### Bill Urias

Every day, students who enter PHS through the
Tower entrance are greeted by Bill Urias and asked for
their IDs. However, this quick interaction does not
reveal much about his interesting life before PHS or
his adventurous hobbies outside of his work.
After finishing high school in South Jersey, Urias
joined the military for four years before going to college.
He attended both Rutgers University and The College
of New Jersey, where he studied accounting. He then
traveled to California in hopes of pursuing a master’s
degree in business.

While in California, Urias instead worked for a
private company where he cut trees due to his passion
for adventure and nature. However, after eight years
of living in California, his wife’s parents fell ill and the
couple decided to move back to New Jersey.
Although Urias formerly studied accounting, he
decided to become a foreman for the Township of
Princeton.

“I had a crew of 45 men and women, and every
morning we would make the assignments on what
we were going to do. We had crews that took care
of the trees, took care of the signs around the town,
maintained the parks, [and] cut the grass,” said Urias.

Not long after retiring from his position as a
foreman, Urias was recruited to become a part-time
security guard and building monitor at PHS. He has
been working at PHS for the past five years. His job
includes checking student IDs when they enter the
building, pointing visitors in the right direction, and
filling in for other missing staff.

His passion for the outdoors not only influenced
his career choices but also how he spends his time
outside of work. One of his favorite pastimes is riding
motorcycles.

“I have three motorcycles. We do tours [and] take
people up to Lake George and Lake Placid. I don’t
bring [the motorcycles] to work,” said Urias. 

### Tracy Hart

Keeping students fed is an integral yet complex
process at PHS. As one of several cafeteria workers
who make sure this process runs successfully, Tracy
Hart ensures that all students are well-fed and ready
to learn.

Growing up in Hopewell, Hart has been working
with Pomptonian Food Service, PHS’s new food
service provider, for three years. She has worked all
over New Jersey in multiple school districts with
Pomptonian, but started at PHS this July.

“I know that the community is interested in farmto-tray and locally sourced things like that. My father’s also a farmer in the Hopewell area. I was really excited
when we [started at PHS] because I can incorporate
a lot of things that are locally grown that I’m familiar
with from this area into the menu,” said Hart.

 Prior to Pomptonian, Hart worked for several other
food service providers, but she enjoys working with
Pomptonian as the company focuses on delivering
services exclusively in schools, whether K-12 or
community colleges.

“I went to Rutgers, and I have a degree in nutritional
science, and I was hired by Sodexo, a food service
company, right from class. I was with them for 20 years.
I also did country clubs involved in food service, and
started as Grimace at McDonald’s and got involved in
food service, then I went to Strayer [University] for
my Master’s [in] Business Administration,” said Hart.

Outside of work, Hart enjoys taking her four kids
tent camping, going to Hershey Park, and tending to
her backyard chicken. She is also helping her father
as he opens a brewery in Pennington.

### Nick Cream

Armed with a ten-year tenure as a police officer,
Nick Cream now uses the security skills he gained in
his role as PPS’s attendance officer and PHS’s security
officer. With this year marking his 34th in the district,
some of Cream’s responsibilities include maintaining
building security, monitoring the cafeteria during
lunch, breaking up physical confrontations between
students, conducting wellness checks for chronically
absent students, and conducting residency checks.

“If [PPS] suspects that somebody may be living
outside of Princeton, but attending the schools illegally,
I investigate those maps,” said Cream. “And if a kid’s
missing a lot of school, sometimes … I’ll make a home
visit.”

Cream’s interest in pursuing a career relating to public
security stretches back to college. After he graduated
from Lawrence High School in Lawrence Township,
Cream studied criminal justice at The College of New
Jersey. Following his college graduation, he trained to
become a police officer and ultimately joined the
Trenton Police Department.

“I left the police force after I had a couple back
surgeries. I’ve been with this school ever since,”
said Cream.

Cream’s role in the district started as a part-time
job as an attendance officer conducting occasional
residency checks. As the demand for security in
schools increased, Cream’s position evolved into the
full-time job he currently holds, where he serves as
a security officer for PHS on top of his attendance
officer duties.

“I’m fortunate that the students are great here,
which makes my job a lot easier,” said Cream.

Outside of keeping PHS’s security in shape, Cream
likes bike riding and exercising. As big fans of the
shore, Cream and his wife also enjoy visiting their
beach house in Brigantine. Cream enjoys visiting his
grandchildren in Florida and Pennsylvania as well. 

PHS behind the scenes workers

At the Asian Fest, the Bollywood club offered both a cultural station and a Bollywood dance performance. 

The station offered participants, like Shoumilli Banerjee ‘27, the opportunity to receive a traditional Indian plant based tattoo art, known as henna.

“When I’m in India, I’m around my friends and my family, so I feel close to them. But when I’m here, I don’t see any of them. So [the henna station] is kind of a way to reconnect with my culture,” said Banerjee.

Later, the club performed songs from three Bollywood movies. Kailani Harrison ‘24 and Anika Hadap ‘24, the choreographers of the dances, strove to make it both accessible to the general PHS audience while still being representative of the tradition.

“A lot of times people outside Indian culture don’t understand the words that are in the songs. So, [they] choreographed it so that a lot of hand motions line up with what’s being said. It’s a cool way to learn about the culture and language, but also be able to express yourself through the dance,” said Ishaan Banerjee ‘24, Bollywood Club co-president.

Prior to the fest, the club hosted weekly dance rehearsals leading up to the performance, often outside of school. However, a usual club meeting is much more relaxed. Members make rangoli (a traditional Indian art), watch movies, listen to Bollywood songs, and share cultural foods.

“We bring samosas and we bring snacks that specifically Indian groceries sell, like chocolate crackers. We usually bring them in bulk so that anyone who comes can take some and eat as we do the activities,” said Raima Srivastava ‘25, a member of the Bollywood club.

While Bollywood club is primarily a place for Indian students to connect over their shared heritage, Mital emphasized that the club is open to everyone, not just people of Indian descent.

“We have students from all different origins who come. It’s an opportunity for kids from other cultures to learn about a different culture. That’s what I like about the Bollywood club - the diversity of different races that come together in one place.”

As one of the main fundraisers and organizers of Asian Fest, the Asian American Club brought together various Asian cultures, and helped set up the fashion show, and run the main food station.

“We had a bunch of different cultural clubs come together and we put on a fashion show. It helped showcase what different cultures in Asia wear and [their] traditional clothes,” said Ronald Aung ‘25, president of the Asian American club. “Our food station served traditional Asian foods such as vegetable lo mein, fried rice, and General Tso’s Chicken.”

Aung wants the club to be a “chill spot” where kids can learn about different cultures. A typical meeting, during break on Tuesdays, consists of eating snacks from various Asian countries and watching a movie.

“The Asian American club is basically a lunch club,” said Aung. “At our last club meeting, for example, we were watching Kung Fu Panda and we had these Japanese mochi bowls with boba inside of them.”

The club believes that the festival was important for spreading awareness about the cultural diversity within Asia. ONe of the key values of the Asian American Club is inclusivity.

“This year, we [had] two new clubs at the fest and a bunch of old ones. It’s important for clubs to come here fundraise and showcase what they have done, but [it’s] also about being inclusive of other Asian cultures. As an Asian American, I think we all tend to be grouped together under the same term, so I think that this event is just really important to highlight the differences between the individual Asian cultures and [showcase] their traditions,” Aung said.

Having brought a series of its own events to the Asian Fest, the Japanese club showcased and introduced Japanese culture to interested spectators. The events included an origami folding station, which allowed participants to fold paper cranes and other handicrafts, a food station serving handmade Japanese foods, and a performance of a series of traditional Japanese dances.

“I found their dance and the instruments [they used] really interesting; how their dancing [formation] [got] thinner as they dance and how they [held] the instrument,” said William Yao ‘24. “I also enjoyed seeing how they [could] both bring the culture to you and our school and also bring joy and fun.”

The food station that the Japanese club hosted served mochi, a Japanese dessert enjoyed during special occasions.

“Mochi is very important in Japanese culture,” said Japanese Club president Seigo Iwata ‘26. “It’s a type of rice that [is] smashed together. It’s especially important on New Year’s and other holidays. It’s also just like a part of everyday Japanese snacks.

The Japanese club also organized an origami folding station. Interested students could take a sheet of origami paper and fold it into a crane using steps provided on an instruction sheet.

“Origami is also a very important symbol of Japanese culture as it represents good fortune and longevity. We want people to be able to have hands-on experience with origami and have the same experience as a Japanese student learning to make origami,” Iwata said.

Through their performances and involvement in Asian Fest, the club aimed to not only introduce Japanese culture and lifestyle to the PHS community, but also expand upon our understanding and knowledge of Japanese culture.

“I think [Asian Fest] is important, especially because there’s such a small number of Japanese people in this school,” said Iwata. “I feel that not everyone knows in depth about Japanese culture. It’s more just anime, pop music, things like that. They don’t really know anything more. This is why we want to spread the culture and celebrate the Japanese community.

Asian Fest - Club Feature

On January 26 and 27, PHS research teacher Mark Eastburn and student Daniela Gonzalez ’24 will attend the Global Education Benchmark Group’s Climate Education Summit at Columbia University to present the PHS Research Program’s efforts to promote diversity while recruiting for their ongoing projects, including their work on using oil derived from black soldier flies to replace the palm oil in soaps and other cosmetics. 
At its core, the program’s goal is to create a climate project that not only attracts more students but also reframes climate change as a solvable problem.

“I've tried to inspire students to take an active role in what they can do within this community to combat climate change. The angle for Columbia is the inclusion-making: finding ways of bringing more students [into the program],” Eastburn said. 

With the black soldier flies soap design, which won first place in the 2021 Mercer County Science Fair and Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Competition, Eastburn and leaders of the research program are currently brainstorming ways to expand soap production to transform it into an entrepreneurial prospect, which would create academically-oriented job opportunities.

“[Samsung] was here yesterday to take a video about how these projects help the students involved [and] how this changed our lives, because this 100 percent [opened] doors for me,” Gonzalez said. 
Gonzalez expresses gratitude for the program and hopes that further presentations will increase the program’s appeal so that her peers can benefit and draw inspiration from it.

“Some students now know that this exists; they [now] know that they can start with
 their own products. This [program] is a way to [make their dreams a reality],” Gonzalez said.

By bringing together people from different passions and interests, the inclusive research community at PHS and the strong support it receives is what allows its participants to flourish together.

“The research program, [is] very successful not only because of the awards that we have gotten, but more importantly … because it includes students who are recent immigrants and students who are really high academic achievers,” said Principal Cecilia Birge.“Not many schools have research programs; it is unique to a handful of schools that are very committed to science.” 

PHS Research Program invited to speak at Columbia University's Climate Education Summit

First dreaming about becoming a history teacher in the first grade, this fall marks Social Studies Teacher Elizabeth Taylor’s 13th year teaching at PHS. Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, Taylor debated between journalism and teaching history in high school, but the difficulty of attending a journalism college and the lack of a newspaper at her high school compelled her to choose education as a more secure option. 
After receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston University, Taylor taught United States and World History at Westford Academy in Massachusetts for nine years before she and her husband moved to South Jersey, where it was closer to family. Budget cuts caused by the 2008 Recession led to fewer available teaching positions, with the only one being PHS at the time. She took the offer to work at PHS knowing the challenge and reputation of the district.

“I chose education over journalism [because] I thought that I had a more secure job as a teacher. I shadowed a reporter at a local newspaper for a day during my senior year and remember them telling me that to get a job as a reporter, … you had to have worked on your high school newspaper. My school didn’t even have a newspaper, so I figured I didn’t really have a chance,” said Taylor. “I liked history; I was good at it, and I had several great history teachers. My mom was also a teacher, as was an aunt and a cousin, so I could easily picture myself as a teacher.”

Taylor strives to create a learning environment that is both intellectually engaging and inspires students to consider different perspectives. In order to keep students engaged, as well as make each year different for herself, Taylor adjusts her curriculum each year to incorporate current events and new resources that fit the needs of the new class. 

“Current events definitely help to make each year unique; this has especially been true over the last several years. Also, getting a new group of students, with their own interests and personalities; realizing that students in one period aren’t as engaged by a topic as students in an earlier period were, and moving on more quickly,” Taylor said.

In addition to social studies, Taylor also teaches Sociology Accelerated at PHS. Because of her limited knowledge on sociology and the time she had to allocate to her baby at home, Taylor was initially reluctant to adopt the new course. However, after five weeks of teaching the subject, Taylor fell in love with the creativity it allowed as well its applicability to students’ lives.

“Professionally, it is the best thing that has happened to me. … I love that it’s a rigorous course without the pressure of an AP exam,” Taylor said.

Having been regarded as a tough but fair teacher by previous and current students, Taylor finds that both of her courses teach students study skills and time management habits, which they can continue to apply in high school and throughout college.

“‘Tough but fair’ sounds about right. I hope to create an environment that is intellectually engaging and where students feel supported as they try new things and perspectives,” Taylor said.

Through her teaching, Taylor hopes to develop students’ desires to keep up with current events and become active members of society. Emma Liu ’26, a student in Taylor’s AP U.S. History class, appreciates her commitment to helping her students.

“She provides a lot of support for her students and really tries to help them succeed whether [that’s] in the classroom or for the AP Exam,” Liu said.

Outside of the classroom, Taylor strives to find a balance between work obligations and spending time with family.

“The demands on teachers are simply too great, and it definitely got much harder once I had kids,” said Taylor. “The best I have done is to ignore anything PHS-related during the summer, and to instead focus on the rest of my life as much as possible, … but during the school year, teaching takes up the majority of my time and attention.”

In her limited free time, Taylor enjoys gardening, dancing, and reading. Having been a dancer her whole life, she finds that her weekly tap dance classes give her the opportunity to unwind from the stresses of teaching.
“I take an adult tap class now that is probably the best hour of the week for me, because I’m just focusing on something that I need and not what my students need, or my kids need, or my husband needs,” Taylor said.
As her two children grow up, Taylor notes how she’s been able to relate much more to her students and their ambitious high school classes and extracurriculars as she learns to deal with her own children’s ambitions.
“I see high school students who are just trying to do it all. … They want to take five AP classes, be president of this club, etc. … and as a teacher, there’s just not enough hours in the day to do all of this, right?” Taylor said. “Now as a parent, I’m struggling to make those same types of decisions because it’s not like we’re pushing them into these things … and it’s really hard as a parent to say no when it’s something that they’re passionate about, because you want to encourage their passions, but you also don’t want them to burn out. … So, I definitely have more sympathy for my students as I watch my children navigate this themselves.”
For incoming and current APUSH students, Taylor hopes that they recognize that the class is much more than just learning history. She stresses how all of the challenges that come with taking APUSH are what makes a student’s journey in her class so special.

“A lot of it is about the journey that they go through over the course of the year. APUSH is a really hard class, but at the end of the year, students overwhelmingly tell me how worth it it was and how they learned so much more than just US history, and even more than just how to be a historian,” said Taylor. “I like seeing the journey from how they first approach the class, and what they think their goals are, what they think they’re going to get out of it, and then seeing at the end of the year, how much that has evolved.”

PHS Profile: Elizabeth Taylor

Just like any other school, clubs play a huge role in the PHS community. A new school year introduces an entire class of new students with fresh ideas in mind, yielding the opportunity for many new clubs to emerge. 

What makes clubs so unique at PHS is the freedom that students have to create, change, and ultimately support the many different communities within PHS.

“Clubs at PHS are super important, because they give our students the chance to really explore their passions at PHS. It gives students a way to get involved to give students a plan, a way to get engaged in school. [They’re] so student-driven, [and] that's what makes our clubs really unique,” said Diana Lygas, Dean of Students at PHS. 

Creating a club at PHS is simpler than other schools, where students only need to obtain a supervisor and only ten members. Due to these low barriers, motivated students have the opportunity to easily create clubs they find important and crucial.

“What motivated me to start this club was to educate students from PHS about the rich diversity of South Asian culture so the general student body is more informed and educated about the world and its different peoples,” said Yuvraj Singh Bedi ‘25, leader of Sikh Awareness and Punjabi Culture Club. 

While many clubs focus on clubs, education, and sports, some clubs offer students a chance to explore career paths and discover new passions.

“I've always wanted to become a civil rights lawyer, making systemic change to help people for years to come. I found [that] Mock Trial [was] a way to expand my interest in law. Not only did it increase my passion, but it taught me invaluable public speaking, reading comprehension, analysis, debating, and communication skills,” said Gilly Bannett ‘24, team captain of Mock Trial.
Ultimately, clubs provide the students of PHS a new way to interact in and out of school. The freedom students have to pursue and expand their hobbies and interests is what makes club culture so unique at PHS.

“The club culture at PHS is great in the way that there's a club for virtually anything you're interested in. We have anything you can think of! It gives students ways to channel their callings into an outlet free of shame, and full of friends. We add to the range of competitive teams at PHS like our sports teams, but instead of baseballs or wrestling mats, we use classrooms. We add spirit and to the sense of competitiveness PHS is known for, both academically and sports-wise.” Gilly Bennett.

Club Culture Visual Mini-Introduction:

   On May 17 during Tiger Time, students and staff along with the Princeton Education Foundation celebrated the inauguration of the newly renovated courtyard next to the Numina Gallery, which was completed this spring after two years of construction.
   The official opening of the courtyard was attended by many PHS students, staff, PPS board members, and the Mayor of Princeton, Mark Freda. During the event, attendees were able to hear individuals give  speeches and stories about the renovating process and the idea’s origin.
   For the past two years, the courtyard has undergone multiple stages of renovation. The first improvements were pitched in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 by Language Arts teacher Bryan Hoffman, who wanted to help the PHS community after the pandemic. By decorating the space with flowers and benches, Hoffman aimed to create a more intimate resting space for students to enjoy.
   “I was looking at just how upsetting the pandemic was. None of us knew what to expect with in-person or hybrid learning,” said Hoffman. “So when [we] put out [our] yearly bid for grants, I thought, well, what if we make a space for beauty? 2,000 dollars, and there’s a courtyard. ”
   After seeing the popularity and enthusiasm students expressed with the first courtyard decorations, Hoffman decided to collaborate with another group of teachers who were advocating for a similar, albeit more elaborate, idea. Together, they pitched the idea to the Board of Education, who approved the plan “to give students the opportunity to step away, reflect on their studies and situations, reduce their stress levels, and enhance their mind-body wellness,” according to the PEF. Supported by the PEF, the mini-grant was enlarged, allowing the team to expand its original ideas and draw up more significant modifications.
   “It [was] something that we were not used to because teachers are always working on a budget, and I think it definitely opened [things] up. [It] allowed us to be more creative,”  Hoffman said. 
   Students played a vital role in the development and execution of the courtyard. After being contacted by Hoffman, Joseph Gargione, an industrial arts teacher at PHS, invited students from his Advanced Architecture class to participate in the design process of the courtyard. Using SketchUp, a 3D modeling computer program, students who volunteered would design models of the courtyard and then provide them to landscape architect Rich Sneidiker, who had worked on similar projects at other schools. 
   “My only worry was how seriously they wanted to take it, because I didn’t even know how serious this was going to be,” said Gargione. “I presented my Advanced Architecture class about what was going to happen here and who was interested.”
   In the end, three of Gargione’s students, Jake Richter, Tom Lips, and Aiden Castillo, submitted designs and began meeting with the team during breaks.
   “The three of us went through a multitude of different drawings that would all be given to the Landscape Architect, Rich Sneidiker. He worked incredibly hard to include our ideas into his plans while also pushing us to come up with more ideas,” said Jake Richter ‘23.
      In the center-left of the courtyard, the team constructed a wooden platform intended for a variety of uses. Hoffman hopes that students and staff will be willing to use it to its full effect.
   “So the platform is for meditation, yoga, and performance, and then there's plenty of space around [it]. … I'm hoping there'll be more public performances,” Hoffman said.
   Students and teachers were amazed at how the renovations turned out when the construction of the courtyard was completed. The team stresses the importance of creating a space that focuses on the well-being of the students and continues with the original goal of the renovations.
   “The main goal of this courtyard was to mesh both Science and Art into one central meeting space. The intent was a place of peace and meditation, which was the focal point for the focus of Mr. Hoffman, who did an incredible job leading the entire project,” said Richter. “My personal goals behind the project were to create a colorful space that deviated from the bland colors that flow throughout the school currently. I wanted to prioritize mental health, and I believe there is no better way to do this than create personality through color.”
  Going forward, the team hopes that this project will serve as an example for similar projects at PHS in the future. Additionally, Gargione hopes that this courtyard has set a strong example as to how capable students can be to help bigger projects, as well as encouraging them.
   “I think that this is now proof that these kinds of projects are possible. I think [a student] already started doing drawings for a wall. Now I’m hearing that there might be another project. I think after students see more, we'll take it more seriously,” Gargione said.
   For now though, the team hopes that the courtyard will be a place where students can escape the academic stress throughout the school day.
   “I couldn't be happier. I hope that teachers don't bring their classes out to teach because we want to have a space that's intended for student wellness and to feel like you're not in school. And so far, I think teachers have done what I did, [like taking] students out to read,” Hoffman said.


Completion of PHS Courtyard joins a larger effort to improve the school environment

   Lasting the entirety of the week of October 31, PHS’ second annual Instant Decision Day College Fair aimed to lower the barriers associated with the process of applying to college. This event was open for all current seniors to participate in; students were able to sign up for fifteen-minute time slots between nine a.m. and one p.m. each day. By the end of the week, close to eighty appointments had been made, with some students receiving non-binding acceptances from as many as seven colleges. 
   An Instant Decision Day College Fair was held last year as well, but at a much smaller scale. With just four participating schools, the organizers hoped to gauge how the event would be received by students. Following its success, the event expanded into a full-fledged fair this year with more than twenty schools, including many in-state colleges, one out-of-state college, and two HBCUs.  
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   “We were lucky that we had so many colleges willing to participate,” said Nipurna Shah, a College and Career counselor at PHS who helped organize the event. “I think it was a win-win on both ends. It was a win for us and our students, but it was also a win for some colleges that might not ordinarily have come to Princeton to recruit in the past.”
   In preparation for their appointments, students were required to submit an application through the Common Application to the colleges in question at least five days prior to their meeting. Transcripts and recommendation letters were also required, meaning that in some scenarios, students would have to coordinate with their teachers in order to make sure that those were ready. The prior submission of their documents would make sure that the student’s application could be reviewed by a representative of the college before the fair. 
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   During the meeting itself, the representative of the college would have a conversation with the student about their goals and their plans for the future. Then, the representatives would notify the student on the spot whether or not they were admitted into the college. 
   “I think it was an overwhelming success,” said Shah. “I don't have the exact number of acceptances yet, but a very large number of our students were accepted.”
   The organizers of the fair tried their best to make the event an inclusive, positive environment for all students. The event was located upstairs in the new wing, which the organizers filled with college-themed decorations and banners. Their efforts allowed the fair to be an impactful experience for many students.
   “It's been awesome. You know, the students come and they're very grateful, and it takes a whole village to help them get here and apply, but they also have to put themselves out there. When they get accepted, we cheer and we take photos. I think it's been life-changing.” said Martha Blandford, a Career and College counseling intern at PHS and an organizer of the event. 
   Sofia Sotomayor ’23, one of the attendees of the Instant Decision Day college fair, has had no regrets about going. She heard about the event from one of her teachers and signed up alongside a couple of her friends. While she doesn’t plan on stopping her college search here, she is glad to have been able to get a couple applications out of the way early. 
   “I signed up for two schools, Drew and Rider University, I got into both, which is really nice. And so you know, coming from that, I really liked it, because it gave me the opportunity to not only know the decision, but also to have the time to think if I actually wanted to go to these colleges,” Sotomayor said.
   Putting on an event like this was no easy task, requiring coordination from a large number of people including students, teachers, administrators, cafeteria staff, and many more. In the end, however, the success of this year’s fair has ensured that plans for next year are already in the works. 
  “We're really excited. We're planning on full-fledged doing this again next year,” said Blanford. “We obviously learned a few things, just in terms of logistics, and I have a better plan even for next year. But we are absolutely intending on doing this again.” 

Mattias Blix's Work