Fire at freshmen dorm leads to five hour investigation

This story was co-written with Haley Smith Agents with the State Bureau of Investigation are trying to determine the cause of a fire at Walker Residence Hall last night. Home to 400 members of the freshman class, the nine-floor dorm became a hot topic across campus and on social media as students were evacuated from the building at 5:15 […]

Rethinking the American Dream

The American Dream is still alive. But English may no longer be its first language. Just ask Dr. Farzaneh Razzaghi, dean of library services at WCU’s Hunter Library. “If there is one thing that people like me truly value, and there are hundreds of things, but if there is one thing that is valued the […]

Local woman stars in WCU production of ‘King Lear’

This story was written by Haley Smith, originally published in The Sylva Herald. Autumn Bryson is making a name for her acting, at Western Carolina University. Bryson is a WCU junior, preparing for a lead role in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” Bryson plays Cordelia, one of Lear’s three daughters. Cordelia is disowned by her father when she […]

Trump order strikes home: Foreign-born WCU faculty wonder ‘who is next?’

This story was written by Quintin Ellison, originally published in The Sylva Herald. Farzaneh Razzaghi returned last week from visiting her mother in Iran. Soon after, President Donald Trump issued his immigration ban on Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. Though she holds U.S. citizenship, Razzaghi, dean of library services for Western Carolina University, said […]

WCU students fight for equality at historic demonstration

As WCU junior Joanna Woodson boarded a transport van to Washington, D.C. just after dawn on the morning of Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, she knew that her destination would be teeming with “nasty women” on a mission to make their voices heard. She didn’t know that 24 hours later, her group of 11 activists would […]

“Unity is victory and without unity, there is no victory”

WCU hosted a legendary football coach as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. appreciation week. Herman Boone was the inspiration for the blockbuster, Remember the Titans. Over 250 people were in attendance at the University Center at WCU. Boone became the head football coach at T.C. Williams High School in 1971, in Alexandria, Virginia. […]