By Mitch Jasper, Co-Editor of The Spark This site features an interview with student Delilah Wurth about her poem, "Respect" highlighting the struggles of those who experience substance abuse and homelessness. To view the poem and interview, follow this link: https://sites.google.com/wataugaschools.org/respect?usp=sharing

Tom Dula's grave in Wilkes County Selah Greer, Editor of The Spark “Hang your head, Tom Dooley / Hang your head and cry / You killed poor Laurie Foster / And you know you're bound to die.” “Gentleman, do you see this hand? Does it tremble?’ Dula called out to the crowd gathered to witness his execution, holding his right hand high. “I never hurt a hair on that girl's head.” These would be Tom Dula’s last words. Moments later, his body would hang lifeless from the Statesville

This photo essay explores Rachel Whitfield, a local artist, and the symbolic jewelry she creates.

Bite down on your teeth feel the misalignment  Grind down and find the roots  move your jaw  know reality is naught

I am homesick for an America That I never saw May never see again Sitting here freezing my ass off In position, in my apartment I recall what is gone  Witness what never was

September's spent heat hums Small insects strangely aware Their time is near A body feels its boundaries More keenly in the cold

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has largely slipped out of the American media and American people's consciousness, but for Andrew Harrelson, former Watauga student and Powderhorn journalist, the ongoing war is very much a daily reality. Harrelson graduated from Watauga in 2014, and after getting a degree in English literature and writing, left the states to do humanitarian work in places like Iraq and is currently a volunteer combat medic in Ukraine. Though the transition fro

This story features a multitude of Ukrainian artists and there art ranging from written pieces to songs and films.