of Elon

VOL. 6 | EDITION 7NOVEMBER 2015

ELON, N.C.

PUMPKIN

PG. 20

PG. 28

beyond the latteHelen Meskhidze

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Thanksgiving is an interesting concept. Origins aside, the holiday typically conjures up images of a family sitting around a dining room table — one only used

a few days every year, for celebrations like this — enjoying a hearty meal and each other’s company.

For me though, Thanksgiving feels a bit more complicated. I come from a broken home, and it’s rare for me to have just one Thanksgiving celebration. I bounce between my nuclear family, my dad’s family and my mom’s, and in many ways, I feel pressured to hold everything together. I’m the only link connecting these three pieces of family, and that quickly transforms the holiday from celebratory to obligatory.

My story is, in many ways, an insignificant one, but it’s one many people can identify with, I’m sure. Here at The Edge, we want to challenge you to acknowledge your privilege this No-vember. I, for example, am privileged enough to have three separate Thanksgiving meals. However frustrated I become balancing family challenges, it’s hard to get too upset when I’m able to stuff myself with turkey and cranberry sauce three times a day. We’re privileged enough to be able to consid-er throwing ourselves a vegan Thanksgiving (pg. 14) or to indulge ourselves in some classic Kanye West fashion (pg. 28), and our spotlighted students are privileged enough to have access to technology that allows them to grow their passions for science (pg. 20). These are things worth being thankful for.

Letterfrom the Editor

2

Lindsey Lanquist, Editor-in-Chief

Festive CocktailsStylepg. 6

Denim Guide Fashionpg. 10

Very Vegan ThanksgivingHealth & Wellnesspg. 14

Star of Elon Featurespg. 20

Yeezy taught meFashionpg. 28

Celebrate like a CelebEntertainmentPg. 33

50 shades of greenFeaturesPg. 36

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3Instagrams from the celebrities’ verified accounts.

4

Editor-in-Chief of The PendulumMichael Bodley

Editor-in-Chief of The EdgeLindsey Lanquist

Design ChiefIngrid Frahm

Creative DirectorsIngrid Frahm

Brooke Lowrey

Business ManagerXernay Aniwar

Copy ChiefLauren Phillips

Style EditorJ.C. Craig

Assistant Editor Sarah Baum

Photo EditorVirginia Kluiters

Photo Assistant Carolina Brehman

Social Media EditorMaggie Griswold

VideographerBekah Richin

THE EDGE

Fashion EditorBrooke Lowrey

Digital Editor Katy BellotteAssistant Editor Kristina Lee

Assistant Editor Hannah McCarthy

Features EditorLauryl Fischer

Assistant Editor Alyssa PotterFeatures Writer Melina CasadosFeatures Writer Carley Richards

Entertainment EditorAmanda Garrity

Digital Editor Kate NicholsAssistant Editor Tatum Pederson

Health & Wellness EditorXernay Aniwar

Assistant Editor Courtney Campbell

PhotographersEllie AndersonLauren Bach

Mackenzie ClarkenEmily Genzer

Jillian JacobsonVirginia Kluiters

Haley LongbottomCarley Richards

Jane Seidel

ContributorsEric HernandezHanna Silverling

Kelsey PayneRebecca Rabiner

Hannah PodhorzerEmily Hill

Amy RauchCaitlin Welch

DesignersKaty Bellotte

Mackenzie ClarkenKristina Lee

Haley LongbottomElizabeth Sheer

feeling your outfit? post it on instagram and hashtag it with #elonootd. you might be featured on our accounts.

#elonootdinstagram // @theedgemag // #elonootd

6 | STYLE

our favorite

recipes

21if you’re

cheers!

warm up this fall with

autumn cocktail

+

STYLE | 7

cranberry gingerIngredients:

Cranberries, Lemon, Cinnamon, Ginger Beer,

Sparkling Cider

apple cider mimosa

Directions: Make like a traditional mimosa. Sub the apple cider for the orange juice and gar-nish with an apple slice.

Ingredients: Apples, Apple Cider, Champagne

Directions: Muddle 5 fresh cranberries

in the bottom of your glass. Fill the glass with ice and

top with ½ cup hard cider, ¼ cup ginger beer, a pinch of ground cinnamon and a

squeeze of lemon.

F O R D U M M I E S

ABBEY, ’18

Abbey was the place-kickerfor her high school football team, where she played alongside several dozen boys.

GIRL POWER

F or many people, fall means more than pumpkin

spice lattes and jack-o-lantern carving. It means touchdowns and tailgates and cheering for your home team. Football season is magical for those who follow it, but it can be a bit confusing for the less sports inclined. Whether you’re an avid fan or a football new-bie, we’ve got you covered in our guide to the season.

8 | STYLE

play-by-playWhen some of the defensive players rush at the quarter-back before he has a chance to throw the ball.

BLITZ

Begins with the snap and ends when a player has been tackled, a touchdown has been scored or the ball goes out of bounds. Each team has four downs to get a first down.

DOWN

The area on either end of the field where touchdowns are scored.

END ZONE

An attempt to score three points by kicking the ball through the yellow upright poles.

FIELD GOAL

When a player accidentally drops or loses possession of the ball. Not good.

FUMBLE

The hand-off from the center to the quarterback that begins a play.

HIKE

When one team’s quarterback throws the ball and the other team catches it. Also not good.

INTERCEPTION

The distance from the nearest end zone. The 50-yard line is the middle of the field, with numbers de-creasing on either side from 50 to 0.

YARD LINE

KEY PLAYERSCenterThe one who spikes it to start the play.

Defensive LineMade up of defensive tackles and defensive ends. These players do the bulk of the tackling.

LinebackerHave many different responsibilities, includ-ing covering receivers, rushing the passer and defending against a run.

QuarterbackTom Brady, duh.

Running BackThe ones who get the ball from the quarter-back and run it down the field until they’re tackled or they score.

Tight endAct both as linemen (blockers) and receivers. Their job varies based on the play.

Wide ReceiverThe ones who catch passes.

The day starts with a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions at 12:30 p.m. in Detroit.

The Panthers and Cowboys are both first in their respective divisions, so make sure to catch the game at 4:30 p.m. It’ll definitely get intense. If nothing else, at least pay attention at Cowboys Stadium halftime to watch Mr. Worldwide take the stage. There is noth-ing like a good Pitbull jam sesh to bring the family together.

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers have always been rivals, so they get the last slot at 8:30 p.m. They will be playing in Green Bay.

thanksgiving game day

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FASHION| 11

Cropped, flared, skinny. In the words of Rae Sremmurd, we “ain’t got no type.” This season, we’re stacking

our closets with a wide variety of denim duds. Here’s our guide to help you pre-vent predictability.

all torn upRock an edgy vibe with totally torn, high-waisted skinnies — bonus points if they’re black denim. A loose tunic not only bal-ances out the tight-ness of the jeans, but also caters to comfort. String the look to-gether with a bolo tie to salute the 70s.

Man, oh manWhich do we love more: our boyfriends or our boyfriend jeans? The key to this look is comfort — think loose, relaxed, haphazard. For a laid-back vibe, cuff the legs and rock a half-tucked tee. If you want to add a touch of feminin-ity, put on a simple, sparkly necklace.

12 | FASHION

Flared jeans are so 70s and so in. Given the loose bottoms, pair them with some-thing tight on top. Pop on an elongat-ed collared shirt to amp up the drama and finish it all off with metallic shoes and a shiny state-ment necklace.

Just because it’s November doesn’t mean you should ditch the shorts quite yet. Fall brings drastic shifts in

the weather — you leave the house freezing and return begging for AC. Layer this

look to be able to adjust to temperature changes as fast as they happen

— start with a collared shirt, add the overalls and cover it all in a

cable knit cardigan. As always, polish it off with jewelry.

Now that summer is behind us and temperatures are dropping, we’re slipping right back into our favorite denim and welcoming it with open hearts. After months of romping around in swimsuits and flip flops, the familiarity of our trusty threads can feel like a fashionable hug. As much as a

classic look can sweep in to save us when we have nothing to wear, we love to keep things fresh. Don’t get us wrong — the white tee with ripped skinnies and converse trio will always steal our hearts and catch our eyes, but there’s no reason not to mix it up.

Shorts over all

That 70s Flow

FASHION| 13

Thanksgiving

veryA

VEGAN

14 | HEALTH & WELLNESS

HEALTH & WELLNESS | 15

Sweet potato casserole

6 medium sweet potatoes1 Tbsp. cinnamon1 cup pecans3/4 cup rolled oats1/2 cup almond meal3+ Tbsp. agave nectar

1. Boil or steam sweet potatoes until soft then mash them. Put in an oven safe casserole dish.

2. Mix together all other ingredients in a bowl until gooey, then spread over the sweet potatoes.

3. Cook at 350 degrees for 25- 30 minutes, or until the pecan topping is hardened.

Agave glazed carrots

6+ large carrots1/4 cup agave nectar

1. Steam/boil the carrots until tender.

2. Place them in a pan and sauté them with agave nectar.

3. When the carrots are slightly browned, put them into an oven safe dish and roast them for an additional 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Green beans

1 package sliced mushrooms1 lb cut green beans2 minced garlic cloves1 sliced onion1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1. Steam the green beans.

2. Place garlic cloves and onions in a pan and cook until onions are translucent.

3. Add mushrooms to pan and sauté.

4. Add steamed green beans, then pour the balsamic vinegar in the pan for extra flavor.

Quinoa stuffing2 cups quinoa1 package of cubed butternut squash1/2 an onion1/3 cup raisins3 cups vegetable broth

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions in vegetable broth.

2. Roast squash and onions in oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

3. Cut up apples and spinach.

4. Toss quinoa in a bowl with other ingredients.

Pumpkin spice hot chocolate

2 1/2 cups non- dairy milk1/2 cup canned pumpkin 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder3/4 - 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice1/2 tsp. vanilla extractStevia or another artifical sweetener

1. Combine all ingredients except the sweetener in blender.

2. Blend until smooth, then pour into a saucepan. Heat and stir until steaming.

3. Pour in sweetener as needed.

Pumpkin pieCRUST:2 cups pitted dates2 cups pecans1/4 cup gluten free oats1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

FILLING:1 cup pumpkin puree3 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch1/3 cup coconut sugar1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spicePinch of sea salt1 2/3 cup almond milk1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

(Adapted from Minimalist Baker)

CRUST:1. Add dates to a food processor and pulse until well grounded.

2. Remove from processor and add nuts, pumpkin pie spice and oats; pulse until almost a meal.

3. Add back in the dates until “dough” forms.

4. Press into a lightly greased pie pan.

FILLING:1. Place all dry ingredients in saucepan, whisk to combine pumpkin puree and milk until combined.

2. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often; reduce heat to medium-low until visible ribbons form when dipping in a spoon.

3. Remove from heat, add vanilla and whisk. Let set for 5-10 minutes and cover with plastic wrap touching the mixture.

4. Refrigerate for several hours until set.

5. Pour filling into crust and spread to smooth. Chill overnight.

HEALTH & WELLNESS | 17

18 | HEALTH & WELLNESS

EMMAVO

Two years vegan and never looking back.

Thursday, November 26, 2015 will mark the third Thanksgiving that I choose to pass on the turkey, and the second Thanksgiving that

I make my own vegan meal. A vegan is someone who seeks to exclude all

forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

In regard to diet, vegans do not eat any form of meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey (sometimes) or gelatin.

These restrictions can scare a lot of people into thinking that veganism is “too extreme.” But as someone who’s remained vegan for two years now, I can tell you that it’s pretty simple and based around a lot of common sense.

Unfortunately, as a nation, our diets revolve heavily around animal products. The typical Amer-ican refrigerator likely holds eggs, milk, meat and cheese. Because of this, we play a giant role in con-tributing to the torture of billions of animals.

Once you learn the facts, it’s silly to try to justify that humans “need” meat or dairy to survive. For starters, I would suggest watching the documen-taries “Forks Over Knives” (Netflix), “Cowspiracy” (Netflix) and “Earthlings” (YouTube), which lay out all the facts that prove that you can get all your pro-tein, vitamins and minerals from plant-based foods, while still staying strong and healthy.

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for a lot.I’m grateful for parents and a sister who support

me no matter what I do.And I am enormously grateful that veganism

is the fastest growing social justice movement in today’s world, and that there are 16 million vegan Americans who will stand alongside me on this day.

I hope my recipes inspire you to learn more and to give veganism a chance.

HEALTH & WELLNESS | 19

Pumpkin*:*Not just for your lattes.

PUMPKIN FACIALROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.2. Spoon seeds out of cut pump-

kin, toss with olive oil and spread on a cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 30-45 minutes.4. Sprinkle with salt while hot.

1. Splash warm water over your face to open your pores.

2. Take a small amount of pumpkin (the soft stuff) and rub it into your skin.

3. Wait 5-10 minutes, then rinse off.

The soft part of the pumpkin (without the seeds) will help treat a dull complexion, aging skin and pigmentation.

Zinc• help speed skin cell turnover • stimulates collagen production • has been shown to improve acne

Vitamin AAlpha Hydroxy Acids

A topical and healthy snack for the fall season that is easy to make and has hidden health benefits.

star

Helen Meskhidze

of

elon20 | COVER

Lauryl FischerFEATURES EDITOR

COVER STORY | 21COVER | 21

T his is senior Helen Meskhidze’s universe. And it’s ours, too. Helen just studies it, specifically a phenomena called starburst

galaxies, for her Lumen Prize project. The topics she deals in sound intimidating to the ear, but they are intimately relevant to some of the big-gest questions of the human experience: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going?

Helen fills her days with these questions. She’s both a student of computational astrophysics and philosophy — a double major more related to one another than a skeptic might think — and she’s also a part of a new wave of women joining the STEM fields.

Simulating the Stars Helen always loved physics. As a child, she

tinkered with things, interested in why some-thing was the way it was and how it worked. Her father, a physicist as well, presented physics in a positive light to her, as something she could use, not something to be scared of. And so the field — even with its intimidating math — wel-comed her in.

Soon after coming to Elon University, Helen found a mentor whose research on starburst galaxies helped guide her Lumen Prize propos-al. Her research focuses on simulating these galaxies using supercomputer programming. It sounds complicated — and it is complicated — but it’s the kind of research Helen can do from her desk.

“[My supercomputers] are in San Diego. I log in on the computer from Elon,” Helen said. “And I tell it what to do, and then I download the data.”

A starburst galaxy is what Helen eloquently describes as a “stellar nursery” — a place where stars are born. An image search on the Internet reveals spirals of fantastic color and light swirling millions of light years away. The colors are the gas and dust clouds of the starburst. They dazzle

our telescopes with their fireworks as stars ex-plode into being.

What separates starbursts from other star-forming galaxies like our own Milky Way is that stars form at a much higher frequency. With a high amount of gas stuffed in a small volume converting gas to stars so frequently starbursts consume themselves faster than the average galaxy, becoming, well, something else. What is that something else?

That’s the question astrophysicists like Helen hope to discover.

“The goal of that overall research is to under-stand the evolution of galaxies,” Helen said. “Do you start in the starburst stage? Is it happening at the same time [as other galaxies]? And obvi-ously we know our Milky Way is a star-forming galaxy so …what is in the future for our galaxy?”

Helen can theorize from simulations she creates, runs and analyzes. She collides her star-bursts with other kinds of galaxies, as they often do in real life. She tracks the way they change, observing the so-called spectral fingerprint from simulation to simulation. In this way, she’s tin-kering again. It’s why computational astronomy captured her interest.

“It’s just really cool to do the stuff that stars are doing on my computer,” she said. “To some extent, you understand what’s happening more, because if you change these parameters …” She trailed off, smiling wide as she illustrated chang-ing the parameters with her hands, moving her fingers from a small gap to a big gap. “I have more control over what’s happening.”

The Philosophy of Physics The concept of simulating entire galaxies on

computers is packed with philosophical implica-tions — if you ask Helen, that is.

When she entered Elon, she declared philos-ophy right along side her physics major. As a freshman, both appealed to her, but she wasn’t

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22 | COVER

necessarily interested in pairing them together, even though she felt they were more alike than not.

Now marrying the two is possible through a field of study called the philosophy of science, or for Helen, the philosophy of physics. This field focuses on studying the underlying concepts of physics that she has been using in all her research.

“I want to bridge the difference,” Helen said. “You might be studying, ‘What does it mean to be using the scientific method?’ ‘What does it mean to be doing sci-ence?’ There’s much more nuance than that, too, stuff that I don’t know yet but I’m excited to learn about.”

Helen has already used the tools from philosophy in astrophysics, and vice versa. Though philosophy is more argumentative and astrophysics more data-driven, both value the same questions. Both use thought experiments. Both want to know why things work the way they do.

Helen pointed to NASA’s 30-year plan as proof. “If you look … at what questions they want to an-

swer, they could very well be philosophy questions. Like where did we come from? Where will we evolve to? That can be taken up by our philosopher and certainly a phi-losopher of science.”

Her interest in philosophy helped guide her to astronomy in the first place. Helen could have picked any branch of the field, from biophysics to mechanical physics. But she chose astronomy because of the clear and obvious overlap, and as she gears up to graduate, she’s researching potential graduate study programs to further her knowledge.

“I’ve come to realize that I want a chance to study [the philosophy of science],” Helen said. “A chance to study that in more depth would be awesome. It will be a chance to figure out if that’s what I want to be doing research in, too.”

A Summer at HubbleHelen also got a chance to experiment in the obser-

vational side of the field over the summer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, the organization responsible for the Hubble Telescope and the James Webb Tele-scope, the latter scheduled to launch October 2018.

“My project was reducing and analyzing data,” Helen explained. “So data was coming from a ground-based telescope in infrared. The data was contaminated, so my task was to make it clean.”

In a room with no windows, teeming with other interns busying away on their projects, Helen hunched over her personal desk and combed through data, day after day. Her partner on this project was her computer. It was up to her to tell it what to do, and most days were trial and error.

“When I first got there, I was like ‘How will this take me the whole summer? This will take a week!’ But it really did take the whole summer,” Helen said, laughing in retrospect. “I think I got through more data than they were expecting me to, but it took me so much time.”

She didn’t have any complaints. The best part of her internship, by far, she said, was getting the chance to be in an institute responsible for Hubble and for the community that springs up around such an institute. The world of Hubble housed some of the most brilliant minds in astrophysics, and she got to have coffee with some of them or attend science lectures from others during her internship. But in the end, it cemented her love of computational astrophysics.

Woman of Science Helen’s internship provided her a first-hand look at

what it’s like to be an astrophysicist in the field — and what it’s like to be a woman in the field. Helen’s personal experience at Hubble and in other research undergrad-uate experiences defies the general assumption that the field is not woman-friendly.

“[Programs like Hubble] try really hard to get even numbers,” Helen said as she described what her little room with no windows looked like. It’s a room where young men and women worked side-by-side. “We had a fair amount [of women] — we had close to equal numbers.”

Elon itself is exceptional in its gender breakdown in STEM fields, especially in chemistry, where women make up 70 percent of majors, as originally reported by The Pendulum. In the physics department, the numbers are not so extreme. They’re closer to equal, which is still bet-ter than the national average. In a report released April 2015 by the American Institute of Physics, the combined demographic profiles from the classes of 2010-2012 revealed that men still made up 62 percent of all under-graduate physics majors.

And even though Elon’s classrooms fare better, Helen pointed out that the reality of Elon’s STEM doesn’t quite match the student statistics, namely, Elon’s fac-

Texture Credit: lyshastra.deviantart.com

ulty, which Helen refers to as “disappointing” in its gender ratio. Most of the STEM professors are male. In the school of physics, there are only two female faculty members.

And even though Helen says she’s never had prob-lems in the classroom besides the occasional ignorant comment among students, she’s been to women in physics conferences over the past two years and heard from women in other departments who do not have such positive experiences.

“There are a lot of stories about blatantly sexist things that were said,” Helen said. “And it’s good to hear those stories — it makes me realize that not ev-ery department is like ours.”

With programs like Hubble ensuring gender equali-ty within its walls and conferences supporting women in physics, the field is slowly improving. But there are some steps that have yet to be adopted that Helen says can encourage young girls to become interested in science earlier, like she was.

She once again pointed to NASA, this time at their budget.

“If we look at NASA’s budget in general, 7 percent goes to education funding,” Helen said. “Post-gradu-ate study is where that funding is going. We need NASA to encourage science when girls are much younger.”

A general reframing of the field would be helpful, too.

“It’s always presented as a very male-dominated field with a bunch of male physicists who have given us great equations and ideas,” Helen said. “And also, making it less intimidating — because peo-ple hear physics and think, ‘Wow, that’s a lot.’ But if you’re comfortable with bio or chem, it’s just a little more math than that, and then you get physics.”

COVER STORY | 23

High school — Christian Seitz picked up a news-paper and read a story. A child with a rare disease was featured. The story described a

situation in which the disease was likely curable, but scientists and pharmaceuticals didn’t want to spend their time and energy making the drug — with such a small clientele, there was little opportunity for profit in order to save a life. The story would stick with Christian four years later, when it came time to choose his major.

The article Christian read in high school sparked an interest in finding solutions that combat such diseases from a chemistry standpoint. With research in the chem-ical field, Christian said, he hopes to someday be able to make drugs and find cures that others don’t, or won’t.

“It’s a good blend [of] personal fulfillment — helping people — with academic fulfillment, doing something I enjoy,” Christian said.

In retrospect, the article had a hand in changing his academic trajectory. Since declaring, Christian has un-dertaken multiple research endeavors, partnering with Elon University faculty, winning the Lumen Prize and traveling to California and Germany for differ-ent projects.

“All of the projects I have done so far and ones I want to do in the fu-ture have been in different areas of chemistry because I want to build broad-based chemical knowledge,” Christian said. “In the future, if I come across a problem, I can start working on it right away, or at least have a better base to start working.”

His Lumen Prize project is an exploration of the characteristics of an organic chemical reaction, commonly found in many facets of chemistry, but looking specifically at to what extent the

characteristics are present in dif-ferent reactions.

“My project is theoretical,” Chris-tian said. “I’m doing it computation-ally, working on computers, not with a white coat and goggles.”

A fun fact, he said, is that he is able to use one of the fastest computers on Elon’s campus for his research.

“The computer takes wave functions, which are mathematical equations where they should be able to find electrons in atoms,” Christian said. “It takes the equations and optimizes them —

24 | FEATURES

Student Spotlight:

Christian Seitz

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alyssa potterASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

An inquisitive mind committed to chemistry

adds more terms to make them more realistic — and then the wave func-

tion tells where the electron will be in relation to the atom. That will

tell us how far atoms will be from each other.”

The effects Christian are looking at are called resonance and inductive effects — the sharing of electrons through-out molecules and charge differences, respectively. His research, through computa-

tions on the computer, is able to determine exactly how much

each effect contributes. By this winter or spring, Christian said, he

will have finished his project. “After I finish, I’ll be writing a jour-

nal article for it, presenting at various conferences in the meantime

across the country,” Christian said.

Christian explored other aspects of chemistry in both Germany and California. His internship in Aachen, Germany, focused on designing a polymer-based drug delivery system in an experimental lab environment. Thus, Christian used his foundational practice at Elon to begin developing strategies for achieving his other passion — drug creation and disease prevention. Then, last summer, Christian worked at California Institute of Technology, predicting the structures of proteins that allow for smell.

Post-grad, Christian said he won’t be able to contin-ue the research he conducted at Elon.

“I’m applying to a Fulbright program in Germany to do a different project and a master’s program in England where I could work on more research projects, and also graduate school in the U.S.,” Christian said.

He hopes to continue to conduct research in a mul-tiplicity of subsets of the chemical field, furthering his chances to ensure articles like the one he read in high school are less prevalent.

One such rare disease is Visceral Leishmaniasis, a disease found in rural Africa, South Asia and parts of the Middle East with nearly a 100 percent mortality rate. Treatments are ineffective and costly, especially for those who travel far from their towns and villages to spend a month of continuous hospitalization for a treatment that may not work. But the alternative — not seeking treat-ment — will inevitable cause an untimely death.

Christian, who proposed a solution, was nomi-nated for the Goldwater Scholarship, and said he

may pursue that research in graduate school. “There are very different ways to combat

different diseases, but having a broad base would allow me to have a lot of

ideas as to see how to combat making the drug, and be

able to have some really concrete ideas as to how to combat very specific diseases,” Christian said.

“I’m interested in study-ing this in graduate school and afterward, but I’m not tied down to something like that. I’m open to oth-

er options, too.”

FEATURES | 25

When Sophomore Julia Filloon was nine years old, she went to space camp, and it changed her life. She fell in love with

space craft, space travel and aviation so much that she returned to the camp five more times through-out her childhood.

Julia’s fascination with space is deeply rooted with-in her, and it has guided her to where she is now — an aerospace engineering student at Elon University.

“At the time, I didn’t really know that I wanted to become an engineer,” Julia said. ”I just knew that I wanted to do something space related. I love helping people out and using my imagination to come up with new designs.”

The engineering program at Elon is a Dual De-gree Engineering Program. This means that Julia will spend three years at Elon before transferring to one of the affiliated schools within the program for two more years before receiving a bachelor’s degree.

“The plan is transfer in 2017, “ Julia said. “After I get my bachelor’s in aerospace engineering, I’m planning on getting a masters in both aerospace engineering and astrophysics.”

With dreams to either design space crafts or be-come an astronaut for NASA, Julia understands that the years ahead of her require much dedication. In addition to her intense coursework, Julia serves as the treasurer for Physics Club, secretary for the Engineering Club and the head of the Rocket Team, a new organization within the Engineering club with goals to compete on a national level.

“We’re working on building a rocket to compete in

Utah,” Julia said. “If we stay on track, we’ll be able to compete next summer.”

Julia also partook in the Summer Undergradu-ate Research Experience (SURE) this past summer under Dr. Sirena Hargrove-Leak’s guidance. In her experience, she focused on three aerospace engi-neering design topics that helped her create both a photocatalytic oxidation air filtration unit and a wind tunnel. Being a part of the SURE program has been one of Julia’s favorite experiences at Elon so far.

“I really like being able to only do research,” Julia said. “I didn’t have to focus so much on academics, and I was able to really think about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

Julia’s determination is her guiding force as she refuses to lose sight of her dreams. She noted that people often have misconceptions about her, a com-mon one being that her deafness prevents her from living a traditional life.

“I was born profoundly deaf,” she said. “I got my cochlear implants when I was young, and they help me hear, but some people don’t realize that I can actually talk and do things.”

Julia is at a stage in her life where she has learned to focus on herself. As a natural born builder, leader and explorer, she knows there is much to look for-ward to in the years that lie ahead.

“I’m a very goal oriented person,” she said. “Not a lot of people recognize that, but I have a lot of plans for myself. I’ve got a big bucket list, and 15 years from now, I’ll know I’ve made it if I’m shooting out into space.”

melina casadosFEATURES WRITER

Student Spotlight:

JULIA FILLOONABOVE AND BEYOND

FEATURES | 27

I t’s the moment fashion girls and lax bros alike have been waiting for — sweats are trendy. No, we don’t mean

the infamous groutfit, so paws off that ratty “I heart NY” sweatshirt haunting your drawers.

We’re looking at joggers, textured crewnecks and cool kicks. Did we spend a full hour choosing which joggers will go best with our boxy pullover, or did we just roll out of bed and take to the streets? No one will ever know, and we have no problem keeping them guessing. Though athletic wear used to only make a grand appearance at the gym, it’s just as common among blogger babes and fancy fashion-istos as of late. When life gives you comfortable style, grab it by the waistband and never let go. Creating high-fashion looks with sweats may seem counterintuitive — are elastic waistbands actually, dare we say, chic? — but we stuck to a monochro-matic palette, totally inspired by the almighty Yeezy collections. It’s hard to go wrong with black, gray and white — they’re universally flattering and easy-to-style for college students.

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We said groutfits aren’t allowed, but this look is the exception — take different shades of gray to create a gra-dient or choose a single hue to create your own set. Accents of black pop polish the look.

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Dare to be bold with textures and prints. To highlight the statement piece, keep everything else simple — plain fabrics and solid colors are your go-tos if you want one piece to steal the show. Don’t be afraid to take risks — after all, that’s what made Yeezy so successful.

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Forget the LBD and look to the LBS (Loose Baggy Sweats). Black will forever be a classic color that’s hard to mess up, so this look is one to recreate if you’re hesitant to test the trend.

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Whether you plan on jogging or not, these pants are worth a wear every now and again. Fitted at the ankles, they are much more presentable than a typical pair of sweatpants. Pair them with a bold top or tie a crewneck around your waist to take them to the next level.

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Decorate like a champ (or a Kardashian)Put on your Martha Stewart hat and break out your finest China

this Thanksgiving. The Kardashian clan truly puts an average place setting to shame, so this year, add a touch of glam to your table. Fresh peonies? Check. Tiffany glassware? Check. Diamond encrusted silverware? You get the idea.

Turkey timeWe’re talking tofu turkey. Sounds appetizing, right? Believe it or

not, the tofu turkey has revolutionized the way vegetarians celebrate this holiday and is a staple favorite for celebrities such as Ellen DeGe-neres. Test out the tofu this Thanksgiving and see if you can taste the difference. Just like your traditional turkey, proper preparation is key to a tasty chef d’oeuvre.

Pie on pie on pieGive thanks in the best way possible — with pie, of course. Give

yourself options this year because, frankly, a smorgasbord of dec-adent pies is the way to go. Go beyond the standard apple and pumpkin. The wonderful world of sweet goodness awaits. Pose with your supermodel bestie, who also happens to be your big sis — we all have that one person we can’t live without, so why not show your favorite person how much you appreciate them by posting a cute candid on Thanksgiving. Aim to have the best caption in the game — #blessed is a solid default but so last year.

The grand finale Yes, we want to see it all. We all know that the best part of Thanks-

giving is the dinner plate. Capture the essence of your holiday meal by taking a picture (or two) of the masterpiece itself. Because if you didn't take a picture, did it even happen?

Out with the old, In with the new Skip your traditional Thanksgiving plans and brave the cold at a

football game or Thanksgiving parade. With a warm cup of cocoa and your best friends by your side, you’ll forget about the chilled Novem-ber weather. Plus, shivering in the cold may work up your appetite for another round of potatoes.

Celebrate like a Celebrity:

Thanksgiving Edition

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Underground Concert ScenE

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Frat parties aren’t for everyone, but music is universal. Through-out North Carolina, cool concert venues are tucked away in the mountains, and some only require a 30-minute drive. If you’re

looking to step outside the bubble and in the need of a concert fix, here’s a guide to the hippest venues around. Disclaimer: Gas money is not in-cluded in the ticket cost. So, you’ll need a car. Or a friend’s car. Or a really expensive Uber ride.

30 MINUTES AWAY:Haw River Ballroom, SaxapahawWhat to expect: Set in a former cotton mill, this music venue is literally in the middle of nowhere — yes, literally. But the balcony, exposed brick walls and massive windows make it an unforgettable experience. Who to expect: X Ambassadors / Oct. 28

45 MINUTES AWAY:Cat’s Cradle, CarrboroWhat to expect: Tucked behind the back of an old shopping center and across the street from a cute coffee shop, they have a main room and a back room, and most nights there are two shows happening at once. Who to expect: The Academy Is… / Dec. 6

1 HOUR away:The Ritz, RaleighWhat to Expect: Typically described as a metal box on the side of the road, this venue has attracted big names such as Bastille and Jay Z. Earli-er this year, this live music haven received a facelift, giving music lovers a ritzy VIP area and an outdoor patio. Who to expect: Andrew McMahon and the New Politics / Nov. 8

2 HOURS away:The Fillmore Charlotte, CharlotteWhat to Expect: Giant chandeliers hanging over the audience give this concert hall a touch of elegance. This venue is a port of the NC Music Factory, so there are plenty of bars, comedy clubs and restaurants within walking distance. Who to expect: Mac Miller / Dec. 8

BRINGING LOY FARM TO LIFEof Green

50Shades

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Sunday afternoon: work boots, seven pairs of Birkenstocks and bare feet walk the aisles of the Elon University greenhouse. Dirt-covered fingers

plunge into the earth, sowing seeds and pulling up weeds. The water pump gurgles, and two girls stand drinking out of hollowed-out green bell peppers and laughing. Leafy green kale and plump, red tomatoes decorate the various plots. It’s been four hours of plow-ing, digging, raking, watering and nurturing. Finally, the community of aching arms throw down their shovels and gather at the picnic table for pizza. With their bel-lies full, one of the members cheerfully bids her friends farewell. Same time next week?

People come to the Garden Club for their own reasons. For sophomore John Youmans, the club drew him in because of its easy, calming atmosphere. Club co-founder Alyssa Adler was inspired by her pas-sion for plants and fresh foods. The community aspect is a draw for most.

But according to its founders, the club’s mis-sion goes deeper: to promote a sense of re-sponsibility to the Earth, inspire positive self-image and encourage cooperation among students and other organizations on campus. The Garden Club isn’t just a club — it’s an opportunity to be exposed to the unique challenges, struggles and joys of community gardening.

FoundingThe Garden Club has its roots in environmental

studies, specifically Professor Michael Strickland’s garden studio class. This class planted the seeds of the Garden Club in then-seniors Allison Hren and Eric Lagueruela’s minds. They started the formal applica-tion process before passing it over to current seniors Ellen Lana and Alyssa after they graduated. Now Ellen and Alyssa run the club, which is still quite “green” to the Elon community. Since this year’s Org Fair, Garden Club has amassed an overwhelming 130 members.

For many, Michael’s course and others like it go hand-in-hand. The club becomes another way to

Carley RichardsFEATURES WRITER

broaden their horizons and practice the techniques they learn in class in a real-world farm setting. Many of the members of the Garden Club are environmental studies or environmental science majors, although that isn’t a qualification to join the club.

“[What the club] really wants is for any student, regardless of their major, to find peace and relaxation away from the stress of school life,” Alyssa said.

John looks forward to the club every week just for that. “It never feels like a commitment,” he said. “Al-most everything is optional and that means that, in general, everyone who comes is genuinely glad to be there. It has the feel of a group of friends rather than just an organization.”

The Garden Club is behind a number of events on campus each year, too, including the Annual Fall Pumpkin Festival, which took place in late October. Students carved pumpkins, enjoyed some baked goods, got their faces painted and listened to music in the community garden next to Hillel House.

The Garden Club will also be holding the Strawberry Festival in the spring and is looking into projects like building pizza ovens or organizing farm-to-table dinners. Events like these allow the club to bring students into the garden to see what it’s all about. Students also get a chance to enjoy what the club produces — which some members re-mark is one of the best parts of the club.

Ellen elaborates on what that feeling of gratification is for her. “Nothing compares to the satisfaction of tak-ing home dinner you have grown from seed!”

The club’s events also teach their fellow students that a garden can bring more to a community besides vegetables. So far, it has provided those interested in bettering their environment a chance to meet others just as passionate — and work with them.

The Seeds of PartnershipThe Garden Club is currently knee-deep in a part-

nership with another environmental studies course,

“Nothing compares to the satisfaction of taking home

dinner you have grown from seed.”

Ellen Lana

a senior seminar called “Environmental Impact Assessment and Policy Devel-opment,” taught by Michael as well as Professor Janet MacFall.

In this course, students “work as a de-sign and management team” on a semes-ter-long environmental project that recog-nizes the value of community partnerships.

This year, they have decided to create a comparison farm bed — one half will be planted using commercial farm tech-niques, while the other side will employ biointensive farming techniques.

Commercial farming refers to farming for profit, where farmers use large ma-chines and mass-produce crops to be sold on the market rather than solely being consumed by their family. Biointensive farming refers to the use of “double-dug beds,” which are essentially beds with the soil loosened two feet straight down in order to facilitate root growth, improve water retention and aerate the soil so the crop can breathe.

Biointensive plots are invigorated by the use of compost to provide nutrients. Beneficial insects are encouraged. A focus on production of calories for the farmer and carbon for the soil ensure sustainabil-ity and satisfaction on both ends.

Many students in the class are also members of the Garden Club and have a strong appreciation and respect for the earth and what it is capable of producing. Their goal with this project is to define and use the most environmentally friend-ly and sustainable technique of farming. Their end-goal? To yield the greatest amounts of crops possible while using the least amount of resources.

Having the bed at Loy Farm right next to the greenhouse allows for a lot of crossover between the two groups, fos-tering a natural partnership that reflects the Garden Club’s mission statement. It’s easy for members of the Garden Club to walk over to the beds and help out with

construction if needed. And students in the class can check out the greenhouse and learn from the club, too.

The roots of Biointensive Farming The bed being constructed at Loy Farm

by the students will employ the previously mentioned tactics in a split-screen fashion in order to provide contrast. What this means is that one side of the bed will em-ploy commercial farming techniques while the other side uses biointensive techniques. All the other elements are the same be-tween the two plots. The class — and the club — can monitor the differences each technique makes in the growth and health of the crops by con-trolling these factors.

Within the senior seminar, the students are studying the Austrian winter field pea. They anticipate drastically different results, as bio-intensive farming techniques allow farmers to grow crops using 67-88 percent less water and 50-100 percent less soil. Overall, this technique uses 99 percent less energy, and significantly less resources, than commercial farming would require to yield the same amount of crops.

Their specific plot is being erected as part of the Elon University Loy Farm Land Lab, a 40-acre tract of land given to the environmental studies department by the university for the purpose of practicing sustainable farming techniques. The plot sits directly behind the greenhouse that houses the plots the Garden Club works on, so the groups see a lot of each other during workdays.

Members of the Garden Club often drift over to the plot to lend a hand in the construction and maintenance of the biointensive bed. Meanwhile, members of the senior seminar class are free to assist the Garden Club in planting, weeding, watering and harvesting their plots.

Ellen and Alyssa have been teaching

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members of the senior semi-nar class how to grow plants from seed and how to tend to them in their early stages so they will be healthy when it is time to plant them. Both groups can be found at Loy Farm on Sundays between 12 and 3 p.m. Lana says she often sends members of the Garden Club over to help with the con-struction of the biointensive bed when they have extra hands.

Some of the plants in the gar-den — tomatoes, flowers, peppers and some of the herbs — were planted last year by the Garden Studio class.

“The herb garden is a mix of pe-rennial mint that has been in place for years and basil that we planted last spring,” Ellen said.

It is difficult to predict exactly when plants will need to be harvested and how much will be reaped from each plant, as they can be affected by extreme weather such as intense storms, early frost or excessive rainfall. The Garden

Club began harvesting last spring’s crops this semester and will continue to do so as long as possible. Students who planted personal plots in the gardens will be able to harvest their vegetables soon, as well.

Beyond the universityFor students who are inter-

ested in getting involved, there are many ways to do so, and contributions can affect Elon and the community directly.

“A vast majority of the vegetables we grow go to Campus Kitchen, who delivers and cooks the food

for Allied Churches, who distributes the food to families in need,” Alyssa said. “So people working on the garden and farm can know that their work is truly making a difference in someone’s life.”

Ashley Gherlone, one of the students in Strickland’s senior seminar class, has suggested that the class look into devel-oping some sort of farm-to-dining hall plan, but as of right now this is just a consideration of the biointensive project and nothing is set in stone.

The Garden Club has workdays on Fridays and Sundays from 12 to 3 p.m., and anyone is welcome to come out and get to work. Some people come for expe-rience, some for a therapeutic break in their day and still others just to learn.

Club member Charlie Perschau, a junior, says he joined Garden Club to be “a more active part in the production of his food.”

“I knew almost nothing about garden-ing,” Charlie said. He added that he was eager to learn more about it from and with the other members.

Prior experience is definitely not a re-quirement for membership. The only real requirement is working hard.

“Farming is an extremely demanding process that requires a good deal of energy and resources,” Ellen said. “There is a bit of a learning curve to effectively planting and harvesting healthy crops.”

But the Garden Club members who show up week after week are willing to climb that curve.

Whether it be getting down in the dirt pulling weeds and wiping sweat or rooting among rows of green beans searching for the ripest ones, members of the Garden Club take up every challenge and lend a hand to one another when a friend needs it.

Laughter carries over the beanstalks and greenhouse walls. Four tools are shared among 10 people, and not a single person gripes or complains.

It’s all in a day’s work.

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