​

CELEBRATE! is Elon’s annual, weeklong celebration of student achievements in academics and the arts that includes the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) and an annual Awards Day Ceremony sponsored by Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK). 

Each year, hundreds of Elon University students are involved in activities during CELEBRATE! The week includes seminars, presentations, art exhibitions, plays, student showcases, dance and music performances, and much, much more. CELEBRATE! 2018 brings together the stimulation of academic inquiry and scholarly pursuit with the exhilaration of creative expression. 

Find a lineup of events for the celebratory week below. A full listing is available here. 

Monday, April 23rd

5-for-1 Food Drive begins

From Monday, April 23, through Friday, April 27, any student, faculty, staff, or community member who brings 5 non-perishable food items to Lakeside Dining Hall gets one free meal! The donated goods will go to The Salvation Army and Allied Churches of Alamance County. 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: breakfast items, peanut butter, canned fruit, and pasta. In Alamance County, one out of five 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 Campus Kitchen at Elon University. To learn about more way to get involved please visit the Campus Kitchen website.

Celebrate Stage

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Located between Moseley Center and Koury Recreation Center

Song, Dance, and Shakespearean presentations (it’s Shakespeare’s birthday!), as well as a Jazz Trio, Saxophone Quartet, and more.

Panel discussion: Varied Approaches to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Isabella Cannon Room

Alumnus Austin Larkin ’17 will perform material from the play in Original Pronunciation (the accent in which scholars believe Shakespeare’s players performed), as he recently did in the Orlando Shakespeare Festival production of the play. He will join Professor Jack Smith, who designed costumes for both Orlando Shakespeare’s and Elon’s recent productions, and Professor Fred Rubeck, the director of Elon’s production, in discussion of the challenges in mounting this 400-year-old work. What are the benefits of recreating the Elizabethan approach versus re-envisioning the play through a modern lens?

Phi Kappa Phi Induction

6 to 7:30 p.m.
McKinnon Hall, Moseley 215 and the Hearth Lounge 

Phi Kappa Phi honors students with outstanding academic work in all disciplines across Elon’s campus.  In addition to undergraduates, Elon inducts graduate students, alumni, and faculty/administrators/staff who have let the “love of learning” be an example in their lives.

Contemporary Reading Series: Annie Baker’s Antipodes

6:30 to 10 p.m.
Isabella Cannon Room

Annie Baker is one of America’s leading young playwrights. She won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for her play The Flick. Come hear a reading of one of her newer works – a play that New York Magazine called “sharp and hilarious.”

Tuesday, April 24 — SURF Day

Student Research Presentations

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Great Hall, Global Commons 

(Please see the SURF Day schedule for many additional undergraduate research events.)

College Coffee

9:30 to 10:20 a.m.
The Great Hall, Global Commons

Post-SURF Celebration of Elon Core Capstone Projects

5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Global Commons, second floor 

Twenty students will present posters or PowerPoint summaries of their Core Capstone Projects to the Elon community. Every Interdisciplinary Core Capstone Course requires a substantial project that allows students to integrate and apply what they have experienced throughout their studies at Elon, from first-year courses to the Core Capstone. These projects also provide opportunities for reflection on the components of the larger mission of the Elon Core Curriculum, thus preparing students to be global citizens and informed leaders motivated by concern for the common good.

elondocs Documentary Showcase

7 p.m.
Turner Theater 

This special screening will include a selection of short documentaries created by members of the elondocs production program.  A mixture of audio, photo, and video documentary shorts will be presented and a Q&A session with the filmmakers will follow the screening

élan: A Tribute to the Manhattan Transfer

7:30 p.m.
McCrary Theatre

Elon University’s vocal jazz/a cappella ensemble, élan, presents an evening of music inspired by the multi-Grammy winning vocal quartet.

Wednesday, April 25

Celebrate Stage

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Located between Moseley Center and Koury Recreation Center 

A reading from the Young Adult Literature class, ENS sing-along, presentation by the Elon Circus Club, and more!

Student Kickbox winners’ demonstrations

4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Moseley Center, first floor 

The event is casual – akin to a poster session, but with artifacts and handouts instead of posters.

Panel discussion: “Intersectionality between Africa and the Caribbean”

6 to 8 p.m.
Moseley 215

Hosted by the Caribbean Students Association and Elon African Society.

 

Thursday, April 26

Celebrate Stage

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Located between Moseley Center and Koury Recreation Center

Dance, presentations by departments of SOC/ANT and HSS, performances by Instant Laughter, World Percussion Ensemble, Elon Jazz Ensemble, and more!

Celebrate Academic Service Learning! event

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Oaks 212 

Students from Service-Learning communities and the Civic-Engagement Scholars program present about their experiences with service-learning and the results of their work in the Burlington community and beyond.

Elon College Distinguished Alumni awards luncheon

Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Johnston Hall, Rm 100 

Professional Writing and Rhetoric senior showcase drop-in event

2:30 to 4 p.m.
Alamance 318  

Professional Writing & Rhetoric seniors in the English Major present their capstone projects during this poster session. Drop in as your schedule allows.

Leadership Awards Ceremony sponsored by Omicron Delta Kappa

4:15 to 5:30 p.m.
Whitley Auditorium with a 3:45 pm outdoor reception in front of Whitley before the ceremony (rain location: Snow Atrium in Schar Hall) 

Omicron Delta Kappa is honored to sponsor the Annual Awards Day Ceremony. Since 1977, Elon’s Circle of ODK recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding leadership skills while maintaining high academic standards. The Ceremony is a means to recognize students campus-wide who exemplify integrity and excellence in their academic and experiential endeavors. A reception will be held at 3:45 p.m., with the ceremony to follow at 4:15 p.m. Sponsored by ODK and the Center for Leadership.

American Idiot opening night

7:30 p..m.
Roberts Studio Theatre, Scott Studios at Arts West 

Music by Green Day, Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, Book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer; Director/Choreographer—Lynne Kurdziel Formato; Music Director—Valerie Maze

A sung-through stage adaptation of Green Day’s concept album punk rock opera. Set shortly after the events of 9/11, the show follows three disaffected young men seeking meaning in a confusing time within stifling societal restrictions. Not suitable for children under 13. The production continues through April 30. 

Friday, April 27

Celebrate Stage

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Located between Moseley Center and Koury Recreation Center

Presentations by the Elon Innovation Challenge, Elon Music Ambassadors, Techtronica, and more!

LEAD Program Capstone Presentations

2 to 6 p.m.
Lindner Hall 204, 206, 207, 208 and 210

An opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to learn about Leadership Education and Development Program Common Good Projects. LEAD participants will present during six educational sessions, highlighting the positive and sustainable changes they have created in their local communities by engaging in leadership development over the past four years and earning a Leadership ELR. Click here for a full schedule of the presentations or go to www.elon.edu/lead.

Gospel Choir Performance

6 to 9 p.m.
McKinnon Hall 

Please Clap (Improv Comedy)

7 to 9 p.m.
Yeager Hall 

Please Clap is the premier all-inclusive improv club on campus. Anyone can join, and we do several shows a year where we play games for an audience, similar to an episode of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Come laugh with us!

Saturday, April 28th

Elon Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert

7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
McCrary Theatre