CSFE Blog
What should be done about the lack of affordable housing in the Western NC region?
On Tuesday, February 11th, The CSFE welcomed back the College Debates and Discourse Alliance’s Kayla Johnson to serve as our discussion leader on the topic: What should be done about the lack of affordable housing in the Western NC region? This is the first ABCD...
Campus Wide Discussion: What should be done about the lack of affordable housing in Western North Carolina?
Housing in Western North Carolina is expensive. Surprisingly expensive. Those from other parts of the country often assume that because Western North Carolina (WNC) is rural, housing is inexpensive. Residents know otherwise. On February 11th the CSFE along with the...
Graduate Spotlight: Diana Esters (WCU 2024)
We are always excited to highlight outstanding student-scholars who have played a vital role in Center's projects and events. Diana Esters is a perfect example of such a student-scholar. In the fall of 2023, Diana was selected for the gift-funded, seminar class: Lunch...
Is a vote for a third-party candidate a wasted vote?
Election Day is less than two weeks away. As of Oct. 4, 2024, polls showed that 46.5% had an unfavorable opinion of Kamala Harris and 52.6% felt unfavorably toward Donald Trump. So, what about voting for a Presidential candidate from a different party? On Wednesday,...
Campus-wide debate No. 1 on the 2024 Election was a success!
On September 25th, the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise, Braver Angels, and the College Debate and Discourse Alliance cohosted a debate on the resolution: Is Donald Trump a threat to democracy? Over 95 students, faculty, and staff offered their views in support...
Hosting two campus wide-debates this fall: September 25th & October 30th
This fall the CSFE will continue to co-sponsor events that offer students the opportunity to listen, learn, and discuss potentially polarizing topics through two campus-wide debates. Because 2024 is an election year, we polled students about eight possible resolutions...
First Economic Analysis Degree Graduates from Western Carolina University
Exciting day for our first Economic Analysis degree graduates from Western Carolina University! Congratulations to Megann Holst, Caitlin Mushinski, Summer Thurlow (not pictured), and Libby Weitkamp! After six plus years of work, students can now come to WCU and earn...
Campus-Wide Debate: Gun free zones make people safer
Learning how to fully listen to others and respectively debate ideas is crucial to growth and learning. On April 22nd, Braver Angels and The Center for the Study of Free Enterprise at Western Carolina University, with support from the Barnes Family Foundation,...
Former Student Update: Siobhan McAlister
The goal of mentoring students is to guide them and help them succeed in their pursuits. Therefore, it is always fun to catch up with former students who continue to excel and learn from them! I was delighted to catch up with Siobhan McAlister and see her present her...
Liberty over lunch: Economist Rachel Sederberg
On December 2nd, the Liberty over Lunch student hosted Lightcast Economists and Research Manager, Rachel Sederberg. Sederberg and her team collect labor market data in real time by collecting job postings and candidate availability post in online job search websites....