“That top is not leaving much room for the imagination.”

It’s quips like these that actually point to something much deeper than a dress code violation. From schools to Hollywood sets, women’s breasts have been deemed a distraction for men — a way to excuse a man’s desire.

A boy could show up to school wearing a muscle tee and no one would bat an eye. A girl showing up in a tank top with her bra straps peeking through, though, that’s a different story. According to the Government Accountability Office girls face 83% of all dress code violations. In other words, dress codes have been stricter for girls than for boys because a girl’s body, especially her breasts, supposedly creates a distraction in the learning environment. Dress code violations span from tops that show cleavage and bra straps to sheer material and tight tops, inherently objectifying a natural part of a girl’s body.

Another overwhelmingly common example of the oversexualization of breasts is seen through public perception of breast feeding. This is one of the ways mothers feed their children, yet it is stigmatized because breasts are associated with sex appeal. Mothers are forced to distance themselves from public view during this process. Sometimes there are separate rooms mothers are told to go into just so they can feed their baby, but other times they are told to go to bathrooms or anywhere “out of sight.”

As if breast feeding isn’t tiring enough, mothers need to excuse themselves and walk away for a task that takes them up to an average of 35 hours per week.

Adding to the stigma, in many Hollywood blockbusters, there is always that one girl that nobody finds attractive. It isn’t till a character tells her to ditch the baggy clothes and wear tighter ones that accentuates her curves and breasts that everyone in school falls in love with her, like in the movie “She’s All That.” This stereotype sends the message to girls that showing their breasts is the only way to make somebody fall in love with them.

Dress codes encourage girls to cover up, yet, Hollywood emphasizes breast size with everything from the actress’s wardrobe to the camera angle zooming in on her chest. At the same time that Hollywood accentuates larger breasts, much of society portrays them as inappropriate, or a distraction. This is just one of the double standards that exist when it comes to a woman’s chest. “One size fits all” is another one. In reality, those clothing lines prefer smaller chests but advertise for all types of bodies. However, smaller breasts are linked to less sexual appeal in society because of the idea that breasts must be linked to a woman’s sexual worth in the eyes of men. The double standards society places on breasts put women in a difficult situation.

Oversexualization of breasts

For Jennifer Bigioni, being a librarian was always in the books. 

“I was a huge reader as a kid, and I was also a very good researcher. I remember being in elementary school and helping all the kids use the card catalog and showing them how to use the periodic guide,” said Bigioni. 

However, in college, Bigioni wanted to work in the State Department at the Soviet Union embassy. That is, until the Soviet Union collapsed. Bigioni’s professor encouraged her to pursue a career in education instead, and her teaching career began. Bigioni started as a substitute teacher at West Windsor Plainsboro Regional High School and later became a social studies teacher there. Then, while working one summer on her social studies curriculum, she realized the school needed a librarian to facilitate good learning, and returned to her childhood passion. 

“I was working one summer and I’m like, ‘They’re going to need a really good librarian to help them with all of this — maybe I should be a librarian.’ So I got myself into grad school and ... I was like, this totally feels right,” said Bigioni. 

Bigioni later began working at PHS in 1994 as a social studies teacher and later as the Learning Commons Media Specialist in 2013. She remembers falling in love with the beautiful building, welcoming people, and the close relationship between faculty and students. She has now been a part of the PHS community for 31 years and plans to retire this March.  

“There was something calling to me about Princeton, and once I started working here, I knew I would have a hard time working anywhere else because there’s a lot of academic freedom here, which is wonderful,” said Bigioni.

In her time here at PHS, Bigioni has strived to make the Learning Commons a space that every student feels comfortable using. Bigioni also worked to make sure that students went to the Learning Commons at least once over their four years at PHS. 

 Bigioni has also diversified the reading selection by adding manga, graphic novels, fantasy series, and fiction on top of the academic books already carried by the Learning Commons, drawing on student book recommendations and professional journals to stay updated on reading trends.

“When [I] first started here, students didn’t take out any books. They didn’t even know they were allowed to borrow the books, so our circulation was almost at zero,” Bigioni said. “I really worked with students to find out what they wanted to read. [They] wanted to read manga. They wanted to read graphic novels, ... different fantasy series, so I bought them. [And] nothing makes me happier than seeing students who are really happy about being able to read and having the books here for them.”

In addition, Bigioni stresses the importance of academic integrity in a time when students are increasingly relying on technology to think for them. Through the Learning Commons, Bigioni has held professional development sessions for teachers regarding the use of AI in learning spaces, as well as training people in AI detection. 

“It does bother me when I see there are various structures in place that make it difficult for students to do everything that they need to do — over scheduling is causing these issues, and [AI] is the shortcut to getting a grade without doing the learning. [It’s hard] for me to witness, and to not be able to solve,” Bigioni said. 

In her retirement this spring, Bigioni and her husband plan to move to Ireland to be closer to their daughters, travel the world, and volunteer. However, Bigioni hopes that PHS students continue to read and learn.

“If you don’t know how to ... do your own research, you will forever be fooled by whoever controls that information. That’s something really critical for every individual, but it’s [also] really critical for our world,” said Bigioni. “It’s hard to convince a 15 year-old or a 16 year-old of how important the learning that they’re doing now is going to have for not only their future, but the future of other people too. But it’s true. It really is true.”

photo: Charley Hu
 
When Bigioni first joined PHS, book circulation was close to zero.

Learning Commons librarian Jennifer Bigioni to retire after 31 years at PHS

# 3100 BC, Egypt: Senet
Senet is the oldest known board game, mentioned in the Book of the Dead and played on a 3x10 square board with pawns, throw-sticks, and counters. Historians believe that wealthy Egyptians would play this game in hopes of winning and earning the protection of the gods Ra, Thoth, and Osiris. Although the rules of the game are unknown, it is believed that Senet is similar to an Arab game called Hyena, where players race to the center of the board and capture their opponents (an early form of Pac-Man).

# 600 AD, India: Chess and checkers
Chess is thought to be a version of the Indian game, Shatranj, played on a 64-square board with the objective of either eliminating all of the opponents pieces or killing their king. The game was spread globally through the Silk Road as traders carried it with them. To make the game easier to play while traveling, traders tweaked the game to have discs instead of pawns that sit on the lines instead of squares, becoming an early form of checkers.

# 1100 AD, China and later Europe: Dominoes
While first created in China, the game was not popularized in Europe until the 1700s, when the French created a version in which players used the tiles as puzzle pieces to make certain patterns. Another early version of the game was traced to the Inuits in North America who made domino tiles out of bones. 

# 1903, United States: The Landlord’s Game
Created by Lizzie Magie, the objective is to buy properties, railroads, and utilities across the board that has a jail and a “go” corner. Magie’s hope was to teach children about the unfair way monopolies were created through land grabbing. This game was later sold to the Parker Brothers, who rebranded it as Monopoly.

# 1974, United States: Dungeons and Dragons
D&D was the first role-playing board game, with cards of dwarves, elves, gnomes, and other magical creatures and a Dungeon Master who embark on different adventures through every game played. The game faced some opposition when religious moralists believed it encouraged witchcraft. In 2014, after the release of a ﬁfth edition, its popularity skyrocketed to the point where therapists were using it with kids and adults to relieve stress.

# 2016, United States: Game Pigeon
A game developer by the name of Vitalii Zlotksii, created the game that would soon be embedded in all iPhones. Their team had learned about the possibility of creating iMessage apps in iOS 10, giving them the idea of creating a mobile game that would be engaging for all. This idea had been an evolved version of playing games with friends and family over email. This revolutionary game that took a few weeks to create would soon create a mass of people addicted. There are many games to choose from, including Cup Pong, Crazy Eights, Knockout, and Word Hunt. 


The History of Board Games

   For the second time in Princeton High School band history, the Studio Band traveled to London, where they performed and recorded five pieces written by jazz composer Randy Brecker at Abbey Road Studios from December 7 to December 16.
   In preparation for their upcoming trip, Studio Band members worked with the band directors, David Pollack and Joseph Bongiovi, to rehearse pieces and plan the details of the trip. They had to coordinate with airlines for flights, find hotels to stay at, contact tour companies, and collect fees.
   It was especially difficult to prepare in time for this trip due to multiple factors. Not only was the music difficult, the Studio Band members also had very little time to prepare. 
   “We had other concerts and performances to do before we really got to dig into this music. In October, we had a Concert Band concert and then we also [performed at] homecoming. So we had a bunch of other [performances]. We really only spent about a month and a half preparing for this.” Bongiovi said. 
    
    The Studio Band has performed internationally and participated in many competitions. However, the band directors decided to go to London a second time because of the city’s history. Additionally, they were also able to record again at Abbey Road Studios, where popular bands like the Beatles were recorded. They also got the chance to record and play alongside Randy Brecker and his wife, Ada Rovatti. Brecker has won six Grammys over the years, and his wife plays the tenor saxophone. The Studio Band was especially excited to be recording their music. 
   Furthermore, the trip was an excellent opportunity to explore England’s culture and history.
  
   David Pollack explained that trips out of Princeton High School are such an important part of band members’ musical career. They give students many opportunities that they would not otherwise have just performing in the United States. 
    “It was a great opportunity to record [at Abbey Road Studios]. I think it's incredibly important, not only to just explore new locations… and see different cultures, … but also [because] it's important to be able to… take your music that you do every day [at Princeton High School] somewhere else so that other people can experience the music and be a part of it,”  Pollack said. 
   This trip was not only an incredible opportunity to travel and explore, but also an introduction to the world of music that many Studio Band musicians will cherish for the rest of their lives. 
   “This is a real life experience. This is something they'll have to document their entire lives…and they'll always be able to stream it at some point and tell their children and grandchildren ‘This is what I did when I was in high school.’” Bongiovi said.

Aarna Vachhrajani's Work