Warren Wilson College Remembers Helene

Vivian Bryan | October 7, 2025

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Warren Wilson College (WWC) remembered the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene through a series of communal events that took place on campus starting Sept. 22, 2025.  Ranging from events like a Land Acknowledgment Circle to a tree planting event, the entire community was given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and what the future looks like after such a major event. 

Land Acknowledgment Circle | Sept. 22, 2025

Jetta Ghosthorse, student leader of the Indigenous Students Association, speaks during the opening event Land Acknowledgment Circle during Helene Anniversary Week at Warren Wilson College’s Pavilion in Swannanoa, N.C., on Sept. 22, 2025. (Vivian Bryan/Echo)

Students paint and draw during a land acknowledgment circle for Helene Anniversary Week at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C., on Sept. 22, 2025. (Vivian Bryan/Echo)

Let The River Guide Us Community Walk | Sept. 26, 2025

Students look out at the Swannanoa River on the Warren Wilson College campus a year after Hurricane Helene, in Swannanoa, N.C., on Sept. 26. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)

A group of community members walks the farm loop down to the Swannanoa River for communal reflection a year after Hurricane Helene at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C., on Sept. 26. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)

Dean of Land Dave Ellum answers questions about the Swannanoa River’s history for community members at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C., on Sept. 26. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)

Memorial Tree Planting | Oct. 2, 2025

Dean of Land Dave Ellum and Warren Wilson College students go “hands in”  to celebrate the successful planting of a white oak, concluding the ceremony in Swannanoa, N.C., on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)

The Warren Wilson College community gathers for a symbolic white-oak tree planting with music by student Rachel Gaskins in Swannanoa, N.C., on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)

Compostable remembrances written by students and community members are placed in the hole dug for a white oak sapling in Swannanoa, N.C., on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)

Shannon Spencer, chaplain and director of spiritual life at Warren Wilson College, asks the community who remembers the “swing tree” that once stood before Hurricane Helene, in Swannanoa, N.C., on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)

Vera Pandolfo, a junior at Warren Wilson College and member of the Garden Crew, writes a message to the tree sapling in Swannanoa, N.C., on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Vivian Bryan/The Echo)