On November 7, voting will close for Princeton constituents on a 13 million-dollar referendum that will include updates to all six PPS schools and specifically renovations for PHS to accommodate its growing population. These plans include expanding the cafeteria, reapplying turf for the football field, and strengthening the wifi network, among other things. 
According to the recent presentation given during the monthly BoE meeting in October, the largest budget allocation, 31.5%, will be toward safety and security, building upon the recently increased vigilance of administrators regarding student IDs and lanyards. 
“The United States, unfortunately, seems to be the capital for school shootings. We always feel safe here because it's a nice community, but we never know,” said PPS Business Administrator and Board Secretary Matthew Bouldin. “We are trying to be as proactive as possible.”
Updates to the school include preventative measures for a potential active shooter situation, such as vestibules for major entryways and new security cameras all around the school. These will allow building monitors or security guards to vet everyone coming in before they enter the school, similar to the entryway at the Flagpole Entrance right now. 
“[The police department] also helped us to design some of the safety features with suggestions for improvements. We're doing window films on all six schools [and] room numbers have gone up on the outside of the windows [for the police] in case of emergency at PHS,” Bouldin said.
Due to its burden on the taxpayer, the proposal for a 130 million dollar referendum in 2018 experienced backlash, and the Princeton Board of Education has instead recently turned to smaller, more frequent referendums. Thus, the other renovations consist primarily of necessary, time-sensitive updates to the schools, but also include solutions for common complaints. 
"For maintaining the district … for example, the turf, they do a GMAX test every year, which measures impact attenuation — basically the sponginess of the field. You really can't get much more than 12 years out of a turf field. So for stuff like that, you have an idea when it needs to be redone,” said Bouldin.“We try to get feedback from all the constituents … especially the students and teachers. For example, the students have talked about the network issues for a while, teachers as well … it gets bogged down.”
Comprising 18.2 percent of the total budget across all the schools, planned improvements will multiply the maximum internet coverage by more than ten. The speed of the student and guest networks has been a point of frustration for many years and has consistently caused problems with standardized testing. Additionally, during class transition periods, teachers cannot access the network to prepare for their next class due to an influx of students joining the Wi-Fi network from their phones. With an upgrade to the Wi-Fi capability, students can have more smooth-running classes without hiccups regarding technology, especially if their classrooms are located at the edges of school or in high-traffic areas.
“I remember in years past how teachers, especially in the science wings, couldn’t use canvas during class or load powerpoints to teach. It made class pretty inefficient, but resolving that will be a big win for productivity,” said Henry Xu ’24.
Under the “Major Maintenance” portion of the referendum includes plans to resurface all sports fields and renovations to the cafeteria, which will double the functional capacity of the kitchen and seating area.
“Unless you get there early, there are often hundreds of kids crammed into the two lunch lines with two cashiers frantically trying to move the bulging line. It takes forever, so I think that if passed, it will be one of the most visible changes for students,” said Kyle Zhao ’24. 
In general, the majority at PHS see referendums as an opportunity to improve the school and are interested in what issues will be addressed.
“As a football player, I definitely want to see how the new turf changes things. All of the additions to the high school in recent years like the New Wing have been really cool and beneficial to students, so I hope this one passes as well,” said Joseph George ’25.
If successfully passed, the district plans on beginning construction in the summer of 2024. However, the timeline still needs to be determined due to some supply barriers. However, Kendal and Bouldin both support the proposal but recognize the decision comes down to the taxpayer.
“Most of the workload will be done next summer. The technology infrastructure upgrades, assuming we can get the network or equipment. There's still some supply constraints in the marketplace with certain things, and that's one of the things I'm worried about. There's still some pretty long wait times,” Bouldin said. “We're just trying to communicate to the population so they know how important it is. That's basically what we try to do.”

13 Million Dollar Referendum Up for Vote

On May 15 at 6:00 p.m., the Board of Education held an over five-hour-long Donaldson hearing per the request of former PHS Principal Frank Chmiel, resulting in an 8–2 Board of Education vote to uphold Superintendent Carol Kelley’s recommendation for nonrenewal. This marked the first time that Chmiel appeared in front of Board members to present his case as well as the first time the Board was able to officially weigh in on the situation.
Chmiel requested the Donaldson hearing on April 28. A Donaldson hearing is a right in New Jersey for nontenured staff members who are not renewed or terminated, allowing them to request an appearance before board of education members to offer reemployment or reject the recommendation for nonrenewal. However, while the word “hearing” is in its name, the proceeding is informal, and no parties are placed under oath. According to NJ law, when a Donaldson hearing is requested, it must take place within 30 days after the employee receives the Statement of Reasons listing the reasons for nonrenewal.
On the day of the meeting, over 200 PPS parents, students, and staff filed into the PMS cafeteria, filling the 160 seats and leaving many standing against the walls. Many sitting in the front waved blue flags and held signs such as “Chmiel is the real deal.” Another 50 parents sat in the PMS library due to a lack of seating. Over 1,000 more tuned into the YouTube live stream. 
“I came here today because it’s good to show support for the principal. I think it means a lot that a lot of people turned up. [It] shows that they are behind him and that he made the effort to bring the community and the school together,” said Matthew Chao ’25.
Like the previous two board meetings regarding Chmiel’s dismissal, the hearing began with one hour of public comment where parents and students voiced their opinions on the matter at hand. Each person was allotted two minutes to speak; a wide range of views were voiced, especially those in support of Chmiel. However, the strained atmosphere erupted after audience members booed and heckled Ellie Bernstein ’23, a student who criticized Chmiel for being unforthcoming with his vaccination status, leading to a 15-minute recess. 
“What was confirmed to us at the meeting was that [Chmiel] told staff they could take their masks off and a staff member said, ‘Well, I mean, we are all vaccinated, right?’ He just ignored the question. So essentially, he lied by omission,” Bernstein said.
Being one of the few that publicly spoke out against Chmiel at the hearing, Bernstein described her close relationships with her teachers, resulting in her motivation to be vocal. Despite expecting pushback, she was “disgusted” and described the parents’ behavior as “extremely inappropriate.”
“I definitely wouldn’t consider [the hearing] my business at all if [Chmiel] hadn’t been dishonest to staff about it,” said Bernstein. “Since I’ve been at PHS, my teachers have probably been my favorite part of the school. Coming from an educator family, I understood a lot of teachers are required to cooperate, and that made me really angry … For anyone who was actually at that board meeting that was not comfortable … I just figured that I was probably the only one who’s gonna do it because his supporters can be so scary, and I was willing to deal with backlash.”
Although the members of the board were aware of the unpopularity of their decision to fire Chmiel was to many PHS parents, they were surprised and concerned by the disrespectful and discouraging behavior that was demonstrated during the hearing.
“Our students [were] being booed and silenced and that stuff just isn’t supposed to happen. It was really disappointing and it also just sort of knocks you off your game a little bit when you’re trying to follow the rules for this strange proceeding,” said Jean Durbin, one of two board members who voted to overturn Chmiel’s nonrenewal.
At 7:24 p.m., following public comment, Kelley began listing her reasons for Chmiel’s nonrenewal as per the official Statement of Reasons. Her statement consisted of Chmiel allegedly lying about his vaccination status, failing to lock down the school for an intruder, failing to communicate in a timely manner, failing to acknowledge the needs of certain struggling students, and in general, noting the alarming number of “Rice Notices,” which informs the employee if their employment will be discussed. She also stated that, in regard to Chmiel’s leadership abilities, the staff held a vote of no confidence, meaning that the majority of staff voted that they did not support Chmiel. 
This claim of an informal vote was then refuted by Matthew Wilkinson, a PHS Physical Education teacher. According to him, the vote was not official or legitimate, and also ended up being inconclusive.
“The poll was over a Zoom, and that’s different from other types of situations because you have a buffer between how you are voting or not voting,” said Wilkinson. “So we cast our informal ballot, and then the union came back to us and said it was inconclusive. The poll did not give the union a strong point for him or against him. So this bit about a vote is inaccurate.”
The Princeton Regional Education Association, a prominent teachers’ union in the district, declined to comment. 
The first part of Chmiel’s response was the presentation of witness testimonies. A variety of people were asked to speak by Chmiel, including Neveah Williams ’23, who was personally helped by him in her classes. 
“I feel like Mr. Chmiel deserves the support from everybody … and I just felt like I had to show up,” said Williams. “One day, right before winter break, I was telling him to take a break for mental health, and he was just saying, ‘PHS is the priority, and you don’t really get time off.’ So I feel like that’s like a side of him that I see.”
 With the hearing going beyond the scheduled time, ending at 11:36 p.m, tensions increased not only among students and parents, but also among teachers and staff.
“If you come to this community, you value education… and [we’re] here tonight because [we] value someone that puts our children above all other things,” said Wilkinson. “I look at the seniors and what [they] have gone through, and [they’re] so close to the finish line, and yet another horrific thing is thrown at them.” 
Furthermore, in a confusing juxtaposition, Chmiel wholeheartedly denied many of Kelley’s reasons in his response. 
“I will bring [the audience] through several parts of the statement and show how this document is inaccurate and wrong,” said Chmiel at the beginning of his rebuttal. “I will explain some of the wrong ways I have been treated by Valley Road. Actions that were not just unethical, but illegal.”
While Chmiel did not deny being unvaccinated in 2021, he stated that he was unvaccinated due to health reasons and was sitting over six feet away from staff when he took his mask off. Moreover, he claimed the intruder incident did not take over three hours to resolve, but was controlled in a matter of minutes. Chmiel further asserted that during time-sensitive instances where he needed administrative support, Kelley was unresponsive. Additionally, Kelley told him to always be on the lookout for new jobs because “she too was always looking for new jobs.” 
After Chmiel’s statement, which lasted over an hour and 15 minutes, each board member was given the opportunity to initiate a motion to reinstate Chmiel as the principal of PHS. After Mara Franceschi and Beth Behrend both declined to make a motion, Durbin started a motion to the excitement of many spectators.
“My reason for voting was a pure protest vote. I was protesting an incredibly flawed process and an impossible situation for all of us to be in,” said Durbin. “I had heard a couple of things from two independent witnesses that gave me pause, and I had no way to investigate that. No way to ask a question, no way to cross examine, no way to verify. … It was certainly not a real conversation. And it’s really something almost impossible to be placed in for any of the parties participating.”
Looking back, Bernstein describes this time as difficult, but wants to put this behind as soon as possible to move forward. She feels that expressing strong opinions are necessary in a democracy, but wants to focus on change and improvement to have a more productive and compelling argument, specifically focusing on discernment.
“I’ve definitely held beliefs throughout my life that I’ve completely turned around through the research and listening, and the realization that I was wrong was humbling,” said Bernstein. “I want people to learn to think critically and take into account that what makes them feel good isn’t always what’s right. And to challenge themselves or to challenge perceptions.”
Even after the failure to overturn Kelley’s decision, the board hopes to reunite the divided Princeton community once again.
“I feel like most of the people in my world have moved on. I just think a lot of people  understand that employment decisions are complex, that people were operating with good intent, and that non-renewal was a normal thing. It happens all the time,” Durbin said.

Decision to not renew Frank Chmiel holds after heated Donaldson hearing

 Major General William J. Bowers ’86, the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Installations Pacific, visited PHS on May 10. During his recruitment stop at PHS, his presentation had an audience of about 100 students and revolved around the oath to defend the Constitution, a must for all new military recruits. 
   “As Americans, [according to the preamble], we leave a better country, for our children, and their children's children, and posterity. … That's what all of us in the military swear to support and defend. … And that's what some of you … are going to be doing in the future,” Bowers said.
   Bowers enumerated stories and experiences from his 33-year career serving in the Marines. From leading 11,000 people in the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan in 2005 to deploying to Iraq as a Plans Teams Leader soon after, Bowers emphasized the relevance of the lessons he learned, such as the importance of trust and respect in order to succeed as a team, and how that applies to the students’ own lives.
   “I think respecting allies [and] other cultures and spending time overseas made me appreciate our democracy and just how great it is. But sometimes I think we can't take it for granted. To ensure domestic tranquility [and] promote the general welfare. I think everything we do [in the military], translates in some way [to civilian life],” Bowers said.
   Throughout his presentation, Bowers also talked about his time at PHS, and how Princeton’s rich history allowed him to thrive in the environment of the Marines, especially when recruits come from all over the country.
   “Being a student here at Princeton, I learned to be a good teammate for lots of different people and make friends with lots of different people,” said Bowers. “That's really helpful in the Marines because when you're a commanding general, you're going to have the whole country represented. … You have to be able to build a team and a diverse group.” 
   Daniel North, Secretary of PHS, was tasked with planning the event. Serving nine years himself in the Army in tactile satellite communications, North hoped that the visit broadened the perspectives of all people, especially students. 
   “I was excited and [looked] forward to meeting him. He's very accomplished and very experienced. I thought it all went pretty well, and I was happy that everything stayed on schedule,” said North. “We really need to … start thinking more globally. Not just to students, but people my age, because [there is] too much division. Too many people seek to find ways to separate … when we should all be coming together.”
   During Bowers’s brief stay at PHS, he also took a tour of PHS led by students who are set to enroll in the Military Academies after graduation. Throughout the tour, Bowers was pleased to rekindle his old high school memories and see new additions to the school after his graduation.
   “He was definitely pleasantly surprised by the new additions of the PAC and the new track and football fields,” said Rachel Luo ’23, who plans on attending the United States Military Academy West Point.
   Luo thought that Bowers made a good impression on the students. She believed that Bowers’s speech made him seem approachable.
   “He was very well-spoken and despite his rank, he is very good at putting people at ease and relating to others. He was a great storyteller [and] is very inspiring,” Luo said.
   Bowers is excited to see leaders of the future and encourages those within PHS to make a difference, whether it be through the Marines or in other parts of society. 
   “You got activists all over. … You have a lot of good, optimistic leaders; leadership potential in your generation. Some of you are going to recognize that leadership potential wearing this uniform. I don't know who you are yet. But I know what the numbers tell me. There's a couple of you out there,” Bowers said.


Major General Bowers visits his alma mater PHS during a recruitment stop

Major General William J. Bowers ’86, the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Installations Pacific, visited PHS on May 10. During his recruitment stop at PHS, his presentation had an audience of about 100 students and revolved around the oath to defend the Constitution, a must for all new military recruits. 
“As Americans, [according to the preamble], we leave a better country, for our children, and their children’s children, and posterity. … That’s what all of us in the military swear to support and defend. … And that’s what some of you … are going to be doing in the future,” Bowers said.
Bowers enumerated stories and                        experiences from his 33-year career serving in the Marines. From leading 11,000 people in the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan in 2005 to deploying to Iraq as a Plans Teams Leader soon after, Bowers emphasized the relevance of the lessons he learned, such as the importance of trust and respect in order to succeed as a team, and how that applies to the students’ own lives.
“I think respecting allies and spending time overseas made me appreciate how great our democracy is. But sometimes I think we can’t take it for granted. To ensure domestic tranquility [and] promote the general welfare; I think everything we do [in the military], translates in some way [to civilian life],” Bowers said.
Throughout his presentation, Bowers also talked about his time at PHS, and how Princeton’s rich history allowed him to thrive in the environment of the Marines, especially when recruits come from all over the country.
“Being a student here at Princeton, I learned to be a good teammate for lots of different people and make friends with lots of different people,” said Bowers. “That’s really helpful in the Marines because when you’re a commanding general, you’re going to have the whole country represented. … You have to be able to build a team and a diverse group.” 
Tasked with planning the event, PHS Secretary Daniel North served nine years in the Army himself in tactile satellite communications, North hoped that the visit broadened the perspectives of all people, especially students. 
“I was excited and [looked] forward to meeting him. He’s very accomplished and very experienced. I thought it all went pretty well, and I was happy that everything stayed on schedule,” said North. “We really need to … start thinking more globally. Not just to students, but people my age, because [there is] too much division. Too many people seek to find ways to separate … when we should all be coming together.”
During Bowers’ brief stay at PHS, he also took a tour of PHS led by students who are set to enroll in the Military Academies after graduation. Throughout the tour, Bowers was pleased to rekindle his old high school memories and see new additions to the school after his graduation.
“He was definitely pleasantly surprised by the new additions of the PAC and the new track and football fields,” said Rachel Luo ’23, who plans on attending the United States Military Academy West Point.
Luo thought that Bowers made a good impression on the students. She believed that Bowers’ speech made him seem approachable.
“He was very well-spoken and despite his rank, he is very good at putting people at ease and relating to others. He was a great storyteller [and] is very inspiring,” Luo said.
Bowers is excited to see leaders of the future and encourages those within PHS to make a difference, whether it be through the Marines or in other parts of society. 
“You got activists all over. … You have a lot of good, optimistic leaders; leadership potential in your generation. Some of you are going to recognize that leadership potential wearing this uniform. I don’t know who you are yet. But I know what the numbers tell me. There’s a couple of you out there,” Bowers said.


Major General Bowers visits his alma mater PHS during a  recruitment stop

   Following the sudden dismissal of Former PHS Principal Frank Chmiel, Dr. Kathie Foster, an educator and a strong supporter of the public school system, assumed the position of Interim Principal at Princeton High School two days before Spring Break. 
   Foster started her educational career as an elementary English teacher in the Robbinsville school district and fell in love with working on the curriculum. This love for curriculum brought her to the administrative side of the district, and eventually led her to the superintendent position. 
   “I was an elementary teacher, and I actually taught every single grade level but kindergarten,” said Foster. “I started to fall in love with middle school students. And so then I really focused on being a middle school teacher and I ended up being an English language arts middle school teacher and loved it until I took the position as assistant principal.”
   Last year, Foster came out of retirement to take up the position of interim assistant superintendent for PPS. After fulfilling her role as interim assistant principal, she was called back to become interim principal in March.
   “I retired as superintendent in 2020 … I was ready to just take a break, rest a bit and really find what's next for me. I did some volunteer work, [for] ‘Dress for Success,’ which is an organization that empowers women, [and also] workshops and resume building---and guess what it was all about---educating and teaching. [Following] that, I knew that I was ready to return [as] I've always been a passionate supporter of public education,” said Foster.
   Foster’s transition has been well received by administrators such as Cecilia Birge, one of three PHS Assistant Principals. 
   “I think her transition has been seamless. Schools are not run by the individual – [they’re] run by a team. And we're very lucky that we have a really good team. She's so mindful of Princeton culture… academically, athletically, artistically, and politically,” said Birge.
   Although students are only just getting to know her, she already has knowledge of the culture at PHS, working as the Assistant Superintendent last year, letting her blend into the current administrative team already at PHS.
   “Dr. Foster is no stranger; she was in the district last year. Students probably did not get a chance to work with her or meet her frequently, but we administrators are very familiar with her…Her leadership is student-centered and kindness focused. She brings in a lot of mindfulness…and wants to meet the students so it's been really great,” said Birge.
   Her familiarity with the PHS community has shown itself clearly to the administrators.
   “There are times that as administrators, we often live in the gray area when it's time to make a decision, but because [Foster] served as superintendent and assistant superintendent for so many years, she's so familiar with the district policies and does not hesitate to make decisions. So I think I can speak for the entire team that we all feel really, really supported,” said Birge
   Foster’s main goal is to have a positive school year. She places a special emphasis on mental health and how to maintain a balance between academic stress and time to regroup. Dr. Foster wants to work with the staff to make sure that everyone understands and supports students in the classroom with mental health. 
   “I know that the school year is almost over, but I want to make sure that students feel emotionally and physically safe, that they’re successful academically, and that they know that people care about them.” 
   One thing Foster loves about the Princeton community is that students are at the center. She also appreciates how passionate the educators are and how they really care about the students that they are teaching. 
   “It’s about activating your voice, you know, empowering students, creating student leaders to go out in the world and contribute. So, I love my work even though I didn't get to interact as much with students. I was able to interact with people and engage with students,” said Foster.
   Instead of sending out morning emails, Dr. Foster will stick to her Sunday night messages. 
   “I know that it may be a disappointment to people, but I’m learning all of these new systems all at once and I am trying to meet with students. We are also looking into the possibility of putting the lunch menu on an app or website to make it easier [for students],” said Foster.
   Foster has also made the decision that this year, students will not be required to wear lanyards, but students are given the choice to adjust to the new system early. While she believes that it would be beneficial, Foster and the Student Advisory Council decided that it would be too big a change this year. 
   “Students, I want to tell you, I’m here for a short time, but I’m here for you fully. I want to be visible, I’m going to champion for you and provide the best end of the year for you. I can guarantee that I am really passionate about making sure that you have a great end of the year,” said Foster.

PHS Profile: Kathie Foster's short time at PHS focuses on student well-being

Marking its 16th year of celebration, this year’s PHS Asian Fest, which took place on March 17, showcased the diversity of the many Asian cultures within Princeton. During the night, the festival provided food, cultural music, games, and performances, showcasing the many different cultures within Asia. 
   Asian Fest began at 7:00 p.m. on March 17 with "culture stations" set up around the Gym that provided attendees with the opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities.    
   “Asian-American Club [was] doing trivia … there was also calligraphy drawing, Chinese yo-yo, and … food stations where you [could] buy … different cultural foods,” said Michelle Peng ’23, president of the Asian-American Club and an Asian Fest emcee.
   After participating in the various available activities, attendees were able to watch performances put on by different PHS student groups at 8:00 p.m. One of those performances, which has been a part of Asian Fest for a number of years, was the fashion show put on by the Asian American Club.  
   “We [presented] different things like a diverse set of traditional clothing. Models [were] walking down and wearing certain clothing while we're describing it,” Peng said. 
   With an overall positive reaction from the audience, many students appreciated the various shows that were put on throughout the night.
   “I enjoyed all the different performances from all the groups. My favorite performances were the Lion Dance and Bollywood Club dance because they had so much energy. I think that the crowd really reacted well to that and matched that energy,” said Shrey Khetan ’24, who attended the event.
   However, the event didn’t just come together in one night. The planning process began months in advance, starting in December. In addition to preparing for performances, smaller details such as poster designs, food, and activity stands were also thought out. Representatives from the different clubs and the Mandarin classes met on specific days, organizing the many aspects of the event.
   “Behind the scenes, students made a lot of effort that demonstrated what they learned in their classes [and clubs]. Students designed the T-shirt and they did a lot [for] the performances. Most importantly, the students are sharing powerful content to our community. And by providing it, you have the opportunity to learn about Asian culture,” said PHS Mandarin teacher Shwu-Fen Lin.
   Before Asian Fest’s creation sixteen years ago, it was simply an idea of a few students who believed in the importance of spreading Asian culture. Members of the Asian-American, Chinese, and Japanese clubs all had a vision of starting a festival to promote Asian culture. After mentioning their ideas to Lin, a plan was set in motion to make it a reality.
   “We began the program, [so] we can celebrate their vision project together. We had a 12 percent to 15 percent Asian population, so it was a good time to introduce Asian culture to our community,” Lin said.
   With an ever-growing population of Asian Americans at PHS and in the U.S., Lin expressed the importance of displaying Asian culture to the community. Being able to share an array of historic and modern trends from different cultures that may not be well known was exactly what the clubs wanted to accomplish. Many clubs, such as Bollywood Club, performed traditional dance moves with a modern twist.
   “Getting to share music and moves with an audience is extremely important since most people wouldn’t normally see something like this. It’s also important for the Indian members to get in touch with their culture more frequently,” said Bollywood Club officer Ishaan Banerjee ’23. “Bollywood Club combines some of our favorite aspects of Indian culture, combined with some of the American traditions we know well.”
   Asian Fest was open to the school’s faculty and students, but also to the outside community free of charge — a testament to the event’s goal of making Asian culture accessible.
   “A lot more people attended the event than I expected … I think that the clubs and the school did a great job of promoting the event, making sure that there was awareness of an opportunity to have fun and enjoy the work of students,” said Henry Xu ’24.
   Asian Fest is not the only way that PHS students have been celebrating Asian culture. For example, the Japanese Club, led by Japanese teacher Risa Sakakibara, has offered cooking and dancing lessons to students at meetings. 
   “It's a lot of fun. We do a lot of dancing and they listen to a lot of traditional Japanese music. And I think it's just so different; at first they feel embarrassed, but once they get used to it's very natural,” Sakakibara said.
   After feeling more comfortable with embracing their Asian culture, many students are motivated to share their own experiences — whether it is through food, art, or even dancing — Asian Fest provided a way to do that. 
   “After watching the amazing performances at Asian Fest, I’m considering joining the Bollywood Club next year. It seemed like everyone was just having so much fun and it makes me feel secure in being open in public expression,” Khetan said.
   Asian Fest wasn’t just a fun event for students to enjoy; it also created a safe environment where students were able to express themselves and feel proud of their culture.
   “[The entire event] provides an opportunity to learn and appreciate different cultures and have fun with friends and recognize the effort put into organizing the event,” Khetan said.
   Following the end of another successful Asian Fest, both teachers and students agreed that, in addition to being fun for its attendees, this event helped create more understanding within PHS’s diverse community.
   “A lot of people make assumptions without really knowing anything, [which] causes a lot of conflict and hate to individuals,” said Sakakibara. “Education is very important to understand each other, and I hope these kinds of events spread the idea of what Asian culture [is]. And once they know their cultures, [they] will see things in different ways. And I hope a lot of people who aren’t exposed to Asian cultures came to this festival and enjoyed the diversity.”

PHS holds its 16th Annual Asian Fest, impressing attendees

Upon opening their laptops, PHS juniors were immediately faced with problems accessing the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment, which took place statewide on March 13 to 17. With some students not being able to open the test at all, the state test required for graduation left both teachers and students alike confused and worried. 
   “Monday was challenging. [Only] two-thirds of students were able to successfully submit their assessment [on Monday]. What happened was as soon as we began logging into the system [on Tuesday], we probably had 50 percent [of juniors] or maybe just slightly over that range [complete the test],” said Director of School Counseling Services Dana Karas.
   Issues opening the test started immediately. Most students didn’t have much trouble logging in, but problems started to emerge as proctors instructed students to start their tests. 
   “On Monday, despite numerous tries, my test was stuck on the loading screen and there was nothing I could do. On Tuesday, there was an error saying that the test was corrupted … and when we tried quitting and signing back in, we were stuck on the tests page where the resume button was gray,” said Matthew Chen ’24.
   The administration worked closely with the technology office and Pearson, the creator of NJGPA, in order to identify the various issues that have caused many students to sit and wait the entire morning for other students in the room who gained access. 
   “On Monday morning, schools began to log into the system and the start button was not viewable. There were some issues with our use of MacBooks, and we had other things like making sure Siri and video were shut off. And then there were certain updates that some kids just didn't push onto their computer… What happened on Tuesday was a completely internal PHS concern that arose and it had to do with our server,” Karas said.  
  Chen was one of the many students who were unable to access the tests. Due to the restrictive rules prohibiting students from doing specific work, he felt that his time was being wasted.
   “It was relatively boring since we were told that we couldn’t really use the internet … I feel like our potential time spent in class learning is being wasted on these two hours that we weren’t able to accomplish anything,” Chen said.
   Teachers and moderators were also caught off guard by this situation. Although technical errors aren’t uncommon during online testing, they have never seen something to this extent, forcing testing to be canceled on Wednesday to resolve these issues.
   “There [have been] matters where many students were trying to log on and they weren't able to, the computers were freezing up when they were loading, [which] was a big problem. We kept getting this thing that said fatal error, which again, I have no idea what that means,” said PHS science teacher and proctor Mark Eastburn.
   Despite the overwhelming number of students unable to access their tests, Eastburn applauded the tech office and counselors for their sufficient efforts and efficiency. 
   “We sent students to the tech office or to the counselors… who work incredibly hard at the school. And there were a lot of things they were trying to keep up [with],” Eastburn said.
   Facing these issues at a high volume, Eastburn believes that it was unfair for students and faculty members to bear the burden of these problems. 
   “Pearson and the state of New Jersey are the ones who are in charge of everything. And this isn't the first time we've had tech issues with online tests, and I don't think it'll be the last,” said Eastburn. “When things don't work properly, everyone gets overwhelmed, and I don't think that's necessarily fair. I don't know why it should be dependent on the school to figure everything out when this is a state of New Jersey and a Pearson thing, I don't know why they're not providing more support.”
   In order to streamline the process and minimize the number of students needing to miss class instruction time the week after for make-ups, students were allowed to take an unfinished portion of the NJGPA after they had finished that day’s section. 
   “If when they finish [they realize], ‘Oh, I still have an hour,’ the teacher can unlock a previous unit that they were experiencing issues with and allow them to make that up,” Karas said.
   Students that still had sections remaining after Friday were required to make up their testing the week after. Meanwhile, 50-minute afternoon classes were cut to 35 minutes in order to allow juniors to complete two testing sections in the morning, showing the after-effects of the interruptions at the beginning of the week. Although there were still residual consequences of poor preparation, Karas assures that the issues were addressed with urgency and care to make sure the effect on students was small.
   “It literally took a village, our entire testing team … all day to figure it out,” said Karas. “It was a lot of work and exhausting … It was equally frustrating for us, their teachers; all the proctors in the room were trying so hard to support the kids.”

Crisis and chaos emerge due to NJGPA testing issues

  As PHS strives to embrace its diversity, it has placed importance in acknowledging and respecting the many cultures that make up its student body. One way in which it has done this is through its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, lasting from September 15 to October 15, with this year marking  its 54th year of celebration.
   There are many ways in which the school celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, including hosting a Hispanic heritage assembly, reading the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish, hosting Hispanic heritage exhibits in the Numina Gallery, and bringing back the popular door decorating contest from last year. 
   “One of the things we pride ourselves in at Princeton High School is understanding world cultures,” said Frank Chmiel, the PHS Principal. “The way we build that empathy is by learning from different cultures, learning about them, and showing your support and honoring them.”
   As part of the initiative to learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month, each grade had the opportunity to go to an assembly during assigned periods on October 18 18. The assembly consisted of a number of performances by PHS students all centered around the theme of celebration of Hispanic heritage. 
   Performances by the PHS a cappella groups were a major part of the assembly. Before entering the auditorium, The Cat’s Meow, an all-female acapella group, welcomed the numerous students with a rendition of a song called “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony, the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time and winner of multiple Grammys. Cloud Nine, another PHS a cappella group, also performed at the assembly, singing a song named “Gracias A La Vida,” which was written by Mercedes Sosa, an Argentine singer.
  “The assembly went really well! To prepare for it, we started to practice about two weeks in advance and every day at practice until the assembly. Bianca and Sarah are two Latina members in Cloud Nine and they helped us to learn the Spanish and the pronunciations,” said Leah Rose Seiden ’24, a member of the a cappella group Cloud Nine. 
   Along with choral performances, the celebration also included dancing and a flag parade, similar to last year. This year’s assembly had some significant differences from last year’s though. Possibly the most significant change was the shortened length of the event, aimed at leaving time for students to visit interactive stations posted outside the PAC. 
   “We cut half of the assembly in order to engage the students more. We want them to have more participation and one on one interactions. It brings up the energy for the rest of the students,” said Jealyn Vega Ramos ’23, Co-President of the Latinas Unidas club. “The stations we prepared after the assembly had things like the karaoke, the tattoos; things that we would typically see in our culture that many students don't know about, or just could learn more about.”
   In addition to the reduction in the length of the assembly, some of its performances were also modified to better highlight the diversity of Hispanic culture. 
   “One difference [from last year] was the flag entrance. Instead of having it from the doors, we had it on stage in order to again, acknowledge all of our flags, and all the countries very clearly,” Ramos said.
   Another way that PHS celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month this year was through the door decoration contest. In this contest, students collaborate with fellow peers and teachers to furnish their homeroom doors with Hispanic culture themed decorations. They have until November 1, or Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), to finalize the doors. This fun competition exposes students to the vibrant culture of Latin America, from the traditional paper cutout ornaments of Cinco de Mayo, to the colorful skulls of Dia De Los Muertos. 
   Along with the assembly and celebrations, the Latinos Unidos Club and the school administrative team worked to come up with more creative and engaging ways to spread the Hispanic culture.
   “There are multiple more ways we recognize the month including some of the food we cook in the cafeteria, during the month, as well as some of the displays we have going on around the building,” Chmiel said. “Of course, the assembly is one of the climaxes of the way we recognize the month.” 
   While PHS is doing many things to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, there are still many ways that it could improve. Specifically, Ramos believes that Hispanic Heritage should continue to be celebrated all year long. Although this idea doesn’t have to be limited to just Hispanic heritage, but rather all cultures in general, Ramos believes that many aspects of Hispanic culture, such as music, are very influential to our day to day lives. 
   “We should be able to celebrate [Hispanic Heritage] all year long. Not just to enjoy the celebration once October 15 ends, [but also] be able to still acknowledge the fact that these Latino and Hispanic artists are making a change with their music,” Ramos said. 




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