As Russia’s war against Ukraine reaches its fourth year, WCU’s Global Spotlight Series hosted a panel of experts to discuss what has changed in the four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One of the panelists was Cory Vaillancourt, a reporter at Smoky Mountain News who went to Ukraine in late 2022 and the […]
From the mountains to a war zone: WNC reporter covers Ukraine aid
March 16, 2026 by
A local reporter went to the front lines of Ukraine for two weeks in December 2022, a trip that changed his perspective on journalism forever. Born and raised in Chicago to a Ukrainian mother, journalist Cory Vaillancourt originally wanted to become a lawyer. However, after working as a field organizer for Al Gore’s 2000 presidential […]
Ukraine panel gives important information to WCU students
April 11, 2022 by
Co-written with Madelyn Ricket “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.” This unsettling Leon Trotsky quote rings true in times like these. Niall Michelsen, a professor at Western Carolina, used this unsettling quote to reinforce the importance of students being educated on global crises. The United States is watching […]
