The AR-15: Rise and controversy

The video co-produced with Cody Cresmen The AR-15 is a popular semiautomatic rifle that has seen extreme controversy for its use in mass shootings. We spoke with the owner of Tagged Out Hunting Supply in Sylva, Dustin Hayes who opened store three years ago. Hear his opinion on the rifle and learn about its popularity. […]

WCU students opinions of Biden presidency before the one year mark

President Biden’s first state of the Union address is coming up on Tuesday, March 1. He is facing bad national ratings and a new war – the Russian aggression to Ukraine, and growing gas prices will likely impact the public opinion depending on what Biden does and reacts. WCU students we talked to and surveyed […]

WCU Turning Point USA meeting leads to sit-in style protest

Western Carolina University’s chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) discussed and criticized critical race theory, while many other WCU students protested in and outside of the UC Raleigh room on Sept. 20. From the total of 50 seats available in the room about half were taken up by protesters and 12 more were outside the […]

WCJ Podcast: Money in Politics

Election day is hours away, and over $14 billion has been spent on this election which is a record. In North Carolina, $215 million of outside money has been spent on the U.S. Senate race between Cal Cunningham and Thom Tillis. With massive sums of money being spent on elections each year, and this year […]

Only 71 percent of the 2020 Iowa Caucus results are in

After almost a year of campaigning and seven debates, the first votes of the 2020 primary season were made Feb. 3 in Iowa. However, only 71 percent of the precincts have been released by the Iowa Democratic Party as of Tuesday evening, Feb. 4. Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is ahead of Senator Bernie […]

Tar Heel politics: A look at what 2018 offers

This story was originally published in The Sylva Herald. Given the turbulence of politics in 2017 in North Carolina, The Herald decided to turn to Chris Cooper, professor and head of the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University, for his thoughts on what lies ahead here in 2018, a year that […]