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PODCAST

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

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All Episodes

25:58

National Marching Band Day: Temple University and...

The Spark ·

2025/03/04

March 4th is National Marching Band Day, a day to march forth and celebrate the vibrant tradition of marching bands across the nation. To celebrate, we spoke with Directors of two of Pennsylvania’s premiere marching ensembles-Dr. Matthew Brunner from the Temple University Diamond Band and Dr. Brad Towsend, Director of the University of Pittsburgh Varsity Marching Band. For Brad, he knew early on he wanted to pursue a career in music as a high school band director. But that changed when he took

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25:36

History of the Civic Club of Harrisburg

The Spark ·

2025/03/04

The Civic Club of Harrisburg is a service organization that supports and initiates community projects, provides scholarships and offers services to instill civility and create civil engagement within Harrisburg. To celebrate Women’s History Month, the civic club has a special event on March 24th to honor the past and present women shaping the City of Harrisburg. “So, we are going to be having at the Civic Club of Harrisburg, the Historic Harrisburg Association come and really enlighten

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20:17

Pa. women who made history in the 19th century

The Spark ·

2025/03/03

Pennsylvania has graced the world with an inordinate number of influential women throughout its history but looking with a sharper lens at four women in particular highlights not just their achievements, but also key trends in the U.S. and Pennsylvania in the 1800’s. Dr. Christine Senecal, Medieval Historian, shared some of the most important women from Pennsylvania whose lives made a positive impact on the world today. Mary Cassatt was the only American to exhibit alongside the French

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43:00

The Spark Weekly 3.2.2025: Road Salts Effect on the...

The Spark ·

2025/03/02

On this week's edition of The Spark Weekly. Winter road treatments help to keep us safe on the roads, however there are some hidden dangers of road salt and our freshwater ecosystem. Dr. John Jackson, Senior Research Scientist of Stroud Research Center, shared how the road salt makes its way into our fresh water. Also, on the program: Lisa Zoll is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Grief Relief in Harrisburg. Grief Relief specializes in grief and trauma therapy for adults and first

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22:31

Journalist Roundtable: Protests held in Pa. in...

The Spark ·

2025/03/01

Our journalist roundtable for February 28 included WPSU’s Sydney Roach and WITF’s Jordan Wilkie. Jordan recently covered a protest where more than 300 people marched to the capitol to protest the Donald Trump administration. Sydney discussed her report on the protest in Centre County where people protested the Trump administration’s recent actions, which included pauses on federal funding and Eldon Musk’s involvement in the government. Listen to the podcast to hear the

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22:16

Pa. Scientist shares dangers of road salt...

The Spark ·

2025/03/01

Winter road treatments help to keep us safe on the roads, however there are some hidden dangers of road salt and our freshwater ecosystem. Dr. John Jackson, Senior Research Scientist of Stroud Research Center, shared how the road salt makes its way into our fresh water. “a portion, maybe half, maybe a little more, maybe less, immediately goes into our waterway by way of the snow melt and runoff. So, we'll see a spike in salt in the stream within hours of snow, or especially an ice event. icing

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22:41

Pa. Author shares about Amish experience in...

The Spark ·

2025/02/28

Much has been written about the Amish in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, but little of that comes from the Amish themselves. Author Brad Igou seeks to change that with his compilation, Amish: In their own words. The book is compiled from the first 25 years of Family Life Magazine. Igou says his inspiration to write this book was born out of an experience living with an Amish family. “I'd read a lot about the Amish, but I found a publication they had called Family Life, which was written by Amish

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22:35

Grief and trauma explained by a PA social worker

The Spark ·

2025/02/27

Lisa Zoll is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Grief Relief in Harrisburg. Grief Relief specializes in grief and trauma therapy for adults and first responders within Pennsylvania. Grief is described as the loss of something significant loss and trauma is an event that causes some significant level of distress and anguish for someone. Asia Tabb, host of The Spark asked Lisa how grief and trauma intertwine following a tragic event. “There is a term, traumatic grief, which is

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26:18

How mass transit is evolving in Central and Eastern PA

The Spark ·

2025/02/27

Public transportation plays a critical role in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania’s lives whether they’re trying to get to work, run errands, or get to their medical appointments. The mass transit is changing, pitting traditional methods against things like rideshare services. According to Richard Farr, Executive Director of Rabbit Transit, technology has been a game changer in services they provide the public. “Now we're paying by cell phones. We used to have to print hundreds of

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21:55

Franklin County's involvement in the Underground...

The Spark ·

2025/02/26

Franklin County played an important role in the Underground Railroad. It’s location on the Mason-Dixon Line signaled escaping slaves entry through the north, and the mountainous terrain afforded numerous hiding places in caves and wooded areas. “Over the years I've heard research historians refer to South Central Pennsylvania as ground zero of the Underground Railroad. Over the years I've heard research historians refer to South Central Pennsylvania as ground zero of the Underground

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21:44

The History of Perry Historians

The Spark ·

2025/02/26

The Perry Historians were incorporated in 1976 and is dedicated to preserving history whether it i's researching genealogy or documenting historic sites. Local Author and Historian, Jerry A. Clouse was one of the founding members of the non-profit. "There was not a library, a research library where we could do research instead of going to the state library at Harrisburg. So we felt it would be good to have one closer by in Perry County." The organization began with just 30 members, but grew by a

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22:23

New Exhibit Open at New Holland Area Historical Society.

The Spark ·

2025/02/25

The movie,“Brave the Dark”is, as I’m sure you know by now, a wonderful account of the relationship betweenStan Deen and his adopted sonNathaniel "Nate" Deen. In January, the New Holland Area Historical Society Museum opened an exhibit, free to the public, that’s a chance to learn more about the story behind the movie. Mr. Deen, as Stan Deen was known, was a high school English and Drama teacher at Garden Spot High School from 1967 until 1997 when he retired, but he stayed

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22:26

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan D. Baxter Fund for African...

The Spark ·

2025/02/25

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan D. Baxter Fund for African American Studies 2025 Forum is set to take place February 27. Reverand Dr. Catherine Williams, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship and Director of Chapel Worship at Lancaster Theological Seminary says it’s part of their Black History Month commemoration. This forum will honor the legacy of Biship Nathan D. Baxter. “Even as a lecturer here, his lectures, because he was around and active in the civil rights movement himself, his

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22:34

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month,...

The Spark ·

2025/02/24

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to shedding light on an issue that affects far too many young people. Sobeida Rosa, Community Educator with Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County, works to educate the public about Domestic Violence and resources available at DVS Lancaster. “Teens can also be involved or experience these types of things within their dating. And it's super important to raise awareness because we want to make sure we can try to do some

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42:00

The Spark Weekly 2.23.2025: Theatre Harrisburg...

The Spark ·

2025/02/23

On this week's edition of The Spark Weekly... Theatre Harrisburg, Central Pennsylvania’s oldest performing arts organization, is celebrating its 100th season. also on the program... The world is facing a chocolate shortage due to climate change, supply chain issues, and rising production costs.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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22:28

PennLive's Jenna Wise Shares recent news reports

The Spark ·

2025/02/22

Breaking news never stops, and staying informed is more important than ever. Jenna Wise, breaking news reporter for PennLive, has covered some of the biggest stories unfolding across our region. From developing events to in-depth reporting, Jenna is on the front lines bringing the latest news to Central Pennsylvania. Jenna was a guest on the Spark Feb 21, and shared some of her latest reporters from this past week. Her reports included a District Attorneys decision on a fatal crash, Harrisburg

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22:11

February is National Bird Feeding Month

The Spark ·

2025/02/21

National Bird Feeding month is a month to help birds survive the winter by providing food, water, and shelter. February is one of the most difficult months for birds to survive because of limited food and cold temperatures. This month is meant to educate people about wild bird feeding and watching. Dan Brauning and Brian Byrns made an appearance on The Spark to share more information about Bird watching. Dan Bruaning is a leading Ornithologist who has dedicated his life to studying and protecting

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22:04

Theatre Harrisburg to celebrate 100 seasons this fall

The Spark ·

2025/02/21

Theatre Harrisburg, Central Pennsylvania’s oldest performing arts organization, is celebrating its 100th season. It was originally founded as Harrisburg Community Theatre in 1926 during the “little theatre” movement. “And really what that was where groups of amateurs or community members wanting to theater into their communities. So primarily theater was happening, you know, on Broadway and in the big cities, “said Executive Director, Lorien Reese-Mahay. In 1952 the

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22:34

Gretna Music celebrates 50 years

The Spark ·

2025/02/20

Gretna Music is celebrating 50 seasons this fall. Executive Director, Suzanne Stewart, reflects on his milestone. “Wow, so this is my 13th summer as executive to Greta executive director of Gretna music and I've seen so many different things in the in the 13 years, but even before that I was involved back in 2000, “said Stewart Mika Cook is the Director of Operations and Patron Services at Gretna Music. She began at the theatre as a intern. “I mean I haven't I think this is my

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21:43

Behind the Curtain: The Ambassador Program at the...

The Spark ·

2025/02/20

The Fulton Theatre isn’t just one of the most historic and iconic theatres in Pennsylvania – it’s also a place where community engagement plays a huge role in creating an unforgettable experience for audiences. A key part of that effort is the Ambassador Program, which helps connect volunteers with the theater in a meaningful way. The Ambassador Program is a volunteer program at the Fulton Theatre. According to Donna Lascoskie, Hose Manager at the Fulton, there’s currently

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