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Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµStories

The Well Drinkers band standing on railroad tracks

Mountain Heritage Days to spotlight Appalachian language, history and music

Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµâ€™s Mountain Heritage Days will be a weeklong celebration of Southern Appalachian culture, featuring a compelling lecture on the Appalachian dialect, the annual Rooted in the Mountains symposium and a Friday evening concert. The week of events will lead up to the Saturday heritage demonstrations, music and food everyone has loved for the past 50 years.  

Images courtesy of IMG Artists, Ex Machina, Côté Danse, and Dvoretsky Productions. Image taken by Matt Barnes.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark comes to Bardo Arts Center

Bardo Arts Center at Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ is delighted to host a must-see dance event captivating audiences everywhere, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, produced by Ex Machina, Côté Danse, and Dvoretsky Productions, live on Friday, Sept.19, 2025, at 7:30 pm.   

Johnny and Dawn Day

Alumni couple establish endowment for parks, rec program

A husband and wife with degrees from the Parks and Recreation Management Program at Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ have established an endowed fund to support students who are following in their footsteps at their alma mater and to equip PRM professors with additional resources.  

Tom Belt

Preservation of an Endangered Language

Tom Belt doesn’t view the world the same as everyone else. Yes, it’s a big blue marble floating in space and a melting pot of billions with different experiences, backgrounds and beliefs. However, Belt, a Cherokee Nation citizen, also sees it through a Cherokee lens — but that lens is fading.  

Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµFoundation Board members

New faces join Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµFoundation Board; departing members recognized

Three new members have joined the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Foundation Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, while four departing board members were recently recognized for their service and contributions.  

Austin Holland changing Nascar tire

Catamounts start your engines

From the tire changers who make split-second decisions under pressure to the spotters guiding drivers through chaos to the behind-the-scenes partnership managers making crucial deals — these Catamounts are helping steer the sport forward.   

Ed Wright in background and Mac Franklin in front of a fallen tree

Business faculty guide post-Helene recovery study for NC Arboretum

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s arrival in Western North Carolina approaches, two faculty members in Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµâ€™s College of Business served as project managers for an in-depth study of storm damage to the North Carolina Arboretum in an effort to develop a plan for its recovery.  

Battle of the bands logo

Alumni participation sought for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµBattle of the Bands competition

Perhaps you are a Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ alumnus who performed in a musical group back in your college days and who has been thinking about getting the band back together. Or maybe your band is still playing today, cranking the amps up to 11.  

Alexis Harp

Young alumni spotlight: Harp passes on guidance as Greek life adviser

Alexis Harp was lost her first few semesters of undergrad. Imposter syndrome was hitting her hard. She was a first-generation college student navigating the world of higher education, and to top it all off, she originally didn’t even want to go to college.