Following an Israeli strike on Gaza in May 2024, an AI-generated graphic depicting an aerial view of thousands of displaced Palestinians’ tents with the text “All Eyes on Rafah” went viral on Instagram. Celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Lewis Hamilton, Priyanka Chopra, and Gigi and Bella Hadid reposted the image, amplifying its reach to their hundreds of millions of followers. This image rapidly gained traction, being reposted around 50 million times. Many PHS students joined in on sharing the post, generating discussion about the crisis within the Princeton community. Afterward, similar AI-generated graphics advocating for an end to violence in Congo and Sudan quickly went viral on Instagram. 


The justification for creating and sharing AI-generated images rather than photos or articles is often rooted in a valid concern. Oftentimes, real images of war are removed from Instagram for violating the platform’s policies prohibiting graphic and sensitive content. AI images seem to be the ideal workaround for promoting an important message on Instagram. The “All Eyes on Rafah” image aims to depict the scope and severity of the issue without outright posting graphic content. It appears to encourage involvement and discourse with the issue given the simplicity of the image and ease in sharing the message to a large audience of followers. 


While sharing such a post may seem like a low-effort way to effectively raise awareness, in reality, it discourages genuine engagement with pressing current issues. These images lack any information about the conflict or resources to take action. People feel content with engaging through the click of a few buttons, neglecting to take the next step of researching the issue through reading the work of credible journalists and finding ways to make a tangible impact. 


The performative nature of sharing an AI-generated image in the name of activism is reminiscent of reposting a black square on #blackouttuesday in response to the death of George Floyd and other social media activism campaigns. In a phenomenon known as “virtue signaling,” millions of users publicly expressed empty support for a cause to demonstrate moral correctness for social acceptance.


If this was not bad enough, the fact that the image is AI-generated worsens this kind of shallow activism. AI-created images are often weaponized in disinformation and propaganda campaigns due to their ease of manipulation and generation. The “All Eyes on Rafah” image depicts orderly, neat rows of camps, clear skies, and cotton candy clouds. In reality, Rafah’s air is thick and gray. The ground is littered with debris, remnants of buildings that once housed communities. As many Palestinian activists have pointed out, the graphic is a “sanitized” version of the true conditions in Rafah after the strike. Sharing a distorted image of the situation in Rafah contradicts the aims of many activists. Instead of raising awareness about a calamitous current event, the post paints a misleading picture of the suffering faced by Palestinians on the ground.    


As high school students with relatively little power in society, merely reposting an image may seem like an appropriate form of activism. However, instead of sharing grossly oversimplified machine-generated content, we should aim to consume and share intellectual commentary and reporting by journalists dedicating their time to publishing thorough, ethical, and factual investigations of current events. As students, consuming high-quality media makes a difference in how we interact and engage with pressing current events. Instead of checking a performative box by reposting words someone else wrote, prioritize being informed and willing to act beyond a few clicks on your phone. 


Apart from reading and educating yourself, there are many accessible ways to make a tangible impact on the causes you care about, whether it be the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or other global conflicts, such as those in Syria, Sudan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Yemen, and the war in Ukraine, to name a few. You could volunteer your funds or time to grassroots organizations or attend events and demonstrations. Especially in Princeton, a town where activism is found in all corners of everyday life, high school students have boundless opportunities to get involved with the issues they care about, from campus protests to contributing to student-led organizations. 

The harms of AI-generated activism

On February 28 of this year, Florida teenager Sewell Setzer committed suicide after months of conversing sexually with an AI chatbot resembling Danaerys Targaryan, a character from the HBO show Game of Thrones, on the platform Character.AI. Eventually, the chatbot encouraged the young man to take his own life. Sewell’s case is all around us; he found himself in the common position of social isolation, causing a spiral of emotional vulnerability that was left unchecked and ultimately resulted in a severe mental health crisis.

```Reliable friends are difficult to come by in a world dominated by shallow interactions. Social anxiety is becoming increasingly common as young people become subject to various forms of societal pressure, driving a fear of inadequacy. As teenagers feel more detached from their support system of friends and mentors, the loneliness epidemic continues to grow. The popularity of conversational AI-driven characters is skyrocketing, and the trend is likely to continue after Google recently acquired Character.AI for 2.5 billion. As AI chatbots continue to proliferate and target socially isolated young people, the loneliness epidemic continues to grow.```


A 2021 Harvard Graduate School of Education survey of 950 Americans found that 61% of young people ages 18–25 reported experiencing profound loneliness compared to only 36% among other age groups. The study’s researchers attribute this trend to factors such as young people lacking close connections and noting that, compared to older adults, they have not yet developed “mature, reciprocal” relationships with others yet.

Unfortunately, the internet has moved to romanticize the correlation between teenage years and lonely behavior, portraying isolation as admirable. Online trends idolize people who are “mysterious,” as though they are more complex or interesting than others. For instance, “nonchalant dreadheads” — perpetually aloof individuals who seem entirely detached from social interactions — have become people to venerate. Phrases like “I Don’t Give A F— (IDGAF) war” reflect a growing culture of apathy and passivity in young people. “Ghosting” — suddenly cutting off communication without warning — has become a glorified solution to control and dispose of others, making pulling away from connections without explanation a normalized and simple act.

This mass phenomenon of individuals disconnecting from society continues to undermine the value of forming long-lasting relationships with others. In an attempt to curb the draining impact of loneliness on mental health, individuals also increasingly prefer the instantaneous rush of dopamine from short-term, low-commitment romantic relationships over the perennial stability of platonic ones. After its surge in popularity over the past year, the word “situationships” even became a contender for Oxford Word of the Year – demonstrating how common these no-strings-attached relationships have become. Romance has become another form of escape for lonely people. However, prioritizing romantic relationships is often coupled with deep dissatisfaction and insufficiency in one’s stable platonic bonds. One who craves romance often seeks two things through it: emotional vulnerability and reliability. Because their friendships lack these qualities, and teenagers are often culturally conditioned to believe that they are guaranteed in romantic relationships, many assume romantic relationships are the instant and all-encompassing solution. In reality, both vulnerability and reliability are present in healthy, functional friendships. True friends are those you can count on to support you in difficult situations, and want to help you.

Having healthy friendships won’t always be easy. In difficult situations, reaching out often feels daunting. We may expect immediate responses or reactions from people, even though it won't be the case — social interactions are not that straightforward. This may explain why Sewell and many others were drawn to an AI chatbot in a time of difficulty — users are guaranteed an immediate and engaged response, although lacking the quality of understanding and personal connection. Likewise, under a romantic relationship, there is some sort of obligation to immediately respond with interest. However, these interactions often lack the value of cultivating a meaningful relationship over time. Although the lack of labels in a platonic friendship can make commitment more fragile than in romantic relationships, perhaps that is a good thing: the fragility encourages us to continually put effort to maintain the friendship, like consistently watering a plant. To actively commit to pursue and sustain a friendship will create purpose in a friendship, build character, and provide valuable relationship skills.

At a time in our lives when we have a lot of pressure and much to process, we should shift our focus towards building and investing in strong friendships with people who will uplift us and provide the support we need. As teens, stability is more important than ever as we experience changes in our lives, whether it be personally, academically, or socially. By nurturing our friendships, we improve our well-being and push ourselves to become the best versions of ourselves. Thus, we urge you to show effort within your relationships; Send them a kind message, wave to them when you see them, initiate a conversation. Give out your love, and you’ll see it return.


The true cure to loneliness

The PHS Club Fair in late September was quite a spectacle,
with a bustling, friendly atmosphere and impressive
turnout. Students moved from stand to stand, eagerly typing
their email into sign-up sheets and taking a piece or two
of candy on their way out, building a mounting stash of
treats. One of the most exciting aspects of the high school
experience is the opportunity to join clubs — and not just
for the snacks. PHS has a robust club culture, boasting over
140 registered clubs. The vast array of organizations — from
Debate Club to the Spork to Chess Club — ensures that
each student can find a space and community that aligns
with their unique passions. For the
most part, students at PHS enjoy
the process; clubs offer a tangible
space for students to bond over
shared interests and form lasting
friendships throughout their four
years.

However, not all clubs are created
equal. The most beneficial clubs for
students are those that hold regular,
organized meetings, have active
participation, and clear goals. Such
clubs can allow students to gain
valuable skills, experience, and
confidence. But the tale of clubs
that meet once or twice before
disappearing into inactivity
is all too familiar. PHS is
plentiful in clubs that lack
steadfast leadership to look
up to, making it difficult for students to create a lasting
impact. Thus, the benefits of joining a club are limited to
reliable clubs that meet recurrently, and PHS’s club system
is not ensuring this as such.

The current club system is surprisingly rudimentary
considering the large sum of student organizations we
have. For a student looking to start a club, the process
looks like this: leaders submit a club application with the
endorsement of an advisor, and if the proposal is accepted,
the responsibility is left completely up to students to
promote their club, attract students, design club plans,
retain members, and meet consistently.

The unfortunate truth is that many clubs are not formed
out of true passion or genuine interest — as a result, rather
than engaging with the established clubs, students start
near-duplicate clubs that end up serving little purpose other
than fodder in their college applications. Worse, nearly all
proposed clubs pass the application process seamlessly,
including clubs that are simply performative.

The low bar set to create a club at PHS ultimately causes
deteriorating quality. Most clubs fall short of providing
the experience they promise to deliver to prospective
members at the club fair. Many underclassmen complain
about unproductive club meetings, where members do
little more than eat their lunch and talk to
friends. This may seem harmless on the
surface, but the existence of organizations
managed halfheartedly distorts the purpose
of our club culture as a whole.

As the existence of these
dispassionate clubs become
normalized, students lose trust
in PHS clubs overall, even the
truly productive ones led by
passionate students. At best,
attendance dwindles over time
as people become reluctant
to waste their valuable free
time; at worst, students will
emulate this behavior in
their own organizations,
and this complacent
phenomenon will
become commonplace.

Some sort of check-in system needs to be in place to
stop this from occurring. First, a reform to the application
process itself is necessary. Clubs that are possible duplicates
should face much higher scrutiny before receiving approval,
and be extremely apparent in their distinctions. A more
detailed description of activities and curricula should be
provided by club leaders, rather than a vague mission
statement. Advisors should ensure that the club is being
actively managed to keep students accountable.

Numerous aspects of the club system make it difficult
for clubs to remain reliable for both members and leaders.
Most well-established, reliable clubs have recurring
meeting rooms that are claimed — but only unofficially.

It is a cumbersome task for new club leaders to find
available rooms and times to occupy, making meetings
hard to organize. Rooms may be locked, occupied, under
maintenance, or denied usage by a teacher, and there
would be no efficient way to tell ahead of time. Lacking
a reliable meeting location makes it challenging to plan
productive events; members may be deterred from the
complication or miss meetings out of confusion, lowering
attendance and creating new obstacles to productivity.
To make matters worse, keeping track of the clubs you’ve
signed up for is a pain. Getting on a club’s email list after
the club fair is often near impossible if you don’t already
have friends connected to them, making it even harder to
find out which room meetings are.

Of course, it could be argued that these issues can all be
more or less rectified with increased efforts of club leaders.
Leaders could facilitate seamless communication with
their members, have their contact information constantly
be available to interested students, and sort out logistical
obstacles on their own. After all, by taking on the role of a
club leader, a student is encouraged to devote themselves
to the community they manage. Unfortunately, the idea
that students are wholly responsible for maintaining a
club simply is unrealistic; at the end of the day, we are
all busy high school students trying to get by. Between
the overwhelming load of assessments and projects,
essays and presentations, it is inevitable that mishaps and
miscommunications will occur.

There is a straightforward solution to these rampant
problems — establishing a club room log available to all
students. Faculty would first indicate which rooms are
available at what times, and then club leaders can fill in
which slots they would like to occupy in advance. This
not only makes room claims a much more standardized
process, but also addresses accessibility problems. Students
will finally have a log they can refer to if they would like
to join a club after the club fair, or simply to check when
their club is meeting in case communication was missed.

As we head into the 2024–2025 school year with a
record-breaking number of new clubs, it is important to
think about a set of checks and balances to hold students
accountable. A more consolidated, organized, club system
would support PHS’s ambitious students and preserve the
passion and community that clubs promise us.

To make clubbing more enjoyable

The election season has a tendency to contribute to our stress. Whether it be the Instagram comment sections littered with inflammatory comments, the outspoken family members who are suddenly political pundits, or the relentless news coverage dissecting each and every rally and debate, ideological friction emerges all around us. These constant reminders of political divisions often turn classrooms and dinner tables to battlegrounds of “us vs. them,” forcing people to vigorously attack and defend to protect their values — often closely tied to their candidate of choice. Clearly, Harris vs. Trump is the resounding and ever-present conflict that seemingly defines the current extremely polarized environment. The 2024 presidential race, with its focus on this political division, shows a concerning trend regarding the disintegration of professionalism.

Instead of engaging in essential debates about these policies, much of the conversation has been dominated by sensationalism and personal attacks. This shift away from professionalism and logical debate significantly undermines our ability to make informed decisions — ones based on policies of the candidates, not social media posts. Since the next administration’s stance on vital issues like financial aid and student loans will have real consequences for us as students, it’s critical to focus on these policy issues rather than getting caught up in all the drama online.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have each spoken considerably on their opposite educational policies. A Harris administration will entail substantially higher funding for public education, broader support for clean energy education, and widespread expansion of financial aid. In contrast, Trump’s advocacy of dismantling the Department of Education, promoting personal school choice, and relaxing environmental regulations would lead to substantial changes in educational standards and the overall allocation of resources. At a time when tuition costs are skyrocketing, the candidates’ policies on financial aid and student loans will directly impact the accessibility and affordability of higher education for PHS students.

Given that PHS is a public school, a Harris administration would mean more funding for our school. Additionally, Harris’s history of supporting student loan forgiveness would likely continue if she is elected and make potential student loans less worrisome for seniors in the midst of the college application process. A second Trump administration would mean less funding for PHS, or — judging by a previous vow to cut funding for schools with vaccine mandates — maybe even no funding at all, as our school district requires students to have several different vaccines.

Although most PHS students can’t vote yet, that doesn’t mean we are powerless. As young people heading into adulthood, our opinions are valued, and our passion has the ability to influence the world around us. Whether it’s by speaking at district board meetings, knocking doors for a candidate, or bridging political gaps through open conversations, our age group plays a key role in shaping and depolarizing the political landscape of our country. Our voices matter, and our involvement can help bridge the gaps in this politically divided society, which helps contribute to a more inclusive and responsive environment for all. 

What this election means for PHS

For many of us, engaging with the worldwide web is something we do without a second thought. While we expect these public spaces to adhere to the law, in reality, they facilitate enormous amounts of dangerous illicit content every day. However, despite our constant wariness against internet dangers, there is little legislation actually addressing the issue. To understand why this is the case, we have to talk about Section 230. 
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was originally designed to nurture the growth of emerging internet platforms. The act provides broad immunity to online platforms from civil liability based on third-party content. This clause ensures the free and open flow of content, which has played a critical role in shaping online commerce and communication, creating an atmosphere where opinions and ideas can be shared at unprecedented speed and quantity. 
Despite its benefits, Section 230 was written a quarter century ago and is now obsolete. A combination of widespread technological advancements since 1996 and the broad interpretations that courts have given Section 230 has left online platforms immune to repercussions regarding an assortment of illicit activity on their services. They are thus free to moderate content with little transparency or accountability. As such, companies do what they know best: cut corners. 
Today, the consequences of Section 230’s framework are evident. With an account profile on social media, anyone can converse with thousands of other users at a time. Alyssa Currier Wheeler, associate legal counsel at the Human Trafficking Institute, said that in recent years, there has been a noticeable 11 percent growth of trafficking recruitment on social media. Despite this significant spike, social media companies still demonstrate a complete lack of accountability for the trafficking recruitment on their sites, which is further exacerbated by Section 230. 
Furthermore, in 2023, NPR reported that for the first time in United States history, yearly fatal overdoses peaked above 112,000, with young people and people of color being the most affected. This can be linked to social media posts promoting drug use: the Drug Enforcement Administration found that drug traffickers advertise on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube using 24-hour posts to escape traditional community guidelines. In this manner, social media fuels the sale of drugs to young adults and children. Companies have no incentive to moderate malicious posts like these as long as they get clicks, and therefore revenue. It’s critical to stop the issue at its root by holding social media companies wholly responsible for the dangerous content produced on their platforms. If Section 230 is repealed, social media companies will finally be pushed to moderate criminal posts on their platforms in fear of costly lawsuits.
The main problem with Section 230 is that it relies on a broad application to fulfill its intended purpose of protecting companies. Unfortunately, as with many other laws with broad coverage, Section 230 is prone to being abused for its loopholes. A Supreme Court brief documenting Gonzalez v. Google LLC details that Congress’ efforts to combat sex trafficking have been thwarted by misinterpretations of Section 230. In 2016, the First Circuit held that the website Backpage.com was immune from liability under Section 230 for claims that it knowingly facilitated the trafficking of three girls. Congress responded to this decision by clarifying that Section 230 “was never intended to provide legal protection to websites that … facilitate traffickers in advertising the sale of unlawful sex acts” and amended Section 230 instead of repealing. Yet, even after this amendment from Congress, courts have continued to cite Section 230 and dismissed trafficking cases based on the broad immunity interpretation. If the section still causes misinterpretations even after amending, the only path left is to repeal it completely. 
When our laws fail to protect those most vulnerable in our population and instead shield the perpetrators from responsibility, something needs to change. Our generation of children and young adults is currently being denied a safe online experience and is constantly victimized by online criminals. It’s time that our legislation holds tech giants responsible for the crimes that they are facilitating.

Section 230: the digital “get out of jail free” card

   As high school students, our daily lives can be emotional rollercoasters due to constant academic and social pressures. Whether it’s because of frustrating school projects or friend group drama, anger is an emotion that we can’t seem to escape. 
   Because of the way many of us are exposed to anger, we almost always see anger as a negative, destructive emotion. After all, it does seem like the worst aspects of human behavior come from anger — we say things we don’t mean, make rash decisions, and hurt those around us. However, there is a positive side to anger. For example, protestors are often driven by anger towards injustice in society and take to the streets. Inventors push towards finding a solution when they are frustrated at a recurring problem. Feeling anger is proof of empathy and ambition, and should not be cast away or dismissed. When harnessed appropriately, anger can be mobilized as a vehicle for change; it is only when the emotion is uncontrolled that it becomes negative.
   Some of the most recognizable activists used these strategies. Mahatma Gandhi, a pioneer in the Indian independence movement, is globally renowned for setting landmark precedents for nonviolent protests. However, his advocacy of peace coexisted with his anger, the latter of which even pushed his cause forward. In an article from The Guardian, Gandhi’s grandson discussed the teachings and lessons of his grandfather, stating that Mahatma Gandhi “saw anger as a good thing, as the fuel for change.” While we often perceive Gandhi as a symbol of tranquility and stability, it is important to recognize that his journey was powered by a less pretty emotion ­— anger. 
   Research corroborates occasional anger as a positive influence in our lives. In 2017, Psychology Today reported that anger activates the left anterior cortex, which is associated with positive approach behaviors that push us to pursue our goals and think logically. In other words, anger is fundamentally an expression of intense passion for a larger cause. It inspires individuals to achieve their goals, acting as a fuel to keep them going despite challenges. According to research from November 2023 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, anger can be a powerful tool for motivation. Anger makes us want to see immediate change. Our brains are motivated to use the resources at our disposal to engineer a solution exponentially faster than if we were just disappointed or satisfied. 
   Anger presents us with a very important choice. We can become an “anger architect,” someone who mobilizes the positive side to their anger, or an “anger apologist,” someone who succumbs to negative anger. Choosing the path of an anger architect doesn’t require hours of therapy or anger management classes. To avoid the dam of uncontrollable anger breaking in our brains, we simply need to take control of our emotions and evaluate our anger holistically. And there is a simple tool to do so — the anger audit. When we are angry, we often hear people tell us to take ten seconds to get rid of our anger, to suppress and ignore the strong emotions we feel. The anger audit takes a different approach, aiming to understand the root cause behind the anger and work towards a solution with three easy steps.            
   The first step is to inspect. Just like a building architect, we need to assess the situation. Ask yourself: “Why am I angry?”    
   The second step is to create a blueprint. We need to draft a plan, without which our final product might come crashing to the ground. Ask yourself: “What do I want to get out of my anger?”    
   The final step is to build. Here’s the moment  where our anger turns into action, either by destroying or creating. We have the choice. Ask yourself: “What am I going to do with my anger?”   
   The Princeton community has seen its share of angry students. From PHS students’ passionate showings at board meetings to rallies and protests on current issues such as the liberation of Palestine and Black Lives Matter, it is clear that the diversity of opinions found in Princeton is great. However, hosting open discourse on relevant, heated, modern-day issues comes with the responsibility of managing and understanding the intense emotions behind dissagreement. To promote constructive dialogue, it is crucial to be aware of and leverage anger to forge progress collectively in our community. 
   When you become an anger architect, you can make your anger a superpower instead of a liability. Although we’ll never rid the world of anger, we can use the power and momentum of it and turn it into a powerful force that can spur positive change.  If we collectively strive to become anger architects, perhaps the world would become a more empathetic and resilient place.


Anger architecture 101: a guide to positive anger

The teacher has just asked a question and the answer that was so clear in your mind is now clouded by questions: What if it’s wrong? What if everyone laughs at me? What if I trip up my words and embarrass myself? The hand that you were about to raise goes back to your lap. To a teacher, this lowered hand could automatically lead to a lower grade, an assumption that you didn’t do the assignment, or an overall sour feeling about you. Very quickly those questions about your participation become questions about your grade leading to a new anxious spiral from a want to participate to the fear holding you back. 

Quiet people are often perceived as uninterested, unopinionated, or even disrespectful as they tend not to engage in large groups. Although we have this assumption in schools that quieter students can be coaxed out of their shells, the participation grade incentive that schools use to get students to open up does not work. This incentive leads to greater anxiety as the desire to bring up this grade is overshadowed by the anxiety that comes along with raising it. In general, participation grades are an inaccurate representation of students’ academic performances that ought to be replaced with a more inclusive analysis of students’ understanding of the material.

The desire to remain quiet comes from natural parts of peoples’ personalities such as shyness or introversion. While both traits can coexist, it is critical to make the distinction between the two. Shyness is fear of social judgment. Everyone has shyness to some extent and that is how the initial fear of raising your hand comes out in the first place. Introversion concerns how individuals respond to stimuli. Extroverts typically need more stimuli, while introverts thrive best in low-key environments. Our society tends to idealize extroverts as outspoken people who are often those with the greatest power or influence. PHS is guilty of this idealization as well. This is reflected in our participation grades, who we elect to student government, and even the people that we view as the smartest in our grades. We wouldn’t be placing our more extroverted peers on a pedestal if they didn’t make us believe that they deserved to be there through their outspoken tendencies. However, this idealization of more talkative students completely minimizes the work that quieter students do to maintain their grades, their positions in extracurricular activities, and their efforts to create a social presence at PHS. 

Having established the difference between shyness and introversion, we can dive into why shyness is impacting students’ participation tendencies in the first place. Researchers at Northwestern University theorized that “kids face a social stigma for publicly making an effort to excel”. This stems from a school’s overall academic based culture. We would like to assume that given the pressure to take AP courses, apply to top colleges and fill our plates full of extracurriculars, PHS would fall into the “cool-to-be-smart” category of schools, however this is not the case. It is always incredibly awkward to be the student who breaks the silence in class when it seems that no one knows the answer. In that situation, it is far easier to keep your hand lowered rather than draw attention to yourself for being the know-it-all or the dumb one if you get the answer wrong. Although the chances of that actually happening are incredibly low, human’s inherent shyness creates that narrative within our minds which makes it easier for us to follow the masses. Rather than penalizing people for their inherent shyness, shouldn’t our teachers be understanding of that fear and encourage participation rather than enforce it?

Modern-day teaching needs to embrace all types of learning, listening, and communication styles. In an inclusive learning community like PHS, we should encourage introverts and quiet students to reach their academic potential using a multitude of ways to demonstrate mastery of learning material. A more equitable participation grading technique could help to make it easier for quieter students to demonstrate what they know. The canvas discussion boards can be an effective way for students to interact virtually with a way to edit what they say to feel the most confident about their responses while also maintaining conversations with other students. This would eliminate the overwhelming stimuli of in-class discussions that can be daunting for many students. Regardless of the volume of their voice, every student has one, and it’s time we learn to listen.

Hands down — quiet people, speak up

Princeton is known across the world for one thing: its prestigious university. In town, it's not uncommon to see shops adorned with Princeton memorabilia or to overhear conversations about famed professors, impossibly difficult classes, and groundbreaking research. This academic air reverberates through our community and has found its way into our high school. PHS’s emphasis on pursuing academia undermines the importance of trade professions as a future career path.
	A trade occupation is a career that involves extensive education to specialize in a specialized craft, but does not require a 4-year college education. Rather, education can begin early through trade schools, apprenticeships, and training on the job, which can begin directly out of high school, or even in high school for students in a dual enrollment program. At Princeton High School, students have the option to dual enroll at the Mercer County Technical Schools as early as in eleventh grade, providing them with a plethora of options for an early start in trade professions. MCTS offers courses in — among other things, culinary arts, health science, and STEM — and is open to any Princeton High School student who meets a certain academic threshold and is interested in pursuing these fields.
At a time where many parts of the workforce are constantly changing, trade jobs are always in demand. The problems that we are grappling with in the 21st century present broader applications for trade professions, from sustainable agriculture to information technology. With a decline in trade labor, the demand for more skilled tradespeople in these professions has existed for years, but became even more prominent with the passing of The Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, which poured billions of dollars in funding into climate-friendly projects. Tradespeople are indispensable for installing and maintaining green infrastructure, and the lack of these professionals makes it near impossible to attain climate goals. As a society, we need to adapt to the changing economic and environmental landscape by engineering practical solutions to growing challenges. The increasing demand for solar panels to combat harmful energy use, for instance, requires a skilled workforce of tradespeople across industries.  
Affordability is another major selling point for trade school. In a world where student loan debt affects millions of young people, the Center for Employment Training reports that, “Students who attend trade school graduate with an average of $10,000 of debt, while students who attend college collect an average student debt of $36,327.” That’s why, according to the Federal Reserve, the United States’ central banking system, tradespeople often have a higher starting disposable monthly income than college graduates, allowing them to spend far less of their income paying off debts, while college graduates pay an average of $400 in student loans each month.yy
One main reason people hesitate when deciding on whether to attend trade school is the societal stigma associated with trade professions. Many have preconceived notions about what kinds of people pursue such careers, often connecting tradespeople with those who are simply unsuccessful in school settings. In reality, those who pursue trade have a diverse array of unique skills that require focus and top-notch problem solving abilities. The hands-on experience rather than the traditional, theoretical, classroom-based learning can appeal to many who seek challenges that aren’t provided by a typical higher education setting. 
While the importance and relevance of trades professions and trade school has not ceased, there is clearly a major stigma against this career path in modern society, and especially in academically driven schools such as PHS. The idea that tradespeople are less educated or less hardworking is completely false. Considering we live in an assumed meritocracy, wouldn’t it make sense that people who worked their way up the system by learning the trades and eventually creating a life for themselves would be more valued as they seem to reflect the meritocratic system better than the college admissions process. A sense of curiosity surrounding where each student is going after PHS is completely understandable, but assuming that pursuing higher education is the norm continues to downplay the importance of trades within our society.

Trades v. Higher education

Let's end the "no politics in the classroom" mentality

The first coeducational school was established in the United States over a century ago, but gender-based discrimination still continues to run rampant in high schools across the country. In fact, a 2020 survey by Plan International found that 71 percent of girls aged 15-24 reported experiencing discrimination due to their gender. Moreover, girls do not find themselves being represented in school, where a disproportionate number of books on classroom shelves are written by men. The materials that curriculums use to educate students are important tools for building good character, and it is crucial that female perspectives are not dismissed in them.
   Emphasizing female narratives in high school English and World Language curriculums will provide a more accurate and nuanced depiction of women's history, raising awareness on crucial women's issues. Women have been among the most ingenious authors throughout history — think Mary Shelley, Charlotte Bronte, and Virginia Woolf. What is not commonly known is that these authors, and countless more, initially published their work under male names or anonymously. These authors lived under the reality that if they published under their own names, their work, no matter how good it might be, would likely be ignored or shunned. It is imperative that we aim to amplify the voices of women authors in order to recognize the barriers they overcame throughout history. 
   Today, a significant amount of bestselling books are written by women, and that number is growing by the day. In 2020, 629 of the top 1,000 bestselling fiction titles were written by women, according to The Guardian. However, this increase has not translated to school curriculums. We often praise the world-renowned Charles Dickens for making sizable contributions to English literature, but brush over names like Anne Bradstreet, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Edith Wharton — female literary geniuses who revolutionized storytelling through prose and poetry alike. 
   Teachers have an undeniable role in instilling values in students to promote inclusivity and acceptance both inside and outside the classroom. It is not sufficient to read about the female experience from the male point of view; At school it is vital that we learn about women from books written by female authors. This issue goes beyond the PPS administration because teachers themselves live in a patriarchal system in which the male perspective is the one that is the most predominantly considered. Therefore, teachers themselves need to be taught about how to properly convey the female voice in their teaching and acknowledge the female point of view.  
   Unfortunately, books written by men have repeatedly failed to represent women, more often than not relegating them to housekeepers, inconveniences, or objects. For example, “Of Mice and Men,” a book taught to freshman students at Princeton High School, has only one female character who is portrayed as a villainous sex object. With almost every male-written book taught in class, teachers have to explain that the reason for the dated representation of women is simply a result of the time the text was written in. However, this is rarely followed up by a text that is actually representative of women.
   The importance of exposing young people to the voices of women is understated. Their stories spark meaningful conversations about women's issues, offering insight into societal standards, struggles, and oppression from a woman's point of view. This involves female students in the class, giving them a platform to speak on issues that they can relate to. Women need to be highlighted in school curriculums to prove to young girls that their experiences are important and their voices are powerful. Additionally, it is crucial to expose other students in the class to the challenges that women face every day in these books so that they develop feelings of empathy, preventing discrimination in the future.

We need more books written by women on our classroom shelves

 This month, an impressive congregation of global leaders from over one hundred countries met for the 2022 United Nations  Climate  Change  Conference  (COP  27)  occurred  earlier  this  month,  with  ideas  about  how  to  deal  with  concerns  such  as  the  emission  of  greenhouse  gasses  and  the  steadily  increasing  number  of  natural  disasters  being  at  the  forefront  of  most  conversations.  The  conference  mainly  addressed  how  to  deal  with  climate  issues  on  a  national level rather than a localized scale, but in actuality, state governments and communities, like high schools, are instrumental  when  it  comes  to  combating  global warming.          Climate  action  shouldn’t  just  be  up  to  the  leaders  and  politicians  who  attended  COP  27.  Everyone,  including  students  at  Princeton  High  School,  should  engage  in  active conversations regarding both climate issues   and   solutions   for   those   pressing   problems. This starts with education, which plays a critical role in preparing students for participation in  civic  society.  Education  is  critical  to  any  social  cause  because  it  increases  awareness  of  the  issues  at  hand,  spurring action, and eventually, change.      Curriculums  must  first  stress  that  action  is  needed  immediately. For many, it seems that all we can do is sit back and watch. The warming of the Earth is frequently portrayed as a distant phenomenon. When climate issues are being reported on, a deluge of far-off dates is thrown at us. Everything is discussed in terms of deadlines, creating the image of an inevitable doomsday when climate change finally  triggers  the  “end  of  the  world,”  instead  of  as  an  ongoing, malleable process of warming.      As high school students, most of us are not thinking so far into the future. We can not fully imagine a time, decades from  now,  when  Earth’s  situation  is  completely  different.  Most  young  adults  are  more  concerned  with  short-term  priorities such as academics and extracurricular activities. It’s  easy  to  believe  that  if  we  can’t  see  the  impacts  of  something  right  away,  it’s  not  worth  paying  attention  to.  Pretty much every student at PHS would much rather ace that  math  test  or  win  that  soccer  game  than  even  begin  to  ponder  our  ecological  footprint.  As  a  result,  we  delay  taking action on climate change.   The practical applications of climate change are  far-reaching  in  subjects  such  as  math,  art,  economics,  and  science,  to  name  a  few.  To  spark  such  conversations  about  climate,  educators    should    strive    to    incorporate    current events and climate-related issues into their  classes,  lessons,  and  projects.    Global  warming isn’t a topic that should be relegated to a single week-long unit in a middle school science class. Schools  should  teach  about  how  we  –  as  students  –  can  contribute  to  reducing  or  stopping  climate  change  and  embrace  sustainable  practices.  They  should  teach  us  how  devastating the results will be if we do not begin to change.   They should not, however, make these lessons boring! The same  way  that  PHS  has  injected  readings  and  reckonings  with   LGBTQ   issues   in   some   assignments   for   science   classes, they could encourage teachers to create innovative lessons involving climate change. A statistics class centered around analyzing the economic damage of a hurricane, or an  English  class  dissecting  an  Oliver  Tearle  poem  about  global  warming,  would  manage  to  both  educate  students  about climate issues and offer them new avenues to learn about existing subject material.      Teachers  should  help  students  understand  the  severity  and  effects  of  climate  change.  Only    through  addressing  the  issue  head  on,  by  putting  an  emphasis  on  education  about  both  its  causes  and  effects,  can  PHS  help  raise  the  awareness  that  will  eventually  cause  its  students  to  take  action.  PHS  has  a  moral  obligation  to  help  us  combat  the  biggest  problem  that  Earth  faces  today.  As  António  Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations put it  at  COP  27,  “We  are  in  a  battle  for  our  lives.  But  it  is  a  battle we can win.

Iniya Karimanal's Work