  The  AP  season  is  over,  and  in  order  to  deal  with  the  ample class time that they now have on their hands, AP teachers often choose to assign end-of-the-year projects, teach further content, or just watch movies to tie all the content of the year together. However, some teachers are having difficulty striking a balance between overworking and underworking their students towards the end of the year.  As  a  result,  some  post-AP  teaching  strategies  are  more detrimental than beneficial to the students.
     Plenty  of  students  believe  that  the  end  of  the  year  should be spent trying to wind down from the stresses of earlier in the year. However, some teachers have chosen to extend past units or teach entirely new ones after APs and  final  tests  have  taken  place.  Despite  the   fact   that   continuing   the   education   of  students  is  beneficial,  the  new  content  is  only  taught  for  a  short  period  of  time  and   often   covers   content   which   does   not   completely   relate   to   the   previous   units.  This  makes  it  difficult  for  students  to  retain  much  of  that  material.  These  units  have  the  potential  to  drop  students’  averages just before the end of the year, leading to even more stress carried with them into the summer break.
ring  the  summer  as  students  see  their  friends  less  frequently  and  have  less  of  a  structure  to  their  days.  Piling  stress  from  the  end  of  the  year  on  top  of  these  resurfacing  feelings  may  be  dangerous.  Also,  because  some  students  have  final  exams,  engaging  in  a  project  which does not require students to do homework would provide  them  with  more  time  to  study  for  their  finals  in  non-AP  classes.  Rather  than  teaching  new  units  on  unrelated  content  to  students,  the  best  option  for  end  of the year teaching could be to assign students in-class final projects so that they can take everything that they have  learned  throughout  the  year  and  compile  it  into  something more creative. This not only engages students, but takes away some of the stress of the end of the year. 
Another issue that students face is being underworked at the end of the year. Although this might not seem like a huge problem, I know that I have personally struggled with  the  wide  discrepancy  between  pre  and  post-AP  workloads.  Teachers  playing  movies  for  students  at  the  end  of  the  year  or  allowing  them  to  have  a  free  period  can be frustrating for students like me, who took an AP class to pursue a passion or interest. Playing movies for students  will  not  engage  them,  and  frankly,  with  how  tired  we  all  are  from  this  strenuous  school  year, these lackluster lesson plans are literally putting us to sleep.
Although students have been working hard all year and may just want to stop, providing the  students  with  an  outlet  to  channel  their  work  from  earlier  in  the  year  would  make  them feel as though all of the hard work that they  have  put  into  their  classes  had  paid  off.  The best thing for the PHS administration to do would be to advise teachers to make sure that they have engaging but  not  stressful  lesson  plans.  If  PHS  encouraged  their  teachers to engage their students creatively by compiling all  that  they  have  learned  into  these  final  projects,  students would learn more and would be more interested in  what  they  have  learned,  and  this  project  would  help  kids to retain their previously learned material for future classes.  For  example,  Dr.  Robert  Corell’s  AP  Chemistry  class has been working to make “flipped videos” for the next year of Accelerated Chemistry students. Essentially, current  students  record  videos  teaching  future  students  the content covered over the course of the year, which Dr. Corell will then actually use in order to help teach. Not only  does  this  engage  current  AP  Chemistry  students,  but  it  also  aids  in  the  learning  of  future  chemistry  students.  Additionally,  AP  Chemistry  and  other  AP  science  classes  have  been  traveling  to  Princeton  Public  elementary and middle schools to engage students with fun science experiments. 
Even though we are all tired and would prefer if school was  over  by  now,  it  is  important  that  teachers  keep  their   students   motivated   by   engaging   them   without   introducing  the  high  stresses  of  new  units.  Although  we   students   cannot   easily   make   executive   decisions   regarding our learning, we must make the administration aware of the shortcomings of the past few weeks of post-AP learning. Better teaching strategies must be used for future generations of PHS students. 

Post-AP classes are being misused

 In early May of this year, a draft of an opinion overruling Roe v. Wade, written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, was leaked. In light of this new development, heartbreaking stories  like  that  of  an  unwanted  pregnancy  causing  a  teen  to  drop  out  of  school  have  reentered  the  national  spotlight. A wave of justified panic has spread across our entire nation. An overturn of Roe v. Wade would still be detrimental to women everywhere. Abortion rights and access  to  birth  control  are  just  as  important  at  PHS  as  they  are  anywhere  else.  Princeton  residents  must  stand  together in fighting to prevent the overturn of Roe v. Wade. 
Roe  v.  Wade  was  a  1973  Supreme  Court  decision  which  guaranteed  a  woman’s  right  to  abort  in  the  first  and second trimesters of pregnancy, ruling state bans on such  abortions  unconstitutional.  The  court  ruling  has  been a consistent guarantee of women’s bodily autonomy with  regards  to  pregnancy  for  decades.  However,  this  may now all disappear. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, New Jersey, is unlikely to ban abortion. But that is not at all to say that New Jersey and PHS would be unaffected by the decision.  Quite  the  opposite  is  true.  From  2016–2020,  Mercer  County  has  had  the  third-highest  teen  birth  rate  of  all  New  Jersey  counties,  according  to  the  New  Jersey  State  Health  Assessment.  The  vast  majority  of  teen  births  are  unwanted.  This  is  unacceptable;  every  unwanted  pregnancy  is  a  life  turned  upside  down.  
 To reduce the high rates of unwanted teen pregnancies in  Mercer  County,  abortions  must  be  destigmatized  and  made  more  accessible.  Overturning  Roe  v.  Wade  would  do  just  the  opposite.  By  demonizing  abortion,  the  Supreme  Court  would  be  discouraging  teens  with  unwanted  pregnancies  from  seeking  the  help  that  they  require.  Those  who  choose  to  seek  an  abortion  should  not  be  burdened  with  shame,  especially  if  they  haven’t  reached adulthood. A ruling overturn would only increase the  rate  of  unintended  births  in  our  town  and  county.
As  a  community,  PHS  should  advocate  for  abortion  rights  on  a  state,  national,  and  global  level.  There  are  thousands  of  young  people  each  year  who  end  up  carrying a child they aren’t ready to care for. They either raise  it  anyway,  which  often  results  in  large  economic  burdens,  or  put  it  up  for  adoption  or  foster  care,  which  can  be  a  traumatic  experience  for  both  parent  and  child.  These  orphaned  children  often  face  neglect  and  a  reduced  quality  of  life.  Without  the  care  of  a  parent,  they are at higher risk of developing mental health issues. 
In  the  case  that  Roe  v.  Wade  is  overturned,  26  states  are likely to ban abortion, according to a 2021 survey by Guttmacher Institute. This is a human rights crisis. New Jersey, as a state where abortion would still be accessible, has the responsibility of helping women from other states obtain abortions. Demand for abortions within New Jersey will increase as patients cross state lines to attain them. It is necessary that we strengthen our abortion infrastructure to  handle  this  influx  and  maintain  accessibility.
The  Princeton  community  can  hold  a  lot  of  power  in  this  fight.  A  good  way  to  start  might  be  to  spread  awareness  within  our  town.  For  example,  a  petition  to  include an abortion rights article in the Princeton Patch, or  a  petition  to  the  University  to  make  a  statement.  We  can  also  encourage  friends  and  family  to  donate  to  organizations  like  Planned  Parenthood  that  provide  abortions.  If  like-minded  people  of  this  age  can  come  together  and  demand  change,  we  may  be  able  to  mobilize our entire community for pro-choice activism. 
It should go without saying that the doctrine of states’ rights  does  not  justify  the  restriction  of  citizens’  basic  bodily freedoms. It is not a state’s right to decide whether or not a person can seek an abortion. No one, in power or otherwise, should have a say about what other people do with their bodies. However, since it is the politicians who are in power, we need to make it clear to them that access to abortion is a human right. The PHS community must stand up on behalf of those who cannot do so themselves.   

The fight for abortion is ours, too

 On March 31, PHS’s futsal tournament commenced once again after COVID-19 put the tournament on hiatus last year. Run by Nico Carusone ’22, Joe Borovoy ’22, and Breno Azevedo ’22, and supervised by PHS Social Studies Teacher Katie Dineen, 24 squads are tussling for the proclaimed prospect of being the best team this year. 

   Futsal is very similar to soccer, but unlike soccer, which is played outdoors, futsal is played inside. While the basic rules of soccer are maintained, one main difference is that there is a lot less contact. For example, unlike normal soccer, no side-tackling is permitted. The games are also designed to be a lot quicker since the New Gym is much smaller than an outdoor soccer field. To succeed on the small courts and fast-paced games, players need to have good passing and dribbling skills as well as good game strategy. 

   The PHS futsal tournament is split up into two parts. In the first stage, the 24 teams each played one game against each other. At the end of the first stage, they were ranked on a points table, where teams earned three points for a win, zero points for a loss, and one point for a draw. The 16 teams who racked up the most points advanced to the second round. The second stage is a single elimination bracket in which teams get eliminated until there is a winner.

   The club was started 10 years ago by a group of PHS soccer players, and has been passed down to players from each year’s senior class. Now that the club has become a staple of the PHS community, Carusone, Borovoy, and Azevedo want to keep the club’s energy alive. 

   “Futsal is a way to get away from the normal stresses of school,” said Azevedo. “It brings different types of people together. People like to cheer for each other so it builds a closer-knit PHS community.”        

   The leaders believe that the club has brought the athletic community and those who like watching sports much closer together. After remote learning canceled many PHS traditions, the club has been a great way to introduce school spirit to the underclassmen.

   “The [Futsal Club] has always had a rich history of people coming and supporting the club,” said Azevedo. “Obviously we couldn’t [have a tournament] last year because of COVID-19, but every year other than that it’s been going strong.”

   Thomsen Lord ‘25 is a frequent spectator, and loves cheering on teams. His love of soccer comes from his family, who regularly travel to Germany to watch professional games. 

   “Everybody is really invested in it,” Lord said. “It reminds me of a pro sporting event.”

  For players, the large crowd tests their ability to perform at their best. Many futsal participants are experienced soccer players, but for many of them, the crowd of up to 200 spectators test their expertise.

  “The crowd makes you much more excited but also much more nervous,” said Meloni. “The first game I felt out of breath, but it wasn't [from] running; it was more because I was nervous.”

    Despite the massive size of the crowd and the skill of many of the players, the leaders want everyone to feel welcome on the field. Ultimately, they believe the most important aspect of futsal is putting yourself out there.

   “[Futsal] is open to all,” said Borovoy. “It’s fun to have a competition with your friends and everyone’s just looking to have a good time.”

PHS Futsal Club returns with electrifying spirit after a year on hiatus

  As athletes pack their bags for a big game, they have many indispensable items: a water bottle, a snack, a hoodie, but above all, headphones. A pregame ritual of listening to music is a part of most, if not all, athletes’ routines. Although many athletes listen to music as a habit instead of a crucial part of their routines, there is a strong correlation between music and improved athletic performance.

   According to neuroscientist Kostas Karageorghis in 2016, listening to music activates multiple parts of the brain at once: the parietal, the occipital, temporal, and frontal lobes as well as the cerebellum. These brain areas regulate motor control, coordination, and emotion, which are critical to athletic performance.

   At PHS, many sports teams listen to a team playlist on buses to away games as their pregame ritual. According to hearing specialist Corianne Rogalsky in 2019, having a set pregame playlist that is played before each game can signal the need for routine preparation. 

   “[The girls tennis team] will listen to something energetic. It gets our spirits up and allows us [to have] a more positive mindset. We [usually] have games after school, so listening to music wakes me up and gets my heart pumping. I feel more ready to play,” said varsity tennis player Ashley Chen ’23. 

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 Moreover, studies have shown that listening to music with a positive mindset can trigger the release of dopamine, a naturally occurring chemical that blocks out fatigue and enhances happiness. For varsity track runner Nicholas Niforatos ’24, a recent go-to song for his workouts is “Where Are Ü Now” by Justin Bieber, an EDM song with a strong rhythmic beat. 

   “Music definitely lowers my anxiety. I tend to feel really anxious and stressed out when I don’t have music because I’m so reliant on it to get me through the day. So I tend to lean towards music almost as a therapy of sorts,” Niforatos said.

   However, PHS athletes typically are not allowed to listen to music while at sports practice or while warming up before a match. Although proven to help athletes sharpen their mindset before they walk onto the court, music could be a potential distractor when athletes need to hone in on their internal motivation. 

   “Much of the training we do requires athletes to push their boundaries, which requires significant internal focus and is a skill that has to be built over time. What I have found over 20 years of coaching is that the use of music shifts that internal focus to an external focus,” Head Track and Field Coach James Smirk said. “The end result is initial performance improvement because the music can be motivating, but long term the athlete is left with a significant deficit in the internal motivation required for upper level success. That being said, we do allow for music in certain components of training and during bus rides.”

   For many PHS athletes, music is more than just part of a pregame ritual and is a core aspect of their lives outside of school. As a self-taught music producer, Niforatos spends at least one hour on music each week. But during breaks, that time increases to almost eight hours a week. For Chen, as a Studio band jazz vocalist and a cappella singer, she spends at least six hours every week just on music. 

   “It can be difficult at times to balance everything, especially when my school work load is really heavy. But it’s actually manageable and not too stressful and is definitely worth the time I spend,” Chen said. 

   Though music seems to be concerned with artistry and sports seems to be focused on physicality, sports like figure skating and dancing blurring the line between arts and sports. These activities require a good foundation in both artistic ability and athleticism.

  “Understanding music benefits me as a ballerina because it makes sure all of my movements are on time and precise and also helps me let go while I’m dancing,” said ballerina Avery McDowell ’24. “It’s very easy to get caught up in making sure every step is correct, but music reminds me to use my emotion and artistry when dancing. You need the athleticism to be able to have the stamina and strength to do all the steps, but it’s the artistry that makes it worth watching.”

   Apart from sports that are an art form, there are surprising similarities between all sports and music. For example, the ability to think strategically and being in good shape are crucial to both. Since both also require teamwork and events with large crowds, COVID-19 also affected both in similar ways. Most importantly, the mindset needed to be successful in both are nearly identical.

   “For both [sports and music], you really need to have a passion for and enjoy doing both. But also, you really have to work hard and be persistent because that is the only way you are going to get better,” Chen said.  

    As music and sports have many similar aspects, despite the time-consuming efforts to keep up with both, the benefits to pursuing both the arts and athletics greatly exceed the drawbacks. 

   “Whether it’s to let go of fears or to pump myself up if I’m feeling stressed out, music has given me the ability to be confident. My confidence definitely translates onto the field and has helped me become a much better athlete,” Niforatos said.

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