Western vibes and queer pride fill Young Commons at Elon University – Elon News Network

By Alice Morrissey | 5/2/25 4:47pm
Senior Ana Sofia Rodriguez has worked with the Gender and LGBTQIA Center for four years as an event manager. This spring, she was given the opportunity to plan Spring Pride. 
This year, she said she wanted to add her spin to the event, making it western-themed, sprinkling cowboy hats, boots and other western decor throughout Young Commons with games, food, and booths with student vendors and resources for students. 
Various campus organizations, such as Belk library and the Koenigsberger Learning Center showed their support throughout the event, each contributing to the inclusive and celebratory atmosphere. WSOE 89.3 FM, Elon’s student-run radio station, curated a playlist featuring music exclusively by queer artists, such as Clario and Chappel Roan.Meanwhile, Elon’s Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education hosted a booth featuring recommended books by Black, Indigenous, and other authors of color.
The GLC hosts a Pride event each semester — one in October to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and another in the spring to keep the community engaged. Rodriguez said the Spring Pride event reminds students that the GLC is safe and offers valuable resources. 
“We are a source for help in general for students, so big events like this remind students of who we are and what we do,” Rodriguez said. 
For many visitors, such as sophomore Quintin Lasky, it was their first time attending a GLC event, marking a new experience in their journey to find community on campus. 
“That’s what college is about,” Lasky said. “That’s what life is about. It’s about finding the people around you and learning and benefiting from them.” 
Although Lasky said he had not initially planned to attend, his evening took a spontaneous turn when the vibrant music and growing crowd drew his attention while he was having dinner by the lake. Captivated by the energy, he decided to join in and found himself enjoying the festivities.
For another attendee, Sophomore Sylvie Swerdlow, the event holds a deeper significance. Swerdlow said Spring Pride is more than just a celebration; it offers a space for intentional connection and reflection on shared identity and inclusivity.
“Everything is intersectional,” Swerdlow said. “People aren’t just their sexuality, so I like how the event highlights other things, too.” 
The sense of connection and safe space that events like this create for students was exactly what Rodriguez had envisioned when organizing it. She said she aims to foster an inclusive environment where students could celebrate their identities and feel seen, supported, and surrounded by community. 
“It’s about knowing you have a safe space at school,” Rodriguez said. 
At her last GLC event, Rodriguez expressed gratitude for the GLC and the support it has offered her throughout the years.
“It hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m sure it will when the events are over,” Rodriguez said. 
The GLC said any time an event builds connections within the queer community at Elon, it deems it a success. 
Senior Ana Sofia Rodriguez has worked with the Gender and LGBTQIA Center for four years as an event manager. This spring, she was given the opportunity to plan Spring Pride. She said she wanted to add her spin to the event, making it western-themed, sprinkling cowboy hats, boots and other western decor throughout Young Commons with games, food, and booths with student vendors and resources for students. The GLC hosts a Pride event each semester — one in October to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and another in the spring to keep the community engaged.
Music at the Plaza returns to the downtown Elon plaza for its 2025 season at 6 p.m. on May 2. The bimonthly event brings live music and a lively crowd to the plaza every first and third Friday of the month. The event runs throughout May and June and then returns from August to October. GreenHawk Corporation is a sponsor of the event, and downtown development director Jill Weston said the partnership provides them a larger budget. The first event of the series will feature The Fandinos, a pop-rock band based in North Carolina. 

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