Before September 11, I had no idea what Islam was. At school, discussing other cultures and religions was an amusing idea as we were the guinea pigs for President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Policy” of January 2001. Anything that wasn’t on our end-of-course test wasn’t discussed. We were under […]
Recent News
World didn’t begin with a bang, but instead with a beetle: Cherokee religious beliefs
We are familiar with most creation theories: evolution, the religious aspects of a god willing a world, and of course, the “Big Bang.” But what if instead of an omnipotent god, the world started with a tiny beetle? To understand, we must go back in time. Imagine Western Carolina University’s […]
Back to the drawing board: #22 WCU loses to #3 Furman, 42-7
Western took high hopes into Greenville, SC, on September 23, but those hopes were dashed as #3 Furman demolished the Catamounts 42-7. While the Cats were beat handily, Coach Kent Briggs of Western still thought his team could bounce back from the effort. “It’s not the end of the world. […]
Do you know who’s looking at your profile?
Many college students keep in touch through websites such as Facebook or MySpace. These sites allow students to sign up under their school, create a personal profile of interests, contact information, courses they’re presently enrolled in, and their relationship status. Users can upload pictures into albums so that friends can […]
Be informed before the interview
It’s about that time of year again when seniors scramble around to get everything ready for graduation. In order to graduate, seniors have to pay application fees, make appointments with their advisors for degree audits, order caps and gowns, order announcements, and so on. For most seniors, the reality will […]
Establishing privacy and trust with your roommate
Living with a single person for an entire year of college can be difficult. Arranging to live with someone you know helps, but people often get paired together randomly, forcing two complete strangers to become compatible living mates for a full year. However, by working together, roommates can build relationships […]
Know your rights: privacy
Everyone wants a little privacy now and then. Maybe it’s to prepare for an exam in peace and quiet. Maybe we need to apply a fresh coat of ointment to that oh-so unsightly rash. Sometimes we just don’t want our personal information to be public knowledge- a very realistic desire […]
World War X
General Richard B. Myers led the way by leading the first presentation of the year in the Fine and Performing Arts center. Entitled “War X,” the retired General held a series of sessions, wherein he spoke on the controversial War on Terror. An exclusive student session was held earlier in […]
Big Brother is not watching you
It is a well-known rumor among Western students that the IT department has the technology and initiative to track your every action while logged on to the campus network. Many people consider this to be a violation of their personal privacy. Fortunately, the truth is much less paranoia-inducing.In reality, the […]
New Cat Cards and ID numbers strengthen security at Western
This semester, Western Carolina University made two changes to enhance security for its students. The first change was a new system for student ID numbers, and the second was the distribution of new Cat Cards. These two items promise to protect personal information of students and to provide convenience and […]
