
For the first time in recent history, the PHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team has made it to the State Championships. After an undefeated season, they played the state finals November 21 at Kean University.

In the final moments of the game, Sophia Lis ’22 striked the soccer ball into the lower right corner of the net, winning four minutes into overtime. The PHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team (21–2) had just won against Lacey High School in the Group 3 State Semi Final 1–0.

The game against Wayne Valley High School was electric. The PHS Tiger Cage showed up in full force and cheered for every play. Tigers in the audience watched closely as the direction of the ball changed countless times. Throughout the match, they jumped and shouted, drowning out the opposing teams’ remarks of dissent every time a player shot at the goal. At the end of the second half, the score was tied 1–1, with Lis’s goal. However in overtime, with just 2:38 remaining, Wayne Valley High School scored. Although the Tigers did not win, having such a close game and even qualifying for the states was a huge success.

“Our game against Wayne Valley was tough, and of course we would have loved to win our last game, but at the end of the day, we’ve had a great season and still gave it our all,” Lis said.

Although not winning the state tournament, the girl’s soccer team won the division and sectional titles in the Colonial Valley Conference for the first time since 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Part of their success this season is thanks to the “Packed Cage” that supported them with enthusiasm throughout the season, but especially during their last game. On the morning of the state final game, students and Principal Chmiel boarded a bus from PHS to Kean University in their “Blue Out” attire. The long drive made the Tigers even more excited for the upcoming final game.

Further contributing to their successes was team chemistry. The team spent a lot of time together not only in practices but also in team bondings, such as dinner parties.

“It was all done through creating a sisterhood with every player on the team no matter what year they are in,” said Mojisola Ayodele ’22.

But, it was their hard work, camaraderie, and dedication in every practice that allowed the team to push themselves to the highest levels.

“Every game, we have played our hearts out and stood by one another by supporting each other,” said Annie Kosa ’22. The PHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team has come so far since they met during preseason in August.

“This year has been so unexpected. In the beginning of the year we had no idea how it would go, and we ended up playing in the state final,” Kosa said.

Younger teammates agree; inspired by the leadership of older players and excited by the prospect of playing in big matches, they rose to the occasion.

“This season was such a nice introduction to soccer at PHS. I honestly surprised myself with how hard I was able to play each match and how we were able to advance past so many rounds,” said Ava Tabeart ’25.

PHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team has unprecedented season, making it to NJ state finals




As the siren buzzes, Joshua Kim ’22 springs off the board, propelling himself into the water. He swiftly glides underwater and rises to the surface to begin his breaststroke. “Go, go, go, Josh!” The PHS swim team watches and cheers as Kim moves his legs and arms in sync, racing towards the end of the lane.

Kim began swimming when he was in seventh grade. His mother originally pushed him to try the sport to stay active, but he gradually found his passion for swimming and decided to join the team in high school for opportunities to go to competitions.

Swimming competitively while being a busy high school student has trained Kim to be efficient with his time management skills. The process of developing a productive schedule has become especially difficult during seasons that require intense and long practices, but throughout his four years, Kim has learned to do this.

“I swim in the morning before school, so I do all my homework as fast as I can [the night before], so I can sleep early,” Kim said.

When racing competitively, it is normal to feel pressured, which can affect an athlete’s performance. Since swimmers race next to competitors in adjacent lanes, the proximity and constant comparison to those next to you can cause anxiety. Kim mentioned that his movements used to be stiff because of his nervousness, but throughout his years on the team, he has learned to overcome those emotions and swim freely. Part of this was from the help of his father, who has supported him throughout his swimming career.

“He helps me with my mindset and my workouts,” said Kim. “He likes to remind me to just focus on myself and really try my best. It’s made me understand that it is okay if I lose, as long as I am able to bounce back strong and reflect on what went wrong. I really appreciate him.”

In swimming, having a calm and confident mindset is especially important for success because of its extremely competitive nature, and it can be easy to get sidetracked. With his outgoing characteristics, Kim has been able to bond closely with other athletes on the team. Head Swim Coach Carly Misiewicz believes these characteristics contribute to Kim’s leadership abilities.

“People look up to him. He is definitely a big leader for us,” said Misiewicz. “He came in a little quieter as a freshman, but now that he’s a senior, [and he is] growing and getting to know everybody.”

Like Misiewicz, Daniel Baytin ’23, a member of the swim team, is also impressed by Kim’s leadership skills.

“He always leads the lane, [and] every day, he makes sure that everyone’s in the water on time and tries their hardest. If there was a ... team captain, it would be Josh Kim,” Baytin said.

Taking inspiration from his father and encouragement from his teammates, Kim plans on furthering his skills. He looks forward to potentially swimming for a college or club team, but whatever happens, he is certain swimming will be a part of his life for a long time.

Athletes of the Month: Joshua Kim ’22: swimming

“Please welcome, representing the Princeton Skating Club and the North Jersey Figure Skating Club, Cherie Sun...” — the rest of the dance felt like a blur. My shadow dancing partner, Gloria, and I were first to skate after the standard three-minute warm up, so my legs did not stiffen as they usually did from pre-competition skating nerves. What I do remember is finishing my introduction and skating up to my starting position. The rest of the performance was just smiling and muscle memory. Before I knew it, my time on the ice was over, and my coach was applauding. I sighed with relief.

Qualification for the National Solo Dance Final is based on performance from the competitions in the National Solo Dance series where the highest scoring skaters in each section qualify. One of the events is shadow dance, which involves two skaters skating a compulsory ice dance side-by-side, similar to a ballroom dance on ice. Judges give two scores: one for execution and another for component. Execution is graded on a scale from plus five to minus five, focusing on skating quality, synchronization, and closeness. The component score is based on skating skills, performance, and timing to the pattern dancing music. We travelled to Kalamazoo, Michigan the day before the competition and attended the pre-competition party at Gull Meadows Farm near the rink. There, Gloria and I were able to meet other skaters participating in the final. Afterwards, we went out for a big dinner and slept early in preparation for the next day’s competition.

The day of the final, we woke up at 7 a.m. and went down to get breakfast in the hotel. I tried to eat as much breakfast as I could since I knew I had a long day ahead of me. Around 8:30 a.m., we went to the rink for practice ice, which we purchased ahead of time to get adjusted to the new rink and get “our legs under us,” an expression my coach likes to use: When you skate earlier in the day, you are more warmed up and therefore have a better feel for the ice. It was the first time I had seen the rink; my eyes swept around the massive space with the bleachers full of buzzing spectators. The side of the rink banner read “2021 National Solo Dance Final.” That’s when it hit me: this is a big deal.

It was time to begin my competition routine. First was makeup and dressing, which took about an hour. The next step was getting to the rink. Once we arrived, Gloria and I stretched, listened to music, and did off-ice extension activities with our coach. After about 30 minutes, it was time to put on skates and make our way over to the competition. When we got there, the Zamboni was still surfacing the ice, and when it finished, there were a few minutes to allow for the ice to dry before we stepped on for our three-minute warmup.


photo: [credit name = "Kevin Phelan"] photo illustration: [credit name="Wenya Huan"]


Overall, this was one of the best experiences of my life. We skated well, and although we didn’t medal, we placed sixth in the country. I was able to meet and watch some excellent skaters; there were about 170 from all over the country attending the competition. Since we spend so much time together, shadow dancing has made Gloria and me closer through our practices and travel to competitions. Still, even after the season, we get food every Friday after practice, laughing at our inside jokes and updating each other on our weeks. It was a unique opportunity to be a part of a team with skating being an individual focused sport. Part of the reason we were so successful was because of our strong relationship. When you get along, you are able to work better together. We have gotten to the point where we are not afraid to be honest with each other with our skating, allowing us to fix issues faster, and with skating being a detail-oriented sport, this is key. I can’t wait to compete in the series next year to try to win a spot at the final again.

Weekend in the life of a solo ice dancer at the National Solo Dance Final


Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fall sports are looking a little different this year, especially with the increasing spread of the Delta variant. On August 15, the Princeton High School Athletics department hosted a webinar discussing the restrictions in place for the season with Athletic Director Brian Dzbenski along with all of the fall sports head coaches, nurse Lisa Goldsmith, and Head Athletic Trainer Shannon Koch.

In the webinar, Dzbenski laid out a plan athletes must follow before attending practices: they must fill out a screening questionnaire and bring three masks, hand sanitizer, a towel, and a water jug. However, mask policies are far more relaxed; during practice, outdoor sport athletes do not have to wear them due to greater ventilation, and since sports started again after the pandemic, the virus has not been transmitted between students at outdoor practices from both the middle school and the high school. However, for indoor sports, such as girls volleyball, masks are still mandated by the New Jersey Sports Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), the governing body of New Jersey’s high school sports, due to greater concentration of particles indoors. Also, when traveling to away games, students must wear masks in the buses.

There are special cases where wearing masks is not possible. NJSIAA guidelines state that it is not safe to wear masks when performing strenuous activities such as wrestling, swimming, or performing stunting. Close contact during these sports should be as limited as possible, at a maximum of 15 minutes of exposure.

In addition, temperature checks were taken away this season because the district decided they were not as helpful as the health screening self assessments in determining if an athlete had the symptoms of COVID-19.

Dzbenski stresses the importance of these self-assessments.

“[It is] important that our coaches, students, and parents continue to understand and monitor their health. It just takes a moment to do a selfassessment on how you’re feeling today. Sometimes we get so caught up in the stresses of going to school and juggling all the things we’re juggling that if you have a sore throat, you may not even be mindful of it,” Dzbenski said.

With outdoor mask mandates and temperature checks removed, sports this season are looking more relaxed than last year. According to the District Physician, Dr. Robert Helmrich, in an “Ask the Doctor” event hosted by the Princeton Public Schools on August 31, it is important to note that this year we have vaccinated staff and students. The sports department asked parents to voluntarily submit their children’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination cards because it affects quarantine time for the team if a player tests positive with COVID-19. If a team is fully vaccinated, they can continue practicing even if a player tests positive.

Furthermore, many sports will have cuts to maintain safety, with the amount of cuts depending on each sport. For volleyball, for example, 70 people signed up to try out, but only 30 made either of the two teams. For soccer, however, there were minimal cuts. There are four different teams, and freshmen were not cut from the sport.

The plan for the season was developed by the PHS Athletic Department following a combination of guidelines the NJSIAA put out last spring, ideas from the CDC conference for high school sports, and decisions made by the Princeton Public Schools health and safety committee created by Superintendent Dr. Carol Kelley. This committee includes District Physician, Dr. Robert Helmreich; the Head Athletic Trainer Shannon Koch; and members from the Princeton Health Department including Director Jeffry Grosser, and his assistant, Karen Cope.

“[This] arsenal of people keep up to date with CDC guidelines and are able to monitor the COVID-19 Delta variant in our surrounding area, which in our county is moderate. [They make sure] the other areas we host games with or travel to are safe,” Dzbenski said.

There are a few options for student athletes or parents who feel uncomfortable with certain situations. For example, if they feel uncomfortable taking the buses to away games, they can get approval to provide their own transportation. In addition, if an athlete’s family feels uncomfortable going to watch the games in person, Princeton High School sports has a free livestream of all games up and running on the athletic website. For those who decide to attend the games in-person, no masks are necessary when outside.

Overall, the community’s opinion of the plans have been favorable.

“We are back to practicing in our normal location. I think that it’s more normal, and that it’s a nice middle ground. We’ll still be safe though the guidelines aren’t as strict as last year,” said student-athlete Kyleigh Tangen ’24.

In addition, the community’s cooperation has been tremendous.

Dzbenski said, “[The community has] been very responsible. And I think we’re in a really good place [for this season].”

The district is currently working with the dynamic situation and adapting the protocols as things are changing.

“We are sharing information with our coaches as it becomes available. Things could change, as we head into the winter months. The NJSIAA, New Jersey Department of Education, or CDC may come out with new guidelines. Our health and safety committee will continue to update guidelines,” Dzbenski said.

 
 
 

Dzbenski’s fall sports seminar outlines guidelines for Princeton High School’s fall sports

In the beginning of February, Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso, along with fellow Mercer County Superintendents, sent a letter to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urging for the prioritization of the vaccinations of educators.

The letter placed an emphasis on the importance of healthy staff members for a stable classroom environment. It reasoned that educator prioritization and classroom stability would improve the instruction and mental well-being of students and, by extension, boost their academic performance. The vaccination of staff members would also increase the feasibility of in-person education in the spring.

Additionally, the letter offered Mercer County school facilities as supplementary vaccination locations. In addition to the ample indoor and outdoor spacing for vaccination equipment and spacing requirements, Mercer County districts are equipped with the help of skilled staff and operational planning teams.

Prior to the most recent letter to Governor Murphy, Galasso had already sent a letter solely on behalf of the Princeton Board of Education. The main focus of the first letter, sent on January 28, was the pandemic’s effect on the mental health of students and how vaccination would ease stress on teachers and faculty, thereby positively influencing classroom environments. 

“There are a significant number of students who need not only the academic support but the social [and] emotional support. And the vaccine, [as well as greater classroom security], will allow us to bring students in school for in-person instruction in greater numbers,” Galasso said.
 
Overall, the community and teachers have been supportive of the letter. Teachers and faculty members who had previously felt pressured to return to the building for PHS’s hybrid model expressed gratitude at the district’s advocacy on their behalf.
 
“I appreciate that the superintendent was reaching out to the governor, and requesting that teachers get access to the vaccinations. And when all officials are calling for more increases in ...in-person schooling, it’s important that we try to make sure that the building is as safe as possible for everyone involved,” said PHS Biology teacher, Jayne Ricciardi. 
 
Ricciardi also points out how the letter defines the role of teachers amidst the pandemic.
 
“I definitely agree that... we are being asked to do things that we didn’t necessarily sign up for when we agreed to be teachers…. But [the teachers] were really honestly concerned about the safety of ourselves and our families….I appreciate them calling us, essentially frontline workers,” Ricciardi said.
 
However, the availability of the vaccine remains a critical issue. The county began receiving a total of 1,500 vaccines per week as of January 28, 2021, which is 700 more than previously, as stated by County Executive Brian M. Hughes during his 2021 State of the County Address. Mercer County has a population of roughly 367,000. Currently, these additional doses will continue to go to the immunocompromised and the elderly. 

“I sent in vaccination site plans in the county, and we’re offering PHS and PUMS as vaccination sites….Our nurses have been trained so that in the event that the vaccine becomes available...we’ll be able to [vaccinate] pretty quickly,” Galasso said.
 
Although the vaccination plan currently remains on hold, the process will undoubtedly be a key component to how the district will consider in-person learning in the future. 
 
“[The vaccination of teachers] would be a more realistic [step] towards getting back to normal. But since it’s not necessarily an option now, I think making sure it’s an option for teachers to be virtual is also incredibly important because safety is the most important thing in the situation, over normalcy,” said Eli Edelman ’22.
 
Fortunately, the vaccination process itself is seamless. Both Ricciardi and Edelman have received it due to their underlying conditions.
 
“They gave me the vaccine, [and after] they gave me the date of... appointment for the second vaccine. So the fact that that part was so short, it makes it seem like ’oh, this should be so easy to do for everybody,’” Edelman said.
 
Galasso continues to praise the Princeton community for its resourcefulness as well as adaptability.
 
“We have had tremendous success in opening schools so far on our hybrid and remote schedule. And that’s due not only to good medical protocols and all the things that I described, but it’s the Princeton community at large and [if we didn’t] follow the science, we would not be in this situation,” Galasso said.
 
Governor Murphy recently tweeted that whenever the vaccine is more available, teachers will have a priority status.



Mercer County school districts push for teacher vaccinations in letter to Governor Murphy


The Researcher encourages scientific awareness
Focusing on current scientific discoveries, achievements, and events, The Researcher is PHS’s new student-run monthly science magazine. The editors are currently publishing the magazine online, with seven sections: biology, physics, chemistry, psychology, student research, guest speakers at the school, and a section for logic puzzles.
Editors-in-Chief Ben Baumgartner ’21 and Sanyukta Mudakannavar ’21, who were inspired to create the magazine by their experiences in PHS’s research program, organized a group of editors to begin creating the first issue of the magazine.
“[In my freshman year], I felt that there was no outlet at PHS for me to read more into the sciences. I was unaware of the fascinating ongoing scientific research underway in both the broader scientific community and by high school students,” said Mudakannavar. “I felt that if I was exposed to the research world earlier, I would have greatly benefited from it and explored more of the different fields in the sciences.” 
Mudakannavar and Baumgartner wanted to educate the community by creating a magazine that would discuss and share recent scientific discoveries, both at PHS and in the greater scientific community. 
“The Researcher is a magazine that students and faculty can access if they want to read up on all of the interesting discoveries happening in science in the world, and the speakers and experiments happening at the school,” said Baumgartner. “One of our goals is that this would help to promote high school student research and raise awareness about the student-led research in the PHS research program to the Princeton community.”
Through the creation of this magazine and the need for coverage of a multitude of scientific fields, Baumgartner and Mudakannavar became interested in many different sciences that they had previously not known much about. They hope to do the same for other students at PHS who read their magazine.
Beyond research conducted by professional scientists, Baumgartner and Mudakannavar are also planning to share the scientific work of students at PHS. Because Baumgartner and Mudakannavar have seen the dedication of time and effort put into the PHS Research projects, they hope that the accomplishments of these students can be seen and appreciated by their peers.
“One of the challenges that [Ben and I] faced [before we started the magazine] was that [we] were unable to effectively publicize and share [the Research students’] findings or research projects [with] the community,” said Mudakannavar. “This magazine is [unique because] it showcases interesting and awesome PHS student research, which isn't really known to many students in the school.”
The magazine comes out monthly, having published its first issue in February. In the future, its editors hope to publish more articles and enlist more students as writers to continue their pursuit of informing the community about scientific research and events in the world and at PHS.
	“Eventually, when the magazine gains more recognition, we plan to approach local businesses who would be interested in placing ads on our website, [to be able to publish a physical version as well],” said Mudakannavar. “Our main hope is that this will raise awareness in the school about events in the scientific community happening today.”

Link to website: https://www.theresearcherphs.com/
Career speakers promote student opportunities

Throughout this school year, the Ideas Center hosted career speakers in the Learning Commons during F-Day community service times instead of the usual Career Fair. The first event took place on February 27, and the Ideas Center Board originally planned for them to continue through mid-May. Because of the switch to remote learning, the Ideas Center was only able to host one more session on March 9.
In an attempt to present a multitude of career options and ideas for students, the Ideas Center Board, along with advisor Dr. Andrea Dinan, invited speakers of different careers to advise and offer their own experience to the students.
“[Having the speakers come is beneficial] because [students will] see that there are so many opportunities and [different] ways that you can [be successful],” said Moriah Eley ’21, a member of the Ideas Center Board.
	Based on her prior experiences with listening to career speakers in college, Dinan believes that having experts come in and talk is more effective than a career fair because the communication of real information is more direct.
“I wanted to do something [other] than the Career Fair [because] I don't think students get an opportunity to ask a lot of questions or find out any in-depth information about any careers,” Dinan said. 
Eley hopes students will be able to see what the careers are like in practice by learning more about the duties and benefits of the jobs. The board carefully chooses the speakers to address the interests of the student body and the practical applications of each job. 
“We started with a really big list. We want to make sure we have a diverse group that represents a diversity of people, careers, [and] interest for all the students,” Dinan said.
	They especially hoped to encourage students to participate and ask questions to the speakers, to ensure that the students would learn something from the presentation. Additionally, with the many choices they had, they were able to choose jobs that were beneficial for students to learn about.  
	“I really wanted students to understand that these careers are [attainable], and [what] their futures would look like,” said Dinan. “Having these career speakers come in and talk about their [experiences] really helps students to diversify their [ideas] about what [career] they want to pursue in the future.”
	The speakers also explained to students what challenges came with their careers and how to overcome them, as well as introduce them to careers or even entire fields that they might have never had the opportunity to learn about.
	“What I think [students] can benefit from here is to listen to different points and different perspectives,” said one of Johnson & Johnson’s Senior Finance Director Eduardo Gonzalez and one of the career speakers. “There are a ton of opportunities for [students] right now, and I want [them] to be [aware] of those opportunities and [begin] thinking more about [their] futures.”
	Although it is currently not possible for speakers to deliver presentations in person, the Ideas Center is finding new ways to continue offering these opportunities to students, and is considering hosting speakers over Zoom during the period of remote learning.
Princeton’s new affordable housing plan will increase PHS enrollment

	Princeton’s new affordable housing plan calls for construction of several developments to meet Princeton’s required number of affordable housing mandated by the state. However, this would increase enrollment at PHS, which is already high and steadily rising. 
	“We're very mindful that there are enrollment concerns [and the] district has [been] sensitive to that,” said Mayor Liz Lempert. “We know that the school district is having some challenging discussions right now, [and] we’re also having conversations about the benefits of affordable housing in [Princeton].”
	Soorya Baliga ’22, a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, believes there should be a balance between the increasing class size and the preservation of more personalized education.
	“On one hand, [the addition of more students leads to a] less individualized education.  However, having more students also means more perspectives to add to the school community,” Baliga said.
	Although the Affordable Housing Plan will increase the overcrowding at PHS, Lempert believes there are benefits to it as well. 
The mayor has already set a goal to make sure the locations of these housings can maximize the benefits in the community by helping local businesses.
“[We wanted the developments to be] walkable to shops, jobs, [and] transit. [The] buildings [will be] sustainable,” said Lempert. “[But] we also had to make sure that the developments were going to be feasible.”
	This affordable housing will increase the level of income diversity in Princeton Public Schools, which is relatively low in comparison to other districts. Additionally, one of the developments will be reserved only for senior citizens.
“[We want to] lower the negative impact of this affordable housing application on the schools and the community,” said Lempert. “[Senior housing] is important because we hear all the time from seniors in the community that they need to have more housing options that will be more affordable.” 
Currently, the township has reached half of the approximately 750 affordable housing units needed by 2025. To reach this number, the municipality will use two methods to build new developments, aimed to satisfy the affordable housing mandate while still helping out the people receiving affordable housing.
“First, there is the method where the township builds affordable housing. [The other way is with an] inclusionary project, [where] an outside developer comes in, and they are required to make 20 percent of their development affordable,” said Lempert. “What the [Princeton] plan tries to do is strike the balance between the two methods.”
 On February 19, the Princeton Council approved the Thanet Road development, moving the affordable housing plan forward. This was one of the first steps in continuing the development of more affordable housing in Princeton.
“The truth is that the town is growing, and we want to plan for the municipality, [while also making sure] it has a good relationship with the district,” said Lempert. “We’ve been working together on questions about how the schools might grow, [and we hope] that we can sustain that growth.”

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