Elon News Network

09/03/2026

After 15 years in downtown Elon, The Root Trackside will close Oct. 30. Owners Lynn Terrell ’97 and Chris Brumbaugh ’97 said the closing is bittersweet.

“We’re sad, and we won’t pretend otherwise,” the owners wrote in a social media post. “But we’re also proud — we built something meaningful."

After 15 years in downtown Elon, The Root Trackside is closing Oct. 30. The restaurant announced the news via social media post Sept. 3. Elon alums Lynn Terrell ’97 and Chris Brumbaugh ’97, who own The Root, said the closing is bittersweet.

09/03/2026

Students and on-campus clubs filled Young Commons for Elon University’s 2026 Fall Organization Fair, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement.

Senior Antonina Spinello was at the Organization Fair to recruit for Elon Student Television and The Haha, the comedy television show she and other students work on. She says the Organization Fair is a chance for clubs to connect with specific students and show what makes the club unique.

“I see a lot of growth, that’s what I think it means,” Spinello said. “Every year there’s more organizations, more places for people to explore their options.”

Students and on-campus clubs filled Young Commons for Elon University’s 2026 Fall Organization Fair. Hosted by the Office of Student Involvement, the Organization Fair is a chance for students to see the different on-campus clubs and organizations open to them at Elon.

09/03/2026

What can a book about basketball teach Elon students about finding home?

This year’s Common Reading, Hanif Abdurraqib’s There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, uses basketball as a starting point for conversations about how experiences shape a person’s identity and sense of belonging.

For some students, a book about basketball might sound like an unlikely Common Reading. For Elon’s incoming class, however, poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib’s “There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension” could offer a different path into conversations about identity, community...

08/31/2026

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08/31/2026

Elon women’s soccer jumps back in the winning column after a gritty 2-1 match against High Point University. Junior Gabby Tirado scored in the game and said it serves as an important building block for the season.

“Especially towards the end, we had to pull out extra grittiness, but you know there are a couple times that we put ourselves in those positions, and we just got to dig ourselves out,” Tirado said. “But I think it's especially important going into conference soon, a really good game to kind of take care of earlier in the season to learn from and grow from this.”

Elon women’s soccer team had a strong showing in a match against the High Point University Panthers, coming out with a 2-1 lead. The Phoenix are now 3-1-1 on the year and look to continue their winning ways against Virginia Military Institute on the road Thursday, Sept. 3rd at Patchin Field.&...

08/31/2026

Elon men’s soccer finished strong to tie the opening conference match against William & Mary, 1-1. Sophomore defender Magnus Jacobsen scored with 17 minutes left to tie the game.

“I think we struggled a little bit in the start, but it turned around really well and came back and we fought all the way through,” Jacobsen said.

Elon men’s soccer opened conference play with a 1-1 draw against the College of William & Mary on Aug. 30 at Rudd Field. The Phoenix will look to capture their next win against the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, on the road Saturday, Sept. 5th. 

08/30/2026

Elon University’s Black Student Union welcomed new students during their Welcome B(l)ack Cookout on August 28th. Students gathered on Phi Beta Kappa Commons where they had activities such as food, games and a student DJ to fill the space.

Vice President of Special Events, Juliette Elise Hill, said this event provides a space for inclusivity and collectiveness among the Black community.

“It's mainly just a time to welcome all the new first-years across Elon's campus,” Hill said. “It’s also a time for the whole Black community to come and see each other once again after being away for so long.”

Elon University’s Black Student Union came together on Phi Beta Kappa Commons to welcome new students to their Welcome B(l)ack Cookout on August 28th. They had food, games and a student DJ to fill the space. Vice President of Special Events Juliette Elise Hill said this event is a space for inclus...

08/30/2026

Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a sweeping elections reform bill Aug. 17. The legislation now heads back to the state House of Representatives and Senate. House Bill 958 would reduce early voting periods for primaries and special elections from 17 days to 10 days, allow precinct officials to be removed by county boards on the day of an election, and require the state auditor to conduct post-election audits of county election systems.

Rebekah Whilden, the executive director of left-leaning advocacy group and think tank Carolina Forward, said Carolina Forward celebrates Gov. Stein’s veto and will continue urging lawmakers to vote no on HB 958.

“Our law should make things easier for North Carolinians, like expanding early voting and making sure that we're not taking away those days,” Whilden said. “We don't need to be creating new hurdles that make it harder to cast a ballot and to have it counted, and HB 958 moved us in the wrong direction of that.”

Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a sweeping elections reform bill that would reduce early voting days and expand the state auditor’s authority in elections. The legislation now heads back to the state House of Representatives. House Bill 958 includes measures to reduce early voting periods for primaries and...

08/30/2026

Elon football rolled past Glenville State University in a dominant 42-7 opening win. Head coach Tony Trisciani credited both sides of the ball, and also the energy from the stands.

“I’m proud of our players, and listen, I’m also proud of Elon, and proud of the support that we had from our student body today, coming out and supporting us, and a good group staying to the end of the game,” Trisciani said. “You know that energy is contagious, and it was just awesome to see our students show up and support us tonight.”

As Elon football’s Tony Trisciani ran toward a semi-shirtless group of Phoenix fans celebrating in the stands, the eight-year head coach had one final reason to smile. His team had just opened the season with a 42-7 win over Glenville State University, sending the Phoenix-faithful home — or, in ...

08/27/2026

Jonathan Poquette served as the director of bands since 2019, but he left Elon University over the summer. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is now the director of instrumental studies at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas.

The Department of Music hired Danny Frye as interim director of bands. Allison Wente — Chair of the Department of Music — said the department did not expect Poquette to leave. Frye was chosen to fill the role because of his accomplishments with High Point University’s marching band.

“We were very fortunate that he was here and able to step in, and take over really late in the game,” Wente said.

After three music department staff members left Elon University during the summer, KC Carter — a drum major for Elon’s Fire of the Carolinas Marching Band — said they were concerned about the future of the band. Jonathan Poquette served as the director of bands since 2019, but he left Elon Uni...