectedness that helps us build a resolve of our human spirit to survive a crisis or to survive an upheaval of our normal lives.”

Krechel says the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent social distancing procedures, came at a time when many new students were just finding their communities at Elon. So reconnecting with their orientation groups virtually can give them a sense of grounding and an opportunity for community building.

As the campus continues to navigate these uncertain times, orientation leaders will play an important role in helping Elon move forward. It’s a role that will include making sure each student knows – no matter the social distance – no one is alone in the Elon community.

“This situation has really encouraged me to make an even larger effort in the future to make more contact with the students and really establish these relationships so they know that I’m not just here because I’m in a position that tells me I should be here, but I’m here because I want to be here and want to help them and be their friend,” de Castro said.

“Cooking and eating should be family time and it should trigger great memories,” said Executive Chef Jay Vetter in the first installment of the new Elon Dining series “Phoenix Flavors.”

Vetter and other talented chefs from Elon Dining will present weekly cooking demos, offering fun and easy recipes for the Elon community to make at home. The first segment was released Wednesday night and featured Vetter, along with his recipes for homemade noodles and a traditional tomato sauce.

Vetter created the dish using flour, eggs, olive oil, tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs. The goal is to show viewers how to make delicious dishes using ingredients that can be found at home.

Upcoming Phoenix Flavors videos will be posted on , as well as the and Facebook pages.

“We miss you guys,” Vetter said. “You’re gone, but while you’re gone, we’re trying to stay connected to you, and this is one way we can stay connected to our Elon community.”

Follow along with the entire Phoenix Flavors series – ask the chefs questions, suggest recipes and view all upcoming videos and recipes – on Elon Dining’s .

A team of 10 students from across seven states put together a remote show for “Elon Local News” on April 2. The 16-minute show is now . Grace Morris ’20, ENN’s news director, explained that the idea for the remote show came from watching newsrooms across the country adapt to restrictions due to COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

“As a senior, when I heard we weren’t coming back, I was sad that that meant I did my last ‘ELN’ show without even realizing it,” Morris said. “But putting out this show and working with my team made me really appreciate the time I had in ENN and realize that even if I’ve already had my last in-person show, it’s not my last show by any means.”

The remote show was anchored by sophomores Maeve Ashbrook and Baylor Rodman, and included segments on topics related to the coronavirus. Since žĂžĂČČ extended online learning to the end of the semester, “ELN” reporters have been busy talking to students about the many changes and challenges they have faced.

Anchoring and reporting from Wichita, Kansas, Ashbrook interviewed Jack Johnson, Student Government Association president, about the abrupt end of his tenure.

“It was a pretty unique (interview) because the end of his term was obviously extremely different from any other executive president’s and, he’s a senior, so he was also generally just sad that his time at Elon was over,” Ashbrook said.

Ashbrook, like many of the reporters, conducted her interview with Johnson over Zoom, a video conferencing platform.

The show’s segments included North Carolina school closures, pet adoption rates increasing in Burlington, and students adjusting to online classes, as well as local businesses reacting to COVID-19 and an Elon student who sold “I miss Elon” spiritwear to benefit Allied Churches of Alamance County.

Sophomore Emery Eisner, who lives outside of Charlotte, said that working on the remote team made her feel like she “was at home at Elon again.” Eisner reported on North Carolina school closures and possible inequity with at-home learning.

“It’s really hard spending so much time away from campus, but coming together as a team and doing what I love again definitely made things easier,” said Eisner, who is also the editor-in-chief of Phi Psi Cli, Elon’s yearbook.

Serving as technical operation manager, Jack Norcross ’21 made sure everyone could communicate during the show and worked on post-production. Norcross said the large amount of content the team highlighted during the newscast was his favorite aspect of the remote show.

“Even though some students may be thousands of miles away from campus, we want to try and make sure they still feel connected to their second home,” Norcross said.

First-year Lauren Singles reported on Elon student Isabella Branham ’20 who created “I Miss Elon” spiritwear and donated 10 percent of the line’s profits to Allied Churches. Singles said that despite missing the camaraderie she enjoys in the newsroom, she was proud of what the team put together.

“For me, getting to continue being a journalist is truly amazing,” Singles said. “Every journalist in the world right now is going through the same things that we are.”

In addition to its remote show, Elon News Network continues to produce content for its website, . Senior Anton Delgado, managing editor of The Pendulum, ENN’s student newspaper, oversees the online remote coverage.

“It’s been inspiring to see student journalists from all over the country continue to serve the Elon community despite the outbreaks in their hometowns and states,” Delgado said.

Student reporters have covered a variety of topics, including the impact of the coronavirus has had on the census and religious groups on campus, as well as new Elon Poll data about what Americans do and do not know about the pandemic.

While reporting from afar has its challenges, sophomore Mackenzie Wilkes said her experience reporting remotely has been team effort and educational. In addition to reporters, copy editors and photographers are also working to inform the Elon’s surrounding communities.

“Elon News Network informs faculty, staff and students at the university, but we also inform those in the town of Elon and Alamance County,” said Wilkes, who has worked as both an editor and reporter. “Newsrooms across the country are working remotely and just because we’re a student-run news organization doesn’t mean we’re going to stop informing our audience, even if we’re not physically on campus.”

As an ENN copy editor, first-year Thomas Denome works three days a week from his home in California. Denome said this new experience will only make the newsroom and staff stronger.

“As we develop skills that are necessary to overcome this hurdle, like being able to work remotely and being able to collaborate even though we’re so far apart, I think that will go a long way toward making us a more fluid newsroom when we can work together in person again,” Denome said.