Western Carolina University Homecoming

It is a regional event for students, faculty, alumni, and everyone who loves the Cats

Story and photos by EMMA POTTER

Western Carolina University (WCU) is home to around 12,000 students and nearly 1,600 staff and faculty members in the northern Cullowhee Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Compared to other well-known universities in North Carolina, WCU has fewer people who make up for what turns out to be a pretty unique community. With the fall season starting up, Catamount alums will be making their homecoming to the familiar WCU campus. Some will not have to go far. They are the ones who remained as permanent residents when they graduated, and WCU’s Homecoming festivities are just another reminder of why they can call Cullowhee, NC, home.

Phil Cauley, current Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Enrollment, enlightened me about his WCU story and why he cherishes his life here. Cauley was a Catamount himself, earning a Bachelor’s degree in English in 1983. He even returned in 1990 to acquire his MS in Human Resource Development. Before his current position, he took on a few other roles on campus, such as admissions counselor and alums director. However, his first job on campus was as a student tour guide, which sparked his interest in promoting WCU.

Cauley defines homecoming as “a huddle of kindred spirits” and “a reunion of people who revel in the sense of place that Cullowhee affords.” He believes everyone can find their “affinity” group at Western if not more than one. Cauley loves his job because he gets to tell people all of the reasons he loves WCU and thinks so highly of it. He and other alums “truly talk about Cullowhee as an old homeplace because it became their second home.”

According to Cauley, WCU can be summed up in two words: relationships and connectivity. You got what you put into it, but it was easy in Cullowhee. “We ate together, played intramurals together, went to ball games. . . road-tripped.” He also feels grateful for the faculty and staff who always showed him so much care and attention. Cauley, his classmates, and any alum were able to, and still do, share their experiences in what some call “the best kept secret in North Carolina.”

Jesse Davidson grew up in the small town of Columbus, MS and says her family has vacationed in this area for most of her life. They would attend rock and mineral shows, and she said, “We just kinda fell in love with the western Carolina mountains.” She was told about WCU by one of her previous directors, and when she looked into it, she was surprised and excited to learn that it was not far from the places she was so familiar with. Jesse pursued her master's in Communications Sciences and Disorders in 2022 and graduated in the spring of 2024. Before beginning her program, she already knew that WCU was different when communicating with professors and advisors. They all seemed so personable to her and showed that they genuinely cared. She “felt a sense of community which stood out to [her] when comparing it to other schools.”

Jesse speaks endearingly about her times at WCU with her classmates and friends. “Cullowhee just feels like home,” and her “cohorts felt like a second family.” She enjoyed hanging out in the nearby historic town of Sylva with friends and going to Innovation Brewery to decompress and bond over shared experiences and challenges within the program and in life. Everyone’s experience with the WCU community is close, and she took advantage of that. She also took advantage of the beautiful scenery by hiking with friends, tubing down the Tuckaseegee River (the tuck), “walking on campus with friends. . . laying on the grass hill. . . attending Mountain Heritage Day. Everybody is just soaking up this beautiful area.” She found a sense of camaraderie in this shared appreciation for the outdoors.

Now, she has taken a position at Cherokee Central Schools after applying for the job from which her internship supervisor was retiring. She is content to remain in this special mountain town for the foreseeable future and shares the longstanding pride of being a catamount like many others she has met.

Western Carolina University’s Homecoming takes place November 1-3 and welcomes non-alumni to many of its scheduled events. On Friday evening, a parade through downtown Sylva kicks off the weekend. On Saturday, tailgating begins at 11 am. Frank’s Famous Fish Fry, hosted by Class of ’78 alum Frank Wilson and the WCU football team, welcomes alumni and friends of WCU. At 2:30, the big game against Chattanooga begins. Go Cats!