WWC Clubs Display Vibrant Campus Community at Club Fair 2026
Elliott Hove | Sept. 8, 2026
Warren Wilson College students line up for refreshments provided by the Student Activities Crew in Canon Lounge in Swannanoa, N.C., Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (The Echo/Clara Shirley)
On Wednesday, August 26, the first day of class for the fall 2026 semester, student representatives gathered in Canon Lounge to represent the unique and diverse array of clubs available at Warren Wilson College (WWC). Student interest for extracurricular clubs has piqued in recent years, as seen by a large attendance of intrigued potential new members.
The WWC Medieval Guild displayed boundless energy throughout the event, demonstrating foam sword sparring for a consistently large audience. The club describes itself as “for all students interested in safely hitting their friends with foam weapons.” Overseen by Christian Gall, a sophomore, the club primarily operates through the benefaction of interested students.
“All the swords and the equipment, the main swords we use are actually currently loaners from the community,” Gall said. “All of the ones that you see here are from a local foam smith, who was like, ‘Hey, you can have some of these swords, so you can keep fighting.’”
Gall went on to describe that this communal spirit nurtured the clubs quick growth, gaining massive popularity on campus in just a semester. For more information on the WWC Medieval Guild, they can be contacted on Instagram, @wwc_medieval_guild.
Another club, the Free Store Club, might have some familiarity with returning students. Fae Elkin, the Sustainability and Resilience Crew supervisor and supervisor of the Free Store, highlighted how the change from sub-crew to club will ensure the longevity of a cherished campus location.
“[It] is a way to keep the free store in the Warren Wilson campus community,” Elkin said. “This is a way to continuously have longevity with the Free Store, and when I'm gone, someone else can then pick it up and continue on that journey.”
Elkin also noted the importance of the Free Store space becoming more communal; a place where students can spend time practicing music, in clothing mending workshops or even accessing used textbooks. For more information they can be contacted on Instagram, @wwcfreestore.
Mictehuatl Overla, a senior and leader of the Indigenous Students Association (ISA), highlighted some of the ongoing initiatives the club has with WWC administration and faculty. Overla also expanded on some of the ISA’s off campus activities.
“ISA is part of a larger campus-wide initiative to incorporate indigenous knowledge and right relationships throughout Warren Wilson College,” Overla said. “Since Warren Wilson is on Cherokee land, we do a lot of work with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and some of that is through the Bigwitch Collective.”
The Bigwitch Collective, or Bigwitch Indian Wisdom Initiative (BIWI), is a local initiative “rooted in Indigenous Ecology.” For further information about working with the Bigwitch Collective or inquiries about ISA, the club can be contacted by email at: isa@warren-wilson.edu.
Zea Lopez-Bird, a senior and co-leader of the Latiné Student Collective (LSC), highlighted future plans for the club in the coming semester, including classic recurring events.
“We have Dia de los Muertos, [where] we have a service in the church, invite people to send photos of their loved ones and put up an ofrenda (offering),” Lopez-Bird said. “There's also many other events that will happen, but we’d like to have a meeting, get everyone’s opinion and ideas and set the dates.”
Lopez-Bird added that Dia de los Muertos celebrations will be advertised closer to the event in November. For further information or inquiries about LSC, they can be contacted on Instagram, @lscwwc, or at their club email, lsc@warren-wilson.edu.
Rowan Lackland, a sophomore and co-leader of the Black Student Union (BSU), emphasized the club's roles and relationships in the campus community.
“This semester, we’re planning talks with Dr. Scotti Norman about her archaeology site about 45 minutes from here, Boyd Cabin,” Lackland said.
Boyd Cabin is an archeological site where students under Dr. Scotti Norman, professor of Material Culture and Archaeology, have been working at and learning from for the past year. The site is “one of the first nineteenth- and twentieth-century freedman homesteads in western North Carolina” and a window into the underrepresented lives of African American families during the Reconstruction era.
Lackland also mentioned the return of another campus BSU connector: BSU-hosted parties.
“More parties, too, is definitely an interest, and whatever anyone wants us to do, we can figure out,” Lackland said.
For further information about the archaeological site or inquiries about BSU, the club can be contacted on Instagram, @bsuwwc.
Clubs at WWC are an integral extracurricular space for students to experience, create, and find community with one another. Banks Gerowin, a junior, summarized this camaraderie and ebullience that clubs bring to WWC.
“Clubs are wonderful… it doesn't really matter what club in particular, so long as it aligns with your interests in the slightest amount,” Banks said. “A lot of hobbies have a shared familiarity, so it's a great way to meet people who are like you and like what you like. You’ll also meet some really out there people too.”
This club fair in particular provided an opportunity to explore the diverse fascinations, hobbies and motivations of our student body. As clubs progress with their yearly schedules and activities, they will continue to provide a communal space to make friends and to learn more about the many aspects of life on campus.