These past few months have seen changes in every aspect of our lives; quarantine, social distancing, masks, new rules and regulations – there is little doubt that COVID has changed our lives in the short time it has been here. The changes are particularly obvious on campus, as the university […]

The Saturday, Sept. 5 NC-11 Congressional debate between Democrat Moe Davis and Republican Madison Cawthorn featured words like “liberal lawyer,” “no experience” and “liar.” The ‘Best in the West’ doubleheader was hosted at Western Carolina University and organized by Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress and Smoky Mountain News. Night two centered […]

On Thursday, Sept. 3, Western Carolina University announced the expansion of its quarantine housing. In an email to village residents by the executive director of residential living, Bryant Barnett, there are more than 40 vacant rooms across four empty houses (700, 1790, 1900 and 2100) at The Village. The Village […]

“Best in the West: North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District Forum” are a series of two debates across Sept 4-5 between retired USAF Col. and Democratic nominee Moe Davis, against the young rising star of the Republican Party Madison Cawthorn.  Hosted by Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress and Smoky Mountain […]

As election day comes upon us, it’s crunch time for voters to decide who they want to represent them. Voters need to know who aligns more with their standards and look past the soundbites they hear from news outlets, social media and attack ads. Candidate profiles are extremely vital to […]

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Western Carolina University released a statement exposing a cluster of 17 COVID-19 cases from students, all residing from Harrill Residence Hall. This is the first and largest cluster of cases we have seen yet this school year and raises some concerns with parents and students alike. […]

Originally published in The Sylva Herald on Aug. 27, 2020.  BaShaun Smith, Western Carolina University’s associate vice chancellor and dean of students, has announced that students may face WCU Code of Student Conduct Violations if mask requirements are not followed during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Shared community standards remind us that […]

Editor’s note:  As a result of an ambiguously-worded COVID “dashboard,” the original version of this article, first published Aug. 20, erroneously listed the number of new cases as 8 and not 22.  University administration convened a working group Aug. 21 to address the website to ensure the accuracy of future […]

Originally published in The Sylva Herald on Aug. 20, 2020.  Move-in weekend is usually a joyous occasion for Western Carolina University students and their parents. For many occupants of The Husk and The Helm apartment complex, this has not been the case. The Husk and The Helm faced various code […]