About Us

Western Carolina University students write, edit, and produce The Western Carolinian as a bi-weekly printed publication and as an online Internet site to serve the information needs of WCU students and others interested in or involved with campus activities.

Editor-in-Chief

Lex Menz

Lex Menz was named Editor-in-Chief in May 2013. She is looking forward to creating a wider readership, involving more community members and raising awareness of the important work the campus newspaper accomplishes. In the fall semester of 2009, Lex began at the newspaper  her freshman year as a contributing writer for the arts and entertainment section.

News Editor

Tyler Auffhammer

Tyler Auffhammer got his start at The Western Carolinian as a contributing writer during the 2011 summer semester. He was named a staff writer at the newspaper during the 2011 fall semester and primarily covered the News and Features beats, winning an honorable mention in Feature writing at the North Carolina College Media Conference in 2012 for the series "Before They Were Educators.

Sports Editor

Ryan Michaud

Ryan Michaud has been writing with the paper since his freshman year and is now the Sports Editor as of August 2012. His love for sports comes from his New England heritage where Boston dominates the sports world. Ryan loves sports, the outdoors and becoming one with the mountains.

Copy Editor

Kaitlyn Connelly

Kaitlyn Connelly was appointed a Copy Editor for The Western Carolinian in the fall of 2012. Kaitlyn attended a conference in Chicago on writing and editing as a representative for The Western Carolinian in October 2012. She learned about interviewing techniques, adapting one’s writing to different mediums, writing for a global audience, and making the workspace comfortable for employers and employees with improvisation.

Staff Writer

Allison Adkins

Allison Adkins is a staff writer at the Western Carolinian. She got her start at the newspaper during the 2011 fall semester as a contributing writer primarily covering the arts and entertainment and features beats. In the 2012 spring semester she jumped to the sports department.

Staff Writer

Jamie North

Jamie North is a senior majoring in journalism with a minor in photography. He has been working with The Western Carolinian since March 2012. He writes for the Arts and Entertainment section. Jamie is an aspiring wedding photographer and photojournalist.

Staff Writer

Brandy Carl

Brandy Carl is a junior majoring in communications with a concentration in journalism and a minor in psychology. She was named staff writer in August 2012 after working as a contributing writer during 2012's summer semester. She primarily writes for the News beat.

Staff Writer

Logan Porter

Logan Porter was named a staff writer for The Western Carolinian in August of 2012. Logan covers News and writes occasional Features pieces. He began writing for the paper in the spring of 2011 as a contributing writer. Logan is a sophomore philosophy major at Western Carolina University.

Staff Writer

Sandra Nikula

Sandra Nikula was hired as a staff writer for the features section, during the Spring 2013 semester of her first year at Western Carolina University. She began writing for The Western Carolinian by volunteering as a contributing writer the previous semester.

Staff Writer

Megan Hart

Megan Hart has worked at The Western Carolinian as a staff writer since the 2013 spring semester. In the fall of 2012, she was a contributing writer for the Arts and Entertainment section. Her proudest article was the “Hotspots of Dillsboro." It was also her first Features piece.

Staff Writer

Katie Marshall

Katie Marshall began as a contributing writer in the fall semester of 2012. That December she was hired as a staff writer, primarily working with features pieces. Some of her articles include "Meet the Animals" and a few Before They Were Educator pieces.

Staff Writer/Photographer

Ceillie Simkiss

Ceillie Simkiss was named a photographer at the Western Carolina during the 2011 fall semester. She became a staff writer in the Arts and Entertainment beat in the fall of 2012. Ceillie is a sophomore communications major at Western Carolina University with a concentration in journalism and a minor in art.

Photographer

Chris Ward

Chris Ward is currently a junior majoring in computer science and environmental science. He has been working with The Western Carolinian since September 2012 as a photographer. In his free time, Chris enjoys reading, hiking, playing sports and anything outside.

Cartoonist

Jeffery Wilson

Jeffery Wilson was named the cartoonist for the Western Carolinian during the 2011 summer semester. He is an art major at Western Carolina University with a minor in Biology.