WCU radio station is on air and with a new frequency

Student run radio station WWCU FM is back on air after two long years of transition. On Jan. 27 at approximately 4:40 p.m., the station was rocking the radio waves on the new frequency 95.3. The old call number 90.5 FM is now for the local NPR station, Blue Ridge Public Radio. The station was […]

Diving into the world of drag with Bayleigh Katch

Bayleigh Katch (they/them) is a student at Western Carolina University who performs drag in the Sylva area. They are a junior double majoring in criminal justice and emergency/disaster management. Katch’s first performance happened at Sylva Pride this past September. They performed alongside other drag queens in the area like Beulah Land, Ida Carolina, and Calcutta. […]

Vintage shop offers treasures from the past

This story was originally published in The Sylva Herald, Feb. 9 edition. Shoppers at Kel-Save Drugs can pick up prescriptions and Barbie and Ken dressed in classic Star Trek regalia in one stop. Bob Kelley owned Kel-Save until he passed away in November 2020, leading his wife, Jeannie Kelley, to consider selling her house and […]

No one wants to be #2 in these races

This story was originally published in The Sylva Herald Feb. 9. Ski Sapphire Valley’s 15th Outhouse Race is back after skipping 2021 because of the pandemic. The popular race is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, though the event is somewhat fluid. “The way it usually works is, the race is on the bunny […]

The story behind Kudzu: Invading property to practical decorations

The story of kudzu is one of many trials and tribulations experienced by early farmers. Now, many years later, their descendants have learned of a way to turn kudzu into unique decorations made for any home. Kudzu has been in the United States since the late 19th century. It first was seen in a display […]

Meet the Japanese native sharing her culture with WCU

Nanaka Okamura, Japan Outreach Initiative coordinator at WCU, arrived in August 2021 to teach students about her home country’s culture and inspire students to take action against world hunger. Okamura is one of many coordinators dispatched by the Laurentian Institute’s JOI Program to the American Midwest, South, and Mountain regions. She’s the second JOI coordinator […]