Welcome to the 2nd issue of SPARK !

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 starkly black tree, individual branches small and large reaching out beyond the frame—an old tree aspiring above and beyond. Embedded in the center of the image, a bold, not perfectly round circle, colored with different shades of blue, with the brush strokes still visible. Bristlecone pines are ancient, wise trees. They thrive and survive in harsh environments where other trees might wither. As bristlecone pines mature, they bend and twist, taking on almost human-like forms. In this way, they have lived for centuries and millennia, vital to the health of the forest ecosystems where they grow. 

The cover for our second issue, titled Bristlecones Turn Inwards to Grow, is by the Community of Scholars Program (COSP) Scholar, Emily Mitamura. Bristlecone pines reflect our COSP community where embodied resilience and fierce beauty intertwine to produce vibrant scholarship. Rooted in SPARK’s values of social justice, community building, innovation, creativity, and public scholarship, Mitamura’s piece foregrounds the deep self reflection, inner growth, and lived experiences our contributors reveal in their pieces.