As the PHS boys varsity soccer team warmed up for their game on September 26, the regular blue jerseys of the team were nowhere to be found. Instead, #IStandWithEvan was plastered in bold letters across their white T-shirts.
This was one of many tributes to Evan Gershkovich ’10, the imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter and former PHS soccer captain, that took place during a pre-game ceremony, where former PHS soccer coach Wayne Sutcliffe, Wall Street Journal financial enterprise editor Ken Brown, and former teammates of Evan all made speeches to spread awareness about his ongoing detention.
The ceremony began with lead event organizer Brown, speaking about the efforts the Wall Street Journal is taking to raise awareness about Gershkovich’s situation.
“We [the Wall Street Journalists] have hired lawyers in Russia and have been working with the Biden administration, who’s trying to negotiate to get him out,” said Brown. “We’ve [also] done a lot to try to spread the word about the situation … so that people know what is happening and that he’s being unjustly held. He’s not a spy. He was doing his job. Journalism is not a crime.”
After Brown spoke, Sutcliffe made a speech about Gershkovich’s abilities as a soccer player, his leadership, and his humor. The ceremony culminated with former teammates, Max Reid ’10 and Thatcher Foster ’10, speaking about their relationships with Gershkovich both as a friend and a teammate.
“I think his superpower is the ability to connect with all different types of people. It made him a really good captain, but also makes him a really good friend, teammate, and reporter,” Foster said.
Brown reached out to boys soccer Head Coach Ryan Walsh, Assistant Principal Rashone Johnson, and Principal Cecilia Birge to organize the event. Since this was one of the biggest games of the season, Walsh felt it was best to schedule the ceremony on that date. He highlighted how the biggest impact can be had by just keeping Evan’s name in the news.
“The best way to get Evan back safely is to continue to put pressure on the United States government to get him home. They’re the ones who can get him home,” said Walsh. “If [Evan] is forgotten, then the U.S. won’t feel the pressure and they’ll stop fighting.”
When the boys’ soccer team found out about Gershkovich’s situation, they immediately extended their support and demonstrated collective solidarity for the former player.
“It’s important that we send a message to the world saying that we have not forgotten Evan … He’s an alumn[us], which means a lot. This program has been built on a tradition of creating strong teams [and] strong brotherhood,” said PHS varsity soccer player James Reynolds ’24.
Even with constant press coverage, Gershkovich’s freedom in the near future is still far from being guaranteed. However, Caitlin Ostroff, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal who worked closely with Gershkovich in the Journal’s London office, believes that there are still reasons to be optimistic.
“I’m honestly mostly hopeful based on the people we meet at random, who asked me about my “Free Evan” button. I’m inspired by the people who’ve all come out to the soccer game. I’m inspired by random people who messaged me and say ‘I heard about Evan, what can I do?’” said Ostroff. “It’s just a matter of keeping pressure.”

Pre-game ceremony pays tribute to detained PHS alumnus Evan Gershkovich

“What do we want: transparency! When do we want it: now!” 
   Chants rang out in front of PHS after school on Monday, March 20 as a group of around 100 parents and students gathered to protest the removal of former Principal Frank Chmiel.
     Many of the students in attendance at the rally  hoped that it would have an impact on the decision-making process. Students, along with parents, took turns giving speeches to the other attendees describing their experiences with Chmiel and their thoughts on the matter as a whole. 
   “I hope that everyone just can see how much we love Mr. Chmiel and how we’re sad that he's gone,” said Owen Barry ’25. “As much as I hope for transparency, I know that's probably not an outcome that is possible.”
   This protest, organized by a PHS Parents Facebook group, was widely promoted on social media. The majority of the protestors appreciated Chmiel’s leadership during his time at PHS and were angered about Dr. Carol Kelley and the Board of Education’s lack of transparency. 
   A day prior to the protest, the Board of Education released a statement addressing the perceived lack of communication, referencing New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-10. In the statement, the board emphasized that it could not release more information absent a decision by Chmiel to waive the privacy rights he holds as a public employee. However, for many students and parents, this statement was not enough to ease their concerns. 
   “We don't have any information. Nothing has been shared with us. The PTO has not communicated anything and this is my school community, so I want to know what's happening [and] what's going on so that we can be more informed,” said Vijayeta Singh, a PHS parent who attended the protest. 
   Chmiel had stood out as a caring principal who always listened to students and parents, causing feelings of shock and distrust to arise following his sudden dismissal. Along with concerns about transparency, the parents who attended the rally also worried that their opinions were not being taken into account by the Board of Education.
   “Unfortunately, I don't think this board is fulfilling its obligation to listen to its constituency,” said David Kahn ’90, a PHS graduate and parent. “We want to collaborate with them. I don't want to be adversarial, the parents don’t want to be adversarial. We want them simply to listen to us and represent our interests in the best way they know how. But at the moment, I don't believe they are representing our interests.”
   While some of the messaging during the protest was targetted towards members of the administration, many administrators viewed the event as a healthy opportunity for parents and students alike to have their voices heard. Rashone Johnson and Cecilia Birge, the acting principals of PHS, both supported the protest, emphasizing more than anything else the importance of safety. Along with taking measures such as blocking the PHS driveway and limiting the protestors to the edge of the high school’s property, at least one police officer was present to ensure that the protest went smoothly.
  “Support what [you] want to support, say what you need to say, hear what you need to hear. Do it safely, and we're good,” Johnson said.

Chmiel removal sparks PHS protests

   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.” 

With over twenty participating schools, PHS’ instant decision day college fair returns bigger than ever 

Starting this year, the PHS Student Council will consist not only of elected members, but also of a general body, which will be open for all students to join.  This move, made by  both  the  advisors  as  well  as  elected  members,  hopes  to  create  a  more  inclusive  and  engaging  environment  in  the student council. The general body will attend weekly meetings along with the current Student Council members, allowing its members to have a prominent voice.
Student Council has been an organization at PHS for a long time; however, for most of the time that it has existed, it  has  been  significantly  influenced  by  the  leadership  of  its advisors. Due to the limited number of students in the council, it has struggled to put on all of its normal events, including the Homecoming and Prom dances, and relied on advisors as a result. Jennifer Li, PHS Mathematics Teacher, took the role of advisor for the council just over a year ago, and since then, she has made it one of her primary goals to make the student council more student-led.
“During my first four years at PHS, I saw that the group was very advisor-led,” said Li. “There were a lot of meetings that  the  student  body  president  ended  up  running.  I’m  trying  to  make  that  happen  more  for  this  school  year  and having the presidents create the agenda and also run meetings rather than the advisor.”
Li  hopes  that  the  creation  of  a  general  body  for  the  Student Council will help aid the council in the planning of their events. This would mean that with the addition of the general body, a decreased workload will allow student council members to exhibit more leadership skills and rely less on the advisors.
“It’s  a  lot  of  work  for  only  20-something  students  and  then the four or five advisors to create, plan, and execute all these events alone. So I thought that we should allow students  to  join  the  Student  Council,  to  just  have  more  students, really, for all these events,” Li said.
The  existence  of  the  general  body  will  also  provide  a  way for students who wouldn’t normally participate in the council to get involved in school events. Additionally, as not every student who runs is able to win their election, the existence of the general body will ensure that all are now able to participate in the council regardless.
"The general body will allow us to get more ideas from students  who  might  not  feel  like  they  want  to  have  an  elected  position  with  the  Student  Council,  and  to  have  the  full  responsibility  of  being  an  elected  member,”  said  Li. “This means that they can still be a part of the group and have ideas heard.”
Along  with  helping  put  on  planning-intensive  events,  the  creation  of  a  general  body  for  the  Student  Council  is  also  hoped  to  help  the  Student  Council  improve  their  outreach  efforts.  It  will  achieve  this  by  making  it  easier  for  students  to  get  involved  in  Student  Council-related  activities if they want to. 
“I think that the general body will allow the community to be more involved, and learn more about what the Student Council actually does, because not very many people are on  it.  So  with  general  body  members,  we  can  hopefully  have a wider outreach,” said Ashlena Brown ’24, president of her class.While  the  Student  Council  general  body  has  only  had  a  couple  meetings  since  its  creation,  it  already  has  been successful at achieving its goal of building a greater connection  between  the  student  body  and  the  student  council. “I  thought  it  was  cool  taking  part  in  student  council  decisions,  as  someone  outside  of  the  council,”  said  Finn  Neuneier ’24, a member of the general body. “I’m excited to work with them to help plan events in the future.

Creation of a Student Council general body hopes to increase student engagement

 For many teachers, starting their first year teaching at a new school is no easy task. Brent Ferguson though, currently teaching Calculus, AP Calculus AB, and AP Calculus BC, has already managed to set himself apart in just his first few days at the PHS. 
   Ferguson is no stranger to teaching, with this year marking his 30th year as an educator. When he first started as a teacher in 1993, Fergeson taught physics and chemistry at an all-boys school in Cleveland. Since then, Ferguson has taught at many schools including The Lawrenceville School, Princeton Day School, and Montgomery High School, before coming to PHS. 
   While he has grown to love the job over the years, Ferguson didn’t always know that teaching was for him. 
   “I always had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up,” said Ferguson. “I started tutoring officially in high school back in the 80s, you know, $15 an hour, it felt like highway robbery to charge that much. But I feel like that was the beginning of my teaching career. I think I would have been fine to do a number of other things, but I think this is really what I'm called to do.”
   One defining part of Ferguson’s journey in becoming a teacher was his time at graduate school at the Princeton Theological Seminary. Going into it, Ferguson felt the need to slow down and reevaluate where he wanted to go with the rest of his career, either continuing as a teacher or possibly assuming a leadership role in the church. 
   “During that time, I started to reframe why I was teaching. I kind of always just liked math, but I realized that the reason why teaching is so appealing to me is because you're helping people figure out who they are and who they are becoming and who they can be,” Ferguson said. 
   Yuyi Liu ’24, a student in Ferguson’s AP Calculus BC class, appreciates his love for teaching and the positive classroom environment that his passion brings with it. 
   “I like how he’s very good at guiding us into understanding the problem with hints and clues instead of rushing through the process and merely having us copy down notes. He emphasizes important parts of the lesson and really makes sure students comprehend the significant takeaways. His passion for math is very contagious, which creates an encouraging and engaging environment,” Liu said. 
   Ferguson does many things to make sure that students get the most possible out of their time in his class, emphasizing that student engagement is crucial for a complete learning experience. 
   “Getting students talking with the whole class and … in small groups is super important. And I think that's a really important piece of mine,” said Ferguson. “I think that the verbal description of math is what really leads to people owning their ideas and owning what they're doing, not just copying what a teacher did.”
   When students leave his classroom, Ferguson hopes that they are more prepared and excited to face the challenges that lie ahead of them in both their academic and non-academic lives. 
   “There are a few things that I hope anybody who interacts with me but especially my students take away,” said Ferguson. “That I love them no matter what, that I've got their back, and I will, without question, challenge them because the math is challenging. I'm not going to add to the challenges or pull away from them, but I'm definitely going to support students in finding ways that they can meet those challenges.”
   Vikas Yarlaggada ’25, a student in Fergusons AP Calculus BC class, appreciates how he uses humor to stray from creating a tedious working environment.
   “When he teaches, he can crack a joke or say something funny which really dials the class into what he is teaching,” said Yarlaggada. “He’s also still able to progress with the material because everyone then pays attention and understands quickly.”
   Outside of school, Ferguson enjoys spending time with his family and has many hobbies, including playing ultimate frisbee, doing jigsaw puzzles, and his latest interest: chopping wood.
   “We have this great little fireplace insert, and we heat our home mostly by burning wood,” said Ferguson. “We have a gas furnace, but we don't use it very much because we just love the smell and the kind of the caretaking quality of chopping, and managing and stoking the fire. It's just very satisfying.”
   In the end, Ferguson is grateful for the opportunity to teach at PHS. 
   “I'm really really glad to be here. It feels like home to me, because this is the kind of school that I grew up in,” said Ferguson. “I just feel like I have a chance to be useful and give back.”


PHS Profile: Brent Ferguson promotes student engagement in the classroom


The start of the 2021 school year marked the tenth year of  teaching  for  PHS  Science  Teacher  Jacqueline  Katz.  Since  2012,  Katz  has  inspired  numerous  students  at  the  high school with her enthusiasm and appreciation for the sciences.
Katz neither thought she was going to major in science nor  pursue  a  career  in  teaching.  In  fact,  she  originally  applied  to  college  as  an  English  major.  Nevertheless,  as  a  competitive  dancer  in  her  childhood,  Katz  had  been  introduced to anatomy and nutrition at a young age. As a result of this, not long into her freshman year of college, she switched to a biochemistry major and, through tutoring, found an unforeseen passion for teaching.  
“When  I  left  high  school,  I  wanted  to  be  as  far  away  from school as I could be. I was like, I don’t want to deal with people all the time, I want to be in a lab,” said Katz. “Halfway through college, I started tutoring a lot and loved it. So I totally changed majors, and I’m very happy I did.” 
Now  as  a  successful  science  teacher  at  PHS,  Katz  has  taught  primarily  biology,  but  also  a  number  of  other  science courses including Chemistry I, AP Anatomy and Physiology,  and  the  Research  Program.  Shawn  Chuang  ’24, a former student of one of Katz’s Biology Accelerated classes, spoke highly of Katz’s attitude in class.
“She  is  always  really  helpful  and  a  great  person  to  be  around. I’m able to crack jokes with her, which really helps make [the classroom] environment comfortable. She’s [also] very knowledgeable on the subject and always willing to answer any question,” Chuang said. 
One major part of Katz’s time teaching at PHS has been her involvement in the Research Program. Katz was the first teacher to oversee the program, which has since grown from  only  her  and  eight  students  to  three  teachers  and  over 60 students. The three-year Research Program gives students an opportunity to follow their passions outside of  the  conventional  curriculum  and  allows  students  to  develop critical thinking skills along the way. In addition to  the  success  that  many  students  have  achieved  during  this  program,  Katz  has  found  this  program  especially  beneficial for herself. 
“I get to learn so much [through the Research Program]. My  focus  has  always  been  biology  and  mostly  cellular  biology;  we  have  students  researching  lobsters,  crayfish,  and even pigeons. I learn something new with every project [and]  it  always  keeps  me  excited  and  makes  my  job  feel  fresh and different every day,” Katz said.
As a result of Katz’s dedication and passion for education, she  was  recently  awarded  a  prestigious  position  at  the  Library of Congress under the title of the Albert Einstein Distinguished  Educators  Fellowship.  While  this  new  position will mean that Katz will not be at PHS for the next year, she hopes to return in September 2023.
“What the program does is it selects educators and then places  them  in  federal  agencies  in  Washington,  D.C.  So  I’ll  be  placed  in  the  Library  of  Congress  next  year,”  said  Katz. “It’s an 11-month commitment to relocate to D.C., and I will be working in the Library of Congress with their primary source documents. My main goal will be to build out materials for science classes, which is really cool.”
When Katz is not busy teaching science, she also enjoys coaching teams from the PHS Odyssey of the Mind, a club focused on creative problem-solving.
“Odyssey  of  the  Mind  is  definitely  one  of  my  favorite    parts  of  my  job.  It’s  a  crazy  club  and  I  love  it  because  I  always learn something new from my students. They have    always done really well with it and we’ve  been able to travel to the World Finals four or five times,” Katz said.
Outside of school, Katz enjoys running half marathons with fellow teachers Alexis Custer and Jennifer Smolyn, baking,  cooking,  and  reading.  During  the  summertime,  Katz also works at a breakfast restaurant by the beach to take a break from her teaching job.
While  Katz  enjoys  her  current  position  as  a  teacher  at  PHS,  she  is  taking  courses  to  hopefully  obtain  her  administrative certification and one day achieve her career goal  of  becoming  a  supervisor.  On  a  personal  note,  she  also hopes to run a full marathon with Smolyn one day.
Katz appreciates that, despite all the changes that have occurred in the last year, her students have worked hard and stayed flexible.
“My  students  have  really  helped  me  stay  creative  and  stay positive because everyone’s always got a question or something interesting to say. I’ll read [my students’] work and [they]’ll bring up a new perspective. It just makes me realize that we’re still learning, we’re still moving forward. As long as I remind myself of that, I’ll roll with whatever punches they throw at us.”


Jacqueline Katz brings her love for science to the classroom

On April 25, a group of PHS students presented a research project for the Samsung “Solve for Tomorrow” competition in New York City. The competition encourages students from across the country to develop creative solutions to real world problems, and the winner receives a grand prize of a $100,000  grant for their research. Through the development of a creative new way to use black soldier flies to dispose of food waste, the Princeton High School team has taken themselves all the way to the final ten in the competition.

“It’s a technology based competition where you integrate technology into some solution to fix a problem of your choice. And for us, [that problem] was food waste,” said Ngan Le ’23, a member of the team. “A big part of this competition includes sustainability. And for the U.S., food waste is one of those issues that we don’t really talk about. It’s a, you know, out of sight, out of mind kind of thing.”

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Instead of simply throwing out food waste, the “Solve for Tomorrow” team has experimented with the use of black soldier flies as an alternate method of disposal. Black soldier flies are resilient insects which are able to effectively break down a wide array of food waste, regardless of how rotten it is. Because of this, soldier flies have the potential to greatly decrease the release of the potent greenhouse gas emissions which stem from food waste.

“Once food is put into a landfill, it decomposes anaerobically, without the presence of oxygen. Because of that, you have bacteria called antigens that break down the food and produce methane, which [causes] more warming to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide,” said Mark Eastburn, a science teacher at PHS and the advisor for the “Solve for Tomorrow” team. “Black soldier flies can prevent this because they will eat any kind of food waste and turn it into protein and fat which then can make great food for pigs, chicken, and fish.”

On top of being able to effectively dispose of food waste, the flies also have a very high oil content, something which the team has been experimenting with as well.

“We’ve discovered that the oil makes some pretty good soap and can replace palm oil in many cosmetic products,” said Eastburn. “We’ve got several different soap recipes to try and we’re going to try a hand cream as well. [Normally] these products use palm oil, which is terribly destructive to the environment.”

The replacement of palm oil in everyday cosmetic products could potentially have a significant impact on the environment. Unlike the oil produced by the soldier flies, which has a very low carbon footprint, the plantations used to make palm oil are very harmful for the environment and have caused the destruction of vast amounts of rainforest. Because of this, the members of the team hope that the project does not end after the “Solve for Tomorrow” competition draws to a close.

“I hope that we’ll be able to make high quality soap that people will like, and that hopefully we can also actually start offering this as a serious product in the future,” said George Kopf ’23, another member of the team, and one of the presenters who pitched the project to Samsung.

Eastburn also believes that this project has the potential to go further in the future. He believes that making products from bugs can be a solution to many societal challenges which doesn’t bring with it very many environmental consequences.

“I would really like to see the project expand because this is the future,” said Eastburn. “Princeton Township recently got rid of the waste collection program that they were running, [so] we could potentially serve as a community resource [and] as a disposal area for food waste that then we can then repurpose into some very valuable products.”

On top of having the potential to help the community in the future, this project also provided students a chance to utilize concepts learned in an academic setting in a more hands-on way.

“I think what’s really great about this is that it’s one of those projects where I feel like my learning is being put to use. For example, think of all that stuff in chemistry that you learn. How many times you really get to use it and see like, oh, wow, this stuff I learned is useful,” said Le. “Seeing products being made of what you do is also very gratifying for me. As well as just getting the opportunity to try new things.”

On top of the educational aspect of the competition, Le also believes that through the “Solve for Tomorrow” competition, she has been able to meet new people that she wouldn’t have met otherwise.

“One big part of what really drew me to it is the diversity of the group. I didn’t know a good portion of the people here before. And I think it’s very cool to meet new people who I’ve never would have seen otherwise,” Le said.

In the end, the Samsung “Solve for Tomorrow” competition has allowed students to get together, share ideas, and take action against climate change while keeping a competitive and exciting atmosphere. However, Eastburn believes that the team’s work is not yet done.

“Tomorrow's challenge will be to refine our ideas, make them clearer, and utilize that as an opportunity to get our word out there,” Eastburn said.

PHS wins $100,000 grand prize in Samsung “solve for tomorrow" competition 

In late January, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed state bill S-4021/A-6100, which mandates that all New Jersey schools teach Asian-American history as a part of the core curriculum, making New Jersey the second state to mandate the teaching of Asian American history. The passing of this bill represented the culmination of efforts to get the bill passed before the NJ legislature ended session for the year. The goal of the bill was to require school districts to provide instruction on the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in social studies curriculums.

   The bill was conceived as a response to the rising anti-Asian hate crimes throughout the continuing pandemic. Its proponents noticed how little Asian American history was being taught in schools and realized that legislative support was critical to making a meaningful change. 

   “It’s similar to social studies legislation that was passed in the last year that first included LGBTQ representation and disability representation. This feels like another step [towards] making sure that Asian American Pacific Islander history is involved in our K–12 curriculum,” said Patricia Manhart, a Social Studies teacher at PHS. 

   The passing of this bill will have far-reaching consequences for New Jersey students. First and foremost, this bill hopes to help Asian-American students feel more represented in the classroom. Soorya Baliga ‘22, a student at PHS who spoke at multiple events organized by Make Us Visible NJ, a main proponent of the bill, believes that the bill will both help in students’ learning as well as in changing their perceptions about society around them. 

   “I'm half-Indian, and looking back, even to elementary school, I remember most clearly the picture books that featured Indian protagonists. It's just so important to include that representation,” said Baliga.

   Now that the bill is passed though, the next challenge will be ensuring its effective implementation. Ngan Le ‘23, an organizational supporter for the bill who helped it gain the required signatures, believes that the bill will lose its impact if Asian-American history is not actually implemented into everyday teaching. 

   “This is definitely a first step, … but the impact really comes with how we deal with the implementation,” said Le. “Now, if we set high standards for it, … if we make it clear what our demands are, we will make something out of it. If we don't, then it'll just be another bill that is just there that no one looks at.”

   While this bill does signify progress for Asian Americans, more can still be done to improve inclusivity in curriculums all across the nation. However, instead of the state legislature, Manhart believes that improving the classroom experience for all students is the College Board’s responsibility now. 

   “AP history [curriculums] have an impact that goes beyond just the state of New Jersey … I'm sure [the curriculum] is relatively representative or diverse, but if this kind of initiative was put into the College Board, that would have a really wide impact on students and go beyond just the state of New Jersey,” Manhart said. 

   In the end though, this bill will change what history curriculums look like in the coming years, impacting students at schools all across the state. Baliga believes that this bill will be beneficial regardless of how much more still needs to be done.

   “It really indicates that those in political positions of power are thinking of and considering [Asian American and Pacific Islander] students more than ever before, [which] I think is really important,” Baliga said.

NJ mandates the teaching of Asian-American history

PHS came together to celebrate Black History Month in a way not possible since the onset of COVID-19. The high school hosted a variety of events in order to allow students to learn more about Black history and become more racially literate.

A newly-established Black History Month planning team composed of students and staff members from various racial backgrounds took the lead in the organization of these events. The team planned many events including a door-decorating competition themed around Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as a T-shirt event where participants wore Black Lives Matter-themed T-shirts on February 28.“

It was important for me as a leader to not take over this, but rather to facilitate conversations and support [the team’s] vision [as to] how they want the month to be celebrated,” said PHS Principal Frank Chmiel, the organizer of the planning team.

Nonetheless, not all of the high school’s Black History Month events were organized by the planning team. Running from February 22 to February 28, an art exhibit organized for the Numina Gallery aims to help PHS students celebrate Black History Month through unconventional means.

“The [artist] brings together artifacts, costumes, visual aids, and posters, and will set up an exhibit with our team in the Numina Gallery that is going to be open for a week. It [will focus on] ... Black Americans and Black American events that you should know, that you maybe didn’t know about before,” Chmiel said.

One way in which PHS tried to ensure that students were able to fully appreciate Black History Month was by partnering with other organizations around Princeton.

“[Along] with several community partners, including the Princeton Public Library, we [did] something this year called the African American Reading, which [featured] stories about Malcolm X and his debate at Oxford Union, on February 22,” said Dr. Joy Barnes-Johnson, a teacher of racial literacy at PHS.

Barnes-Johnson believes that these events are beneficial as they help students learn about Black history in a way that they are otherwise not able to.

“I want more people to acknowledge and understand why it’s important to [learn about] Black history,” said Barnes-Johnson. “A lot of people treat Black history as distinct from American history. And well, that’s not actually true ... Black history in the United States is American history.”

In accordance with this idea, Chmiel tries to encourage the teaching of Black history in school, specifically the idea of “color brave activities,” where students can speak openly and honestly about race.

“If you don’t do color brave activities, you could leave your learners colorblind,” said Chmiel. “When you say ... ‘I don’t see color,’ it’s like, ‘OK, well, you know, what do you see?’ And it discounts the experiences of people of color, and the history and the discrimination and systemic racism that they experience.”

Charlie Kaswan ’23 also thinks that it is very important that the high school celebrates Black History Month. “The US has had a long history of systemic racism ... and it's important to take time to acknowledge what has happened and how that impacts ... the present,” Kaswan said.

Through the organization of events, competitions, and exhibits, PHS has tried to make Black History Month a more immersive experience for all students. Despite that, Barnes-Johnson believes that more can still be done.

“I think that [PHS could improve] not just how we approach Black History Month, but how we approach our diversity and our strengths,” said Barnes-Johnson. “I would love it if we could, as a whole school, challenge what we see as being merit-worthy, or productive, in a direction that supports social justice and equanimity.”

Barnes-Johnson hopes for PHS to become a place where people appreciate diversity and are aware enough to question when they don’t experience diverse learning environments.

“While we celebrate our heroes and our holidays, we [need to] actually work to go beyond just heroes and holidays and transform our school. So that it’s a place where everyone sees themselves and feels prepared to be their best,” Barnes-Johnson said.

PHS embraces student ideas through Black History Month celebrations


 Dr. Robert Corell knew that he was drawn to the sciences after conducting independent research on white and red-eyed fruit flies when he was a junior in high school, later choosing to pursue a PhD in chemistry. Now, Corell begins his 25th year at PHS, teaching AP Chemistry and Chemistry I Accelerated. Although for many students chemistry isn’t the easiest subject to learn and understand, Dr. Corell makes sure his students are on the path to achieving their goals and fulfilling the potential that he sees in them.

   Corell began his teaching career right out of college. While studying for his master’s and PhD, he worked as a teaching assistant. After earning his graduate degrees, he taught at Spotswood High School for a year before transitioning to his position at PHS.

   While in his class, Corell wants students to feel engaged but challenged by the content. He believes that students in accelerated tracks need a different style of teaching in order to truly succeed.

   “I try to run a well organized class to try and help the students become organized,” said Corell. “That’s one of the things that I think … the top students need the most help with. They’re all smart, but most of them have spent their K–8 years being the smartest kid in class, and not having to do a lot of work to be successful.”

   Corell tries to provide a structure for his students in which they ask questions and are able to come up with their own answers. He mentions that the kids who self-motivate and stay organized are the ones who are able to succeed in his classes. For many of his students, Corell’s way of setting expectations further helps them improve and challenge them academically.

   “He’s definitely intense and his teaching style is quick, but most things are pretty straightforward. I'd say he’s good at making sure that all of his students are doing well,” said Accelerated Chemistry I student Jane Bennett ’24.

   On top of the high expectations and extra attention from Corell, his students mention his positive attitude towards learning makes it all more fun to communicate with him.

   “He’s a lot of fun to have as a teacher … He’s great at explaining everything and when you go to him for help, he explains things in a way that makes sense. He’s [also] a sarcastic person … so it’s more fun to have conversations with him.” said AP Chemistry student Audrey Kang ’24. 

   Alongside teaching his classes, Corell is also involved in running multiple activities outside of school, including Chemistry Club and PHS’s summer Chemistry I Accelerated course. He believes that the summer program has been a positive addition to PHS.

   “We felt that we could do a better job than the other institutions that were providing the summer program. And we thought we could use the money that we were making with the summer program to provide scholarships for those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, who don't generally appear in the AP program,” said Corell. “We’ve been successful beyond our wildest dreams in the first part of the program.”

   On his career journey, Corell faced no shortage of challenges. Due to his nontraditional education, when he first started teaching, he felt unprepared for his students. 

   “My entry into teaching at the high school level was definitely very rough. Having never gone to a teaching college, I went what’s called an alternative route. so I actually did not get my first course in how to teach until I actually had been teaching for several days,” said Corell. “Both my first year at Spotswood and my first year here were definitely very rough. And if it wasn’t for the support I received from certain people at the time, I wouldn’t be here.”

   Corell notes that COVID-19 was also a challenge in his teaching career, though one that created an opportunity for growth. He mentions that before the pandemic he had a very “lecture-and-slideshow-dependent” teaching style but needed to condense his lessons in order to fit the time crunch. 

   “COVID-19 forced us to really think about how we used our time when we were remote last year. We literally had 50 percent of the instructional time that we had in a normal year. So we had to think about, especially for a course like an accelerated course, how [to] deliver the content,” Corell said.

   Nevertheless, the pandemic did not stop him from helping his students achieve their goals in class. One thing that Corell did to adapt to COVID-19 was to implement something called flipped learning. 

   “The idea of the flipped learning style in its purest form, is to take what would normally happen in the classroom, and make that homework,” said Corell. “The idea is [that] you do [the practice] in front of the teacher. So the teacher can walk around and give one-on-one or small group help.”

   Outside of PHS, Corell enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife.
  “Before COVID-19, my wife and I were definitely enjoying our empty nest. We liked to go see the 4 [p.m.] movie almost every week, and then go out to dinner afterwards,” said Corell. “And I love to travel, I love to go to places I haven’t been before. New Orleans is a great city to go visit. I enjoyed my trip there just a couple of weeks ago.”

   During his 24 years of teaching at PHS, Corell believes that he has learned many lessons and encountered many obstacles, but sees these as just another aspect that makes his job interesting.

   “If you don’t improve in the beginning, you’re certainly not going to last. And there are still challenges. COVID threw a curveball at us. New administrators throw a curveball at us. There’s always challenges to overcome,” said Corell. “But it’s one of the things that makes the job fun. It’s not the same year after year, it doesn’t get boring.”



PHS Profile: Dr. Robert Corell challenges students to succeed


Beginning Monday, November 8, Princeton Public Schools implemented a new COVID-19-testing program in order to sample a student population that may be harboring asymptomatic cases. Mirimus Inc., a private company is in charge of administering tests for PPS and multiple other school districts in New Jersey. This program aims to help the district identify COVID-19 cases sooner and to ensure a safer learning environment for the younger, unvaccinated students at PPS.

Students with parental consent to get tested went to a school site and gave spit tests to administrators, who then collected the samples for analysis. If COVID-19 is detected, polymerase chain reaction tests would be conducted on smaller sample groups to isolate which individual had the virus.

With this new testing opportunity, PPS hopes to catch COVID-19 cases before they can spread, minimizing the chances of an outbreak at school.

“The main purpose is to keep schools open. You know, we’re trying to prevent in-school spread of COVID-19,” said PPS Director of Special Services Micki Crisafulli. “You might have heard of other districts, even last year, where they had to shut down the whole school ... So we’re trying to avoid that this year by doing this testing.”

This program lessens uncertainty about COVID-19 for the students signed up within the six schools. Because of that, Crisafulli thinks that the district created this program at the right moment.

“The Department of Education highly recommends that school districts run this type of testing when their COVID-19 cases in the area are in the moderate to high range,” said Crisafulli. “We’ve been in the moderate range for quite a while.”

While it’s catered towards the younger, unvaccinated students at PPS, the program is open to everyone. Students can sign up through a link on the PPS website and with the permission of their parents, are able to participate in the program free of charge.

“We currently have 518 students who have been signed up for it by their parents. And that could change weekly,” Crisafulli said.

While participating in this program has many benefits, some parents still had their reservations about signing their children up.

“Parents were initially concerned that all students in a positive ‘pool’ would have to quarantine if one student is positive, but that is not the case,” said Public Information Officer for PPS Elizabeth Collier. “[That is because] Mirimus hopes to identify the positive person within a few hours of the pool testing positive.”

Students have welcomed this addition to COVID-19 safety procedures.

“It will be an easy and accessible way to test students and keep our school safe from the spread of COVID,” said Adam Stein ’24, a student who signed up for the program.

This new program also makes Jaiden Xu ’25 feel better about the COVID-19 situation at PHS.“

It keeps us alert of COVID-19 cases. I think that with all the district alerts and human interaction, it will help tremendously,” Xu said.

Collier believes that the testing itself has very few, if any, disadvantages.

“It’s non-invasive. I can’t see any drawbacks. And I think that it will help to keep our entire district school population healthier,” Collier said.

Looking into the future, the district does not yet have a set timeframe for the program due to the unpredictability of the pandemic.

“It’s really up in the air at this point,” said Crisafulli. “We see it continuing, but you know, nobody knows what’s going to happen with this pandemic. We’re just always monitoring and then making decisions from there based on what the numbers are telling us.”

While the program may be adjusted as the pandemic changes, Crisafulli believes that it will have an immediate impact on PPS in the months to come.

“This plan is really beneficial because ... we can catch those cases where people don’t even realize that they’re infected early, we can prevent them from spreading into friends and minimize the disruption to school ... That’s really the goal,” Crisafulli said.

Princeton Public Schools introduces new COVID-19 testing plan

The Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN) and Pride Unity Leadership Sisterhood Esteem (PULSE) programs at PHS aim to provide safe spaces for minorities. Advised by Coordinator of Student and Family Services Bethany Siddiqu, the MSAN program is open to all students and focuses on eliminating the opportunity and achievement gaps at PHS. The PULSE program, also advised by Siddiqu, has a similar goal. As an all-female program, PULSE strives to share knowledge of self, academics, and social concerns with young women at PHS.

“The goals are to create a community within the school for our students of color,” said Siddiqu. “These groups are opportunities to help them achieve their goals and to make a lasting impact.”

The PULSE and MSAN programs have collectively hosted a multitude of events at the high school to provide assistance to PHS students.

“We’re doing a canned food drive for Thanksgiving, [and] a coat drive for those in the school district that may not have winter wear,” said Siddiqu. “We’re also initiating a buddy system. [The] MSAN and PULSE students that are bilingual [are] going to be partnering with [English language learners] to help them throughout the school ... The school is naturally confusing, but imagine not knowing English or being new to this country.”

Beyond receiving guidance, members of MSAN and PULSE gain both communication and leadership skills.

“The MSAN and PULSE groups have been able to successfully [cultivate] leaders within the school that can help inform particularly [the] school administration, as well as the Board of Education,” Siddiqu said.

Joycelyn Brobbey ’22, President of the PULSE and MSAN programs, believes she has benefited greatly from these clubs during her time at PHS.

“They’ve made me more knowledgeable on certain issues that I wasn’t knowledgeable on before,” said Brobbey. “They’ve [also] just made me feel more confident ... [and] more open ... I get to be with some really cool people, and I get to do something that’s important to me.”


photo: [credit name="Laura Liu"]
As Vice President of both programs, Kyara Torres-Olivares ’22 ultimately wants to give minority students a comfortable space to talk with and get advice from their peers. After helping several English language learners with their schedules, Torres-Olivares, who is bilingual, came up with the idea for the partner system that is currently in the works.

“I thought to myself ... ‘Why don’t we already have a program that has a buddy system for these students, since they really don’t have any other help?’ Being the VP of MSAN was really helpful because I was able to [identify] a problem that I saw in the school and connect it to the students,” said Torres-Olivares. “I’ve been at the high school for four years, and I think I’ve been able to help other students in the school and connect to them and make them feel like this school is a safe space.”

Similar to other programs at PHS, COVID-19 has impacted both PULSE and MSAN. Despite that, Siddiqu hopes that attendance in the programs will soon return back to the pre-pandemic levels.

“When I took over the program, there weren’t that many students involved. I think that was mainly because of COVID-19. It was just hard to engage people through Zoom,” Siddiqu said. “And now that we’re in person, I think there’s more energy and excitement around joining the group.”

Torres-Olivares noted that as pandemic restrictions lift this year, the groups hope to take trips outside of school.

“We are also looking to take field trips and have mentors on them ... for any kind of job field. We’ll bring in people that work in those jobs and figure out how [students] can connect to different careers that they’re looking to go into,” Torres-Olivares said.

While both programs might be looking to grow, neither is new at PHS. With the MSAN nearing its tenth year and PULSE approaching its twentieth, these programs have been helping students at PHS for many years now. In fact, Siddiqu was once a member of the PULSE program herself.

“As a young student, I was a part of it. And now to be able to be the advisor for it, I feel like it’s just come full circle,” said Siddiqu. “I also feel a responsibility to keep the essence of PULSE, to keep it a group where girls feel empowered and supportive. And I’m hoping that that will inspire other young females when they go to college or wherever they go beyond high school.”

Minority-oriented student programs promote inclusivity at PHS



Juliana Krawircki

The 2020-2021 school year brought with it many challenges for the teachers and faculty of PHS. Now, their efforts are being recognised with awards.

Julianna Krawiecki, a PHS Drama Teacher known to her students as Ms. K, was one such recipient. She was nominated by the Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey (STANJ) for the Outstanding Teacher of Speech and Theatre Governor’s Award after she submitted her portfolio in January of 2020, and received news several weeks later that she had won.

“You’re asked to submit a portfolio, which for me had information about the past ten years of my teaching career— it had [written] information, pictures, clips from shows, and recommendation letters from administrators and colleagues, from both school districts that I had worked in,” Krawiecki said.



Krawiecki, as PHS’s drama teacher, previously taught at the ManalapanEnglishtown school district as a vocal music and theatre teacher before moving to the Princeton Public Schools district, where she first taught as a drama teacher in the middle school, before finally settling at her current position at PHS. On top of directing over six different drama productions, one for each class she teaches, Krawiecki oversees both of PHS’s school plays, the fall play and the spring musical.

“We do the work we do not to be thanked and recognized,” Krawiecki said. “But it was really an honor to receive the recognition, and it meant more because it was from my peers. Oftentimes, being a drama teacher in a school can be very lonely, you’re the only person [teaching that class]. I really rely on [the support] of theatre teachers from other schools. They’re my network and my support group.”

Reflecting on her years at PHS, Krawieck attributes her award to the community around her.

“Last year was my 10th year as a public school teacher. [Receiving the award] brought a nice sense of accomplishment, to know that the work I do is valued,” Krawiecki said.

James Smirk


PHS Science Teacher James Smirk was awarded an “Outstanding Educator Award” by the University of Chicago. He was nominated for the award by his former athlete Charlotte Gilmore ‘20, a graduate of PHS who is currently attending the University of Chicago.

“Upon admission, [the university] asks incoming students if they want to nominate someone who ... had a great impact on their personal and academic success,” Smirk said.

UChicago describes the recipients of the award as “teachers who share an infectious love for learning and care for their students both inside and outside of the classroom.” The university’s goal with the award is to perpetuate the belief that outstanding educators go beyond everyday teaching and leave an impression in students that is carried over a lifetime of learning. It aims to highlight educators who go the extra mile for their students.

Smirk is grateful to have received the award and thinks back fondly on his time working with Gilmore as her coach for track.

“When I received the email I was ... really proud that someone that I worked with thought highly enough of the work that we did together and the things that we accomplished to think about me in doing that,” Smirk said. “I think that’s [special] for her to take the time to do that ... it was really meaningful for me.”


One method that Smirk believes has been important to his success in the classroom or on the field is his emphasis on “leadership philosophy” with his students and athletes.

“That really puts the responsibility on students to move forward,” says Smirk. “I think… that plays out in my classroom as well as my coaching.”

Looking forward, Smirk believes that this award is indicative of a bright future for PHS.

“I think there’s a kind of recognition there that we’re doing something that other districts maybe are doing differently, or we’re doing that on a different level,” Smirk said. “It’s nice to know that the culture we’re working to actively improve here ... is paying off.

Flash Features: PHS teachers awarded for dedication to student


As PHS students begin another academic year, it is difficult to ignore the construction projects occuring around the school. There are many renovations that are currently underway at PHS, most visibly including updates to the guidance suite, the addition of a second floor to the fitness center, and the construction of new bathrooms and a concession stand next to the track.

One of the most prominent projects currently happening is the construction of new bathrooms next to the football field. PPS Business Admnistrator Matthew Bouldin looks forward to their completion.

“They’re building a restroom and a small concession area,” Bouldin said. “I think it’s great for the athletic facilities. A lot of other school districts have buildings like that. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s still going to be at least seven weeks out.”

The construction of the new restrooms is one of many additions that received funding through a 2018 referendum that allotted $11 million towards facilities improvements at PHS through a community-wide vote.

“There’s always ongoing work in school districts,” Bouldin said. “So one of the most fiscally responsible ways that we can do that here in the district … is to bond through a referendum like was done in 2018. For regular stuff like [heating, ventilation, and air conditioning] and roof replacements, the state will give us up to 34 cents on the dollar back for the debt service.”

Also included in the referendum are the renovations above the fitness center as well as the cafe that will be replacing the school store. Bouldin believes that the new cafe will help decrease the current overcrowding of the cafeteria.

“The idea is to have a satellite food service section. It’ll be an alternate place where you guys can go and grab a slice of pizza … an alternate way to alleviate some of the crowdings in the cafeteria,” Bouldin said.

While these projects are still underway, they are not without obstacles. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the construction at PHS in many ways, one setback being the construction of the cafe. Currently facing a labor shortage, the cafe’s progress is behind schedule.

“Nutri-Serve, which provides our meals, was having trouble getting labor. So we’re hoping we’ll have someone to man that satellite remote dining area as soon as possible,”Bouldin said. “So the idea is to have limited options … for a little while, until we get up and running and get full manpower.”

In addition to creating a labor shortage, the pandemic has also put significant pressure on the supply chain. This has led to delays in many projects due to missing and delayed parts.

“One of the parts was on backorder for 16 weeks because of supply shortages. So the contractor was able to … fabricate part of the rooftop ductwork that was originally going to be a prefab or premanufactured and set in place,” Bouldin said.

In some cases though, the problems created by the supply chain were not so easily solved.

“In the Littlebrook library renovation … we’re missing the carpet,” Bouldin said. “Our contract was told it was shipped. But they don’t have a tracker on it, so it’s missing in action and it’s holding up the last piece to open up that library. So anyway, [it’s] all very frustrating.”

Despite all of the setbacks, Bouldin is happy with how the construction has gone and believes that it will benefit students in years to come.

The renovations to the building will not end with the completion of these projects. Due to a growing student body and an aging building, Bouldin anticipates that new projects will be necessary in order to provide the students of PHS with the best possible learning experience.

“We’ve had a lot of changes going on … You know, the demographics, growing enrollments,” Bouldin said. “So there is the potential to do a future expansion to the high school, you know, two to three years down the road.”



New construction projects underway at PHS


Ever since he can recall, Mark Eastburn has always enjoyed being immersed in nature. In kindergarten, Eastburn was given the opportunity to take home the class pet turtle, kickstarting his passion for reptiles and science. Now a science teacher at PHS, Eastburn has succeeded in passing this interest on to countless students over his 20 years of teaching.

Prior to PHS, Eastburn taught science at Riverside Elementary School for seven years and Spanish for 10 years at Johnson Park. Although his father was a teacher, Eastburn’s first taste of teaching came unexpectedly. In 1998, fresh out of college, Eastburn decided to apply for the Peace Corps. He was assigned to a community in central Panama where he worked in agroforestry. As Eastburn sought solutions for poor land management practices in Panama, he found himself drawn to the schools.

“I saw [that] my most effective response … was to start teaching the younger students who weren’t set in their ways,” Eastburn said. “The adult farmers, some of them were … just like, ‘That’s the way I’ve always done it and that’s the way it’s always going to be for me.’”

Through educating children on sustainable agricultural practices, Eastburn realized he enjoyed giving back to the community. As a result, Eastburn decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, pursuing a career in education. While his first job was based solely on foreign language — teaching Spanish at Johnson Park — Eastburn never lost his love for science.

“Science has always been my passion,” Eastburn said. “Even when I was a Spanish teacher, I was trying to work as many science themes as I could into the Spanish language curriculum.”

Now a teacher at Princeton High School, Eastburn is one of three teachers who oversee the three-year Research Program. The goal of this class is to teach students how to read scientific papers and how to analyze complicated data sets in preparation for their own research projects, which are executed in the later years of the program. 

“We’ve had several students present at the American Society of Plant Biologists, the Anthropological Society, and the American Physics Society,” Eastburn said. “That’s where students really get the opportunity to make connections with people in their field.” 

Eastburn’s creativity and love for science transcend the school environment. Aside from being a teacher at the high school, Eastburn is also an author of science fiction and dystopian novels. 

“I started getting ideas and stories in my head, and I was like, ‘No one’s ever going to know about these stories unless I write them down,’” Eastburn said. 

Transferring his ideas onto paper, Eastburn initially self-published books. After joining the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and gaining more experience as a writer, Eastburn published his first children’s chapter book, “Earning My Spots,” in 2016. His story features two boys who can shape-shift into animals as they pursue adventures together. As of now, Eastburn is in the process of writing two young adult novels that he hopes to publish soon.

  Outside of school and writing, Eastburn enjoys photography and exploring nature with his family. During his excursions, Eastburn looks under cracks and crevices in hopes of finding new species of isopods to bring back to his classroom. 

Although he has been able to pursue his passions, there have been setbacks along his journey. In 2016, Eastburn lost virtually everything after his house burned down in a fire. Without any hesitation, the Riverside community came together and supported him in any way they could. Later in 2020, when he lost his father, the Princeton community united again to support him.

“I really feel that … what’s gotten me through was the support from the Princeton community parents and students,” Eastburn said. “I definitely feel like a member of a community that appreciates me and I appreciate it.”

Eastburn hopes that, after PHS, his students will continue to explore their passions and use the skills taught in the Research program.

“My biggest reward [is] if they [can] carry those tools forward with them into their careers and into lives in general,” Eastburn said. “If they can do that, I’ve been successful, they ... instead of being just actors, they’re creators.”

PHS Profile: Mark Eastburn leads the classroom with passion and experience

An unknown individual interrupted a sixth-grade Zoom meeting at Princeton Unified Middle School on January 8 and exposed the students to lewd drawings and a racial slur. At the time of the incident, the students were in a grade-wide community period, watching a video by Baratunde Thurston which centered around using citizenship as a verb. The meeting’s purpose was to teach students what it means to be a good citizen in society and how to treat others around them respectfully.

The Princeton Police Department is currently running an investigation of the Zoom “bombing.” This incident also propelled the district administration to modify its former online security system.

The middle school originally posted the Zoom link onto Canvas and Princeton Public School’s website. This unwittingly created an opportunity for an outside individual to take advantage of the open-access websites and links.

“There are things called web crawlers and what they do is they… go through websites to try and find things like [public zoom meetings],” explained Krista Galyon, Director of Technology and Innovation for the district. “Somebody found a… school district Zoom link and posted it on their social media account… and then people just [tried] to jump on if there’s no security.” 

As a result of this incident, the district has adopted stricter approaches to online security. The main change focuses on Zoom settings — in order to prevent Zoom bombing, the district has turned on the default authentication system which only allows people with emails in the Princeton Public School domain to gain access. 

“All Zoom links [now] require authentication unless you go back and disable that feature… if you are meeting with somebody outside of the district,” Galyon said.

Beyond preventing outsiders from joining protected Zoom calls, the authentication system has other measures that enhance cybersecurity. 

“Everybody’s identity is now known because of the authentication feature,” Galyon said, “Even if I decided to go on and change my display name... in the records of this Zoom call, the name … will still be next to my email address.”

The online nature of the Zoom bombing also brings unique challenges to the Police Department’s investigation into the incident.

“it’s easier to hide online… [because] there is more anonymity online,” said Detective Ben Gering from the Princeton Police Department.
 
Nevertheless, there are still methods of identifying the perpetrators of online crimes. Every computer is equipped with its own media access control and internet protocol (IP) addresses, both of which are unique and allow police departments to trace online activities back to the individual.
 
Zoom bombings do not go without punishment: cyber harassment is a fourth-degree crime in New Jersey. The maximum punishment could be up to 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
 
The ongoing investigation has not revealed the identity of the culprit; however, Jason Burr, Principal of PUMS, assures that the culprit was not a PUMS student. 

“We are confident that it was none of our kids who were engaged in this particular event,” said Burr. 
 
PUMS has launched educational programs for students to more responsibly practice digital citizenship.
 

“Our counselors and our Assistant Principals went and delivered… three lessons to students, as a result, to remind them that…  good digital citizenship means not only do you not do these things but when these [incidents] happen, [we must] be supportive of each other,” Burr said. 
 
Galyon expressed optimism regarding the current cybersecurity state of the district, including the measures taken to prevent any further incidents such as the zoom bombing.
 
“From the technology side… I wouldn’t [feel] there is any specific space or direction for improvement. I’m very comfortable with Zoom and what they’re doing… and the way that we now have all of the accounts secured.”

Elizabeth Collier, Public Information Officer for the district, expanded on Galyon’s response regarding the district’s security adjustments.

“It’s sort of a recreational thing for hackers to try to hack into all different platforms, and Zoom as a platform has had issues of their own that they’ve worked to correct,” said Collier.  “The good thing that the district is doing is that we’re following all the right procedures. We’re following best practices. … You can never guarantee what’s going to happen in the future, but you can say that we’ve made every effort to make the Zoom [meetings] safe for our students.”


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