The magical “Polar Express” train ride has returned to Swain County for December, but what is the true “magic” according to some passengers and crew members? Since 1988, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, otherwise known by its reporting mark “GSMR,” has served as a major North Carolina tourist attraction and sees nearly 200,000 visitors yearly. […]
Transgender day of Remembrance vigil
December 14, 2022 by
Candles and emotional speeches marked the yearly Transgender Day of Remembrance where people from all communities gathered to celebrate the lives lost to transgender violence. Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day of memorial held yearly on Nov. 20. On WCU’s campus where they have held this memorial for over six years, community members […]
Recognizing the land during Native American Heritage Month
November 17, 2022 by
Originally published in the Western Carolinian November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and respect Indigenous culture. This month also recalls the dark past of colonized land. Land acknowledgements, formal documents honoring tribal homelands, are used by institutions across America, including WCU. WCU sits on land that was, and remains, the ancestral […]
Full Spectrum Farms’ annual Starlight Night “friend-raiser” returns in Cullowhee
September 30, 2022 by
Full Spectrum Farms will host its annual Starlight Night fundraiser to support individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8.Join Full Spectrum Farms to enjoy a BBQ dinner, hayrides, live music, silent auction, kid’s theater, games and more. The pandemic impacted the continuation of the fundraiser for two […]
What’s brewing on WCU’s campus?
May 6, 2022 by
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 […]
Do minority students feel safe?
May 3, 2022 by
“Just because there isn’t lynch mobs on campus, doesn’t make [WCU] safe,” said Amber Jenkins, a black Western Carolina student in a podcast interview. Western Carolina University has not had a spotless record when it comes to controversy. Several racist and, more recently, transphobic incidents have stained the university’s image for years now. Earlier in […]
