Revealing Eastern Cherokee history through personal journals

Eastern Cherokee Histories in Translation is uncovering personal accounts of Cherokee history by translating original Eastern Cherokee documents into English.  “This work can have this real impact on community histories and knowledges,” said project director and editor Sara Snyder Hopkins.  The ECHT website describes the project as sharing unique texts that have not been previously […]

Cherokee Language Program expands with grant

Story originally published at The Western Carolinian. Last fall, WCU’s Cherokee Language Program received a significant grant from Cherokee Preservation Foundation, a local nonprofit that supports Cherokee language preservation efforts.  The $223,014 grant, among other support from WCU and outside organizations, has allowed the program to develop into an official minor and certification program.  “We’ve […]

DEI policy a ‘moving target’ for WCU

Story produced with Mackenzie Atkinson The University of North Carolina system sent out a memorandum on Feb. 5 about systemwide implementation of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 21 Executive Order “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” to all chancellors and provosts. The memo goes into detail about new requirements for working with federal agencies that […]

The Great Outhouse Races: A day of fun and chaos

Rain could not stop outhouses from taking to the slopes on Feb. 15 in the 18th Annual Great Sapphire Outhouse Race.   Around 20 teams showed up to race. Many of the teams were repeat participants, updating their outhouses each year to try to better their chances of winning. Despite the heavy rain, a crowd […]

Work session brings students and staff to speak up for the Jackson Community School

The Jackson County Board of Education held a work session on Feb. 11 to hear the opinions and questions of students, staff and community members at Jackson Community School. School Superintendent Dana Ayers brought up the future of the school two months ago, citing decreased enrollment and financial needs. For JCS to remain at its […]

What Title IX changes mean for WCU students

Western Carolina University students, faculty and staff received an email on Feb. 5 announcing a Title IX update. The email sparked confusion and anger across campus about what these changes mean for WCU students. “I got the email when I was in class and then I had to drive to work. I was really mad. […]