Even with a busy schedule, Andrew
Kim ’26 always finds a way to pursue
his passion: singing. Kim began to
sing at the age of 10, and ever since,
music has shaped who he is. Through
years of choir and singing with his
acapella group, Around 8, as well
as Studio Vocals, he has grown and
discovered a supportive community,
helping him find his voice. He plans
to carry his passion with him to
college, where he hopes to join an
acapella group.

**How did you start singing?**

I started singing in elementary
school. It was a requirement for
Community Park. At first I didn’t
really think much of it. It was more
like my parents told me to do music,
and so I did it. But then going to high
school, this is where Mr. Metallo
opened my eyes to singing. I had so
much fun freshman year. And that’s
when I started doing more singing.

**Do you have any favorite songs? If so, what are they?**

We had a song for Studio Vocals. It was called “I’m Gonna Live Until I Die.” Even
though I just sang the bass part, like the supporting track, it was so much fun, and I
had an amazing time.

**Who is your favorite artist?**

Right now, I’d say Grant Perez. I really enjoy his music when I’m studying. It has a
nice, relaxing vibe.

**What is your favorite genre of music? Why?**

To sing, I’d say jazz. I think it suits my vocal range, so it sounds better. I [also] listen
to jazz, but when I’m doing work or exercising, I like to listen to pop.

**What is your favorite memory of being in the PHS Choir?**

My favorite memory is definitely going on the trip to Italy. We got to perform at many
Gothic buildings. It was so cool to sing with the university students. It was really cool
to embrace the culture.

**What is has your experience in
Around 8 been? When did you
join? What inspired you to join?
What is your role?**

I joined sophomore year. My sister
recommended it to me because she
thought I’d enjoy it, and I really do
enjoy it. This year I’m going to be
the music director, so I’ll be leading
the group. Usually we have two hour
rehearsals twice a week. We will
start off with getting to know each
other and catching up, then we do
vocal warm ups, and then, we get
into practicing our songs. We have
our back to school performance on
September 25, so we’re formulating
the songs we want to choose. We
usually choose by voting, so each
member gets to vote on songs they
like after hearing them.

**How do you balance school and
music?**

It’s important to be punctual
because when you have a lot on your mind, you can’t really focus on one thing since your
mind gets dragged around. Speaking from my sophomore and freshman year experience,
managing school and choir was not that big of a burden, especially because I didn’t take
that many APs. Junior year was when it really started kicking in, so I struggled a little bit.

**Any advice you would give to younger singers?**

I think [you] should just try it out and see how you like it. I think for singing, as long
as you like it, you can be good at it. I remember in freshman year, I really didn’t think I
was adamant auditioning for Around 8 because I knew that there were so many more
talented singers compared to me, but I’m glad I took that risk. And so I think for younger
singers, you should definitely take that risk, and have a little faith in yourself.

**Will you continue to sing after you graduate?**

I would definitely continue to sing after graduating. I have a lot of interest in college
acapella groups because they’re pretty cool. I might try that out. But other than that,
I’m not sure if I’ll really pursue a career in music, although I really enjoy it. I think it’s
more of a hobby than a career.

photo: Katherine Chen

Andrew Kim ’26 sings “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, one of the songs in Around 8’s repertoire.

Student artist of the month: Andrew Kim ’26 

William Ponder ’25 has been involved in theater and the arts throughout
his life. Starting at his church, then taking part in productions in middle
school, Ponder has found community through his fellow cast members
and an emotional outlet through his characters. In the future, Ponder will
focus his studies on psychology at Howard University, but he hopes to
continue performing every chance he can.

**What got you started in acting?**

I always loved acting. I started acting in the church; we used to do these
little musicals and stuff. When I got to middle school, I did every single
play and musical before COVID happened. I got to high school and I
was like “I would love to be in the play,” so I did all four plays and
I really loved it. I got to meet a bunch of really cool people and I
got to really lose myself in the character.

**What was it like to start participating in school
productions?**

It was a really fantastic experience. Ms. Cameron, the
drama teacher [at Princeton Middle School], made sure that
everyone, no matter how big or small your role, was having
a lot of fun. It was such a diverse and fun experience.
Your father is an artist — did he inspire you in any way?
Both my father and my mother are really creative. My mom
creates these really elaborate quilts and my dad is a painter, so
there were these days where my sister and I would sit down and they
both would present their pieces. They were also really encouraging
me and my sister’s creative sides.

**What was your favorite high school production?**

I would say my favorite was definitely “The Play That Goes Wrong.” I did it my
sophomore year and basically the premise of the play was we try to keep having the
show go on when everything’s actually getting messed up. Our setlight collapsed at
the end. It was very fun to be a part of. I was really close to my classmates because we
had to do so many stunts and trust each other.

**How do you handle nerves on stage?**

A lot of the time my classmates and I will do these special exercises where we all
try to get the nerves out of our system. Another thing that really helps is when I
get nervous I talk really fast, so when I’m on stage I try to calm myself down.
I just remember to breathe and just talk slower because slower will not be
as slow as it sounds.

**Are there any clubs at PHS that you joined that appeal to your
creative side?**

I’m in the Multicultural Student Achievement Network and something
we did this year was the Black History Month Assembly. I really think
we were able to show our true creative sides. There was a dancing club
and a fashion show so we really were able to put our own creative sides
into that.

**If you were to give advice to someone who wants to follow in your
footsteps, what would you say?**

I would say just march at the beat of your own drum. If it seems cringe
or embarrassing, it’s totally okay. I’d rather come off as an embarrassing
person but authentic than someone who’s trying to be someone they’re not.
Whatever makes you happy, you have to do that.

Student artist of the month: Will Ponder ’25

Ever since the age of five, Nikolai
Margulis ’25 has embraced music as a
defining part of his life. His passion for the
banjo has led him to hone his ability over
the years, as well as engage
in the musical community
by coordinating a program
with the International Bluegrass
Music Association, becoming a
signed artist of Prucha Banjos, and
winning awards for his playing
and compositions. Margulis is
considering taking a dual–degree
program between Harvard and Berkeley
that would allow him to continue studying
music while also exploring other paths
in life.

**What inspired you to start playing the
banjo?**

I grew up in Arkansas, and we had a
farmer’s market every Saturday, and there
was a guy there and [it seemed like] he lived
in the Gilded Age pretty much. He wore
corduroys and a button-down sweater vest
with a little pocket watch and I thought
he was the coolest guy and he played the
banjo. So I asked my mom if I could take
lessons. I took lessons with him for seven
years in Arkansas. He played a style called
classic banjo ... I didn’t get into [the style I
play now] though, until I moved to Jersey
and no one played [classic banjo]. I was
gonna give it up, and my mom sent me
to this banjo camp with adults, I was the
youngest one there ... they all played the
three-finger banjo, which is what most
banjo players play now, and I got converted
[to playing the three-finger banjo] there.

**What work have you done for the Bluegrass
Music Association?**

I put together this program at the
International Bluegrass Music Associations
... called the World of Bluegrass. It’s their
annual festival in North Carolina, and you
get all the stars down there [and it’s] where
they give out awards. I put together some
people who I knew would be up for it, like
some of these big winners like Vocalists of
the Year and stuff. And I asked them to kind
of form a new band that would go play one
set where people can request the songs. So
as the songs are playing, the audience pays
to request what the next [song is] gonna
be and the highest bid gets to choose it.
And so we raise money for their diversity
programs as the International Bluegrass
Music Association, and it’s also just fun
because I get to hear bands that I’ve always
wanted to hear that don’t exist, so it’s a
win-win.

**What was your journey in becoming a
sponsored artist for Prucha Banjos?**

I met the banjo maker Jaroslav Prucha a
few years back in North Carolina. I’d grown
up seeing heroes of mine like Russ Carson
and Alison Brown playing his instruments
and had always dreamt of playing one
myself. Jaroslav and I got along great, and
in a few months he approached me about
making a custom instrument. We spent a
few months designing a banjo specifically
for my playing, and last fall I officially
signed on as the youngest endorsing artist
of Prucha Banjos. It’s a real beauty of a
banjo, and I am [grateful] and proud to
play it everyday.

**How is playing the banjo different from
other instruments?**

When I started playing an instrument,
I didn’t think about playing anything else.
But the more that [I played, the more I
realized] that the banjo, the way it’s played,
is very based on its limitations. It doesn’t
have much sustain, you have to just throw
a bunch of notes out to give the impression
of any chord, and you don’t get a lot of bass
notes. And so I try to find ways to work
around that, but now I often find myself
having a little envy of pianos or guitars.
But I’m happy to play the banjo.

**What was your most memorable
performance?**

[Tony Trishka is] a real hero of mine. He
invited me to come play [at his birthday
party] and everyone was there: Steve
Martin was there, [Ed] Helms ... from “The
Office” [was there, as well as] Béla Flack,
who’s one of my favorite banjo players ...
it was really cool there just to see all these
banjo players come together and celebrate.

**What is your process when composing
music?**

When I sit down and take the banjo out
of the cage, I just play stuff for ten minutes.
I’d improvise and try and play things that
I haven’t heard before and often an idea
will come out of that that makes me feel
something. And it’s like emotional problem
solving [because] you throw your fingers
down, they end up in some place that’s new
... The goal is to resolve it in a way that’s
pleasing in some way, or it makes you feel
something that you’d like to feel.

Student artist of the month: Nikolai Margulis ’25


Having been involved in theatrical productions most of her life, from on-stage performances in middle school to now leading the PHS Tech Crew and Spectacle Theatre, Grace Waldman ’25 finds joy in being able to manage and coordinate the technical aspects of plays and musicals, and ultimately watching it all unfold into a stunning final production for the audience. Waldman began as a member of Tech Crew during freshman year, and is now the stage manager for Tech Crew and Spectacle Theatre. Motivated by the excitement of piecing together shows and building community, Waldman plans to study technical theater in college.



**What do you do as a member of Tech Crew?**  
I’m the stage manager for PHS Tech Crew and PHS Spectacle Theater. So that means that I oversee the theater program at PHS. I would say I’m the link between the actors and the crew: it’s my job to communicate what is going on in rehearsal and let the technical designers and all the crew that we have working know what’s going on so that we can have the set work for us.  




**Do you ever encounter any issues with coordinating the theatrical productions?**  
This year is my first year as stage manager, so I stage managed “Rumors,” the fall play, and “Groundhog Day,” the musical, and I’ll probably do the choir cabaret. “Rumors” was not a very tech heavy show at all, kind of park and bark if you will. Once we got to “Groundhog Day,” it’s so technically intense and there’s so much going on at every single moment in the show. It was a lot to process and figure out, “okay, this is how I have to approach this sort of thing and this is how I have to be able to communicate,” and how I have to manage [the time spent on] my work outside of school and my work with the show with my homework and everything else … while being an assistant stage manager is similar and you get a lot of the training … you kind of just have to go in and learn, “okay, this is the way that I have to do it.”



**Did you also do theater in middle school or when you were younger?**  
[In] elementary and middle school, I did a couple of productions that my school offered. I also went to a summer camp and every year they put on a musical, so I would do that, I was an actor. I didn’t get into the tech aspect of it till high school, but I definitely think that it suits me better. I’m not one for performing on the stage. I’ll leave that to them.



**What’s your favorite part of being the stage manager?**  
Especially for the musical … the auditions are so fun because [there are] some people [that] I don’t know. They’re just coming in as freshmen and it’s so exciting to see everybody be so happy and want to join this community because theater is a really big part of my life. I’ve done it forever, and my dad is an actor and so it’s just really in the family. I also really enjoy the end of the process. Once we actually get performing and see it all come together, tech week can be really stressful and it definitely was this year for “Groundhog Day,” but it’s always so beautiful seeing everything just come together.



**Do you plan to continue this in the future?**  
A lot of the schools that I’ve applied to and that I’m thinking about have some kind of programs or the theater scene in the area is really vibrant. So I definitely think about doing it in the future. I’m not sure if I would want to pursue it professionally, although I did apply to some BFA programs. But I’ll see where the wind takes me.


Student artist of the month: Grace Waldman ‘25

From reading Shakespeare and watching plays to playing the lead role in high
school productions, Peter Niforatos ’25 has developed a passion for acting through
years of dedication and hard work. His love began acting in middle school when
he and his sister frequently put on productions at home. This led Niforatos to
pursue theater throughout high school, most recently playing Phil Connors, the
lead role in “Groundhog Day.” With every musical production, he continues
to gain valuable experiences and develop a better understanding of acting,
which he intends to pursue at New York University.

**What was your favorite moment and role in high school acting?**

The most fun I’ve had is between two [different plays]. I really enjoyed
playing Lenny in “Rumors” because he’s a very high energetic character and
... I ended with this massive monologue, and he was such an intense character
to play. [In contrast], I think the exact opposite when I played Nick Carraway
back in “The Great Gatsby.” I remember that was such a meticulous character
and one that I really had to focus on every single detail. [Lenny] was the exact
opposite experience and it was fun to play and really [interesting] to figure
out how I was going to do that.

**What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an actor?**

The most challenging one is “Groundhog Day” because I’ve always been
more of an actor than a singer and dancer ... “Groundhog Day” in particular
is a show about a change in a person. A lot of the characters change from the
beginning [to the end], and that’s one of the most important things. I think
to have somebody completely go from a depressed and pessimistic character
and change to somebody who is more positive and an optimistic person is
really hard to nail, especially because in a lot of shows you change with other
characters. But in “Groundhog Day,” because everybody is repeating the
exact same day, except for Phil, it’s really important to find that change
within yourself, instead of from outside forces.

**What lessons have you learn about acting?**

The biggest thing I’ve learned is to think of less specific elements. I used to always
think about how every single word could mean a specific thing ... and while
that can be useful, I think what I really learned to do is to [bring the right
amount] of energy into a scene based on how I feel. So every single time I
do things now, it’s always different. I think letting yourself be that vulnerable
and convince yourself that you’re the character in that moment, that I think
is really what acting is.

**What advice would you give to someone who wants or plans to become a
lead role in a play, or someone who wants to go into acting in the future?**

The number one thing is dedication. You have to be ready to embrace it
all. It’s a big commitment and it’s similar to people who do sports and want
to be captain. I would say you have to be prepared to put a lot of your time
and effort into it. You have to be able to memorize your lines, your blocking,
and you really have to be able to commit yourself to not just practice when
you’re in school, but make sure you understand things when you’re out of
school ... but maybe if you love it, then I think it’s just gonna come naturally if
you keep doing it.

**What do you do if you ever feel nervous before a performance and how do
you overcome that feeling?**

I always feel nervous before a performance, but it has calmed over the years ...
the problem with those feelings are probably exacerbated, but I think you just have
to learn to embrace them. I think trying to make them go away really will mess
you up. I remember I used to try to push them out and not feel nervous anymore,
but then they would just show up anyway. The biggest thing with nervous energy
is the fact that there’s energy there. You need to use that energy and apply it to
everything, and then it quickly turns into excitement. But, once you start doing
everything and start feeling it and then all of sudden things start happening.

Peter Niforatos ’25 performs from the heart

Jenna Stucky ’25 grew up in a household full of musicians, so music has always been an important part of her life. She discovered her love for singing and performing at a very young age, and soon began singing in choral groups and even combining her singing skills with acting by performing in musicals. Now a senior at PHS, Stucky has immersed herself in the musical community by singing in PHS Choir and co-leading the a cappella group The Cat’s Meow.

**When did you first start singing and why?**

[I started] when I was pretty young because my family is very musical, so I’d often sing with my siblings and with my parents.

**How do you handle performance jitters?**

I think it’s something that gets easier over time. The more practice you get in front of an audience, the easier that it gets. Sometimes you just have to embrace the nerves and do something even if you’re a little nervous.

**What’s it like being in an acapella group?**

I have a lot of fun. My group, we’re really close with each
other, so oftentimes in our rehearsals we’ll be talking more
than we’re singing. But, it’s a really talented group of people
and I love singing with them and we have a lot of fun together.
I love doing performances, too, sometimes in the winter we’ll
get gigs, so that’s a fun experience, and also performing at the
choir concerts. Also, in Italy we actually got to perform as well.

**How was your tour experience in Italy with PHS Choir?**

It was so much fun and I wish that I could go back. The spaces
that we performed in were gorgeous and stunning, and the food
was amazing, and it was just such a fun experience.

**What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite
band or an artist?**

I listen to a wide range of music, but recently I’ve been listening
to a lot of SZA and some Role Model.

**What are some of your other hobbies?**

I’m very musical, so I like to learn instruments. Recently I’ve been
practicing a lot of guitar.

**If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take
one thing with you, what would it be?**

I would take my kazoo, because I think that would be really
entertaining for me and would help pass the time.

**What are you going to miss most about PHS?**

I’m going to miss the communities here, especially the singing
communities. We’re really close and I’ve got to do a lot with other
artists and musicians at PHS.

**Are you planning on pursuing music in the future?**

Not as a profession, but it’s definitely something that I want to
keep doing when I’m older.

**What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?**

Don’t be afraid to try new things even if it might be a little
nerve-racking.

**What advice would you give to new singers and musicians?**

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and step out of your
comfort zone every now and then. Do things that push you and
help you grow.

Jenna Stucky ’25 finds community through singing

From an early age, music has always been a big part of his life. Surrounded by music from a young age, and especially inspired by his grandmother, Owen Barry '25 started drumming with chopsticks in restaurants to getting his own drum set. He’s been playing for a little over 10 years, having held drumsticks since the age of three. When he got his first drum set at five, Barry decided to start taking his musical passion more seriously. Owen currently plays in Studio Band, and is looking ahead to taking the next step into his musical career. 

**Who or what inspired you to start playing the drums?**

I’d say my grandma, definitely, was a huge inspiration because she was the musician in my family. She was a professional singer and started playing music for me when I was little. She was also the one to get me my first piano and drum set and became the one I looked to as I learned how to play. 

**What drew you to the drums?**

Although I play a little piano, I mostly stick to the drums as it’s what I enjoy most. I used to get chopsticks when I went to restaurants and would play them in the parks of New York City, where I grew up, before transitioning to drumsticks. I just enjoy the different sounds and beats I can make.

**What has been the most challenging song you’ve had to play and how did you overcome it?**

Right now I’m working on this Charles Mingus song — he was a famous bass player — and what makes it so difficult is the need to lock in with all the other musicians of my section. Since I play the drums I have to focus on what the bass player is doing, which has been hard because there are so many fluctuations in the piece’s tempo, but it’s sounding pretty good.

**What’s it like being a drummer in Studio Band?**

I’ve really enjoyed it. It was my goal since middle school and I was able to get in as a freshman. I enjoy the environment which has allowed me to meet new people and make long-lasting relationships that have stuck around even as people have headed to college. I think being able to make music with people is pretty cool.

**What’s your favorite thing about the band program at PHS? Can you share your favorite memory?**

PHS is obviously one of the best band programs in the country and the opportunities we get are amazing. I’d say being able to record an album and tour in London was definitely one of my favorite memories. Last year we won states in the National Jazz Festival, and sharing that with all the seniors that graduated was also really special.

**Where do you see yourself going with music after high school?**

I’ve gotten into a couple music schools and am debating which to choose. After that, I kinda just want to perform and maybe teach, but really focus on trying to tour and get into it professionally. That’s the dream.

**Do you have any tips for aspiring drummers?**

I’d say listen as much as you can and play as much as you can. The advice I always got was take any gig or any opportunity to play that you can. It doesn’t really matter whether it pays or not. You can learn a lot from listening to other people and trying to mimic what they are doing.

Owen Barry ’25 connects his past and future through music

For Elliot Block ’25, music has always been an integral part of his life. His passion for classical music began at an early age, sparked by his love for both the viola and the piano.
Now, as the first chair violist of the PHS Orchestra as well as co-president of its cabinet,
Block continues to explore his passion in chamber groups and on stage.

**When did you start playing the viola and why did you choose it?**

I started viola when I was seven years old, [but] I didn’t choose it. My mom chose it
for me and I didn’t like it at first, but when I was 10 or 11 years old, I started playing in
chamber groups at summer camps, and I realized I really liked that.
That got me into it a little more.

**Who would you consider your inspirations?**

I also play piano, [which] is my [preferred] instrument. Some
of my inspirations are the top performers for piano, like Martha
Argerich, Rubinstein, [and] Horowitz. But there are a ton of great
performers and musicians.

**Why are these artists your inspirations?**

I think it’s primarily their playing style. All the musicians that
I find inspiring are able to approach their instrument in different
ways, but always successfully put their feeling into the music, and
also bring feeling out of the music. I really admire that, and I always
try to do that whenever I’m playing in practice and performance.

**What do you like about classical music?**

There are a ton of things I like about classical music. It’s what I
listen to most. The range of emotions that classical music can feature is really vast, and
there’s always a piece that fits the mood I’m in.

**What do you consider the most challenging aspect of classical music?**

I think the most challenging aspect is the combination of technique and sensitivity
to feeling. It’s sometimes easy to focus on one or the other, but both are necessary to be
really great, and that can be tough.

**How do you handle pressure from auditions or
performances?**

I used to be really bad at that, and I kind of still am really
bad at that, but I make sure that there’s no tension in my body,
and I really practice clearing my head before playing, so that
I can replicate it in front of an audience. It never really is easy,
but I think clearing the tension is the most important thing.

**What is your favorite memory from PHS orchestra?**

Going on the European tour last spring was really fun and [I
bonded] with the orchestra. Through that, I made a lot of new
friends ... It’s made this year a lot more fun too.

**Are you planning on pursuing music in higher education
or as a career?**

Definitely. I want to study piano and classical music in college.
Ideally, it would also make a career. But I know that music will
be with me for my entire life, either way.

Photo: Katherine Chen
Elliot Block ’25 plays the viola in a practice room.

Elliot Block ’25 finds his voice with the viola

From colored pencils to acrylics, Cynthia Zhou ’25 creates art using various mediums.
Since seventh grade, she has learned to translate her personality into her art style. Besides
drawing as a hobby and gifting paintings, Zhou is a member of the art studio Keke Studio,
and co-president of the Numina Gallery. Over the course of her artistic journey, Zhou’s
former art teacher and younger sister have become her inspirations.

**What made you interested in creating art?**

I was always self-taught when I was younger. I really liked to doodle in class [and] I
think that’s really my biggest thing. I liked comics a lot, so I read a lot of Webtoons and
stuff like that growing up. I think the main reason why I
started learning was because originally I wanted to draw
web comics ... Later on, I realized that, honestly, [art is] just
really calming, and a [way for me to] express myself.

**What is your artistic process?**

I think it depends for the most part. I have a bank of ideas
[that I think] about. Usually, I [use] the best idea and then
pick a color scheme [for the piece]. I’m into really random
colors mixed together to create really vibrant pieces ... My
idea, and then the colors that I want to incorporate ... are
the [two] things that I always decide before drawing and
then I usually sketch it out. Right now, I’m doing a lot of
acrylic. I start with the base colors [and] the face first. I get
very excited to do certain parts, so I skip around, and focus
on one specific part, really in detail, [then I] skip over to the
next part. I don’t do the full thing all at once.

**Have you ever felt like quitting art because of challenges that you faced?**

Yeah, I think in eighth grade, I went through a really hard time with my life during
COVID. I would rip up my drawings and stuff like that because I just would take my anger
out on art. I really wanted to just stop [doing] art, because I didn’t feel like myself. Because
art was such a big part of myself, I thought that was the issue, and I just wanted to quit.

**What made you continue art?**

My sister was especially [helpful]. She taped all my drawings back up together, which
was really thoughtful. And I think I eventually just got over it. I came to the realization
that I really love drawing and I can’t stop.

**What were some goals that you had when you
started and how have they changed over the
course of your journey?**

I think my original goal was ... to do something
big, like draw a Webtoon or enter a competition and
win something massive. But I think because I wanted
that, I had to follow this very structured art type. But
honestly, I think throughout the years, I realized that
I don’t want to draw this very standard type of art. I’ve
been exploring with a ton of different crazy ideas that
I get from my head. I really love writing with art too.
I think originally I did not want to write at all with
my art, but now I just like to tie those two together.
But I don’t really have a huge goal. [I] just like to do
[art] for fun.

Cynthia Zhou ’25 finds strength through art

 Sebastian Bongiovi ’25 has always been surrounded by music. He fell in love with
the trumpet in second grade, and grew up with several accomplished musicians in his
family, including his father, Joseph Bongiovi, who is the longstanding band director
at PHS, and his mother, who is a vocalist. His passion for music and it’s presence in
his family’s story has played an outsized role in Bongiovi’s life, such as his decision to
follow in the footsteps of his father and sister to apply to the Berklee College of Music
where he hopes to study composition. Now a senior at PHS and about to embark on
his next musical adventure, Sebastian plays trumpet for the highly selective Studio
Band, sings for PHS Choir, and is a vocalist in the a cappella group Around 8. He acts
in numerous school plays and composes music for video games and web series. Most
recently, he composed a song called “Be Sorry” for Studio Band’s Abbey Road Studios
album “Run It Twice.”

**What made you choose the trumpet?**

 That’s actually a funny story. In second grade, I had
to choose an instrument, and I had my heart set on
trombone, but I was a really tiny kid, and my dad
was aware of that, so he told me to take trumpet
and change from there, and I just never [ended up
changing] to trombone.

**When did you start acting and what do you love
most about it?**

 The first time I started legitimately acting was in fifth
grade. The thing I love most about it is being able to
portray different personalities that I wouldn’t really
act like in real life. Unlike other aspects of art that I
do, I don’t really take it as seriously, which is better
for me, because it makes it more lighthearted and fun.

**How does acting, singing, and playing an instrument
all connect for you artistically?**

 I feel much more attuned to playing than anything
else, but I need to give credit where credit is due.
Singing is like the bridge between acting and playing
for me. It’s the only medium where you use both.

**Can you talk about the experience of recording at Abbey Road Studios and what
that meant to you?**

It was absolutely ludicrous in the moment, and it still is now. The overall experience
was extremely validating. Being able to play in that room was a very grueling process,
like when you’re physically there and you’re working, it’s a lot more stressful than you
realize. We had to record ten hours straight for three days. Specifically recording my
song, in the heat of the moment it was absolutely insane, especially with Randy Brecker,
who was the guest artist we had there. He is someone whose music I’ve been listening
to for a very long time, so having an artist who is a part of your daily life being in front
of you and then also playing your music that you wrote and asking you questions about
your song was baffling a bit. It was an amazing experience.

**What is your process when composing music?**

 For me, usually what happens is I’ll be messing around
with the piano, and I’ll come up with a random chord
progression, and it’ll be a lot of me experimenting.
Going into my room, being like, “Okay, let’s make
something out of this,” and spending however many
hours just fiddling.

**Are you planning on pursuing a career in music, and
if you are, what type?**

 Definitely. My goal is to apply to three to four different
schools for some form of either composition or a
contemporary writing and production major, the latter
of which is offered at Berklee College of Music, which
is my top college of choice and the only college I’ve
applied early admission to.

**What advice would you give to new musicians or
artists?**

 Give yourself time. More often than not, I’ll be working
on a song and I get stuck and have no idea where to go,
so I just go to bed, and then I wake up the next morning
and I have an idea. Being able to give yourself space and
time is invaluable to creating music.

Sebastian Bongiovi ’25 passionately pursues a musical life

On August 21, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Kimberely 
Tew released the results of PHS’s New 
Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment 
(NJGPA), which revealed disparities in 
pass rates between Asian, White, Black 
and Hispanic students. The NJGPA is a 
graduation requirement administered 
annually to 11th graders, though alternatives 
exist if a student does not pass the test. 


Though PHS has been known for its 
testing disparities since at least 2005, when it 
was the subject of a New York Times article 
titled “The Achievement Gap in Elite High 
Schools,” district officials, teachers, and 
students say they aren’t giving up.


This summer, the Princeton Board 
of Education approved a five-member 
Affirmative Action team tasked with 
updating the Comprehensive Equity Plan, 
a two-part document mandated by the state 
law that outlines the district’s plan to combat 
inequalities within the education system, 
including achievement gaps. 


“The work never ends; we have to explore 
and dive into data all the time. The data 
should help us make decisions about 
[whether] there are more programming 
or services that we can provide, and ... 
when we provide it. I think one of the 
foundational pieces of all of this work is 
building relationships with our students 
and with our families. [And] the more we 
know about our students, the more we can 
... excite them in their learning,” said Angela 
Siso Stentz, Assistant Superintendent for 
Human Resources and a member of the 
district’s Affirmative Action team.


The 2025 NJGPA data showed that 74 
percent of Black students and 50 percent 
of Hispanic students at PHS met the 
graduation requirements — compared 
to Asian, White, and students of other 
ethnicities having a 92 percent pass rate 
or higher. The report did not detail the 
NJGPA scores by income level. However, 
one of the priorities for Dr. Andrea Dinan, 
the director of the IDEAS center, is for all 
students to be able to access free, highquality tutoring — a service that can be 
unaffordable for many families.


“We’re working with the Pace Center 
[for Civic Engagement] at Princeton 
University, and we’re going to have five to 
seven tutors from Princeton University on 
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,” said 
Dinan. “They’re going to provide SAT [and]
ACT help and AP prep, and we’re going to 
target lower-resourced families, but it will 
be open to everyone. I think that’s one of 
the ways that it really works well — if it’s 
open to everyone, but we make sure that ... 
lower income students ... know about the 
opportunities.”


In solving an issue as complex as the 
achievement gap, teachers are playing a 
role in changing the culture within the 
classroom. PHS Social Studies teacher 
Dr. Katie Dineen is an advocate for an 
educational philosophy known as the 
Universal Design for Learning (UDL). First 
designed in the 1990s based on research 
in neuroscience, UDL advocates for a 
curriculum in which students are provided 
with multiple ways to acquire information 
and multiple ways to demonstrate what they 
know. Dineen is also working to make her 
classroom more culturally inclusive.


“You know, regardless of where [students] 
come from, and especially with AP [World 
History] being such a transitory and 
international community, there’s so many 
opportunities for students to bring their 
own family’s artifacts into the classroom, or 
their family’s perspectives or speakers,” said 
Dineen. “I think I [have] created a place for 
each student to feel as though their story 
and their origin are important enough to 
be centered in that curriculum.”


Furthermore, many clubs at PHS are 
also working on fostering a supportive 
community among underprivileged 
students. This includes Generation 1, a club 
focused on helping students who would be 
the first generation within their family to 
pursue higher education.


“I know from my personal experience, 
my mom didn’t get to pursue a further 
education, [so] I struggled a lot trying to 
figure out resources for SATs or college 
[applications] or just finding things in 
general to help me throughout my school 
journey,” said Aimy Solares-Zacarias 
’26, who serves as the co-president of 
Generation 1. “Our main goal is to just 
help provide those resources for kids who 
are [first-generation students] on their 
pathway to [higher education].”


Solares-Zacarias recalls a period of 
academic isolation within her own journey 
where she was afraid to ask for help. Today, 
she encourages her fellow students to follow 
a path similar to her own by contacting 
Generation 1 to find a community of 
academic support. 
“If anyone is reading [this] and they’re a 
[first-generation] student, I want them to be 
able to reach out to us because I know it’s 
not embarrassing or a weakness to want to 
ask for help,” said Solares-Zacarias.

Graphic: Katherine Chen

NJGPA passing versus not passing rates for different races at PHS.

The achievement gap at PHS

### Whitney Davidson-Hinz

Whitney Davidson-Hinz has wanted to teach history 
since high school, crediting one of her own teachers as 
the inspiration behind her choice of career. 


“[She] changed my life and really inspired me ... I decided 
I wanted to do for others what she had done for me ... I had 
originally thought about history as a collection of facts and 
dates, and [my teacher] encouraged me to think about it as 
a discipline, the craft of a historian [as well as] a contested 
narrative that people fight over,” said Davidson-Hinz.


Over her past 20 years as a teacher, Davidson-Hinz has 
applied her craft across the country in places as wideranging as California, Iowa, and New York. However, she 
sees the Princeton community as uniquely encouraging 
towards developing meaningful connections between 
teachers and students.


“In speaking with many, many people in this community, 
I got the sense that this was a place that had a lot of shared 
values with me in terms of my own approach to teaching 
... on day one, emphasizing the importance of developing 
relationships with kids and keeping that central to my 
work was very inspiring, and you don’t always hear that,” 
said Davidson-Hinz.


This year, Davidson-Hinz will be teaching U.S. History 
I and AP U.S. History. In the classroom, she strives to 
encourage open discussion and careful source analysis, 
emphasizing the role history class plays in developing 
essential life skills.


“The skills we are reinforcing in history are critical 
toward any number of aspects of living a good life ... that 
would include the development of critical thinking skills, 
our media landscape [being] saturated with AI as well 
as misinformation ... you need to be able to distinguish 
between what’s accurate and what’s inaccurate. I think 
history [also] teaches empathy as we learn about other 
ways of life ... it gives you a way to think about why things 
are the way they are today,” said Davidson-Hinz.


Davidson-Hinz is also a singer-songwriter, and enjoys 
performing her original compositions at Open Mic nights. 
She also frequently visits national parks with her family 
and loves collecting stamps at each one for her national 
park passport.

### Prutha Patel

As a self-described adventurer and thrill-seeker, Prutha 
Patel’s newest adventure brings her from Minnesota to PHS’s 
math department to teach Geometry and Pre-Calculus 
Accelerated. Patel joins PHS after two years of teaching at 
Albert Lea Area schools in Albert Lea, Minnesota, where 
she served as both a technology teacher and robotics coach. 


“Two years ago, I was a first-year teacher and I accepted a 
role [to] teach technology instead of math. I really enjoyed 
teaching technology, [and] I was also teaching designing, 
robotics, 3D designing, [and] Python,” said Patel. “My 
students were very interested in robotics, [so] I decided to 
start a club and coach them [for robotics competitions].”


Growing up, Patel was inspired to become a teacher by 
her father, who was an educator himself. However, as an 
undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, Patel decided 
to pursue computer engineering — but later realized that 
path was not for her.


“I did take some computer classes in college, but I ended 
up liking the math part of computer science and not the 
computer part of it. So that’s why I decided to just major 
in math and become a teacher,” said Patel. 


Although Patel chose to teach at PHS for its learning 
environment, she also recognizes a certain competition 
between students that was not particularly evident at her 
former school.


“For students [at PHS], they are constantly looking 
for that competition. I think that’s the mindset that they 
have: ‘Oh, if my friend took Accelerated Geometry, I have 
to take that as well’,” said Patel. “Everyone’s different, and 
just because your friend is ahead doesn’t mean that ... you 
have to [be] as well.”


Thus, Patel hopes to create a more collaborative and 
engaging environment in her classes. 


“Oftentimes, it is working with someone and not having 
to submit any formal paper. Instead, [students are] working 
with someone on a board where ... you just have to write an 
answer. So [students are] freely thinking — and whatever 
is in their mind, they’re writing it down. It just helps them 
look at math in a different perspective.”

### Jessica Zhang

 Jessica Zhang, PHS’s newest art teacher, says she could 
have predicted half of her title — “teacher” — ever since 
she was a kid.


“I always knew that I was going to be a teacher because 
my parents always said that I was very bossy growing up,” 
said Zhang.


However, the “art” part would have come as a surprise 
to a younger Zhang.


“I was really bad at [art] when I was a kid — it was 
something that was forced onto me, so I never really liked 
it. But then I had some really good teachers in high school 
that really helped nurture my creative expression, and that’s 
where that passion came,” said Zhang.


This year, Zhang will be teaching four sections of Studio 
Art I, the introductory visual arts course at PHS which is 
the prerequisite for all other classes in the program. For 
her, one of the main attractions of PHS was its strong art 
program. 


“I was very impressed [by] the Numina Gallery and I 
was very inspired and ... very motivated to work here,” said 
Zhang. “I get to develop a lot of one-on-one relationships 
with students [and] we do deeper engagement with the 
work rather than the fast pace of elementary school.”


Zhang is a recent graduate of The College of New Jersey 
and was previously an elementary school teacher in the 
South Brunswick school district. For her, the switch, while 
noticeable, has been worth it.


“I [taught] in elementary school before this, [and] it’s very 
different. I really like [PHS] so far because I get to develop 
a lot of one-on-one relationships with students, [and] we 
do deeper engagement with the work rather than like the 
fast pace of elementary school,” said Zhang.


In her free time, Zhang hopes to continue her various 
hobbies, both artistic — stained glass, working with yarn 
and fabric — and not, like cooking and long walks in the 
park. However, her biggest passion is her students.


“[I’m] passionate about seeing students’ confidence as 
they become more familiar and they develop skills in art,” 
said Zhang. “ I would say [it’s] always [about] the connec- tions that I get to make with students.” grow ... [it’s] always 
[about] the connections that I get to make with students.” 

Photo: Charley Hu


Zhang helps Markintosh Barthelemy ’29 with negative 
space drawings in Studio Art I. 

PHS new teacher profiles

As a new school year begins at PHS, the 
school administration is taking a different 
approach to the education system. Dubbed 
“Deep Learning” by Principal Cecilia Birge, 
the plan aims to bring a different perspective 
of what it means to learn at PHS. 


The backbone of this approach consists 
of the changes to the bell schedule. At the 
end of each typical Tuesday and Wednesday 
(B2 and B3 days, respectively), the 
administration has added a flexible learning 
lab time dedicated to getting school-related 
tasks done. This change also shortens the 
previously 90-minute instructional blocks 
to help take pressure off of students. 


The root of these changes lies in a 
Grawemeyer Award-winning book, “In 
Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to 
Remake the American High School” by Jal 
Mehta and Sarah Fine. Assistant Principal 
Lauren Freedman notes the recurring 
themes of the book and relates it to the 
changes made to the bell schedule. 


“One of the things that kept popping up is 
that a lot of students learn through their own 
self-exploration and doing things that they 
love, and it’s not necessarily sitting in your 
class,” said Freedman. “It’s through going 
and meeting with your clubs and learning 
to work with one another and things like 
that actually help people grow more than 
necessarily just sitting in the classroom.”


Newly elected PPS Superintendent, Dr. 
Michael LaSusa, seconds the need for selfsufficient growth outside the classroom.
LaSusa hopes that PHS will provide and 
encourage an environment where students 
can learn to think critically and contribute 
to a wide variety of environments — 
whether it be in the workplace, civic life, 
or family life.


“I think we’re living in a very polarized 
society right now — not just in the United 
States, but all over the world — and it’s 
incredibly important that students develop 
a capacity to listen to people who might not 
share their exact viewpoint, and engage 
meaningfully in conversation and dialogue 
with diverse people [who have] diverse 
perspectives,” said LaSusa. “We want to 
try to provide everyone with experiences 
that create balance and perspective and 
appreciation for others, and, of course, a 
knowledge base and a skill set that prepares 
them to do whatever it is they want to do 
once they leave.”


The administration hopes that these 
changes will be used responsibly and to 
the fullest extent by the students. However, 
if modifications are needed, surveys and 
opinions from the students will be taken 
into account for the future. Birge expresses 
her satisfaction for the bell schedule change, 
but recognizes that the effectiveness will 
depend on students.


“I genuinely think that we reached a sweet 
spot after so many revisions. But having 
said that ... the Tuesday flexible learning 
time was designed with a lot of intention 
for targeted support. If students abuse it, 
then we’re placing that burden for teachers 
to teach more in the instructional blocks 
[of this] bell schedule,” said Birge. 


The PHS administration credits the 
development of the new schedule that fits 
deeper learning to the feedback provided 
by both students and teachers at the end 
of last year. 


“Trust me, we read every single thing 
that students present to us. We may or may 
not be able to modify the schedule or our 
approach for all kinds of reasons, but we do 
read everything. We really value everything 
you present to us. We think it through and 
we try our best to incorporate it so those 
surveys are important,” said Birge. 

Photo: Katherine Chen


Chemistry teacher Janine Giamanco assists Alex Paul ‘27 in making up classwork 
during newly instituted Flex learning times. 


PHS administration envisions “Deep Learning” for upcoming school year 

Decades after the 26th Amendment lowered the voting 
age to 18, a new generation of activists are raising a 
familiar question: should 16 and 17 year olds be allowed 
to vote? At PHS, Carina He ’26 is answering this question 
by starting a chapter of the national Vote16 campaign. 
Vote16 is a national organization that, for over a decade, 
has worked to expand voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds 
in Board of Education elections at local, statewide, and 
national levels. The campaign has seen success in 12 cities 
across the United States, most recently in Newark, New 
Jersey. Through her club, Youth Civic Leaders of America 
(YCLA), He has partnered with co-leader Ash Nieman ’26 
to promote Vote16 and increase civic engagement in the 
Princeton community. 


The Vote16 initiative argues that since students at age 16 
and 17 years olds begin to take on more adult responsibilities 
— such as working a job and driving — they should also be 
granted the right to vote in local elections. This is especially 
relevant in Board of Education elections, since the decisions 
made by the Board primarily impact students. 


“The Board of Education is [like] the government to the 
students, [so] students [will be] able to understand how 
to vote in this ... more controlled environment ... rather 
than just going straight into voting when they’re 18 years 
old in a presidential election where the entire country [is] 
voting — [so] they’re able to see civics education take form 
in their local area,” said He. 


He and Nieman have also cited voting in school board 
elections as a beneficial way for young people to apply 
their knowledge of civics education outside the classroom. 
“[At PHS] we have this baseline of education about U.S. 
history and our teachers stress how important voting is as 
a democratic right. It’s not like we don’t know anything 
about voting, but [when you] start that process younger 
... [you’re] much more likely to turn out for state elections 
[and] representative elections,” said Nieman. 


According to Tufts University’s Center for Information 
and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, a nonpartisan research organization focused on youth civic 
engagement, young voter turnout dropped from over 
50 percent during the 2020 presidential election to 42 
percent in the 2024 election. The top reasons for youth 
who had not registered to vote were disinterest in the 
election, lack of time, and absence of knowledge about 
registration deadlines. 


“Generally voter turnout is still not that great, especially 
in school board elections, the turnout is only like 10 percent 
— which is terrible. And since we’re in such a dire political 
climate right now, it’s very important that we teach the 
people who will be voting in the next presidential election 
[or] the Senate election ... We have to teach them the habit 
of voting, how important it is, how to vote, [and] how to 
register vote,” said Nieman. 


 YCLA has been working with several members of the 
PPS Board of Education and Brian McDonald, a Princeton 
town councilman, to propose Vote16. On September 8, 
YCLA spoke with the entire Princeton Town Council to 
introduce the initiative. Though the initiative received 
positive feedback from the Town Council, concerns have 
been raised over the rollout of the initiative. 


 “The other opposition we’ve seen comes down to money 
... The ballot for the school board is the same ballot as the 
[ballot] for a state election. So in order for [students] to 
vote ... new ballots have to be printed that only have school 
board members,“ said Nieman. 


The Council also expressed concerns regarding the 
maturity of 16–17 year olds and their eligibility to vote in 
school board elections. Unless the bill is passed through 
state legislation, legal barriers make it harder for 16 year 
olds from being given the right to vote in Princeton.
Unlike Newark, where Vote16 was successfully enacted, 
Princeton is not a Faulkner Act community. The Faulkner 
Act, which is also known as the Optional Municipality 
Charter Law, grants municipalities the right to choose their 
own form of government and gives a significant degree 
of power to the locality. Therefore, in order to get the 
Municipality of Princeton to pass Vote16’s proposal, YCLA 
has to overcome more legal hurdles than they would have 
had to in a municipality operating under the Faulkner Act. 
Despite this, several members of the Board of Education 
and the Town Council have expressed support for Vote16, 
believing it would be beneficial for the youth to express 
what they care about. 


“Youth are the most invested demographic in [the] sort 
of the issues that I think local government needs to be 
taking the most decisive action on, like climate change 
and active transportation ... I think those are issues that are 
the most important issues for society as a whole, but older 
voters don’t always get it. That’s why I think it’s positive 
for society to have, for the community as a whole, to have 
youth engagement,” said Cohen

Photo Courtesy: Carina He

PHS students campaign for 16 and 17 year olds to vote in school board elections


PHS students campaign for 16 and 17 year olds to vote in school board elections

The PHS technology department made significant 
changes for the 2025–2026 school year, including issuing 
new MacBooks for all students and with them, a ban on 
several popular sites like ChatGPT.


Towards the end of last school year, students returned 
their old MacBooks and chargers. Then, in August, students 
had to schedule an appointment in the afternoon to pick 
up their new device, the 2022 MacBook Air. PPS Chief 
Technology Officer Todd MacDonald explained that this 
cycle occurs every few years.


“The devices have significant battery deterioration [over 
time which is] the major issue. [And] as you can expect, 
students do beat up the devices over time. These devices 
... require a lot of maintenance as battery life diminishes 
[and] it [eventually] becomes a situation where it’s a lot 
easier for us to replace the whole fleet [of MacBooks] than 
support one type of device over time,” said MacDonald.


The old MacBooks were sold to a third-party vendor, 
and the tech department used money acquired from that 
sale to buy the new devices. However, because the Apple 
brand is costly, the district had little flexibility in which 
model they could buy. In part to account for the cost of 
the MacBooks, the technology department switched device 
managers from a relatively expensive program called Jamf 
to a less costly manager called Mosyle. 


Mosyle gives the technology team a better view of what 
sites are being accessed, and through this, they can decide 
which sites can be whitelisted for students to view. However, 
as MacBook distribution has only recently been finalized, 
the technology team has not had the opportunity to begin 
adjusting the filtering system of the device manager.


“[PHS students] may have experienced that they feel 
like the devices are locked down more. It’s not necessarily 
true. There’s a new filter in place, and some filters have 
different categories ... It hasn’t been tweaked yet based on 
what’s being requested. If students are requesting access 
[to a website] ... they should let us know because we review 
that [request] with the administration, with the curriculum 
office, and we’re in the business of trying to make learning 
accessible,” said MacDonald.


PPS has, however, decided to implement Mosyle’s 
academic dishonesty restrictions, resulting in many AI 
or AI-related sites being banned, including ChatGPT. 
Assistant Principal Rashone Johnson said that the ban is 
a result of complaints and conversations among teachers, 
administrators, and the Board of Education.


“We want you to be able to think critically. We want 
you to know how to do the proper research to be able to 
support whatever it is that you’re writing about or your 
opinion on something. [And] we want those thoughts to 
come from you,” said Johnson.


However, not all students are in complete agreement 
with the decision.


“I think [the new system] is a net positive in the sense 
of security, but it can also ... be used in an oppressive way. 
[Though] banning ChatGPT does stop students from using 
generative AI for school assignments, [it] also ... cuts off 
students’ capabilities for more creative uses of AI, similarly 
to how stopping students from using a calculator [in] math 
class just leaves them not being able to understand the full 
function of a calculator,” said Shriram Joshi ’28.


The PHS administration has installed AI usage posters 
specifying different levels of acceptable AI use, ranging 
from “none” to “AI-generated with editing,” in many 
classrooms, with the vast majority of teachers enforcing the 
“none” category. They administration created the posters 
based on feedback from teachers on AI usage by students.


“It gives us a common language that helps teachers 
discuss what level of AI is acceptable in their class, and 
it allows students to also think about how they’re using 
AI, whether they’re using it as a tool to supplement and 
enhance what they’re doing, or they’re using it as a crutch,” 
said U.S. history teacher Dr. Rick Miller. 


Anna Soriano currently has her English I and English 
III students write essays in class to prevent the usage of 
AI, though she does acknowledge the power of the new 
technology. 


“We use all sorts of assistive technology to help us 
throughout the day. I think that we need to prepare students 
for what’s coming, and they’re going to walk into a world 
where AI is everywhere,” said Soriano.

photo: Katherine Chen

Agatha Patten ‘27 and Benji Caswell Klein ‘27 work 
on their computers during Tiger Time.

PHS tech department distributes new MacBooks, with new restrictions, to students

As a child, Sylvia Schreiber ’26
would sit at the dining room table
for hours, happily doodling with
crayons. Though she’s transitioned
from crayons to watercolor and
gouache, the importance of art in
her life has stayed the same. In her
time at PHS, her illustration work
has included t-shirts, programs, and
this year’s school-issued planner.
She’s currently compiling pieces for
her portfolio as part of applications
to art school, where she hopes to
further expand her artistic abilities,
preparing her to eventually work as
an artist professionally.

**What childhood experiences
shaped you as an artist?**

I remember when I was little my
mom would put me to bed and then
I’d get up and turn my light on and
start drawing — I was trying to
copy the cover of one of my picture
books because I loved it so much.
And then my mom would come and
be like, “Sylvia, go to bed.” Picture
books really inspired me to create
art when I was younger.

**What are you drawn to depicting in your art?**

 Anything in the natural world is my go-to. I like things with patterns, so obviously
nature has a lot of patterns, but also architecture ... I like to push myself to draw new
things a lot of times, but I would say nature is a big one ... I feel like the repetitive motion
of drawing the same thing over and over again is definitely calming.

**What mediums do you work with?**

I work in 2D mostly; that’s what I’m most comfortable in. But within that, I do a lot of
stuff. Drawing, painting, and printmaking are the three that I do the most. I love watercolor.

**Are there any mediums that you’re experimenting with right now?**

I’m trying to do more printmaking. I really like printmaking. I’ve been doing some
classes at the Arts Council on linocut and stuff like that, and I think why I like it kind of
ties back to the patterns — you can
print it over and over again. And I
just like the look of print making,
so I’m trying to do more of that
right now in my portfolio and just
also for fun.

**What are some of your
inspirations and influences?**

My sister, just her being in art
school and all of her friends, I follow
them all on Instagram and I get to
see all of their amazing work and
sometimes I’ll take an idea from
there ... Having my sister in art school
is really cool to see, because it’s, like,
whoa, that could be where I am in
a couple years. Barbara de Lorenzo,
she works at the Arts Council ...
She illustrates children’s books, and
she mostly works in watercolor,
so she’s helped me a lot with my
watercolor abilities. When I paint
with watercolor, I’m channeling
Barbara DiLorenzo. She’s definitely
helped me grow as an artist.

**What’s your artistic process?**

 I have a sketchbook at home that’s really just whatever comes out ... A lot of times,
when I’m feeling like I want to do something art-related, I’ll just sit down with that and
just write or draw, or do whatever is inspiring me at the moment; I’ll try to get it down
on paper ... So then when I know what I’m going to do for my project, it comes with
some trial and error ... So I do a lot of practice sketching. And then I’ll try to see if I
have materials at home or if I need to get some from the Arts Council ... You just have
to start and challenges always arise ... It’s kind of inevitable that at some point, you’re
going to be like, this is terrible. But more times than not, it’s not terrible and you just
need to work through it.

**What goals do you have for yourself in your art in the future?**

I want to get into an art college and I want to just enjoy that to the best of my ability
without having to think too much about what exactly I’m going to do with art after
college. I just want to really explore my own style and develop my own style as an artist
... Even as art becomes my work, I also want to just keep enjoying it.

photo: Charley Hu

Sylvia Schreiber ’26 sketches to plan out a print for her art school portfolio.

Student artist of the month: Sylvia Schreiber ’26

With the start of another school year, yet another group of
sophomores are looking for ways to fulfill their community
service hour requirement. Many community services
programs are offered at Princeton High School, focusing
on topics such as tutoring, health, and the environment.
However, there are also a variety of arts community service
programs at PHS.

The Arts Council club provides an opportunity for
students to work together on projects such as decorations
for the school and cards for senior centers or hospitals. For
example, during the winter, the club puts up snowflakes to
heighten the festivities.

In addition, the club also collaborates with the Arts
Council of Princeton by volunteering at events and camps
that the council hosts.

“During camps ... we assist with cleaning, with [art] skills,
and just talking with the children. Children as young as
kindergarten all the way through middle school [come to the camp], and our goal is just to spread
art [to them]. A lot of the people that are
in the club are interested in art, and we
want to give back to the community,”
said Vanessa He ’27, one of the leaders
of the Arts Council club.

While the Arts Council club focuses
on giving back to the community, it also
brings together community at PHS.

“While we [work together], people
are also talking. And I think that’s also
another way for people to connect with
peers, not just the whole community
itself,” said He.

Another arts community service at
PHS is School Beautification. A newly-
formed club, their goal is to improve
the appearance of
PHS in order to create a more welcoming
environment for both students and teachers.“Art creates a welcoming environment
because ... abstract shapes and colors
usually inspire creativity among people
and individuals. Seeing art every day
makes the space look less monotone
and [industrial-like]. Instead, the more
creative, welcoming environment would
help students be more productive,” said
co-leader Lucy Wang ’27.

The club also hopes to expand the scope
of their projects in the future.

“I also hope that in the spring we are able
to collaborate with some other community
service organizations to hopefully plant
flowers, or [install] plant pots inside the
school,” said Wang.

The service project Make Your Mark
has a different approach to helping the community. Focusing on creating crafts such as jewelry
and clay keychains, the program donates all the handmade
crafts back to the Rise organization.

Rise, a nonprofit social support project based in central
New Jersey, helps the community through food pantries,
thrift stores, and educational programs. In addition to
making crafts, the club also organizes volunteering and
crafts events for the community.

“We plan to bring arts and crafts opportunities to our
community through hosting crafting events at Princeton
Public Library,” said Jessica Zhang ’26, a co-leader of Make
Your Mark. “We [also] organize volunteering opportunities
at [Rise’s thrift store], helping to work and manage the store.”

Overall, while the main purpose of each community
service project is to give back to the community, members
also find themselves connecting and bonding with each
other and the community.

photo: Katherine Chen

Vanessa He ’27 and Kenzie Miller ’27 talk to a student about the Arts Council club.

A guide to arts-related community service programs

A K-pop girl group fighting a hot demon boy band for the fate of the world? When I first heard the premise of “KPop Demon Hunters” from my sister, I laughed it off. After much insistence, I reluctantly sat down and watched what would become the cultural phenomenon of the summer. But it wasn’t just a stroke of luck that the movie was such a massive hit. 

For me, the true magic of the movie wasn’t its punchy animation or catchy songs, but its incorporation of Korean culture. My reluctance came from a disappointing experience with another animated movie released over the summer, “Elio”: just another generic plot and recycled animation style. 

However, “KPop Demon Hunters” pulled me in because it went beyond using Korean culture as just another trendy aesthetic. Director Maggie Kang’s nine years of research is evident throughout the movie, referencing Korean mythology as well as lesser-known Korean dishes. For example, protagonists Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, collectively known as Huntr/x, try to save the world from demons by sealing them through the “Honmoon” with their songs. The idea was taken from Korean muldang dancers, women who perform protective rituals. Even Derpy and Sussie, the internet-famous tiger and magpie duo, were designed after minhwa, Korean folk art. 

The highlight of the entire movie for me came towards the end. The Saja Boys, an all-demon boy band and nemesis of Huntr/x, perform their chart topping song “Your Idol.” After my sister and I had managed to stop singing along, I noticed their outfits, traditional Korean clothes called hanbok. All of them even wore the traditional hats (gat), a detail my mother was all too happy to point out. 

Even songs from Huntr/x and the Saja Boys — fictional groups — topped the Spotify charts, surpassing very popular groups like BLACKPINK and BTS. But the movie’s ultimate success is the buzz surrounding what I consider the movie’s best song: “Golden,” which is now being considered for Best Original Song for next year’s Oscars.  

I still believe one of the main reasons behind the popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters” is because of how well it knew its audience. The movie tapped into a pre-existing interest towards K-pop and Korean culture, fueling its popularity globally. Nowadays, animation studios are finding it harder to come up with original ideas that still grab the audience’s interest. But as “KPop Demon Hunters” has shown, true connection isn’t found in generic plots, but in the heart of a cultural moment. 

“KPop Demon Hunters” slays 

How many of us have watched “The Office” too many times to count? For anyone looking for something new, we now have “The Paper,” a spinoff about a failing newspaper in Ohio struggling to reestablish itself. Through 10 episodes, each 30 minutes in length, the volunteer journalists working for the new and improved Toledo Truth Teller encounter new experiences and are filmed along the way. 

So, how are “The Paper” and “The Office” related, and how do they compare? Well, their connection is shown in the pilot episode with the return of Oscar Martinez, a former employee at Dunder Mifflin, the setting of “The Office,”  now working as head accountant for The Truth Teller. Throughout the series, there are various easter eggs and references to the show’s predecessor. However, you don’t need to be a die-hard “The Office” fan to enjoy its satiric and mockumentary-style comedy. 

In terms of style, “The Paper” has used “The Office” as a template, taking inspiration from the familiar confessional sequences, shaky footage, and reaction shots. In relation to characters, there aren’t any striking parallels. 

Like the first season of “The Office,” everything is fresh, the actors are developing their characters, the writers are testing the waters, and the show is discovering its true purpose. Since it’s already been renewed for a second season, I think we will see growth on all fronts. 

The show not only hooked me because of its resemblance to “The Office,” but as a writer myself, I was intrigued by how Hollywood would portray journalism. The characters know they live in a pretty ordinary place, but in everyday events, they find the story and make those events interesting to their readers. A great example is how two of the main characters, Ned and Mare, go mattress shopping and uncover the layers of deception involved in unfair pricing. Pulling together a cohesive story from only bits and pieces is a skill that, like them, I hope to master. Overall, the realities of journalism shown in this series is something I deeply appreciate and admire. 

However, what doesn’t need refining is the comedy. For me, one of the funniest characters on the show is Esmeralda Grand, a wacky Italian woman played by Sabrina Impacciatore. Her accent on certain words and the drama that she brings to every situation is hilarious. Whether it’s the sarcastic comments, the pranks, or the cringe-worthy moments, “The Paper” never fails to make me laugh. Often I find myself looking forward to the time in my day where I can relax on my couch and watch an episode or two and decompress.

“The Paper:” a successful spinoff 

# **Harmony Project**

The Harmony Project is a testament
to the transformative power of music,
fostering artistic skills of students while
simultaneously spreading joy to elders
at senior care centers. The project is also
part of the community service program,
allowing students to earn hours while
enjoying music.

“We’re all really passionate about music
and performing. It’s really nice to see
the people who live at the senior centers
and [how] their faces light up,” said co-
president Sarah Chen ’26.

The project is mainly student-operated,
with orchestra director Robert Loughran
being the advisor. The students reach out
to the care centers and set times for their
performances.

“[The club] is mainly led by myself, my
co-leader Sarah Chen, and our officer Ash
Nieman, though the club itself is supervised
by the orchestra teacher ... we often invite
other PHS musicians groups, such as
acapella groups to perform as well,” said
co-president Daniel Haiduc ’26.

Through the project, the students are
able to make connections not only with
each other but the people at the center.

“Last year, in the spring, we hosted Cat’s
Meow as well as Cloud Nine, which the
seniors at the senior center really enjoyed,”
said Haiduc.

The project currently consists of 10
people, including a guitarist, singers,
pianists, a violinist, a cellist, and flawtists.

“We are trying to incorporate some
chamber music, which is where you play
with people of different instruments and
you play pieces together,” said Chen. “So if
we were to do something like that, we would
probably want to hear people’s musical
levels, to be able to pair them together.”

The goal of the project is to share their
passion for music and give back to their
community in a fun and joyful way.

They meet each Friday to discuss their
plans for the performance that takes place
on Sunday. All students are encouraged to
join, and anyone interested should contact
Chen or Haiduc.

**Music Mentoring**

If you’ve ever seen a group of elementary
schoolers with instruments filing into the
PAC after school, they’re probably a part of
the Music Mentoring program. This long-
standing community service club connects
fourth and fifth grade students from PPS
elementary schools who are beginners at
an instrument with high school mentors.
Each mentor works with a small group of
kids who all play the same instrument.
A typical lesson is 40 to 45 minutes long
and consists of each mentor instructing
the kids, helping them with musical
assignments from school, and, ideally,
getting to work with each kid one on one.

“I like whenever you can actually help
one of the kids and you notice a difference
that you can tell comes from your teaching.
It’s a really cool experience. You help
someone and you know that,” said co-
leader Julian Suozzo ’26.

Both Suozzo and co-leader Seigo Iwata
’26 joined Music Mentoring as elementary
school students and became mentors
themselves once they reached high school.
The leaders agree that the program has
stayed true to its original purpose.

“It’s been providing an opportunity to
both students and also, sophomores and
juniors at the high school,” said Iwata. “It
gives high schoolers a teaching opportunity
— learning how to coach kids, to deal with
younger kids. And then the kids learn from
older and more experienced people.”

This year, Iwata and Suozzo hope to
expand the program by getting more
high school mentors invovled. As more
elementary schoolers have joined the
program in recent years, finding enough
qualified mentors has become an issue.

“There was one point where I was alone
with, like, eight kids. It was terrible. I could
not get to each one individually,” said Iwata.

Music Mentoring is open to all students
who play an instrument and would like to
help elementary schoolers develop their
musical skills. Interested students should
contact Joe Bongiovi, one of the band
directors as well as the club’s staff advisor,
or either Suozzo or Iwata.

photo courtesy: Daniel Haiduc

Sarah Chen ’26 plays the piano at the Carnegie Post Acute Care Center for the senior citizens.

Two clubs using music to serve their community

The start of the new school year has brought many 
changes to Princeton High School: new teachers, new 
schedules, new facilities, and — most noticeably — new 
school-issued MacBooks. On paper, the laptops are a 
clear upgrade: faster, sleeker, and 
more powerful. But beneath that 
polish, many students have run 
into something less exciting: a 
wall of restrictions.

Last year’s devices allowed 
students a degree of flexibility 
across multiple apps. Students 
once had access to Adobe Creative Cloud — tools like 
Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and InDesign — 
which were heavily used by visual arts elective classes, as 
well as various clubs like Yearbook. 

When access to key academic or creative tools is blocked, 
not every student has a clear or immediate path forward 
— especially those who may not know how to navigate the 
tech support process. That gap points to a deeper equity 
issue of technological fluency — an issue that our tech 
department should work to solve, potentially by hosting 
assemblies to instruct students. Still, Dean Diana Lygas 
believes that the district is moving in the right direction. 

“There is certainly a balance that comes into play. 
[Unfortunately], that sometimes means blocking access to 
certain content that might be non-educational, disruptive, 
or inappropriate,” said Lygas. “But I love that our students 
have the benefit of receiving a school-issued computer as 
nice as a MacBook. It offers so much power and creativity 
in what students can use it for.”

However, students such as Adam Kaplan ’27 argue 
that the benefits of the investment by the school are 
significantly cut short through device restrictions.

“If you’re giving us computers this good, we should 
be doing something with them, considering [the 
district] just spent hundreds of dollars per student 
getting us these crazy computers,” said Kaplan. 

The abruptness of the technology changes have 
wreaked havoc on the workflow of not just students but also 
teachers as they have lost access to classroom technology. 
Printers, document cameras, and DVD players — each 
pieces of technology that had previously been integral parts 
of the way some teachers have conducted classes — have 
disappeared without explanation or forewarning. 
 
“Our old dock cameras [and] DVD players are gone 
... they’ve just ceased to exist ... they [are] no longer here 
in any of the rooms. [The] new technology sounds great. 
However, it doesn’t allow us to teach the same materials 
that we used to,” said English teacher Anna Soriano.

Restrictions on technology, while well-intentioned, are 
detrimental largely for the same reasons that helicopter 
parenting creates ineffective adults — people need to 
learn from failure. We implore administration to keep 
our school’s motto at the top of their mind: learn to live. 
It means — in today’s day and age — learning to live not 
just with technology but also using it appropriately as a 
tool. This requires being exposed to the technology of 
tomorrow in an environment where students can learn to 
use it effectively and to their benefit, while continuing to 
maintain an environment of genuine learning. And this 
is difficult to accomplish through the sudden removal 
of integral websites, apps, and classroom tools. PPS 
administration should strive to be transparent with teachers 
and students — the people who are most affected by such 
changes — and take their feedback when making changes.

Photo: Charley Hu

A restricted message from Mosyle appears when 
students attempt to access certain websites.

Technology restrictions hinder learning

Princeton is no stranger to unopposed elections. On the ballot this coming November, there will be two unopposed positions for the Princeton Council, and three unopposed seats on the PPS Board of Education. During PHS’s own 
election for student body council earlier this month, the 
seats for both student body vice president and secretary were 
unopposed. This is hardly a new phenomenon. 

For the past five years, numerous 
Princeton municipal 
leaders have won primary 
and general elections 
uncontested. The same 
can be said of many PHS 
student council positions 
for upperclassmen: every 
single student council 
candidate for the class 
of 2026 ran unopposed. 
This concerning trend 
of candidates being elected 
through no-contest undermines the 
health of democracy. 

Recent changes in student council policies only 
exacerbate these concerns: starting from the 2026–27 
school year, only students who have previously served on 
student council may run for student body positions and as 
school board liaison. The result? A reduction of an already 
shrinking field of candidates. 

When voters lose the opportunity to choose between 
candidates, they often become apathetic, causing the trend 
to continue into future elections. According to data gathered 
by Survey and Ballot Systems in 2024, there is a 39 percent 
decrease in voter turnout in non-competitive elections. 
This is reflected in PHS Student Council elections, where 
voter turnout averaged 62.4 percent in campaigns where 
all races have more than two candidates but dropped to 
24.6 percent in years with only one candidate. 

In Princeton municipality elections, voter turnout was 
57.66 percent, placing it second to last place among Mercer 
county municipalities — and voter turnout has been on 
the decline since 2016. Officials have placed emphasis on 
measures to increase voter turnout, yet the fundamental 
root cause of voter hesitancy remains the same: a lack of 
choices at the ballot box. 

Indeed, this disillusionment in the electoral process can 
be seen at the school level, too. Freshman year student 
council races often feature a wide range of hopefuls, each 
vying for a position they see as prestigious and meaningful 
in the school community. Yet just one year later, the number 
of candidates running in sophomore year races drops 61 
percent, going from about 4.16 candidates per race freshman 
year to just 1.75. When students realize that these positions 
can’t truly bring change, they may no longer be eager to 
spend time, energy, and effort to run for them. 

Participation in school elections has been found to predict 
civic engagement in adulthood, with students who vote or 
run feeling more prepared to engage 
in the same processes as adults. 
This means that disengagement 
from elections at a student level 
can lead to decreased political 
engagement through both 
running and voting in future 
democratic processes. 

Breaking the cycle of apathy, 
beginning at the local level, is 
critical. The municipality 
makes decisions daily on 
many of the most important 
policies that directly impact 
our lives. As just one instance, approving new highdensity housing projects is not a decision handed down 
from Washington, but rather taken on 400 Witherspoon St.

To address these challenges, it is time we revitalize what 
it means to win one of these positions. Whether it be at the 
school or municipal level, these positions can hold real value 
and change-making power. The real question is, of course, 
why has the ambition to serve in these roles vanished? The 
answer lies in the idea that these roles are perceived as 
lacking any real agency: student council positions simply 
serve to plan prom and town council members just rubber 
stamp predetermined policies.

So to the community, we say this: come together and 
unite behind new ideas: rally for fresh faces that break the 
status quo. Pool your minds — and funds — together, and 
perhaps you will see someone on the town council that truly 
represents you and advances the values that you care about.

To be clear, the current candidates don’t present any 
inherent flaws. But the mere fact that they have run 
unopposed for several election cycles sets the scene for 
deep-seated voter apathy.

When local governing bodies seldom have to step out of 
their comfort zone and truly connect with the community, 
the quality of our candidates falls short of what this town 
deserves. Without facing pressure to compete against 
opponents, winning candidates have the privilege of 
assuming positions with subpar effort, without the need 
to bring concrete policies to the table. 

Democracy works. But it’s not a passive form of 
government — it works only when people are active in it. 
From the forums in Ancient Greece to the record electoral 
participation in India in its recent elections, it is up to 
us — we the people — to fulfill our duty to create a more 
perfect union by demanding a choice worth voting for, 
and ceasing support for a coronation of the unopposed.

The perils of unopposed elections

Lilly Ludewig ’26: “Clearly when they were designing the ad it might seem like a cool thing on the drawing board, but … you can kind of interpret it in a very controversial way. They should’ve been a little more sensitive." 

Aarav Upadhyay ’27: “the Sydney Sweeney ad perpetuated this idea [that] some people have better genes than others. And I feel like the KATSEYE [ad] was a good response … it just showed that … we’re all people in America who should be represented."

Anaya sinha ’28: “I think that the Sydney Sweeney ad ... showed how the creative choice by the people made there be a bigger debate about the ad. I think the focus on one beauty ideal ... didn’t really help the ad.”

Rebecca Zhang ’26: “I think on a surface level, it’s just a really fun … back and forth kind of competition between two companies, and I think it’s really fun to see how two big fashion companies … use different creative ways to advertise themselves."

PHS Speaks Out: What is your opinion on the online discourse about  Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Jeans ad and KATSEYE’s GAP jeans ad?

Some of the most important subjects in life are those that cannot be learned in solitude or taught in school. Whether those are skills learned through experience or lessons realized 
through failure, as students, we ought to have a place to explore these ideas. Instead of relying on a home or school setting to facilitate this growth, we should seek a “third 
space” — a public area where individuals can interact and build a sense of community. The way to cultivate such a space is to ensure that everyone is welcome there and that there are no serious responsibilities. Busy PHS students often neglect to venture into environments besides home and school, but seeking out third spaces is highly beneficial for their own well-being and overall social health.

PHS’s academic culture is very competitive, and third spaces may feel like a waste of time unless it’s for meeting up to do work. However, these places act as buffers against burnout and isolation. Many libraries now incorporate creative “stress-buster” zones — think therapy dogs, board games, and “Secrets Walls” where anxious students can share confessions anonymously and connect through shared vulnerability.

Indeed, studies have shown that attendance at third spaces provide academic benefits too. For example, a study in 2011 by Anton Havnes, a professor specialized in education, found that 
the likelihood of college enrollment increased by 7% when students took advantage of these spaces. He reasoned that this increase was due to more people being taught about the importance of college having spoken to people they otherwise would not have. A survey from the NIH conducted shortly after the rise of Covid found that people reported levels of reduced 
well-being because they could not access their third spaces, proving that these spaces are essential for success.

But even without these benefits, students should value and protect third spaces. School often forces students to be constantly productive without room for breaks, and this stress carries over into late-night studying sessions at home. Third spaces allow for us to slow down and have fun; it is just an 
added benefit that enjoying ourselves is academically beneficial.

Given all of these upsides, where are these places? Established third spaces have a few characteristics: it should be welcoming to all and easily accessible, it shouldn’t require work 
or commitment to participate in, and finally, it should be focused on human connection. They outline the key social functions these spaces serve — not just physically, but 
emotionally and culturally. His framework helps us understand why these spaces matter so deeply in building community, well-being, and belonging. Though the internet wasn’t prevalent when third spaces were first devised, these places can be online too. Consider using these places to take a break and take comfort in knowing that work is still being done; learning is most efficient when it is wanted.

One of Princeton’s most attractive third spaces for students is the Princeton Public Library. Whether you’re meeting with friends to study or just to have fun, it serves as a 
place for socialization and connection. The Teen Center frequently offers Take & Make crafts to help destress, and the third floor has a collection of different games to play with 
friends. In addition to serving as just a free-form space, the library often hosts events open to the public. Princeton also offers many cafés and boba shops with space that students can 
take advantage of, such as Small World Coffee and Junbi. No matter how busy life seems to get, we should always carve out time to find a third space and experience connection

Photo: Yeseong Na

The Hinds Plaza provides an accessible third space.

In search of third spaces

Cheers and Jeers

According to a 2024 survey from the Bank of America, only 
one in five members of Gen Z deposit funds to a retirement 
account. 

This phenomenon isn’t ungrounded. After all, retirement 
appears a lifetime away for most teenagers. However, starting 
to think about long-term uses for your money now can mean 
gaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest later on. 
Additionally, building good saving habits can also help with 
more short term milestones, like your first downpayment 
for a house or car. Although saving for retirement seems 
intimidating at first, more of PHS’s employed students should 
begin. 

To get started, the Roth IRA is a well-suited account to the 
interests of students. Roth IRAs are individual retirement 
accounts allowing for monthly contributions of up to $7,000 
a year. This account’s advantage is that contributions can be 
withdrawn at any time with no tax or penalties, creating a 
compromise between saving and spending.

If you are interested in setting up a Youth Roth IRA, here 
are the steps you and your parent/guardian can take:

1. To have a Roth IRA account, you must earn taxable 
income. For your income to qualify as taxable, it needs to 
come from formal employment via a W2 part-time job or 
self-employment that is registered at the IRS. 

2. Work with your parent/guardian to open an account at a 
bank or a brokerage firm. The account should be a custodial 
IRA in your name, with your parent as the custodian. 

3. Decide how much of your paycheck you want to contribute each year, and which stocks you’d like to invest in. 
Parents can also deposit money as long as it doesn’t exceed 
your income and stays below the $7,000 yearly limit.

Of course, Roth IRAs are just one of the many options available 
for students to think about! Please remember to do your own research and talk to an adult about what may be suitable for your particular needs. Regardless of the method you choose, starting to save some of your hard-earned money now can help boost you toward financial stability later in life.

Graphic: Charley Hu

Retirement accounts use compound interest, which accumulate much 
faster than simple interest. This is extremely beneficial for savers.

Save now, spend later

It’s the first period of the day, and you sit in the classroom, 
waiting for your teacher to arrive. The door swings open, 
and a substitute teacher enters instead. Some students turn 
to each other and start whispering, while others outright 
disregard the substitute’s attempts to regain control of the 
classroom. 

Although it might seem like just another class, the way 
students treat substitutes and TAs matters. These staff 
members take their time to keep the class flowing and 
support students when they need help, often with little 
recognition. Respecting substitutes and TAs keeps the 
classroom organized, helps everyone stay focused, and 
ensures that learning runs smoothly.

The roles of substitutes, teacher assistants, and student 
teachers are to serve as support, whether by assisting the 
lead teacher with a lesson or being an additional source 
of guidance for students. Albert Arwas, a veteran PHS 
substitute teacher, is familiar with the importance of this 
position.

“A substitute teacher, in my opinion, ought to be the 
alter ego. In other words, an extension of the teacher,” said 
Arwas. “I have my way of interpreting exactly what the 
teacher wants me to do, and I carry it out. I walk around 
and make sure that people work and so on. If someone is 
not doing any work, I sort of say, well, is there a problem? 
Basically, to make sure that the class runs smoothly in the 
absence of the teacher.”

While substitutes focus on keeping order in the 
classroom, TAs and student teachers take their role a step 
further. Besides passing out papers and taking attendance, 
they work and learn under the guidance of a more 
experienced teacher to complete their secondary education 
training. Eric Soltys, a new student teacher at PHS, assists 
with a genetics elective as well as two accelerated and AP 
biology courses. As a senior at The College of New Jersey, 
he continues to train to become a full-time teacher while 
already taking on classroom duties. 

“A lot of students expect [a] substitute to come in and 
know all the answers and be perfectly confident and secure, 
but they might still be confused about … classroom routines. 
It’s perfectly okay for a [student teacher] or a substitute to 
come in and learn to adapt to a classroom experience,” 
said Soltys. 

These jobs that substitutes and TAs hold may seem 
simple. Still, they face a variety of challenges daily that 
make their job much tougher than students might realize. 
Specifically, Farzana Ahmad, a substitute teacher at PHS, 
has experienced a variety of issues during her time in the 
classroom.

“Sometimes if students don’t have anything to do, or if 
they don’t want to complete their work ... then they would 
just ... not listen.” said Ahmad. “They’d be throwing papers 
and talking out loud ... sometimes I’ve seen that they would 
video record what other students are doing.” 
Substitutes and TAs may not be present every day, but they 
play a vital role in facilitating our education. We as students 
must work to treat these individuals with the appreciation 
they deserve, and in doing so, make the classroom a better 
learning environment for everyone.

Substitutes deserve our respect

Last year, the PHS boys football team made its first playoff appearance since the 2014–2015 season, defying expectations and starting a new trend. The team now has had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 seasons, while starting with wins over Lawrence and Allentown this year. 
A big part of the team’s achievements stems from the leadership of Head Coach Charles Gallagher. When he first started with the team 13 years ago, the Tigers were 0 and10, but they bounced back the next year with a winning 8 and 2 season. According to Gallagher, the biggest strength this team has compared to earlier years is greater participation and quality of athletes. 
“You’re going to be a strong football team if you have numbers. It just so happens that we’ve had some really great athletes over the past couple of years — not to say that we haven’t had really good athletes prior — but I think we just have more of them,” said Gallagher. 
The squad has 75 players consistently coming to practice, which is significantly more than in prior years, where the average has been around 50 players. 
“Nobody’s taking off, which is awesome. No one has quit. Everybody’s sticking in. Everybody’s having fun. Everybody’s getting an opportunity to play,” said Gallagher.
While a strong senior class is key for any high school football team, this year’s group of players draws its strength from all grades. Under the leadership of captains Ellington Hinds ’26 and Carmine Carusone ’26, the team is working together to maximize their potential.  
“Once we make the playoffs, we have a goal to make the playoffs again, so that overall just focuses the team even more,” said Hinds. “Even though we made the playoffs last year, it’s a new team, so there’s struggles that we have to go through.”
As the starting quarterback, Quinton deFaria ’28 understands the amount of hard work that is necessary to achieve their goal. 
“[Our goal is] just to be 1–0 at the end of every week. That’s our saying. And to achieve [this], we just [have] to continue to work hard. We’ve been doing great in the summer. We’ve been lifting, we’ve been practicing, and [staying] humble,” said deFaria.”
As the Tigers prepare for the Homecoming game and the rest of the season, they aren’t showing any signs of stopping. 
“[We have to] just continue what we’ve been doing,” said deFaria. “It’s obviously working out well for us, but we can’t take our foot off the gas just because we [started] 2 and  0. [We have to] just keep going.” 


Photo: Rohan Viswanathan

The PHS football team celebrates after their first win of the season. 

PHS football team success continues

Set — everything falls silent: the cheering crowd, the music, even the pounding of her heart. The gun is about to go off, and all that matters is what lies ahead. A deep breath, then the horn sounds. She’s off, spikes digging into the track, every ounce of training fueling Lena Hamilton ’25 toward the finish line.

Hamilton has been an athlete her whole life. After 13 years of classical ballet, she switched sports in the spring of her freshman year. She chose to pursue track and field because her dad had run in high school, and following in his footsteps proved the perfect way for her to remain active. Since then, her passion for the sport has only grown. 

“I’ve always enjoyed being competitive, and I found track and field to be a very competitive discipline that I could potentially excel at,” said Hamilton.

Since being named captain in her junior year, Hamilton has strived to bring her team closer together.

“I organize pre-season workouts during the fall off season, manage the team social media, design team merch, and plan team bonding,” said Hamilton.

For Hamilton, one of the most important lessons she has taken away from her experience in track is of the value of self-sufficiency as a mechanism for improvement.

“You’ll never grow as a sprinter if you aren’t able to self-analyze and figure out what you need to do to help yourself be better,” said Hamilton. “I’ve definitely gotten better at naming my flaws and working on how to fix them.”

Before races, Hamilton likes to take a moment to herself to collect her thoughts and concentrate on her upcoming event. She finds that, when facing race-day nerves, it is critical to not doubt herself and remember just how much she is capable of. 

“I like to say prayers to stay focused on my race and to remain confident in my training and my ability
to do what I need to do,” said Hamilton.

Being a track and field athlete means rigorous training for most of the year. Being a student-athlete means coming home late from practice and immediately shifting gears to focus on schoolwork. For Hamilton, it’s crucial to find ways to prevent homework and studying for assessments from piling up.

“I balance school and track by organizing my time and assignments to the best of my ability,” said Hamilton.

To her coaches, Hamilton stands out as a positive and motivating force on the team, always working to improve her own individual performance, and that of her teammates. 

“[Lena] embraces our team’s principles of growth mindset and positive psychology, always striving to improve and encouraging others to do the same,” said track head coach Ben Samara. “Her commitment to both personal progress and the success of the team is evident in everything she does.”

Apart from being an outstanding runner, Hamilton has a notable impact on her teammates, providing feedback whenever it’s needed and cheering them on during races. 

“She’s very positive, which I think is a nice quality to have, because it gets you thinking in a different approach, [rather] than [thinking of] something negative [that could] happen,” said Madison Hamlin ’27, a sprinter on the track team. “The advice that Lena gave me was so focused on myself and how to improve myself ... She inspires me because she’s like my big sister. She has that connection that works for us.”

With already three years of track under her belt and plenty of race experience, Hamilton only has a few words of advice for her younger self: “I would tell my freshman self to sign up for track sooner.

Lena Hamilton ’25: track

The sound of the starting horn reverberates throughout the pool as Jaiden Xu ’25 dives off the block, precisely cutting his way through the water. His rivals struggle to keep up, as he glides through the water in a rhythm and pace that has been meticulously cultivated throughout his years of experience. In an effortless display of his underwater prowess, Xu scores the key points for his team

Xu was introduced to swimming at an early age, with his father kickstarting what would eventually blossom into an 11-year career. His father became one of his inspirations along with 23 time Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps.

“My father taught [my brother and I] at a young age ... I really looked up to my father,” said Xu.

Xu explained that his father and Phelps share key traits: dedication, perseverance, and resilience, which played a key role in his decision to stay in the sport, despite facing many challenges.

“There was a period in time where injuries plagued me, and it genuinely made me [think about] quitting,” said Xu. “But I thought about the fact that I’ve put so much effort into this sport I might as well continue and see how far it’ll take me. It’s not like it’s going to be the end of the world if I don’t perform well.”

His commitment and dedication to his team paid off, as Xu’s efforts aided the PHS boys swim team in clinching the Colonial Valley Conference championship this past January, going undefeated in the regular season and individually placing in the top three. Boys swim coach Carly Misiewicz has noticed Xu’s capability ever since his freshman year.

“From his first year he was somebody who was very talented [and] very skilled,” said Misiewicz. “He was a top contributor as a freshman ... but he’s really grown into being able to swim almost any event.”

In between his commitment to the sport, Xu finds time for other aspects of his life, especially his family and his education.

“With my family, I try to spend as much time as I can, especially on the weekends,” said Xu. “[For] school work, I try to finish in school so I don’t have to do it at home. [But], sometimes I do have to miss practice in order to finish work.”

His dedication to excellence is also shown in his leadership. David Xu ’25 has been on the team with Xu for all four years, witness- ing the behind-the-scenes effort he puts into the sport.

“He’s definitely one of the hardest workers out there that I know of,” said Xu. “He’s always there ... helping and pushing teammates to do their best and go their fastest.

Xu’s leadership has been critical to the team’s success this year, especially in an important swim meet against West Windsor High School South when it came down to the final relay where the boys needed first and second place to win the meet. That’s when Jaiden came up with a strategy.

“[He suggested to] split up our best swimmers into both these relays so we could secure these positions, and it ended up helping us win the meet,” said David Xu.

Xu plans to carry his swimming career into the next four years at Hamilton University, where he will continue to compete at a high level in a sport that he has loved since his childhood.

Jaiden Xu ’25: swimming

A form of exercise, calisthenics, has begun to gain more attention through social media. Online fitness celebrities such as David Laid and Simeon Panda showcase their strength by doing bodyweight movements that seem to defy gravity like the planche or handstand pushups. 

“I think there are a lot of pretty popular influencers that do calisthenics, especially in terms of short-form content.
For me personally, [that content] is what also inspired me to get started with calisthenics,” said Ronald Qiu ’26. 

Though calisthenics may seem like a new fad, Angelo Andriotis, owner of the International Calisthenics Academy in Greece, says its roots can be traced back to 600 B.C: “calis” comes from the Ancient Greek word “kallos,” meaning beauty, and “thenics” comes from “sthenos,” or strength. Under Spartan rule, leaders relied on calisthenics to train soldiers. The reason why it continues to be widespread mainly ties back its benefits and the overall nature of the exercise. 

The main function of calisthenics, as concluded by Thomas Rosmond et al., is to build functional strength, because these exercises target multiple muscle groups in the body while enhancing flexibility, coordination, and posture. Performing daily tasks in life would become much easier because a lot of calisthenic exercises mirror daily movements like pushing, pulling, and squatting. Furthermore, with increased mobility, one would be at a lower risk of injuries and have increased joint health. 

“I think that one of the best benefits of calisthenics is its [convenience]. You can do it anywhere, anytime, [and] you don’t need fancy equipment to do [it],” said Qiu. 

Calisthenics is beginner friendly; many basic bodyweight exercises like squats and pushups are relatively easy for people to master without major risk of injury, so people can improve their form and build confidence in their balance and strength. This enables the transition into weight training, but it’s important to keep in mind that lifting and calisthenics are separate exercises for different intentions.

“[When] lifting weights ... you’re pretty stationary because you’re the one pushing the [weight]. With
calisthenics, you’re using your body as the weight, so it’s a lot more mobile, and also, you get better control of your body,” said Qiu.

Like Qiu, Jake Winn ’26 started calisthenics two years ago and continues to improve his routine. 

“A good [calisthenics plan spans] anywhere from like six days a week, and you probably only need half [an] hour a day to get results,” said Jake Winn ’26.

According to Pat Chadwick, a certified calisthenics coach, a plan should start off with the easier moves such as lunges and planks. As the workouts get more advanced, equipment like gymnastic rings, pull up bars, parallel bars, and resistance bands are often used but aren’t necessary. 

“You could have a pull up bar at home, but you don’t need a lot of materials because you could go to any playground or gym and do pull ups, muscle ups, [and] dips,” said Winn.

Though the end result may seem unattainable, it is important to remember that everyone starts somewhere, and the only way to progress is through consistent effort.

“If you’re thinking about starting calisthenics, you should, because progression comes fast at first, and it’s actually very rewarding to see,” said Qiu. 

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