Picnics by the lake: a new classic for social distancing at Elon

As social gatherings on campus shift in a pandemic, Elon students have taken to picnicking by Lake Mary Nell. 

The lawns surrounding Elon’s lakes have always been a gathering spot for students, but social distancing guidelines have renewed their status as a favorite spot for students to meet up. Many students sit by the lake at a distance from each other.

A side-effect of COVID-19 regulations and hybrid learning has been a lot of time spent independently indoors for many students as they take classes online. Katie Grant, a junior at Elon University, and frequent picnicker, has spent time by the lake. With new COVID-19 restrictions, she said she can no longer meet up and grab meals at the dining hall. She has attended multiple picnics every week since arriving on campus, a steep incline from the two picnics she has had in her past two years as a student at Elon. 

“I’ve always loved picnicking,” Grant said. “It was always something I wanted to do more, and now I have a full reason that other people are just as motivated.”

Grant sees picnic meals as better quality-time than she had been having with friends previously. 

“Picnics are definitely more conversation-based than I think quick dining hall meals would be,” she said. “You have to carve out that time, and you’re going to have a conversation with that person, especially right now because you’re not seeing people in passing or at events… 

“When you sit down for a picnic, you’re less likely to be working on your laptop and I feel like you’re less likely to be on your phone,” added Grant. “It’s more human contact-based versus getting a quick bite that you might schedule between things at the dining hall.”

Lake Mary Nell is a hotspot for students and electric boaters alike. Photo by Hallie Milstein.

Elon junior Isabella Hindley has also grown to enjoy picnicking by the lake. She especially appreciates the school wifi access there that she uses to do homework. In fact, she has a go-to bench on the outskirts of Lake Mary Nell where she likes to sit while she works or socializes with friends over food. 

“It’s become a second home outside my apartment,” said Hindley.

Sophomores Caroline French and Jordan Chizmadia, as well as Senior Hannah Feldhues are also fans of lake-side picnics and said that meeting friends by the lake is a good way to socialize and still be able to feel comfortable that they are protecting themselves from COVID-19. 

They also enjoy the views that picnicking on the lake affords. At their last picnic, they spent hours watching ducks swim across the lake. They also observed a group of older men racing remote-controlled sailboats in the lake. Mostly though, their time was spent enjoying each other's company and the break from their otherwise busy day.

Now, how does one have a good lake-side picnic at Elon? Grant has you covered.

First you have to gather your supplies, Grant said. She recommends a good picnic blanket, a water bottle, hand-sanitizer, napkins, and food. Hindley encouraged picnickers to learn from her mistakes and bring sunscreen as well so that they don’t get burnt.

The first step to a successful picnic is planning. Picnickers should coordinate with friends and make sure they save enough time to relax and catch up. Next, Grant recommends finding a shady spot underneath a big tree near the lake to set up shop. 

Upon arriving and finding a spot (she has two go-tos), Grant likes to spread out her picnic blanket and kick off her shoes for maximum relaxation. Then, she sets up her food and digs in.

Food-wise, Grant’s favorites include sandwiches and macaroni salad, which she said is a “very picnic food.” She also recommends picking up food to bring to the lake from Pandora’s Pizza because of how convenient it is: you don’t need any plates, just the pizza box.

Hindley, French, Chizmadia and Feldhues also recommend getting picnic food from a restaurant downtown or from another restaurant nearby. They added Tangent, Press Coffeehouse + Creperie and The Root to the list of options. If you want to pack your own food, they suggested berries, cheese, pastries and sandwiches. They also strongly encourage bringing multiple beverages including water and coffee or a smoothie. 

Hindley suggested that hot apple cider will be a nice drink option for picnics as autumn approaches and the temperature outside begins to lower with the changing of the season. 

As fall approaches, picnic-goers are aware that this pastime is seasonal and will have to come to an end once the weather gets too cold to comfortably sit outside for an extended period of time. Once that is the case, many students will have to find a new way to safely get fresh air and spend time with friends if COVID-19 regulations continue.