Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly.

The Braver Angels National organization launched a two-year initiative around the topic of immigration - The Citizens Commission on Immigration. The goal is to demonstrate to our US Congress that Americans with differing views can find common ground.  The initiative was launched after our 2024 convention and the result of a vote by a balanced red-blue group of about 750 delegates.  It will culminate with a "Report to the Nation."  The process is similar to the previous two-year initiative on Trustworthy Elections. 

Also on the program...

The idea of a “traditional” college student — 18 to 24 years old, living on campus, and attending classes full-time — may no longer match reality. 

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly.
The Braver Angels National organization launched a two-year initiative around the topic of immigration - The Citizens Commission on Immigration. The goal is to demonstrate to our US Congress that Americans with differing views can find common ground.&nbsp; The initiative was launched after our 2024 convention and the result of a vote by a balanced red-blue group of about 750 delegates.&nbsp; It will culminate with a "Report to the Nation."&nbsp; The process is similar to the previous two-year initiative on Trustworthy Elections.&nbsp;
Also on the program...
The idea of a &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; college student &mdash; 18 to 24 years old, living on campus, and attending classes full-time &mdash; may no longer match reality.&nbsp;

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.

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&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

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 start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/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 start the conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at&nbsp;<a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark Weekly 9.7.2025: Braver Angels and The Definition of A "Typical College Student" is Changing.

 DOJ efforts to seize voter records

Amish History

(00:00:00)

This episode explores two very different stories unfolding in Pennsylvania. Both centered on who is counted, who is protected, and who holds power. We begin with an investigation into the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit against states, including Pennsylvania, for refusing to hand over voter registration rolls. Drawing on a December 5th Mother Jones report, we examine the push to compare state voter data with commercial datasets and the broader effort to build the nation’s first federal voter database, one that could include sensitive personal information such as voting history, party affiliation, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license data.

Critics warn that such a database could expose millions of Americans to data breaches, reinforce false claims of widespread voter fraud, and provide political cover for purging eligible voters from the rolls. Potentially undermining future elections.

(00:22:37)

In the second half of the episode, we turn to one of Pennsylvania’s most distinctive and often misunderstood communities: the Amish. With insights informed by scholarship from the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, we explore Amish history, religious beliefs, and cultural practices, and consider what their commitment to community, privacy, and separation from state power can teach us about democracy, citizenship, and life beyond constant surveillance.

Together, these conversations ask a larger question: in an age of data collection and political control, what does it mean to truly respect individual freedom and community autonomy?

(00:00:00)
This episode explores two very different stories unfolding in Pennsylvania. Both centered on who is counted, who is protected, and who holds power. We begin with an investigation into the U.S. Justice Department&rsquo;s lawsuit against states, including Pennsylvania, for refusing to hand over voter registration rolls. Drawing on a December 5th Mother Jones report, we examine the push to compare state voter data with commercial datasets and the broader effort to build the nation&rsquo;s first federal voter database, one that could include sensitive personal information such as voting history, party affiliation, Social Security numbers, and driver&rsquo;s license data.
Critics warn that such a database could expose millions of Americans to data breaches, reinforce false claims of widespread voter fraud, and provide political cover for purging eligible voters from the rolls. Potentially undermining future elections.
(00:22:37)
In the second half of the episode, we turn to one of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s most distinctive and often misunderstood communities: the Amish. With insights informed by scholarship from the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, we explore Amish history, religious beliefs, and cultural practices, and consider what their commitment to community, privacy, and separation from state power can teach us about democracy, citizenship, and life beyond constant surveillance.
Together, these conversations ask a larger question: in an age of data collection and political control, what does it mean to truly respect individual freedom and community autonomy?

Voter Data, Democracy, and Pennsylvania’s Past: Power, Privacy, and the People in Between

Dr. Tia Jackson-Truitt, Director of Staff & Community Engagement at the Penn Museum, joins us to talk about the Museum’s annual Kwanzaa celebration and the meaningful partnerships with local communities, artists, performers, and Black-owned businesses that make the event possible. 

also on the program...

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for Church choir directors. We'll check in with 2 Harrisburg church musicians to see how they prepare, the process of choosing among a wide variety of carols and hymns, how one year's service differs from another, and what are some of their holiday favorites.

Dr. Tia Jackson-Truitt, Director of Staff &amp; Community Engagement at the Penn Museum, joins us to talk about the Museum&rsquo;s annual Kwanzaa celebration and the meaningful partnerships with local communities, artists, performers, and Black-owned businesses that make the event possible.&nbsp;
also on the program...
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for Church choir directors. We'll check in with 2 Harrisburg church musicians to see how they prepare, the process of choosing among a wide variety of carols and hymns, how one year's service differs from another, and what are some of their holiday favorites.

The Spark Weekly Holiday Edition: Kwanzaa Celebrations and Church Choirs in Pa.

Lancaster Mayor-Elect

Church Choirs

(00:00:00)

This episode brings together two moments of community significance across Pennsylvania. First, we look at history in the making in Lancaster, where Jaime Arroyo has been elected the city’s first Latino mayor, winning 85% of the vote ahead of his January 5, 2026 inauguration. We discuss what this milestone means in a city where more than 40% of residents identify as Hispanic, and Arroyo’s vision for affordable housing, small business growth, and a more responsive local government.

(00:22:34)

Then, we shift to the season of Christmas, one of the busiest times of the year for church choir directors. We check in with two Harrisburg church musicians about how they prepare for the holidays, how they choose from a wide range of carols and hymns, what changes from year to year, and which songs remain their personal holiday favorites. Together, these stories highlight leadership, tradition, and the ways communities come together, through both civic change and music.

(00:00:00)
This episode brings together two moments of community significance across Pennsylvania. First, we look at history in the making in Lancaster, where Jaime Arroyo has been elected the city&rsquo;s first Latino mayor, winning 85% of the vote ahead of his January 5, 2026 inauguration. We discuss what this milestone means in a city where more than 40% of residents identify as Hispanic, and Arroyo&rsquo;s vision for affordable housing, small business growth, and a more responsive local government.
(00:22:34)
Then, we shift to the season of Christmas, one of the busiest times of the year for church choir directors. We check in with two Harrisburg church musicians about how they prepare for the holidays, how they choose from a wide range of carols and hymns, what changes from year to year, and which songs remain their personal holiday favorites. Together, these stories highlight leadership, tradition, and the ways communities come together, through both civic change and music.

The Spark Weekly 9.7.2025: Braver Angels and The Definition of A "Typical College Student" is Changing.

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