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
February 20, 2025 by
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
February 20, 2025 by
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
February 13, 2025 by
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. […]
Black History 101 Mobile Museum visits WCU
February 5, 2025 by
“Black history is American history, and we want to give people a thorough understanding of how broad and deep our contributions to society have been,” said Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, founder of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. Western Carolina University and DegreePlus hosted the Black History 101 Mobile Museum on Feb. 3 to provide a […]
“Crazy goofy fun”: The Outhouse Races return
February 5, 2025 by
Story originally published in The Sylva Herald Feb. 5 edition. Outhouses are a rare sight these days and occupied outhouses on skis sliding downhill even rarer. Visitors to the Sapphire Valley Ski Area can enjoy the sight in February when the Great Sapphire Outhouse Race hits the slopes. “It’s like NASCAR on ice,” said RJ […]
