What’s brewing on WCU’s campus?

Western Carolina students are crafting happy hour into the hoppy semester with the evaluation and experimentation of homebrewing in class. Sean O’Connell, microbiology professor and mentor at WCU for 21 years, is teaching students the process of crafting their own beers, ales, malts, and more. Students were put to the test by crafting their own […]

Lavender Lynn Design is turning Franklin’s gems into jewelry

From resin coasters and art palettes to wired-wrapped jewelry, 20-year-old Franklin local Avery Mcgaha handcrafts these creations using locally sourced gems and butterfly wings. The young entrepreneur is a jack of all trades and has been self-employed since May 2021. She is also a pet sitter and student. Mcgaha is expected to graduate in December […]

BOG University governance committee discusses free speech and ‘disruptive’ behavior

Freedom of expression, speech and the freedom to protest on campus were all discussed during the meeting on university governance on April 6. The UNC BOG was joined by North Carolina Senators Amy Gayle, Mike Woodard, Zack Hawkins and Jon Hardister led the discussion to a half-empty room at the University Center. “Students should not […]

The UNC BOG approves campus renovations; inflation impacts faculty & staff

The UNC system chancellors are scrambling for money to stretch to faculty, staff and crumbling campuses from the Board of Governors to combat inflation. Last week’s meeting of the Board of Governors on the WCU campus provided a better understanding of how BOG works and how financial decisions are made. In a heated discussion during […]

Volunteers are sought again to help clean up roadsides

Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, March 17 edition From the vehicle to the roadside to the ditch to the creek to the river to the Gulf of Mexico. Such is the journey of northern Jackson County litter unless someone steps in to break the cycle. Jackson County’s Keep Our Mountains Clean and Green […]

WCU incoming freshman and sophomores will live in latest and greatest dorms on campus

Story co-produced with Kaitlyn Akers Western Carolina University is returning to mandatory campus living for first and second-year students after allowing them to live off-campus for the past few years. The university has decided to crack down on policy 96 for the 2022-23 academic year because “success rates are higher for students who stay on […]