PHS Student Launches Local Food Magazine

Ah, the spork…

The hybrid spoon-fork is a common sight in most school cafeterias.

It’s also the name of Princeton High School’s food and dining magazine, launched by 16-year-old junior Byrne Fahey, who serves as editor-in-chief.

“I’ve always loved to cook and to write,” Fahey said. “I read a lot of food blogs and magazines, so it seemed natural that I would want to start my own.

“Once I got the idea, I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she said. "I planned Spork all summer long and presented it to my school administrators in the fall.”

Backed by supportive classmates, Fahey published the first issue in December 2011.

Spork covers all things food and dining and includes articles, recipes, photos, graphics and paid advertisements, all in full color

In the first issue, Spork paid homage to the 100^th anniversary of Oreo cookies.

The four-page, March, 2012 issue includes a s’mores, a review of Princeton’s bagel offerings, a ‘Picky Eater’s Guide to Fine Dining,’ an interview with elements chef Scott Anderson and a column called #TrendinginFood (think bacon topped fudge, coconut water and kale chips.

So far nearly two dozen students have contributed to Spork, writing articles, taking photographs and contributing recipes.

With two issues under her belt, Fahey hopes to publish five more over the next year. Each issue costs about $400 to print, but the cost is expected to rise as Fahey adds more pages to each issue. Spork is not funded by the school district, so Fahey recently launched a website on kickstarter.com, raising more than $1,000 in 24 hours.

Spork is free to all Princeton High School students and staff, but others can purchase a one-year subscription for $15, which covers mailing costs for four quarterly issues. Fahey hopes to launch a website by next year to expand Spork's reach.

“This has been a really exciting project for me,” Fahey said. "I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome."