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Preventing future issues: Chair of the Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell attends a meeting of the Chester County Board of Elections. On Feb. 3, county leaders discussed steps to prevent poll book issues such as the one that occurred during the Nov. 4 municipal election from happening in the future.
Chester County addresses municipal election poll book error
March 10, 2026
Budget building: The school board finance committee listens to a presentation discussing new budget changes for the 2026-27 fiscal year. At the Jan. 28 meeting members called for a budget increase of 4.66% in the next fiscal year to cover an expected $14.9 million deficit.
School board proposes raising taxes to cover expected $14.9 million deficit
March 10, 2026
Election ethics: The Chester County Justice Center houses the District Attorney’s (DA) office. The DA’s office pressed charges against Democratic Campaign Manager Mariel Kornblith-Martin on Feb. 2 for filing fraudulent nomination petitions.
Democratic campaign manager charged in petition scheme
March 10, 2026
Exploring passions: School counselor Daniel McDermott reads a Program of Studies for the 2026-27 school year. McDermott helped develop the new Curiosity Driven Pathways program to help foster students’ curiosity related to their interests.
Curiosity-Driven Pathways to be offered next school year
March 10, 2026
Berwyn SEPTA station: A SEPTA train travels along the Paoli/Thorndale line. Senior citizens have traveled for free through this train station since the SEPTA Senior Fare Program has enacted in 2018.
Senior citizens apply for SEPTA discount cards
March 10, 2026
Conestoga Mini-THON raises record-breaking $43,089.44
Conestoga Mini-THON raises record-breaking $43,089.44
March 15, 2026
Muslim Student Association celebrates Iftar night
Muslim Student Association celebrates Iftar night
March 15, 2026
Mini-THON Planning Committee hosts 4th annual Pi Day
Mini-THON Planning Committee hosts 4th annual Pi Day
March 12, 2026
Waiting for a home: A dog stands in a kennel at the Phoenix Animal Rescue. While events like the Puppy Bowl helped spotlight adoption, many dogs continued to wait as the rescue faced rising costs.
Chester County puppies star in XXII Puppy Bowl, raise awareness
March 10, 2026
Property pursuit: Social studies teacher Brian Gallagher (middle) plays a round of Monopoly with juniors Calvin Kan (left) and Advay Agrawal (right). Gallagher, like other community members, had the opportunity to nominate beloved landmarks for the upcoming Monopoly: Philadelphia Edition.
Top Trumps USA to create Philadelphia-themed custom Monopoly edition
March 10, 2026
Day 6: Editor Gift Recommendations
Day 6: Editor Gift Recommendations
December 17, 2025
Graphic: Philadelphia Field Trips
April 25, 2025
Graphic: Sports Photography
April 25, 2025
Graphic: Nonprofits
April 25, 2025
Calling all caffeine consumers!
Calling all caffeine consumers!
March 21, 2025
Shared starters: Maggiano’s Little Italy offers a variety of appetizers, including Wagyu Beef Meatballs and Truffle Garlic Bread. The Calamari Fritté was tender and well-cooked and set a comforting tone for the meal.
The Spork: Maggiano’s Little Italy
March 10, 2026
Taste the rainbow: Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe offers two different Meat Combos and sides. The Single Meat Combo with a side of Shiro was packed with flavor and offered a colorful platter with a balance of meat, vegetables and grain.
The Spork: Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe
February 9, 2026
Green on green: The Atlantic and Lafayette sandwiches are served with a side of an arugula salad. On a Sunday morning, customers filled the cafe.
The Spork: Matines Cafe
December 12, 2025
Three-tiered tradition: Eight pieces of tea sandwiches, a warm scone with clotted cream, lemon curd, strawberry preserves and three assorted mini pastries fill the stand as part of the shop’s full afternoon tea. The set cost $40 and came with unlimited tea refills for the table.
The Spork: A Taste of Britain
November 3, 2025
Bubbling broth: The hot pot options at Asian fusion restaurant Gyu Hakata come with a customizable selection of meats and vegetables. The split soup base provided a variety of flavors and spices to cook the ingredients in.
The Spork: Gyu Hakata Hot Pot
October 3, 2025
French fanatic: French teacher Jamie Cappelleti smiles for a photo. After her sabbatical leave, Cappelleti returned to teaching at Conestoga and TEMS.
Teacher Feature: Jamie Cappelletti
February 9, 2026
Literary lens: English teacher and varsity football coach Scott Gee sits at his desk. Gee became the head coach for the football team in March 2024 and started teaching at Conestoga at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.
Teacher Feature: Scott Gee
December 11, 2025
Engineering enthusiast: Business and technology department chair Noah Austin sits in the fabrication lab. Austin began teaching at Conestoga in 2006 and teaches engineering courses in addition to designing and implementing new ones.
Teacher Feature: Noah Austin
November 3, 2025
Poised to learn: Math teacher Paul Poiesz sits at his desk and displays his mug with a math pun. Poiesz began teaching at Conestoga 28 years ago after teaching at Bishop McDevitt High School. He will retire at the end of this school year, wrapping up his 43-year teaching career.
Teacher Feature: Paul Poiesz
June 2, 2025
Coaching calculator: Math teacher and head coach of the girls’ tennis team Seth Shore sits at his desk. Shore started to teach at Conestoga in the fall of 1999 and began coaching the girls’ tennis team at the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Teacher Feature: Seth Shore
April 25, 2025
High schools are breeding grounds for disordered eating
High schools are breeding grounds for disordered eating
March 10, 2026
Jeff’s Gist: Why ICE threatens our moral ‘cost of living’
Jeff’s Gist: Why ICE threatens our moral ‘cost of living’
March 10, 2026
Turn off texting
Turn off texting
March 10, 2026
Satire: A day in the life of a perfect student
Satire: A day in the life of a perfect student
March 10, 2026
Review: ‘GOAT’ doesn’t live up to its name
Review: ‘GOAT’ doesn’t live up to its name
March 10, 2026
Unsigned: Our overconsumption of media seriously threatens media literacy
Unsigned: Our overconsumption of media seriously threatens media literacy
December 11, 2025
Unsigned: Our rights are in danger, don’t remain silent
Unsigned: Our rights are in danger, don’t remain silent
April 25, 2025
Unsigned: The press is part of the people, not the enemy
Unsigned: The press is part of the people, not the enemy
December 16, 2024
Unsigned: Looking behind the scenes of front page
Unsigned: Looking behind the scenes of front page
November 1, 2023
Unsigned: Court case victory is not the end
Unsigned: Court case victory is not the end
March 20, 2023
Satire: A day in the life of a perfect student
Satire: A day in the life of a perfect student
March 10, 2026
Satire: Eat as much AllNatural candy as you want!
Satire: Eat as much AllNatural candy as you want!
November 3, 2025
Satire: Spend more time on that darn phone!
Satire: Spend more time on that darn phone!
February 20, 2025
Satire: Why Groundhog Day rules
Satire: Why Groundhog Day rules
February 6, 2024
Satire: Why I absolutely will not be getting the COVID-19 vaccine
Satire: Why I absolutely will not be getting the COVID-19 vaccine
February 16, 2021
Review: ‘GOAT’ doesn’t live up to its name
Review: ‘GOAT’ doesn’t live up to its name
March 10, 2026
Review: ‘Wicked: For Good’ doesn’t quite defy gravity
Review: ‘Wicked: For Good’ doesn’t quite defy gravity
December 12, 2025
Review: ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ should be on no one’s ‘Wi$h Li$t’
Review: ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ should be on no one’s ‘Wi$h Li$t’
November 3, 2025
Review: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is as ‘Golden’ as everyone says
Review: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is as ‘Golden’ as everyone says
October 3, 2025
Review: ‘Thunderbolts*’ — flawed heroes, familiar story
Review: ‘Thunderbolts*’ — flawed heroes, familiar story
June 2, 2025
From the editors: Here’s to 75 years
From the editors: Here’s to 75 years
June 2, 2025
Letter from the Editors: It’s been an honor
Letter from the Editors: It’s been an honor
April 25, 2025
From the Editor: Goodbye and good luck
From the Editor: Goodbye and good luck
April 11, 2024
From the Editor: Why we removed student names from the Senior Destinations Map
From the Editor: Why we removed student names from the Senior Destinations Map
June 5, 2023
Letter from the Editors: Over and out
Letter from the Editors: Over and out
April 25, 2023
Jeff’s Gist: Why ICE threatens our moral ‘cost of living’
Jeff’s Gist: Why ICE threatens our moral ‘cost of living’
March 10, 2026
Jeff’s Gist: My (subtle) beef with the BYOD ban
Jeff’s Gist: My (subtle) beef with the BYOD ban
October 3, 2025
Jeff’s Gist: I hate men
Jeff’s Gist: I hate men
June 2, 2025
Jeff’s Gist: Censor injustice, not activists
Jeff’s Gist: Censor injustice, not activists
April 25, 2025
Jeff’s Gist: To be an introvert in loud political climates
Jeff’s Gist: To be an introvert in loud political climates
March 21, 2025
Boys tennis defeats Haverford 7-0
Boys tennis defeats Haverford 7-0
March 18, 2026
Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener
Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener
March 17, 2026
Just starting out: Seniors Audrey Kim (left) and Abby Chong (right) get ready to try skiing. Seniors and dedicated skiers Sarah Bernholdt and Kate Khugaeva taught Chong and Kim to glide before approaching the mountain.
Tryoneer Pioneer: Learning the slopes
March 10, 2026
First-place finish: The boys’ 4x800-meter team of (left to right) senior Parker Warkentine, sophomore Casmir Przybylowski and seniors Howard Shui and Jake Foster receive medals for their first place finish at the Meet of Champions. Previously, at the La Salle Winter Series, the team won second place for the same event with a time of 8:02:90 minutes.
Boys’ 4×800-meter relay qualifies for nationals, looks to break school record
March 10, 2026
Soccer sensations: From left to right, siblings Joshua Rick, Andrew Rick and Julia Rick play for Devon Preparatory School, the Philadelphia Union and Conestoga respectively. The siblings each began playing soccer before kindergarten, after trying out different sports. The siblings say their strengths come from their closeness and hope to continue like that in the future.
Dynamic trio: Siblings excel in soccer
March 10, 2026
Just starting out: Seniors Audrey Kim (left) and Abby Chong (right) get ready to try skiing. Seniors and dedicated skiers Sarah Bernholdt and Kate Khugaeva taught Chong and Kim to glide before approaching the mountain.
Tryoneer Pioneer: Learning the slopes
March 10, 2026
Aiming for the shot: Senior Lily Chen (left) aims her stick towards the net to shoot a goal after quickly learning to pass and cradle. Senior Sofia Calvitti (right), a member of the varsity girls’ lacrosse team, taught Chen to twist her body and swing through the shot.
Tryoneer Pioneer: Finding new aim
February 9, 2026
Up and over: Senior Lauren Pinheiro clears a 30-inch hurdle at the Conestoga track after hours of learning the proper form. Senior Rheeya Sudhagar, a member of the track and field team, taught her to keep her lead leg straight while bending in her trail leg to complete the hurdling motion.
Tryoneer Pioneer: Clearing new heights
December 11, 2025
Tee time: Lining up his shot, senior Ryan Ding prepares to tee off at roughly 200 yards from the hole at Turtle Creek Golf Course. Ding took about 130 strokes over 16 holes. With some hard work and practice, he hopes to beat his best score and complete a course in under 100 strokes, a milestone for experienced golfers.
Tryoneer Pioneer: Teeing up
November 3, 2025
Package: Tryoneer Pioneer
Package: Tryoneer Pioneer
October 4, 2025
Sports opinion: Equal pay vs. equal play in professional tennis
Sports opinion: Equal pay vs. equal play in professional tennis
March 10, 2026
Sports opinion: Teens, don’t let running pass you by
Sports opinion: Teens, don’t let running pass you by
February 9, 2026
Sports opinion: F1 finishes ahead of NASCAR
Sports opinion: F1 finishes ahead of NASCAR
December 11, 2025
Sports opinion: MLB ABS system is an overdue call
Sports opinion: MLB ABS system is an overdue call
November 3, 2025
Sports opinion: Legalizing checking will level the ice for women
Sports opinion: Legalizing checking will level the ice for women
October 3, 2025
Football loses to Marple Newtown 49-7 on Senior Night
Football loses to Marple Newtown 49-7 on Senior Night
October 18, 2025
Boys soccer secures 3-1 win against Marple Newtown on Senior Night
Boys soccer secures 3-1 win against Marple Newtown on Senior Night
October 16, 2025
Boys soccer beats Holy Ghost Prep 2-1
Boys soccer beats Holy Ghost Prep 2-1
October 11, 2025
Girls volleyball takes tough loss to Bayard Rustin 3-0
Girls volleyball takes tough loss to Bayard Rustin 3-0
October 11, 2025
Girls volleyball falls to Springfield 3-0 on Senior Night
Girls volleyball falls to Springfield 3-0 on Senior Night
October 9, 2025
Boys ice hockey clinches win against Haverford
Boys ice hockey clinches win against Haverford
February 21, 2026
Conestoga girls’ basketball team reigns victorious in the Central League Championships
Conestoga girls’ basketball team reigns victorious in the Central League Championships
February 11, 2026
Boys basketball clinches Central League title 48-43 for first time since 2008
Boys basketball clinches Central League title 48-43 for first time since 2008
February 11, 2026
Boys ice hockey secures victory over Downingtown East 5-3
Boys ice hockey secures victory over Downingtown East 5-3
February 10, 2026
Boys basketball beats Haverford 62-43 on Senior Night
Boys basketball beats Haverford 62-43 on Senior Night
February 4, 2026
Boys tennis defeats Haverford 7-0
Boys tennis defeats Haverford 7-0
March 18, 2026
Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener
Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener
March 17, 2026
Triple trophy: Boys tennis wins state championship
Triple trophy: Boys tennis wins state championship
May 28, 2025
Boys' baseball dominates senior night against Upper Darby 7-1
Boys’ baseball dominates senior night against Upper Darby 7-1
May 13, 2025
Baseball falls short to Garnet Valley 9-4
Baseball falls short to Garnet Valley 9-4
May 8, 2025
Package: Black Cat Cafe
March 10, 2026
Package: Girls basketball win Central League
March 10, 2026
Package: Tryoneer Pioneer: Finding new aim
February 9, 2026
Package: Archery Club
February 9, 2026
Package: Main Line Camp Fair
February 9, 2026
Day 12: Conestoga Wrapped
Day 12: Conestoga Wrapped
December 23, 2025
Day 11: Spotify Wrapped Package
Day 11: Spotify Wrapped Package
December 22, 2025
Day 10: Yearly Recap
Day 10: Yearly Recap
December 21, 2025
Day 9: New Years Resolutions
Day 9: New Years Resolutions
December 20, 2025
Day 8: Reindeer Games
Day 8: Reindeer Games
December 19, 2025
The Crossword Answers Issue 4 2025-26
The Crossword Answers Issue 4 2025-26
February 9, 2026
Issue 2 Crossword 2025-2026
November 3, 2025
Issue 6 Crossword 2024-2025
April 25, 2025
2025 Issue 5 Sudoku Answers
2025 Issue 5 Sudoku Answers
March 21, 2025
Day 2: News quiz
Day 2: News quiz
December 10, 2024
The Student News Site of Conestoga High School

The SPOKE
The Student News Site of Conestoga High School

The SPOKE
Trending Stories
1
Conestoga Mini-THON raises record-breaking $43,089.44

Conestoga Mini-THON raises record-breaking $43,089.44

2
Muslim Student Association celebrates Iftar night

Muslim Student Association celebrates Iftar night

3
First-place finish: The boys’ 4x800-meter team of (left to right) senior Parker Warkentine, sophomore Casmir Przybylowski and seniors Howard Shui and Jake Foster receive medals for their first place finish at the Meet of Champions. Previously, at the La Salle Winter Series, the team won second place for the same event with a time of 8:02:90 minutes.

Boys’ 4x800-meter relay qualifies for nationals, looks to break school record

4
Mini-THON Planning Committee hosts 4th annual Pi Day

Mini-THON Planning Committee hosts 4th annual Pi Day

5
Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener

Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener

The SPOKE – Issue 5 2025-2026
News
Preventing future issues: Chair of the Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell attends a meeting of the Chester County Board of Elections. On Feb. 3, county leaders discussed steps to prevent poll book issues such as the one that occurred during the Nov. 4 municipal election from happening in the future.
News
Chester County addresses municipal election poll book error
Alynn Kang, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
Budget building: The school board finance committee listens to a presentation discussing new budget changes for the 2026-27 fiscal year. At the Jan. 28 meeting members called for a budget increase of 4.66% in the next fiscal year to cover an expected $14.9 million deficit.
School board proposes raising taxes to cover expected $14.9 million deficit
Sonja Dziegielewska, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
Election ethics: The Chester County Justice Center houses the District Attorney’s (DA) office. The DA’s office pressed charges against Democratic Campaign Manager Mariel Kornblith-Martin on Feb. 2 for filing fraudulent nomination petitions.
Democratic campaign manager charged in petition scheme
Eden Anderson, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
Exploring passions: School counselor Daniel McDermott reads a Program of Studies for the 2026-27 school year. McDermott helped develop the new Curiosity Driven Pathways program to help foster students’ curiosity related to their interests.
Curiosity-Driven Pathways to be offered next school year
Raymond Wu, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
View All
T/E Life
Conestoga Mini-THON raises record-breaking $43,089.44
T/E Life
Conestoga Mini-THON raises record-breaking $43,089.44
Lea Ukpere, Staff Reporter • March 15, 2026
Muslim Student Association celebrates Iftar night
T/E Life
Muslim Student Association celebrates Iftar night
Rishika Bhattacharya and Priyanka Paxula • March 15, 2026
Mini-THON Planning Committee hosts 4th annual Pi Day
T/E Life
Mini-THON Planning Committee hosts 4th annual Pi Day
Rishika Bhattacharya, Jeffrey Heng, and Lea Ukpere • March 12, 2026
Waiting for a home: A dog stands in a kennel at the Phoenix Animal Rescue. While events like the Puppy Bowl helped spotlight adoption, many dogs continued to wait as the rescue faced rising costs.
T/E Life
Chester County puppies star in XXII Puppy Bowl, raise awareness
Emily S. Wang, Co-Design Editor • March 10, 2026
View All
Opinion
High schools are breeding grounds for disordered eating
Opinion
High schools are breeding grounds for disordered eating
Faith Zantua, Co-News Editor • March 10, 2026
Jeff’s Gist: Why ICE threatens our moral ‘cost of living’
Jeff’s Gist: Why ICE threatens our moral ‘cost of living’
Jeffrey Heng, Co-Managing Editor and Columnist • March 10, 2026
Turn off texting
Turn off texting
Mary Wolters, Co-T/E Life Editor • March 10, 2026
Satire: A day in the life of a perfect student
Satire: A day in the life of a perfect student
Nishta Subramanian, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
Review: ‘GOAT’ doesn’t live up to its name
Review: ‘GOAT’ doesn’t live up to its name
Eshan Singh, Co-Opinion Editor • March 10, 2026
View All
Sports
Boys tennis defeats Haverford 7-0
Sports
Boys tennis defeats Haverford 7-0
Erin Zhang, Co-Copy Editor • March 18, 2026
Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener
Sports
Boys lacrosse beats Germantown Academy 6-5 at season opener
Lea Ukpere and Grace Yao • March 17, 2026
Just starting out: Seniors Audrey Kim (left) and Abby Chong (right) get ready to try skiing. Seniors and dedicated skiers Sarah Bernholdt and Kate Khugaeva taught Chong and Kim to glide before approaching the mountain.
Sports
Tryoneer Pioneer: Learning the slopes
Abby Chong and Audrey Kim • March 10, 2026
First-place finish: The boys’ 4x800-meter team of (left to right) senior Parker Warkentine, sophomore Casmir Przybylowski and seniors Howard Shui and Jake Foster receive medals for their first place finish at the Meet of Champions. Previously, at the La Salle Winter Series, the team won second place for the same event with a time of 8:02:90 minutes.
Sports
Boys’ 4×800-meter relay qualifies for nationals, looks to break school record
Sophia Wu, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
Soccer sensations: From left to right, siblings Joshua Rick, Andrew Rick and Julia Rick play for Devon Preparatory School, the Philadelphia Union and Conestoga respectively. The siblings each began playing soccer before kindergarten, after trying out different sports. The siblings say their strengths come from their closeness and hope to continue like that in the future.
Sports
Dynamic trio: Siblings excel in soccer
Miya Cao, Co-Sports Editor • March 10, 2026
Dribbling to success: Senior Tygee Clark dribbles the ball against Garnet Valley in the Central League championship game on Feb. 10. Clark scored 14 points in the game and contributed to the Pioneers’ first Central League title since 2008.
Sports
Girls, boys basketball win Central League for first time since 2008
Charlotte Liao and Nolan Talley • March 10, 2026
Rowing offshore: The crew team practices indoors in the winter on rowing machines when they are unable to be on the river due to cold conditions. They prepared for their ergathon event on March 7 while fundraising for the club’s activities.
Sports
Crew rows 8 million meters to fundraise
Kimberly Wang, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
Sports opinion: Equal pay vs. equal play in professional tennis
Sports
Sports opinion: Equal pay vs. equal play in professional tennis
Fryashti Mishra, Staff Reporter • March 10, 2026
View All