Winter Term 2019 will offer students a broad array of opportunities to explore these themes throughout the next month.
Elon's Winter Term 2019 is now underway, with students returning to campus or embarking on global education programs around the world.
Here on campus, Elon offers a lineup of events throughout the month-long term that focus on four themes — Health, Intercultural Engagement, Media and Politics. The university provides an array of disciplinary and interdisciplinary opportunities to explore these various themes both inside and outside the classroom. Learn more about the themes here.
Winter Term will provide a unique experience throughout the next month for students, faculty and staff, from the courses offered during the term arranged around these themes to the events around campus that build up the various aspects of these themes,
Among the events this month are the wInterfaith Lunch Series that includes the opportunity for members of the faith community to share what they believe, performances of the adaptation of a Greek classic, "Trojan Barbie," and events to celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the university will host a variety of "mini-seminars," with students, faculty and staff signing up to read a piece of scholarly work and then attend an hour-long critical reflection session led by an Elon faculty member.
Elon will also host attorney, professor of law and advocate for equality and civil rights Anita Hill on Jan. 10 as she delivers the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture. More information about her lecture, which is part of the Elon University Speaker Series, is available here.
The full list of events and mini-seminars can be found here and is also included below. Those events with limited capacity include a link to register.
Stress Reset
Thursday, Jan. 4
Ward Octagon- Moseley 105A, 10 to 11 a.m.
Experiencing stress and anxiety is a natural process, but too much stress can lead to problems. Extreme stress can cause students to lose sleep, feel unmotivated for class, forget important events, or even not want to be around friends and family. In this workshop, Jeremy Bryant will help participants understand how stress and anxiety are created, how they impact a student’s life, and what can be done to decrease stress in your own life. Students will leave this workshop with many tangible skills to combat stress.
Sponsored by Counseling Services
Healthy Relationships Workshop: Defining Caring Relationships and Relationship Abuse
Monday, Jan. 7
Oasis Lounge- Numen Lumen Pavilion, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 2 to 3:30 p.m. (same workshop for both timeslots)
In this skill-building program, you will learn about healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships. Through participatory hands-on activities, by the end of the program you will: Know the difference between a healthy and abusive relationship; Have awareness of relationships abuse and its causes and consequences; Have the skills and resources to help yourself or friends who are in abusive relationships; Have the skills to develop healthy relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict resolution. The program consists of five 1.5-hour sessions held Monday through Friday. While it’s not required that you come to every session, each session will build on the last one and you will gain more from the program by completing all five sessions.
Registration: Morning Session; Afternoon Session
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; Gender and LGBTQIA Center
Spanish Conversation Classes
Monday, Jan. 7 (classes start)
Carlton 114, Times Vary
El Centro provides a space to exercise cultural humility and dialogue while exploring questions like: what is race, racial heritage, social identities and intersectionalities, breaking stereotypes and prejudices about Latinx/Hispanic cultures. These classes are not only a resource to learn about the language and the cultures of the Spanish speaking people in the world, but also a great way to connect with campus partners, creating long-lasting meaningful relationships with students, faculty and staff from all over the campus and beyond. Click here to see the schedule of classes: https://www.elon.edu/u/el-centro/classes/
Sponsored by El Centro de Español
Healthy Relationships Workshop: Overcoming Gender Stereotypes and Why People Abuse
Tuesday, Jan. 8
Oasis Lounge- Numen Lumen Pavilion, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 2 to 3:30 p.m. (same workshop for both timeslots)
In this skill-building program, you will learn about healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships. Through participatory hands-on activities, by the end of the program you will: Know the difference between a healthy and abusive relationship; Have awareness of relationships abuse and its causes and consequences; Have the skills and resources to help yourself or friends who are in abusive relationships; Have the skills to develop healthy relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict resolution. The program consists of five 1.5-hour sessions held Monday through Friday. While it’s not required that you come to every session, each session will build on the last one and you will gain more from the program by completing all five sessions.
Registration: Morning Session; Afternoon Session
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; Gender and LGBTQIA Center
Who Matters to God? Multifaith Perspectives on No Human is Illegal
Tuesday, Jan. 8
McBride Gathering Space, 7 p.m.
Dinner Conversation that engages perspectives from different religious traditions in support of the No Human is Illegal movement. The event will include student-facilitated table conversations, as well as free pizza and salad.
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
Healthy Relationships Workshop: How to Get Help
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Oasis Lounge- Numen Lumen Pavilion, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 2 to 3:30 p.m. (same workshop for both timeslots)
In this skill-building program, you will learn about healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships. Through participatory hands-on activities, by the end of the program you will: Know the difference between a healthy and abusive relationship; Have awareness of relationships abuse and its causes and consequences; Have the skills and resources to help yourself or friends who are in abusive relationships; Have the skills to develop healthy relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict resolution. The program consists of five 1.5-hour sessions held Monday through Friday. While it’s not required that you come to every session, each session will build on the last one and you will gain more from the program by completing all five sessions.
Registration: Morning Session; Afternoon Session
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; Gender and LGBTQIA Center
Martin Luther King Jr. Circle of Hope Dialogue
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Moseley 215, 12:30 p.m.
The Circle of Hope Dialogue is a campuswide effort to engage faculty, staff and students in dialogue around race relations in the 21st Century as it relates to a broader swath of contemporary civil rights issues. Informed by excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s essays and writings we invite you all to join us for insightful conversation. This program aligns with the ‘Learn’ and ‘Engage’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Students, staff, and faculty can register here.
Sponsored by Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education
wInterfaith Luncheon- Baha’i
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Elon Community Church- Community Life Center, 11:45 a.m.
Explore different faiths through engaging speakers, dynamic dialogue, and a catered lunch! The Truitt Center invites all to our January wInterfaith lunch and learn series. Each Wednesday we will examine a different religion, tradition, or worldview over a catered lunch (students eat free; faculty, staff, and community member $8). This week we will explore the Baha’i faith through the eyes of Rebecca Louis and Hayedeh Shepard of the Baha’i Faith Greensboro Center.
Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to register.
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
Winter Term Community Mini-Seminars
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Alamance Building- Second Floor, 4:45 p.m.
Faculty and staff will host individual university-wide seminars that focus on a topic and short reading chosen for its insightful, thought-provoking or transformative potential. The aim is for faculty, staff, and students to examine and learn from critical academic discourse on topics related to one or more of our themes, and then reflect together on the importance of this intellectual work for transforming our campus and communities.
Hurricanes, Hogs, Human Rights, and Your Health: Examining the Social, Environmental, and Health Concerns Regarding Overflowing Hog Lagoons in North Carolina, facilitated by Kelly Harer and Brandon Bell – register here
To Be Me, Or Not To Be: Perils and Promises of Psychological Safety at Work, facilitated by Barjinder Singh – register here
Encouraging the Spirit: The Role of Student-Faculty Interactions in College Students’ Meaning-Making and Spiritual Quest, facilitated by Bill Anderson, Molly Jenks and Jan Fuller – register here
What White Rappers Tell Us About Whiteness, facilitated by Stephen Bloch-Schulman and Alonzo Cee- register here
The Difficult Politics of Climate Change Policymaking, facilitated by Aaron Sparks- register here
An Uneven Playing Field: The Role of Gerrymandering in 2018 and Beyond, facilitated by Carrie Eaves – register here
Women in the 116th Congress, What to Expect?, facilitated by Kaye Usry – register here
The American Jewish Story Through Cinema – Eric Golman
Wednesday, Jan. 9
McKinnon Hall, 6:30 p.m.
By analyzing select mainstream films from the beginning of the sound era until today, one can use the medium of cinema to provide an understanding of the American Jewish experience over the last century. Through film clips and discussion, we will learn how filmmakers created and packaged their own unique concept of the Jew- as filtered through their own consciousness.
Sponsored by International and Global Studies
Winter Term-themed Trivia Night
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Oak House, 8 p.m.
This six-round event will feature questions related to the four pillars of the Winter Term theme. Teams of two to four people may participate, and prizes will be awarded to the teams that finish first, second and third. All trivia participants will be given one free coffee-side drink. It’s encouraged that students find faculty/staff to join them on their teams.
Sponsored by Oaks, Colonnades, Danieley Center, and Station at Mill Point Neighborhoods
Healthy Relationships Workshop: How to Manage Emotions and Communicate Effectively
Thursday, Jan. 10
Oasis Lounge – Numen Lumen Pavilion, 11 a.m. to 12:30 pm; 2 to 3:30 p.m. (same workshop for both timeslots)
In this skill-building program, you will learn about healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships. Through participatory hands-on activities, by the end of the program you will: Know the difference between a healthy and abusive relationship; Have awareness of relationships abuse and its causes and consequences; Have the skills and resources to help yourself or friends who are in abusive relationships; Have the skills to develop healthy relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict resolution. The program consists of five 1.5-hour sessions held Monday through Friday. While it’s not required that you come to every session, each session will build on the last one and you will gain more from the program by completing all five sessions.
Registration: Morning Session; Afternoon Session
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; Gender and LGBTQIA Center
Anita Hill, “From Social Movement to Social Impact: Putting an End to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace”
Thursday, Jan.10
Alumni Gym, 6 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Address
Attorney, professor of law and advocate for equality and human rights, Anita Hill’s testimony during the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas in 1991 sparked a national conversation about sexual harassment. She continues to work toward increasing parity and protection for women and minorities. Joining leading executives in the entertainment industry, she heads the Hollywood Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace that is examining the patter of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry. Hill notes that the commission is the next step in a “long-overdue journey to adopt best practices and create institutional change that fosters a culture of respect and dignity throughout the industry.
A graduate of Yale Law School, Hill worked for the U.S. Education Department and Equal Opportunity Commission and in 1989 became the first African-American to be tenured at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She is now Professor of Social Policy, Law and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project
Friday, Jan. 11
Habitat for Humanity House- Burlington, 8 to 11:30 a.m.
Join Elon Volunteers! for a service project with Habitat for Humanity as part of MLK month activities. Volunteers will contribute with hands-on work at this year’s Elon University sponsored Habitat for Humanity house in Burlington. The shift will last from 8 to 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 11 and transportation will be provided. Once you sign-up the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement will be in touch with more logistical information. This program aligns with the ‘Engage’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement
Healthy Relationships Workshop: Preventing Sexual Assault
Friday, Jan. 11
Oasis Lounge- Numen Lumen Pavilion, 11 to 12:30 p.m.; 2 to 3:30 p.m. (same workshop for both timeslots)
In this skill-building program, you will learn about healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships. Through participatory hands-on activities, by the end of the program you will: Know the difference between a healthy and abusive relationship; Have awareness of relationships abuse and its causes and consequences; Have the skills and resources to help yourself or friends who are in abusive relationships; Have the skills to develop healthy relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict resolution. The program consists of five 1.5-hour sessions held Monday through Friday. While it’s not required that you come to every session, each session will build on the last one and you will gain more from the program by completing all five sessions.
Registration: Morning Session; Afternoon Session
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; Gender and LGBTQIA Center
Sleep: Applying Science to Snoozing
Friday, Jan. 11
Ward Octagon- Moseley 105A, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Too much or too little, sleep issues are a common stressor we will struggle with at some point in our life. This workshop is dedicated to finding out the areas that are making sleep difficult for students and methods to improve the overall quality and quantity of sleep. Jeremy Bryant will walk students through a series of interactive and informative tasks to help them better understand their own sleeping patterns and areas for improvement.
Sponsored by Counseling Services
International Museum of Human Rights- Cultural Excursion
Saturday, Jan. 12
Station at Mill Point, Clubhouse, 10 a.m.
The Station at Mill Point and the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education are excited to partner to sponsor a trip for Elon University students and the community members of Morgan Place and Ball Park Communities to the International Civil Rights Museum. Positioned directly beside the Station at Mill Point Residential Community, the Morgan Place and Ball Park Communities are historical black communities of Elon. This program aligns with the ‘Learn’ and ‘Engage’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Sponsored by Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education; Station at Mill Point Neighborhood
Who Matters to God? Multifaith Perspectives on Trans Rights as Human Rights
Monday, Jan. 14
McBride Gathering Space, Noon
Lunch Conversation that engages perspectives from different religious traditions in support of trans rights.
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
Building Resiliency: Coping Through Chaos
Monday, Jan. 14
Global Commons Room 201, 3 to 4 p.m.
Dealing with distress is difficult and it can be hard to know how to cope. Many times we either get overwhelmed by powerful emotions or find harmful ways to cope. Carnice Covert will lead this workshop where students will practice a variety of mindfulness techniques and coping strategies in order to find which skills best fit for them. At the end of the workshop, students will walk away with a variety of coping skills that they can implement as they move forward in the semester and beyond.
Sponsored by Counseling Services
Martin Luther King Jr. Collegiate Oratorical Contest
Monday, Jan. 14
Irazú Coffee Shop, 6 p.m.
We invite the campus community to attend the oratorical presentations from our students. This program aligns with the ‘Engage’ and ‘Express’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events. Interested students can acquire the prompt and register to participate in the contest by contacting Brandon Bell. Those seeking to compete in the oratorical contest must register by Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 5 p.m.
Sponsored by Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education; Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.
The Human Library Project
Tuesday, Jan. 15
Belk Library, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Human Library Project is designed to create understanding and dialogue across people. Individuals volunteer as “Human Books” and attendees “check out the book,” through one-on-one conversations with the Human Books and shared experiences. Human Book volunteers represent diverse walks of life and identities across race, religion, family background, sexual orientation, gender, profession, hobbies, class, disability, skill set, and additional aspects of what it means to be human! Elon students, faculty, and staff are welcome (arrangements can be made to bring entire classes). Contact Patrick Rudd at prudd@elon.edu.
Sponsored by Carole Grotnes Belk Library, the Colonnades Neighborhood Association and Learning Assistance
Martin Luther King Jr. College Coffee – The Hammer on Civil Rights
Tuesday, Jan. 15
McKinnon Hall, Noon
Elon University’s Residential Dining and Campus Engagement will be sponsoring a special “Hammer of Civil Rights” College Coffee. We invite the campus community to attend and commemorate the life and legacy of one of the world’s most inspiring civil rights leaders. This program aligns with the ‘Learn’ and ‘Engage’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Sponsored by Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education; Residential Campus Dining and Engagement
Who Matters to God? Multifaith Perspectives on #MeToo
Tuesday, Jan. 15
McBride Gathering Space, 7 p.m.
Dinner Conversation that engages perspectives from different religious traditions in support of the #MeToo movement. The event will include student-facilitated table conversations, as well as free pizza and salad.
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
Life After Loss: Supporting Self and Others
Wednesday, Jan. 16
Global Commons Room 201, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Loss can be a painful and sometimes unexpected experience; and when loss happens, understanding how to cope with it can be stressful, confusing, draining, and often times painful. Mark Eades will show participants in this workshop some typical ways that individuals experience loss emotionally, physically, and mentally, ways in which loss can affect a person’s life, and what can be done to help someone accept loss and re-engage in their life. Whether you are someone experiencing loss yourself or know someone who has experienced a loss and would like to learn how to support them, this workshop is for you.
Sponsored by Counseling Services
wInterfaith Luncheon- Secular Humanism
Wednesday, Jan. 16
Elon Community Church- Community Life Center, 11:45 a.m.
Explore different faiths through engaging speakers, dynamic dialogue, and a catered lunch! The Truitt Center invites all to our January wInterfaith lunch and learn series. Each Wednesday we will examine a different religion, tradition, or worldview over a catered lunch (students eat free; faculty, staff, and community member $8). This week we will explore ethical humanism and secularism.
Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to register.
Engaging Whiteness- A Discussion About Race
Wednesday, Jan. 16
Moseley 215, 3 p.m.
Back by popular demand, the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education is excited to offer the ‘Engaging Whiteness’ session from the 2018 Summer Race, Reflection and Discussion Series, as a part of the 2019 MLK Jr. Commemorative events. This session explores the construction of race and thus Whiteness and the cultural and systemic implications, thereafter. This program aligns with the ‘Learn’, ‘Engage’ and ‘Express’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Students, faculty and staff outside of the Division of Student Life interested in participating can register here.
Sponsored by Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education
"Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope"
Wednesday, Jan. 16
Turner Theatre; 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The child may not remember, but the body remembers. Researchers have recently discovered a dangerous biological syndrome caused by abuse and neglect during childhood. As the new documentary "Resilience" reveals, toxic stress can trigger hormones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children, putting them at a greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison time, and early death. While the broader impacts of poverty worsen the risk, no segment of society is immune. Resilience, however, also chronicles the dawn of a movement that is determined to fight back. Trailblazers in pediatrics, education, and social welfare are using cutting-edge science and field-tested therapies to protect children from the insidious effects of toxic stress — and the dark legacy of a childhood that no child would choose. Join members from the Elon Community and Alamance County for a viewing of the film followed by an interactive discussion with our community and local partners.
Sponsored by Student United Way; School of Communications
Difficult Conversations
Thursday, Jan. 17
Ward Octagon- Moseley 105A, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Everyone’s been in a situation where they needed to tell someone some tough news that was going to be hard to take. Having a conversation like this can be nerve-wracking and confusing…What is the right thing to say? When should I tell them? What happens if they get angry at me? This workshop, conducted by Ryan Graumann and Mark Eades, will give participants concrete guidelines for how to structure and engage in difficult conversations with peers, parents, professors, and others. It is our hope that students will walk away from this presentation prepared to engage in a productive dialogue with others no matter the topic.
Sponsored by Counseling Services
Designing Your Life Workshop
Thursday, Jan. 17
Center for Design Thinking, 4 to 7 p.m.
How do I adapt when the world changes? How do I keep up with the pace of change? How do I develop the skills to create the life I want? What process and methods can I use to see choices, create options and make plans? The Designing Your Life workshop answers these questions and more in a three-hour, hands-on experience applying design thinking to living well and intentionally.
Faculty and staff can register here.
Sponsored by Center for Design Thinking
Department of Performing Arts presents “Trojan Barbie,” Written by Christine Evans, Directed by Kim Shively
Friday-Tuesday, Jan.18-22
Tuesday-Saturday, Feb. 5-9
Jan. 18–19 and 21–22 at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 5–8 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 20 and Feb. 9 at 2 p.m
Roberts Studio Theatre, Scott Studios at Arts West
Samuel French describes Trojan Barbie as “A Car-Crash Encounter with Euripides’ Trojan Women. Past and present violently collide when Lotte, an English tourist who repairs dolls, is captured while on a tour of current-day Troy and flung back into the ancient camp of Euripides’ Trojan Women.” A modern adaptation woven uneasily into the world of Euripides’ Trojan Women, Trojan Barbie explores the timeless themes of conflict and loss in this sharply witty, compassionate, and accessible adaptation of the Greek Classic.
Note: Not suitable for audiences under 13. Admission: $15 or Elon ID. Reservations are highly recommended and will be offered beginning Jan. 11 at elonperformingarts.com or the Roberts Studio Reservation Line at (336) 278-5650.
Martin Luther King Jr. Church Service
Sunday, Jan. 20
Elon First Baptist Church, 113 Lynn St., Elon, 10:50 a.m.
We welcome Elon students, faculty, staff and community to join us in fellowship at Elon First Baptist Church as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Join us after service for a continued fellowship, fun and games. This program aligns with the ‘Engage’ and ‘Express’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Sponsored by Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education; Elon First Baptist Church
Who Matters to God? Multifaith Perspectives on Black Lives Matter
Tuesday, Jan. 22
McBride Gathering Space, 7 p.m.
Dinner Conversation that engages perspectives from different religious traditions in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The event will include student-facilitated table conversations, as well as free pizza and salad. This program aligns with the ‘Learn’, ‘Engage’ and ‘Express’ pathways in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Sponsored by Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
wInterfaith Luncheon- MLK Panel Examining Race and Faith
Wednesday, Jan. 23
Elon Community Church- Community Life Center, 11:45 a.m.
Explore different faiths through engaging speakers, dynamic dialogue, and a catered lunch! The Truitt Center invites all to our January wInterfaith lunch and learn series. Each Wednesday we will examine a different religion, tradition, or worldview over a catered lunch (students eat free; faculty, staff, and community member $8). This week we will honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through an interfaith panel examining race, faith, and civil rights.
Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to register.
Elon Law Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Speaker – Randy Williams
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Room 207, Elon Law School, 12:30 p.m.
The Elon School of Law is excited to host Elon associate vice president, assistant professor member and Virginia native Randy Williams as its 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Speaker. Continuing the university conversation regarding the 2018 – 2019 Common Reading, ‘Something Must Be Done About Prince George County, his lecture addresses resistance, resilience and resolve in Prince Edward County, Virginia following the Brown decision in 1954 and the quest for civil rights then and now. This program aligns with the ‘Learn’ pathway in the 2019 MLK Jr. Calendar of Events.
Sponsored by Elon Law
Quieting the Inner Critic: Applying Mindfulness in Cognitive Exploration
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Global Commons Room 201, 1 to 2 p.m.
As the saying goes, sometimes we can be our own worst critic. Often times we can get caught up in the negative self-talk that often leaves us discouraged. In this workshop, students practice how to turn their attention away from distracting thoughts and towards more positive and empowering thoughts. Carnice Covert will be conducting this workshop as she helps students to identify troublesome thoughts and replace them with more helpful strategies.
Sponsored by Counseling Services