For the past seven years, WCU has selected an interdisciplinary theme for campus conversations, curricular and co-curricular connections, and enrichment. This year, for the first time, faculty, staff and students voted on the theme and among the choices offered, Cherokee was the resounding favorite and became the theme for 2017-2018. The tribal and demographic context for the theme of “Cherokee” is largely in keeping with WCU’s neighbors, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the portion of their ancestral home that they still retain, the Qualla Boundary.

For the remainder of the 2017-18 academic year we celebrate WCU’s Cherokee community as part of our Diversity Dialogues series. The series attempts to capture and share the unique experiences of students from diverse backgrounds, helping open all our eyes to different views of the world and bring us together through dialogue. We will share the stories of several Cherokee students at Western Carolina, and we invite you to share your own story as well.

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