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

Ivy Hu '25: "Join the clubs you love and build them into not just clubs but communities."

Felix Patten '25: "The best way to enjoy high school is to do what you like to do, try your best, and be with the people that make you happy."

Sophie Gono '25: "Take a step back, take a breath, it’s not that deep. High school is four years of your life, don’t be stressed out."

Luna Bar-Cohen '25: "I’m too busy watering my own grass to notice yours is greener. Everyone has their own path, don’t compare yourself to others. comparison is the thief of joy."

Advice from PHS Seniors: What is your advice for incoming freshmen?

As days get longer and brighter, our thoughts turn to summer time: ice cream after sunsets, afternoons lounging at the pool, and of course, days spent walking across the beach, playing in the sand, and tumbling through the waves of the ocean. 


It’s natural to want something material to remember our vibrant moments near the water. However, while seashells and sand seem like harmless and thoughtful mementos from the places we visit, there is a significant environmental impact to consider when we take parts of nature away from where they belong. A phrase popularized by the U.S. National Park Service in the 1950s is still relevant to today’s best practices: “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.”


In a 2014 article, Jason Goldman, a writer for the Washington Post, pointed out that a decrease in the abundance of seashells harms the local shoreline ecosystem. As shells provide anchors for various aquatic plants and serve as shelters for hermit crabs, taking them from beaches leaves wildlife without resources they need to survive. The seemingly small act of collecting shells on the beach leads to a domino effect of adverse impacts on native coastal populations.


Besides taking photos, there are many objects students can collect on their travels that have the same or more sentimental value than seashells, such as traditional crafts. Taking a trip to Honolulu? Check out stores that sell traditional patterned quilts that carry the story of the island’s long history. If you’re going to Greece, a good option is Komboloi, or in English, “worry beads,” an art that dates back long before the 20th century. By our very own Jersey Shore, you can create both a unique souvenir and lasting memories at Hot Sand, a public glassblowing studio in Asbury Park. 


These souvenirs are much more personal than seashells, as they serve to not only educate us on vibrant cultures from the places we visit, but also support businesses keeping thousand-year-old art forms alive. It’s a win-win. Instead of taking away important pieces of marine ecosystems just to have a memento, let’s strive to take souvenirs that both enrich us and the beaches of the local people.

The price of our memories

Biking is one of the easiest and quickest ways to reduce your carbon footprint, and we live in a town uniquely suited to it: in 2025, Princeton was awarded a Silver-Level Bicycle Friendly Community award by the League of American Bicyclists for the 12th year in a row. And yet, many PHS students ignore this amazing part of life in Princeton. 


In recent years, various local efforts have worked to promote this eco-friendly mode of transportation. Walk & Wheels Wednesdays, a community initiative, encourages walking and biking to school on a weekly basis. For many parts of the country, including areas just outside Princeton, car dependency makes this difficult or nearly impossible. 


But in Princeton, the combination of quiet, suburban streets and bicycle-protecting measures on busy roads makes biking much easier and safer. The Municipality has taken measures to improve bike safety on trafﬁc-heavy roads such as Witherspoon Street, Hodge Road, Valley Road, Hamilton Avenue, and Harrison Street by widening sidewalks, not allowing parking in certain areas, and adding bike lanes.


By biking to school, students not only help the environment by lowering their carbon emissions, but also get to exercise in fresh air. Regularly cycling improves cardiovascular health, reduces stress, and boosts mental well-being — beneﬁts especially important for PHS students managing busy academic schedules. According to a 2024 study by Hossain et al., biking leads to a release of endorphins and stimulates increased blood flow, resulting in more oxygen and nutrients reaching the brain to support cognitive function. These chemical boosts can cause people to feel more energized and happier. 


Biking also offers the chance to connect with nature, naturally reducing screen time by acting as a positive distraction. In a 2022 study, Loebach et al. found that by spending more time outside, individuals can boost their productivity and strengthen their problem-solving skills. Additionally, choosing to bike instead of drive helps reduce trafﬁc congestion around PHS, making drop-off and pick-up times safer and more efﬁcient.


PHS students should take advantage of the unique opportunities that come with living in a bike-friendly community. Whether it’s going to school, going to town, or just pedaling around the neighborhood, consider skipping the drive and going on a bike ride.

Exercise your right to bike

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

### 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

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

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

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.

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