Published Articles
Here are published articles I've written as a staff writer for Western Carolina University's newspaper, Western Carolina Journalist, and the Sylva Herald.
Mountain Heritage Day back for 2021
After a 2020 hiatus, Western Carolina University brings back Mountain Heritage Day at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25. The annual folk gathering has been a staple on the campus since 1974, drawing thousands of people from across the country.
“Mountain Heritage Day is hosted and organized by Western Carolina University as a community event that is held directly on campus, and an example of the community engagement and regional involvement,” said Geoff Cantrell, WCU public communication specialist.
Mountain Heritage Day will once again feature live music, shape notes signing, Cherokee traditional games, clogging, vending and more. Multiple local vendors will be in attendance.
The musical duo The Pressley Girls will perform live bluegrass, folk, and country music at Mountain Heritage Day along with other local musicians.
Silent vigil for Catamount Care Day
The center of campus that is usually loud with noise and excitement was silent in honor of over 500,000 people who died from the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
The silent vigil was hosted by the Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning at 8 p.m. at the Catafount on Thursday, March 18. The area was covered with 500 bags with tealights inside to represent 1000 lives who were lost due to COVID-19.
Lane Perry, Executive Director of Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning created this event and hopes to make it an annual event for years to come. Perry believes that 2020 is the year to look back on due to all the hardships people have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perry also pointed out that the year 2020 is like 20/20 vision, a year where we all opened our eyes.
Back to school or COVID-19?
Western Carolina University is preparing for an in-person fall semester. Events, concerts and more await students for the coming semester.
“We are hopeful for the oncoming semester and ready to see students return,” said Sam Miller, vice chancellor for Student Affairs.
The 2021 fall semester will be the third semester for WCU with COVID-19 restrictions. Since March 2020, WCU enforces Catamounts Care COVID-19 guidelines. Catamounts Care includes maintaining social distancing, wearing masks indoors and self-care.
Seasonal depression in full swing for some WCU students
Story was co-produced with Kendall Harris
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Seasonal depression is beginning to kick in for many college students as fall comes to an end.
The Mayo Clinic defines seasonal depression as a depression relating to the seasons. It affects many people every year, but college students are most at risk due to the changes in climate and the difficulty to cope with new surroundings.
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WCU’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers services for any student struggling with seasonal depression.
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For most people, seasonal depression symptoms begin in the fall and end in the spring, but it can also affect people in the spring and summer months.
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Symptoms include losing activity interest, weight gain or loss, fatigue, trouble sleeping and anxiety.
Five students from WCU gave their perspectives on what it is like for them to have seasonal depression. They each said they begin to feel symptoms around October until February. In the video below, some students describe their symptoms as well as how they deal with them.