Students and professors on how the pandemic impacts education

Story co-produced with Kenneth Goode. Before the pandemic, all lecture classes were face-to-face instead of in front of a computer screen. Professors would work in their offices until it was time to walk to their designated classrooms and teach. Everything has changed. Everything has changed for students as well. Instead of walking to classes, they […]

WCU Equestrian club president makes the best of COVID-19

Western Carolina University senior Madison Kitchen took on the role of equestrian club president for the 2020-2021 school year. She knew it would come with challenges, but a pandemic was not one she thought she would face. The equestrian club voted for leadership positions in early 2020, just when the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading into […]

WCU legend in promoting the institution is retiring

Western Carolina University chief communications officer, Bill Studenc, will retire in January after almost 32 years of employment at the university. One can often see him walking around campus with a notepad in his hand and a smile on his face. As chief communications officer, Studenc wrote and managed press releases, collaborated with reporters on […]

COVID-19 spikes force WCU to shift from in-person to virtual commencements for December

Story from the WCU Public Relations office.  In response to concerns about the surge of COVID-19 cases across North Carolina and the U.S. and in consultation with the Jackson County Department of Public Heath, Western Carolina University is canceling the modified in-person commencement ceremonies scheduled for Dec. 10-13 and shifting to a series of virtual […]

How are you, really?

Story was co-produced with  Kilikena Jordan For many young adults, college is a time of growth, learning and exploration. However, for some college students, this transition into adulthood can be a time of significant change and challenge to their emotional and mental well-being. With many students beginning and ending their school year with COVID-19, this […]

World traveling college student during a pandemic

Traveling the world was easy, but becoming a freshman in college during a global pandemic was harder. Brenna Dunn, a 20-year-old out-of-state freshman at Western Carolina University is experiencing college in a different way than most normal freshmen have in years past. However, now she is living through a global pandemic. Before attending WCU, Dunn took […]