Diving into the world of drag with Bayleigh Katch

Bayleigh Katch (they/them) is a student at Western Carolina University who performs drag in the Sylva area. They are a junior double majoring in criminal justice and emergency/disaster management. Katch’s first performance happened at Sylva Pride this past September. They performed alongside other drag queens in the area like Beulah Land, Ida Carolina, and Calcutta. […]

Vulnerability in relationships are critical to our health

The story co-written with Chloe Ettinger Relationships are what make us human. That’s what Dr. Candy Noltensmeyer, 2021 student nominated faculty of the year award winner, said during the “Last Lecture” presentation on Thursday, Nov. 18. Noltensmeyer is an associate professor at Western Carolina University in the Communications Department. Her research focuses on forms of […]

WCU alum returns to head important athletics position

In November 2020, Tyler Pope was self-employed and producing a sports podcast with two of his friends from his undergraduate and graduate years. A year removed, he holds one of the most important positions in the Western Carolina University Athletic Department. Pope, a native of Burlington, N.C., was hired in September 2021. A WCU graduate […]

Pam Duncan: WCU leader of the learners

While many professors at WCU see their role in the classroom as more of an authoritative one, Pam Duncan, author and Associate Professor in the English Department at WCU, sees her role in the creative writing classroom differently. “In the writing classroom, I don’t feel qualified to tell anybody how to be a writer,” Duncan […]

‘Jonesing’ for the Blues

“If your life revolves around obtaining a substance, you’re a junkie, of whatever it is that you need to obtain,” he revealed. “Now if that’s heroin, then that’s a really tough break,” he half-jokingly spoke, exposing a grin underneath his silver mustache. “But for me, it’s music. I see myself as a new music junkie,” […]

Mateius Brown: The road to success

As a fourth-year student and athlete at Western Carolina University, Mateius Brown is the epitome of determination and resilience. Having been a student-athlete for over half of his life, Brown has seen his successes and failures. He has been involved with track and field since the end of his freshman year of high school. Weighing […]