What is something everyone has in common, regardless of discipline?
When the faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences first came together to brainstorm a way to honor their disciplines during Elon University’s Celebrate! week, the answer was unclear.
“There were a lot of question marks floating around about why we were there and what we have in common,” said Chris Burnside, adjunct performing arts professor. “Then we realized that time was something we all dealt with. There is metered time in music, deep archeological time where it takes millions of years for something to happen and farm time with the cycles of the seasons.”
Celebrate! week is Elon’s annual celebration of student achievements in the arts and academics that runs from April 28-May 3.
This year, to celebrate the arts and sciences, faculty, students and community members have come together to present the event “Time Unplugged: A Celebration of the Arts and Sciences at Elon University.”
“There is a lot to check out. There are lectures and presentations, performances and gallery showings, and there is a table outside that will be going all day long with archeological information,” Burnside said.
The event will take place from 2 - 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and attendees are encouraged to begin at Gallery 406 in Arts West, then follow the artwork to Young Commons to experience a wide range of scientific discovery.
Soundscapes and recycled costumes will be shared in the Center for the Arts along with various performances, including a percussion piece that will be played by Elon and community musicians around Lake Mary Nell.
“We want to open our doors to the community and bring people on campus,” said Angela Lewellyn Jones, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We want them to come here and be a part of the exciting things happening here, so we sent home notes about the festival with all the kids in the Alamance and Burlington school systems.”
The idea behind “Unplugged” is to be mindful of the environment and sustainability, according to Jones. The festival will have a low environmental impact and low cost.
“Community members were told that we will have some tables and some chairs and that is just about it,” Burnside said.
Those involved with the festival will be the ones setting it up and tearing down, and everything that comes onto campus must be taken back off.
“The issues our planet is facing environmentally are monumental, and it’s not going to just be one group of people solving it,” Burnside said. “If every kind of person in every kind of discipline is at the table solving this, there is more of a change of something really creative being proposed to address some of these issues.”
While there are currently no plans for the festival to become a yearly event, Jones said it would be exciting to think of a new theme every year.
“We will see how this first year goes,” she said. “I know we are competing with Festivus, but I hope Elon students will come out and support the event.”
Tickets are not required for admission, but a donation of a nonperishable food item is encouraged to help support Campus Kitchen and Allied Churches. All donations will be collected in the parking lot in front of Arts West.