Senior Dustin Pfaehler stands outside the tiny home he built over the summer. Photo by Courtney Campbell
By Courtney Campbell
Facing the pasture in Loy Farm on Elon University’s lays a 150-square-foot building atop of a trailer. Hidden from plain sight by a barn, the olive green tiny home is big enough to fit one — senior Dustin Pfaehler.
Since January, Pfaehler has made the small box his home, sleeping upstairs in a 3-foot-tall loft on a camping mattress, using a camping toilet and staying warm with a space heater.
After seeing the documentary “Tiny: A Story About Living Small” on Netflix, Pfaehler was inspired to build and live in his own small home. He developed the idea into a research project mentored by Michael Strickland, lecturer in English and environmental science.
As a fifth year senior, Pfaehler thought the project would justify staying for a few classes.
“It seemed really interesting, so I looked into it more,” Pfaehler said. “This project kind of grew out of it and I like building things, just a lot of fun and a chance to do something with my Elon experience, something different.”
Building the home
Before planning out the design of the home, Strickland had Pfaehler look into tiny homes throughout history ranging from sailing vessels to gypsy wagons to get an idea of how people have lived in small spaces.
“The fact that this movement has come back is amazing,” Strickland said. “I never would have predicted how well it has caught on. North Carolina particularly has become a little hub.”
Then with the help of Robert Charest, associate professor of environmental science who specializes in sustainable design, Pfaehler began to draft out blueprints, modeling after the tiny homes he saw in the documentary.
Like most home, he knew he wanted a loft above the kitchen to maximize space. Then he got to work finding whatever material available to construct the house.
With help of his father and family friends, Pfaehler got to work at the beginning of the summer, working long days to complete the home in less than three months.
“It wasn’t too different than a normal home,” he said. “Instead of putting down foundation, we build it on the trailer bed. It was a lot of finding a trailer, getting the frame to work right because we pulled it out of an old mobile home.”
Pfaehler was able to get the trailer bed for free, which saved him money in the long run but lost him height, since it was already 3-feet-tall.
From there, he prepped the trailer, installed the decking board, framed walls and installed them, fitted the loft, created a curved roof and finished with exterior plywood sliding. Next, he installed plumbing and electrical, added insulation and furnished the home with cedar — providing a constant air freshener.
Pfaehler’s father helps him put on the frame of the tiny home. Photo submitted by Dustin Pfaehler.
Pfaehler essentially had his hand in every aspect of the home and continues to build additional furniture, like seating that will also double as storage.
“Part of it’s just having built it myself, very intimate knowledge of the space I’m living in. it just feels cool to live in something you’ve built yourself, to understand everything that’s gone into it and how all of it works together.”
Once the home was complete, Pfaehler hooked the home to a pick-up truck and drove it to Elon, parking it in Loy Farm.
To power the home, an extension cord is hooked up to a breaker box on the farm. A hose connects the to the well — which experienced some freezing in the colder month, one of the many bugs Pfaehler needed to work out.
“There’s no sewage right now,” Phaehler said. “The water I use I measure it inside a rain barrel and take it and empty it somewhere else, which isn’t the most fun.”
Continuing with the research component of the project, Pfaehler takes measurements of how much water and electricity he uses each day. For one person, it isn’t much and he finds himself emptying the barrel every two days or so.
The total cost for the project was under $10,000 and he’s essentially living rent-free.
Living large in a small space
Pfaehler had high hopes upon moving into his moveable home.
“At first I was super excited and everything was great,” Pfaehler said. “Then I got slightly annoyed with the cramped space. At night it gets really quiet out here, so every time there’s a noise and those little things startle you.”
In addition to recording his electrical and water usage, Pfaehler keeps a journal to analyze the psychological aspect of living alone, isolated and in a small space.
Strickland believes these journals will be something students study in the future.
Pfaehler sleeps on a backpacking mattress in his 3-feet-tall loft. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
“The longest I’ve stayed out there was for about a week,” Pfaehler said. “It was nice. Using that much water and having to empty the tank that much wasn’t the best, it definitely made me aware of how much water I used.”
But for the most part, he finds the experience to be peaceful — other than freaky fog at night.
For him, the transition to the tiny home wasn’t bad. He compares the space to a freshman year dorm room, only with more amenities and a smaller space. Eventually, Pfaehler hope to bring a companion — like a medium-sized dog — to test what it’s like to share the small home.
Pfaehler’s favorite part of the tiny home is the kitchen because it “feels the most homey.” He added storage from Ikea to hang cooking equipment on the walls. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Though the space is small, Pfaehler has been making use of the area by using built in storage that takes up less room, especially in the kitchen. At Ikea, he purchased wall hangers and built a lazy Susan, to create storage without bulky shelves.
He has also accepted he can’t keep as much as he’s used to.
“Still kind of a constant game, maximizing my space,” he said. “Do I really need this many groceries? How many clothes do I need? Just the experience is fun.”
On Feb.1, presidential candidate Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucus. His religious views most likely helped him win over the evangelical state.
More Republicans believe it is important to have a president who shares their religious beliefs. Graphic by Courtney Campbell.
According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, most Americans believe it is important for a president to have strong religious beliefs. This belief becomes stronger depending on location.
Dan Freeman, NBC embed in Iowa, believes that in a religious state like Iowa faith plays a larger role in the election. Though he said religion is more impactful on the Republican side, there were also evangelical Democrats contributing to Cruz’s support.
“Down in the South there are a lot of evangelicals and people tend to vote with someone who is more religious and shares the same views on religious issues in that they are pro-life,” Freeman said. “In the more moderate or liberal states though, the Republicans typically vote based on the economic platform, not because a candidate is religious.”
One of the biggest liabilities a presidential candidate can have is to be an atheist. According to the survey, half of United States adults would be less likely to vote for a candidate who does not believe in God, with only 6 percent saying they would be more likely to vote for a non-believer.
Michael Skube, associate professor of communications at Elon University and former political reporter for Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Raleigh News & Observer, said the only religion that would hurt a candidate more than atheism is being Muslim. Voters are 42 percent less likely to support them, according to the survey.
The only candidate this is not seen in is Donald Trump, who has plenty of Republican support but 47 percent don’t see him as religious. This was seen on Feb. 9, when he won the New Hampshire primary.
According to the Pew Research Center survey, of the 56 percent of GOP voters who think Trump would make a good president, only 5 percent sees him as very religious. But with Cruz, Rubio and Carson, almost all Republicans who think they would be a good president view them as somewhat religious.
“Trump has ambiguous faith, but conservatives are supporting him because they like what he’s saying — not where he’s spending his Sundays,” said Jason Husser, assistant professor of political science and policy studies.
Half of United States adults are less likely to support an atheist president. Graphic by Courtney Campbell.
Husser believes that though religion was important when choosing a candidate eight years ago, it is becoming less of a factor as fewer people are attending church. According to the survey, 68 percent believe that religion is beginning to lose its influence on U.S. life.
This is the case with many Elon students who come from New England.
Though freshman Gaby Lopez attended a Catholic high school in Connecticut and attends church weekly, she doesn’t consider herself a religious person and does not think about religion when choosing a candidate.
“I guess faith matters for certain people, but not for me,” Lopez said. “The United States has always been separate from church and state, so religion doesn’t get too involved.”
Senior Lauryl Fisher believes that religious beliefs can shift a candidates stance on issues, but she does not consider it to be the number one importance when voting.
“I don’t think about religion,” she said. “I think about their personal beliefs. Their opinions on foreign policy and domestic affairs are what matters most.”
Small Alamance County businesses struggle to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.
Multimedia reporting by Bryan Anderson, Courtney Campbell and Megan Garnache
It was Jan. 1, 1994, when TS Designs president Eric Henry received news that would dramatically alter the future of his small business — the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect.
“NAFTA had a devastating impact on my business,” Henry said. “I worked for brands like Nike and Adidas. We employed over 100 people, were profitable, paid good wages and then we had to lay off 80 people.”
Since the trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, Henry has witnessed a rapid industrialization movement — which has often come at the expense of local small businesses.
Fighting rapid globalization
Small businesses, which are defined as enterprises with less than 100 employees, have accounted for a decreasing proportion of total employment over the last several years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 Statistics of U.S. Businesses.
Like many small businesses, TS Designs has struggled to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.
“I saw my business and community get completely devastated and it started impacting local businesses,” Henry said. “Walmart and big businesses were utilizing the global services.”
While small businesses are dwindling over time, large-scale ones are continuously growing.
The number of employees in large businesses in North Carolina — ones with 500 or more employees — is greater than the number of employees in very small, small and medium enterprises combined. This is also the case in 25 other states and the District of Columbia.
One industry globalization has particularly affected in NorthCarolina is textiles. The most recent U.S. Census data indicated a 28 percent decline in the number of textile mills between 2008 and 2012. Between 2002 and 2012, textile manufacturing has declined precipitously in some of the top ten states.
North Carolina had the second most jobs in the textile industry in 2012 with 34,786, according to the Congressional Research Service. But this figure marked a 64 percent decline since 2002.
In a special for USA TODAY, veteran Washington bureau chief and weekly columnist Marsha Mercer said 40 percent of North Carolina jobs were in textile and apparel manufacturing in 1940. By 2013, only 1.1 percent of the state’s jobs were in textiles.
Henry argues the textile industry’s decline has resulted, in part, from businesses manufacturing their goods abroad and marketing them to consumers to buy at cheaper prices.
“Brands are driving the marketplace,” Henry said. “They’re making so much money the way things are today. Brands like Nike have millions of dollars in advertising. When you have that kind of money, it’s easy to keep people distracted.”
Getting the message heard
Video Clip: Nancy Joyner, co-owner of Redbud Farm, describes how she interacts with customers.
Small businesses often face an uphill battle when trying to reach a mass audience. According to Marketing Land, advertising revenues have spiked with the proliferation of mobile communication and social media. Advertisers also use television to promote their goods and services.
But advertising comes with a hefty price tag.
A 30-second advertisement in the 2016 Super Bowl is selling for as much as $5 million. A 30-second ad during the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” costs more than $300,000. While large businesses can afford the expenses of reaching large audiences, small ones cannot.
Instead, small businesses rely on grassroots marketing campaigns.
Redbud Farm
Clay Smith, 70, rinses sweet potatoes in preparation for farmers’ market.
Clay Smith and Nancy Joyner, owners and operators of Redbud Farm in Burlington launched a Facebook page a few years ago to reach consumers.
Smith and Joyner relied on their organic certification in 2009 to market their farm as a healthier alternative to supermarkets. They participate in the Western Wake and Elon farmers’ markets to promote other vendors and showcase their healthier goods.
“A lot of our marketing is about building long-term relationships with customers so folks come back to our stand and to other stands too,” Smith said. “The vendors really try to support one another. The Elon market is not as large but the thing that we like about it is that it’s really local.”
The Elon farmers’ market typically features about 10 vendors and is located in a smaller area, which helps foster a more inclusive culture for vendors.
But at the end of the day, Smith relies more on his face-to-face interactions with consumers.
“In terms of reaching out to folks, it’s generally word of mouth for us,” Smith said. “We don’t do a lot of advertising.”
Co-op is using grassroots marketing campaigns to attract customers.
Company Shops Market
Company Shops Market, Burlington’s co-op, has experienced steady growth since opening its doors in May 2011, but its progress in competing against local grocery chains such as Harris Teeter, Lowe’s and Food Lion and big discount stores such as Walmart and Costco has been gradual.
Company Shops Market’s 2014 annual report noted a “drawdown on our cash while our current liabilities continue to increase slightly” and concluded: “Both of these trends need to be and can be reversed by increasing sales.”
Megan Sharpe, community outreach coordinator for the co-op, has relied heavily on social media to increase awareness. But she recognizes there are too many people the co-op has yet to reach.
“We have people living in the apartment building right down the street who still haven’t heard about us,” Sharpe said. “We’re trying to do everything we can to increase awareness. We’ll blast social media and we’ll do emails, flyers and posters. It’s slowly getting out there.”
Come to the co-op this Friday for downtown’s 4th Friday! We’ll have music, burgers, ice cream from The Scoop Shack and draft beer!
— Company Shops Market (@CompanyShops) July 21, 2015
While Sharpe looks to reach potential customers through visuals, interim general manager Ben Wright relies on interpersonal communication.
Wright and Sharpe argue it is virtually impossible to compete with fast food chains. McDonald’s Dollar Menu currently features a fruit and yogurt parfait, double cheeseburger and chicken nuggets along with much more, whereas the Company Shops deli menu features a variety of sandwiches starting around $8.
“People eat with their eyes and they eat with their wallet,” Wright said. “It’s a matter of breaking down paradigms with folks and not having to sell them a product but having to sell them a new viewpoint and get them to change completely.”
Going local at Elon
Video Clip: Pandora’s Pies owner Peter Ustach explains where he purchases food.
The local food movement has also extended into the Elon University community.
Peter Ustach, co-owner of Pandora’s Pies and The Fat Frogg, graduated Elon in 2009 and has devoted his businesses to purchasing local goods.
“What a lot of students don’t see is the local support we get,” Ustach said. “The Fat Frogg runs on 60 percent local while Pandora’s Pies is more 50-50 split in the summertime.”
Ustach has worked with local farmers, including Smith and Joyner of Redbud Farm.
“I’ve even been to Clay and Nancy’s farm,” Ustach said. “I’ve walked through the farm. I can really tell you as a consumer where that butternut squash is coming from for the butternut squash soup, where your cherry tomatoes are coming from for a simple house salad and that’s really the beauty of it.”
While Ustach says he makes concerted efforts to reach out to more local businesses for goods, he admits it would not be possible to be completely local.
“When going local, everything is transparent because you can see where it comes from,” he said. “Is that 100 percent possible in business? No. Is it getting easier? Yes. I think going local means having transparency between what you have and what you sell and where it comes from. It’s not easy, but it’s getting easier.”
Food is central to Pandora’s Pies and The Fat Frogg, but the relationship within the community extends beyond the dinner table. The Fat Frogg hosts trivia nights once a week and live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
This increased interaction with consumers allows him to generate higher profits.
Building a large following
The Oak House uses locally made pastries from Sweet Stuff and Tasty Bakery.
While it has taken a bit of time for Pandora’s Pies and The Fat Frogg to gain traction, The Oak House — a coffee shop and wine bar — has become quite popular since opening its doors on Sept. 24, 2014.
Since opening The Oak House, Smith has allowed Elon students to film projects after closing time and hold profit-share events. When news spread Starbucks would come to campus in time for the 2015-2016 school year, the university received much backlash from students.
Several students expressed their support for The Oak House and did not want the small business facing increased competition. When the university decided to halt Elon Dining expansion for Starbucks, Smith immediately felt relieved.
Smith attributes part of this success to the local food movement.
“A lot of people care that we do go local and a lot of people take note of it,” Smith said. “Sometimes they take note of it without realizing it. With the milk in the coffee, they’re like, ‘This is the best latte I’ve ever had.’ Some of that may be the coffee but a lot of it is the milk.
The Oak House gets its milk from Homeland Creamery, which is a family farm located about 15 miles off campus in Julian. Smith also pays a premium for high-quality pastries by ordering muffins from Tasty Bakery in Graham.
“When it’s locally made, I think the people making it care about what they’re making because it’s their neighbors, friends and peers who are benefitting,” Smith said. “It also keeps the money in the local economy.”
While the prices may be high, Smith believes consumers are willing to spend more money for quality goods like muffins.
While Smith said he could pay around 25 cents a muffin through BJ’s Wholesale or Sam’s Club, he prefers having the muffins made from scratch and not in a premade container.
But sustaining his business in a college town over the summer has proven to be quite the challenge.
“Summer is bad,” Smith said. “It’s like turning a faucet off. We had Commencement, which was our busiest day of the year, and then the next day was probably our worst day of the year.”
While local businesses grapple with the challenges of staying in business after the school year, on-campus dining facilities struggle to accommodate student demands for increased local food.
“We pledge to purchase 10 percent of our items from North Carolina,” Krieger said.
While Elon Dining notes on its Sustainability page it purchased more than 11 percent of its food locally last year, there was no mention that figure came only from North Carolina agricultural facilities.
“Everyone has a different idea of what is local,” Krieger said. “We try to abide by that 250, but then it’s within the state or within the region. If we can’t get it there, then we have to go outside of our local range. What we track and promote is usually within that 250-mile radius of campus.”
With the word “local” defined as a 250-mile radius, food can come from parts of Virginia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
On Dining Services’ map, “From Local Farms to Your Forks,” it is revealed there are 21 different locations where food is received from North Carolina. Of those 21 locations, only one is located in Alamance County and three within a 50-mile radius of campus.
Krieger said the Elon Dining is committed to sourcing produce locally whenever possible but the logistics can be challenging given the large student population on meal plan and the various health and safety guidelines Aramark must adhere to.
Although she said she wasn’t permitted to provide specific data on the number of students on meal plans, she said local markets could not feed the student entire student population.
“I have students approach me and say, ‘We have a farmers’ market right down the corner; why can’t we buy from the farmers’ market?’” Krieger said. “And I say, ‘With a farmers’ market, if Elon Dining bought all of it, it would feed one dining hall during one meal period.’
She also mentioned the extensive process in place for the existing distributors and acquiring additional distributors. According to Krieger, Elon Dining has middlemen who work through that process.
Removing Elon from Elon Dining
Elon University itself is not directly involved in the decision-making process for bringing national vendors to campus. Rather, Aramark makes all final decisions.
In a 10-page Vendor Policy Committee Report, the university outlined its limited influence in deciding which vendors come to campus.
“The university provides the facilities for Aramark’s operations on campus and participates indirectly in the decision-making process around national vendors that operate on campus,” said a portion of the report.
Chris Fulkerson, Elon’s assistant vice president for administrative services, explained how the university recommended Aramark add a Biscuitville location to campus because the founders had an existing relationship with Elon. But the process took five to six years before Biscuitville finally arrived on campus.
Although Elon makes recommendations for large vendors, its limited influence creates a lengthy process for local businesses to come to campus.
Looking to the future
It is now Dec. 8, 2015, and TS Designs president Eric Henry feels cautiously optimistic about the fate of his business.
Following NAFTA, he witnessed a rapid consumer demand for cheap products. But now, something is beginning to change.
“Now I see younger people through Elon University starting to see the value on price,” Henry said. “That local food movement is getting more interest with millenials.”
Garden Valley Market features locally sourced products, including honey for Winston-Salem.
And it’s not just the local food movement that is returning with today’s youth. It’s the entire going local movement that is regaining momentum.
Michael Shuman, an expert in economics and author of “Going Local,” said people are basing their purchasing decisions on more than just cost.
“No one buys anything simply on the basis of price,” Shuman said. “If that were true, Starbucks wouldn’t exist. People make their decisions on the basis of value.”
While Henry says the progress toward buying local has been slow, he recognizes a gradual resurgence is approaching.
“When stuff is cheaper, sometimes your neighbor just lost his job,” Henry said. “Now I see younger people through Elon University starting to see the value on price.”
Last fall, senior Devin Mehra began using the dating app Tinder, but was frustrated by the messaging feature — the back-and-forth mental games that led nowhere. So he created his own dating app, When & Where, now available on Elon University’s campus.
“Let’s say the guy takes six hours to get back to you. Does that mean you wait six hours, when clearly you just read the message and he probably just read the message too?” Mehra said. “I was thinking to myself there has to be a better solution to this than sitting around desperately by your phone, ‘Has this person texted me back yet?’”
Unlike other dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, When & Where gets straight to the point. If users see someone they’re interested in, they pick a time or place to go out. The two users agree when and where to meet before they can message in the app, but users don’t necessarily have to follow through with the meetup after messaging.
“I like to think of it as an icebreaker,” Mehra said. “Let’s say you don’t actually meet up at the time and place you agreed upon, but we keep talking and the idea comes up. By initially agreeing on the time and place when you first talk, I think it’s more natural to talk about meeting up.”
Users connect to the app through Facebook, allowing them to set a profile picture, write a description and choose up to five tags, such as “Rec League All Star,” “Chocolate Lover” or “Spunky” to describe themselves. Preferences can be set for age range and gender.
Elon students can pick a when to meet up before they wait for their match to pick the where.
Every 24 hours, a user is given five different matches who are on campus rather than showing everyone available within the user’s preferences. Mehra believes this will cause users to think harder about who they choose to chat with.
“I think the problem with apps like Tinder is when you’re given that many options, the profiles almost become objects, and you don’t really think of them as people,” he said. “With this app you have to think about it harder. You have to think about them more as people than as faces on the screen.”
With about 350 users on Elon’s campus, there are a finite number of matches to go through, so eventually old matches will reappear.
Mehra had the idea for the app back in November 2014, but with no knowledge of programming, he needed some help. Luckily, his family friend Daniel Shaffer was willing to code for him. In January, Shaffer had Mehra physically draw out every screen of the app.
“I felt that he was very, very passionate about it,” Shaffer said. “He thought everything through, which was really nice.”
In March Shaffer began coding, and launched the app in July.
Elon students can pick a where to meet up, like The Oak House, in the app.
According to Shaffer, programming the app was a bit difficult because he needed to create a system that tracks all the whens, wheres and matches, as well as that he incorporates geographic data and the ability to connect to Facebook.
Since the app is still in its infancy stage, there are a few bugs that need to be fixed, such as buttons overlapping on the screen. Mehra plans to fix this through updates and hopes to add push notifications to remind people to open it.
“It’s one thing to have people downloading the app, it’s another thing to have people looking at it and opening it,” he said.
Right now, Shaffer recommends promoting the app over any big developments.
“Innovators’ dilemma is not knowing when enough is enough,” Shaffer said. “The app is at a point where it’s good enough to do marketing. It’s his baby right now. I’ve told him the app’s great right now, and his time should be spent getting the word out.”
At Elon, Mehra has been promoting When & Where through word of mouth and presenting at different organizations, such as fraternities, sororities and clubs. He is also incorporating social media by posting about the app and sharing an interview on Facebook.
Currently the app is only available at Elon because to develop and market social apps, marketers need to start in concentrated areas, so users aren’t scattered where they can’t reach each other.
So far, Mehra has heard a few success stories from users.
“There are people I have spoken to, who I don’t really know, that have met up with someone they never met before and met up at [The] Oak House,” he said. “It’s a really cool thing to have people you don’t know actually using the app and using it the way you visualized.”
After marketing on campus, Mehra hopes to expand to nearby campuses or to Boston, where his brothers go to school.
He also wants users to get more creative with the wheres in the app by choosing unique locations or meeting up with their friends to hang out through it.
“You can pick the most obscure locations, you can do [The] Oak House but you can also do Lakeside Dining Hall or Phoenix Card Office,” Mehra said. “Yes, it’s a dating app, but I want people to have fun with it and not take it so seriously.”
Renowned classical musician, Itzhak Perlman brought along his prized 300-year-old Stradivarius violin and his wit to Elon University’s Fall Convocation on Tuesday Oct. 6.
A full house for Fall Convocation. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Throughout the speech, Perlman trailed through his extensive violin career that began at age 4. Now 70, he has played at every major concert hall, performed at President Barak Obama’s first Inauguration in 2009 and has received numerous Emmy and Grammy Awards.
The speech was moderated by Gerald Whittington, senior vice president for business, finance and technology a a professional singer with the Bel Canto Company, a choral ensemble in the Triad area.
Both Whittington and the audience was in awe as Perlman took out his violin and played a piece composed by Bach — the same one he learned as a child playing an advertisement for a cookie manufacturing company.
He received a standing ovation. “Can you do that some more?” asked Whittington.
Perlman played three more times that evening, successfully silencing the audience with each piece, including a famous score he wrote for Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning “Schindler’s List.”
Gerald Whittington moderated convocation with Itzhak Perlman. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Perlman took to a combination of wit and humor to keep the audience on its toes, often at Whittington’s expense. As soon as Perlman arrived on stage, he corrected Whittington that he had won 17 Grammy Awards, not the 16 Whittington mentioned in his opening.
It wouldn’t be the first snappy retort.
“I believe you were on the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ three times,” Whittington said.
“Six,” Perlman said.
“And I count for a living,” Whittington said.
Spending long hours perfecting his trade, Perlman has developed a practice regimen all his own. Perlman explained that musicians should only practice for five hours, tops.
Any more, he said, would be like putting a sponge in water and adding a few drops — useless.
“A lot of things about practicing have to do with repetition,” Perlman said. “Muscle memory.”
After living a full musical life, Perlman has decided to dedicate some of his time to educating the youth. Since 1995, he has run and taught at his summer camp for aspiring musicians, The Perlman Music Program.
“My goal is to continue to enjoy what I do and not to be bored,” Perlman said. “Conducting and teaching and playing. Each one of those things helps each other. When I teach others, I teach myself.”
Though it has been getting difficult for Perlman to move around, he is embarking on a worldwide tour, performing 50 times between now and May.
Perlman will be back in the Triad area for his last performance of his tour, performing in Raleigh May 18, 2016.
Perlman leaving Fall Convocation. Photo by Courtney Campbell
On Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. folk band Cracked Vessels preformed at the Oak House. The band, which started in 2014, includes seniors Tyler Meacham and Jacob Lenz, who are both members of the a cappella group Twisted Measure.
Cracked Vessels jammed at the Oak House last Thursday. Photo by Courtney Campbell
Lunch is one of the most important, social meals that keep students going from class to class. We found out what the Elon community is having for lunch.
Many Elon University freshmen finding their niche on campus involves being chatty in classes and signing up for a plethora of clubs.
Junior Joseph Del Vecchio, entered Elon his first year as solely a business major.
Junior Joe Del Vecchio smiles during an Etalk meeting. Photo by Courtney Campbell
“I never planned on joining anything with television,” he said. “I wasn’t even a comm major when I got here.
He is now co-executive producer of Etalk, an entertainment talk show, along side junior Abbey Maloney and is double majoring in Marketing and Strategic Communications.
Del Vecchio first got involved by accident. After winning an Biscuitville competition, requiring him to write a speech for free food for a semester, he was noticed by one of the show producers, alumna Lindsey Nicole ’14, who thought he was hilarious. She contacted him and asked him to join the show.
He went to a meeting and, though one of the only boys in the organization, he was immdiately hooked.
“What I love most are the people,” Del Vecchio said. “They are all so much fun and friendly, and they are always so willing to help to produce a good show.”
Del Vecchio directs and runs the technical boards during the latest episode. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Del Vecchio rose the ranks through Etalk, beginning as a cameraman who occasionally appeared on weekly websites to director and now executive producer. He applied to be executive director because he cares about the organization and believed he has good organizational skills to help Etalk succeed.
As executive producer, Del Vecchio needs to plan out a budget, work behind the scenes in the directors chair and make sure the entire show runs smoothly.
Etalk is filmed live-to-tape, meaning the show is not run live, but the team tries to record it as though it is. This year, Del Vecchio has worked to make improvements in professionalism — last Sunday, they filmed their first live-show for a pre-Emmy broadcast.
“We’re making progress,” Del Vecchio said. “I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds.”
Behind the scenes of Etalk, Elon’s entertainment talk show. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
The four Etalk hosts discussing this weeks latest gossip. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Setting up for the next block. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Host Madison Sternberg interviews tennis player, Neal Post. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Every Thursday without fail, Nancy Joyner sets up a tent filled with a wide variety of seasonal potatoes, squash and peppers outside of Elon Community Church. Joyner, who has come to Elon Community Church Farmers Market since spring of 2009, has made connections with local community members as well as students.
Joyner helps a community member pick out the perfect tomato. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Redbud Farm, located in Burlington, is owned and managed by Joyner and Clay Smith. It is on the same land where Smith’s family farm was since 1945. The two have been harvesting since 2009, using only certified organic practices and bringing only the best produce to market.
“What you see on the table is in season,” Joyner said.
The farm specializes in vegetables and herbs including heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, eggplant, various squash, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, kale, ginger, garlic, basil and cilantro.
Each person who approaches Joyner’s stand comes with a different purpose, but leaves with a connection.
“My favorite part of farming is coming from farming and having a connection with the people,” Joyner said. “There’s a diversity of people from the community and church and college students. It could be a regular who always needs their cherry tomatoes or a New York boy that decided he loves okra.”
In addition to Elon Community Church Farmers Market, Joyner has a stand at the Western Wake Farmers Market in Morrisville, North Carolina on Saturdays. Redbud Farm is also incorporating some of their produce in local restaurants. Currently, Pandora’s Pies, a local pizza restaurant, is serving a seasonal orzo salad containing Joyner’s peppers and tomatoes.
A wide variety of peppers from Redbud Farm. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
While making connections to the Elon University students, Joyner has also been known to give discounts or free produce to those that are especially excited about what they are buying.
“She’s so sweet and she always remembers people,” said junior Abbey Maloney. “She’s definitely passionate about what she does.”
The Elon Community Church Farmers Market runs until the end of October, but for those who can’t get enough of Redbud Farm’s product can visit the farm located at 1921 Gwyn Rd. Burlington, N.C.
“We pledge to purchase 10 percent of our items from North Carolina,” Krieger said.
Courtney Campbell 
