Pioneros Políticos (de izquierda a derecha): Nathan Bing (11), Leah Harmon (12), Kole Denny (12), Lee White (11) y Alaina Roberts (11) durante una recaudación de fondos para apoyar a los afectados por el huracán Helene, a través de la Coalición de Hambre y Salud, 2025. Crédito de la foto: Andrew Larson. Abbi Clark, sección de deportes de The Powderhorn. Translated by Alex Gonzalez La ignorancia puede conducir al desastre, por lo que muchos coinciden en que es fundamental que

A few weeks ago, students in Ms. Hurst’s AP Biology class opened their emails and were met with some unexpected news: their teacher was leaving. While many people have to switch careers suddenly for unavoidable and understandable reasons, there is a particular stress induced when students have to readjust to a new teacher halfway through the school year, especially with a class as rigorous and comprehensive as AP Biology. To make matters worse, this is the first year AP Bio h

Dalton George during his visit to Mr. Vining’s civics class at Watauga High School on December 16, 2025. Photo Credits: Grant Painter Grant Painter, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn On December 16, 2025, Dalton George, Boone’s town mayor, visited Watauga High School. He met with the civics classes to talk about the roles of local government and answer questions from students. He communicated with Mr. Jacob Wallace, a history teacher at WHS, to coordinate his visit. “I contacte

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina’s official logo. With almost 60,000 members, the Lumbee are the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River and the 9th largest in the United States. Photo Credit: Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina Aspen Hickman, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn North Carolina is home to a variety of native groups in all regions of the state. From the Outer Banks to the Smoky Mountains, the first inhabitants of the state remain present today. North Carolina has

A tanning bed ready for use by the next customer. Tanning beds are a method that often requires booking an appointment in advance. Photo Credits: Shutterstock Jillian Studebaker, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn In the middle of winter, there is not really an option to go outside and tan. Clouds often hang over the sky, blocking the sun, preventing the warmth from reaching us on the ground. Many people often get spray tans and go to tanning beds so they can still get the summe

A t-shirt design bears the Confederate battle flag, a common symbol in “Southern Pride” merchandise and apparel. Southern Pride in general is a popular genre of clothing among people below the Mason-Dixon. Photo Cred: The Dixie Shop Ian Biles and Brayden Howard, Staff Writers for The Powderhorn An older house with peeling siding, passed down from generation to generation with open pastoral fields and countryside for miles, is a common sight throughout Appalachia and the South

NC House Representative, Virginia Foxx, in the Watauga High School auditorium. Foxx has been serving North Carolina for 19 years. She represents the 5th Congressional District which includes counties Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Guilford, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, and Wilkes. Photo Creds: Charlie Stumb, Yearbook Andrew Larsen, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn, and Carrie Bradbury, Review Desk Lead North Carolina House Representative, Virginia Foxx, visited W

A picture taken of sophomore Myra Stern’s snowy backyard on a cold, remote day last year.  Weather like this has led to students having to take out their Chromebooks and log into a Google meet for school instead of being in person. Photo creds: Myra Stern  Ria Titus, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn The beloved snow days of the past filled with hot cocoa and movies have been replaced by the echoes of teachers’ voices on Chromebooks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, computers were

An image of what shows up when a student searches for something they're not supposed to, or a teacher/ administrator restricts what they are doing. Ria Titus, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn This podcast answers student questions about Go Guardian, explains what it is and why it was implemented. It can be accessed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18gn6w_2SXcfL7tl8mv0dfqWl8j8FszbP/view?usp=sharing

For most seniors, the process of college applications has been unfamiliar terrain, filled with unanswered questions and confusing concepts. A large source of uncertainty for Watauga High School’s class of 2026 has specifically been the GEAR UP fee waiver. 

North Korea test launching an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on March 16, 2023. As independent journalists were not allowed to view this event, it is unknown if the image is verifiable. Photo Credits: Korean Central News Agency, Via Associated Press. Andrew Larsen, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn Since 1992, the United States has not conducted any tests of nuclear bombs. However, an announcement by President Trump has brought into question whether testing may resume after

Watauga’s attendance monitor, Ms. Molly Russell, sits at her desk taking care of attendance for the day. Her job consists of making sure students are present and accounted for. Photo Creds: Abbi Clark Abbi Clark, Sports Desk Lead for The Powderhorn For many students at Watauga, coming to school can feel like a chore, and skipping class may seem tempting. The fear of failing a class due to absences may have been the encouragement needed to get some students out of bed in the m

A policy written years ago suddenly became the center of controversy this year, as Watauga County schools confronted a harsh reality: there weren’t enough bus drivers to get students to school. With more than 1000 students relying on buses as a form of transportation, the district had to enforce a long-unenforced rule: Policy 6301.

The monthly school board meeting was this Monday, November 17. These meetings often cover accomplishments of students and staff throughout the County, and the board passes policies that directly affect Watauga County school system.

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green visited Watauga County Schools on October 22, 2025, determined to investigate pressing challenges in North Carolina public education.

El superintendente de instrucción pública de Norte Carolina, Maurice “Mo” Green, visitó las escuelas del condado de Watauga el 22 de octubre de 2025 para conocer de cerca los principales retos que enfrenta la educación pública del estado.

Watauga High School students with their first block off-campus have noticed a  new requirement before returning to their cars after a morning club meeting. Students must now obtain a “pass” from the front office, which typically entails a light green Post-It note with the student’s name and the date written on it, before crossing the street to the parking lot.

Within Watauga's diverse student body, many students think about trades or apprenticeships when considering post-high school plans. Watauga's various CTE programs allow students to explore these options.

Sandy Hook, Columbine, Parkland, and Uvalde are some of the many names ingrained in the modern student's mind. Violence in schools is a growing issue, and the anxiety these events instill in adolescents is growing at a parallel rate.

Un paciente recibe una vacuna de su médico. Si usted o un ser querido desean vacunarse contra el COVID, hay vacunas disponibles en numerosos lugares del condado de Watauga. (Crédito de la foto: Unsplash) Jax Marsh, escritor por The Powderhorn Translation by Bethany Atwood Los cambios en las regulaciones del Centro para el Control de Enfermedades y el gobierno de los Estados Unidos generaron confusión en torno a la disponibilidad de las vacunas contra el COVID. Muchos medios d