Asheville’s infamous Bele Chere weekend kicked off on Friday, July 24 with plenty of sunshine, music, fine art, universal cuisine and the usual display of unique characters swarming through the downtown streets. Bele Chere is an annual 3-day festival on the streets of Downtown Asheville featuring live, original music all […]
Author: ShelHarrell
Ron Rash Wins SIBA Award for Best Fiction
Ron Rash, the Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Culture at Western Carolina University, is winner of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance book award in the category of fiction for his novel “Serena.” Rash’s “Serena” has been a critical success since its 2008 release and has catapulted the South Carolina-born author […]
All Work and No Play Makes The Pride of the Mountains a Continued Success
Due to the ever-famous quote “and this one time at band camp” used in the popular film “American Pie,” almost anyone who hears the words “band camp” aloud tends to smirk. The underlying humor of this quote however, may not apply to the Pride of the Mountains marching band. Western […]
N.C. Racial Justice Act Passed after Senate Votes
The General Assembly has approved a milestone bill that will now allow death-row inmates to oppose the death penalty by arguing that there is particular racial bias in the way that capital punishment has been applied. Under the bill, a prisoner will be able to bring to life statistical evidence […]
Hurricane Probability Downgraded in United States
A near- to below-normal Atlantic hurricane season is now expected as the calming effects of El Niño, a periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters, continues to develop. But scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) say the season’s quiet start does not guarantee quiet times […]
Estabrooks Named Smith Distinguished Professor at WCU
One of the nation’s top experts in the area of adult neurological communication disorders, Nancy Helm-Estabrooks, has been appointed the first Catherine Brewer Smith Distinguished Professor of Communication Disorders at Western Carolina University. Helm-Estabrooks moves into the professorship from an adjunct professor position she had held since May in WCU’s […]
North Carolina May End Vehicle Inspections
North Carolina lawmakers may repeal the state’s required annual motor vehicle safety inspections. The Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday, July 28 debated a measure its sponsor said would save owners more than $12 a year on each vehicle. Sen. Charlie Albertson of Duplin County said residents spend more than $80 […]
College and Stress – Take Control of Your Life
College brings the best and worst out of some, but mostly—a good dose of stress. Stress, in simpler terms, is the opposite of relaxation. Both positive and negative aspects of life can be equally stressful. Coming from external forces in our lives, pushing our buttons and provoking extreme emotions, reducing […]
Ways to Voice Your Opinion, Express Concerns on Campus
If you you’re passionate and opinionated, you’ve spent years—maybe even decades—telling yourself that you’ll probably never see the kind of society you want, because people would never go for it. Maybe it’s time to break the habit and get your opinion out. No question, it’s not easy in figuring out […]
Tips for New College Students
New Catamounts, chances are you have hundreds of questions, and you may not have anyone to ask. To help you transition from high school to college, the Western Carolinian staff, comprised of college students ourselves and many of whom are about to graduate, would like to pass along some of […]
