The Western Carolina Journalist is re-publishing the story in support of our friends, partners and mentors for their professionalism and dedication of informing on all things that are happening in our community. By Dave Russell, The Sylva Herald, and Cory Vaillancourt, The Smoky Mountain News The Sylva Herald and The Smoky Mountain News last Friday received […]
MLK March draws a crowd despite cold
January 23, 2026 by
Almost 80 people attended the Martin Luther King Jr. march on Monday, Jan. 19 brandishing anti-racist protest signs as the crowd started from the UC Plaza, past the library, circling past the Apodaca science building, and finally ending at the UC Plaza. The WCU chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha organized the march in collaboration with […]
WCU sets stage for first opera inspired by Appalachia
January 22, 2026 by
Mark your calendars and make weekend plans to see Western Carolina’s first opera performance on Friday, Jan. 23. WCU takes inspiration from Ron Rash’s poetry works of Appalachian history and transforms them into this new medium, filled with drama, human themes—and most importantly song. The weather moved the premier night for “Shelton Laurel: An Appalachian […]
Sylva Eats: Downtown culinary experience
December 15, 2025 by
Story Produced with Tatum Gordon and Halle Stanley With the year coming to an end and holidays coming, we wanted to talk about something we are passionate about – FOOD! More specifically, restaurants and food served in downtown Sylva. Sylva has a variety of food options to choose from, from brunch to lunch, dinner, and […]
A litter of Catamount football players earned post season SoCon recognition
December 12, 2025 by
The Catamount football team wrapped up its season with a 48-6 win against the Virginia Military Institute. The Catamounts finished the season with a 7-5 overall record and 6-2 in SoCon play. At the conclusion of the season, the All-SoCon teams were announced. Head coaches voted on the awards and for the All-SoCon team. Coaches […]
Why Campus Voting Sites Matter: The Case of Western Carolina University
December 8, 2025 by
More than 76,000 votes have been cast at the Western Carolina University early voting site over nine elections. There is the possibility that it might be eliminated. Here’s why that matters.re-publishing from the Anatomy of a Purple State by Chris Cooper In Summer 2016, the Jackson County Board of Elections, under a Republican majority,1 approved a […]
