Mountain Heritage Center: A regional heart of Appalachian traditions

Story co-written/produced with Charles Gadie Walking through the door, visitors are greeted with a smile from the student workers at the front desk and a sense of curiosity. Many wondering ‘what is this hidden place’. The Mountain Heritage Center is Western Carolina University’s museum of southern Appalachian history and culture.  Currently in their gallery exhibit, the […]

WCU 130 years of growth

Story is co-written/produced with Hallie West Over its 130 years as an institution, Western Carolina University has grown from a one-room school building with just under 20 students to a university with over 11,000 students from not only North Carolina, but around the world. As the university continues to grow and develop, we’ve documented some […]

WCU graduate takes guests on a walk through history

Edited & Multimedia by Jeremy Giovanni The Mountain Heritage Center sponsored a series of free tours through Western Carolina’s campus. The “Historic Walking Tours” featured a one-mile walk through nine different locations filled with western’s rich history. “I feel so connected to so many people by looking at these buildings by looking at the physically […]

The Great Cullowhee Solar Eclipse

Even when the moon blotted out the sun, the WCU community brought more than enough energy to make up for it. Students, faculty and community members gathered in masses to watch this once in a lifetime opportunity. On Monday, Aug. 21, the WCU campus witnessed a total solar eclipse, which won’t happen in western North […]

Perspectives on education: through the eyes of a female teacher

In an effort to see what it is truly like to be a woman working in the education field, the Western Carolina Journalist sat with local Smokey Mountain High School teacher Kristen Holt. This interview is a part of a multi-story project that attempts to bring to light the realities of being both a teacher […]

The history of women as teachers

Thinking back on your elementary, middle and high school days, you may find that the beloved teachers you learned from over the years were overwhelmingly female. Whether you realized it or not, women make up the majority of primary school teachers, a phenomenon that is only growing with time. According to data from the U.S. Department […]