Coming back from a virtual year and a half, PHS is ready to rebuild, not just through new construction projects, but by implementing new resources to support student life. Rather than funding necessities, PHS has allocated millions of dollars to new construction, part of which is being directed towards building a concession stand next to the football field. In addition to the stand, PHS has allocated funding towards a new yoga studio and a new cafe. Building a concession stand has no benefits beyond handing out food to the low attendance at school sporting events. Instead, the money should be used for educational resources and supportive programs.


photo by [credit name = "Karen Qiu"]
Having school computers for every student has been an amazing resource while trying to survive COVID-19, but we need more. For example, the cost of participating in activities is often a hindrance, but having funds specifically for clubs would make them more inclusive. Students should also have more assistance while navigating through the college process. The stress that college applications create is overwhelming, especially without enough support. Understanding the different paperwork that must be filled out is a feat alone. Because of this, workshops for scholarship opportunities should happen more frequently to help resolve this confusion.

PHS lacks sufficient resources to improve students’ mental health, and, especially at this time and the pressure students are under, every student needs greater assistance. Students are consistently expressing concerns about how inaccessible the guidance department can be; more counselors should be hired — ones whose purpose is to act as an outlet for students. Many current counselors are multitasking with other priorities such as scheduling and administration, and thus have limited time to help students with their mental health. The guidance department should also promote support groups more and make them more accessible to the PHS community. Students from underrepresented groups at PHS often feel like outsiders; the creation of these groups would allow students to connect and foster a safer environment. These groups must be led by professionals who can advise them in an effective way.

Despite the efforts of the administration to allocate funding in order to better help PHS students, there need to be changes in their priorities. Ultimately, there are many ways that we could better use the school budget, from narrowing the educational disparity gap to improving student mental health, and the fact that thousands of dollars went to a food stand, and $11 million in total went towards unnecessary construction above students’ needs speaks volumes. After students have faced so many challenges because of the pandemic, more funding toward better educational and mental health resources is a necessity for us to overcome these obstacles together.

Ready to rebuild: reallocating PHS construction funding

In 2018, Republican Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh called contraceptives an “abortion-inducing drug.” Since then, Kavanaugh’s words and beliefs have received support from right-leaning voters across the nation. Statements like these reflect the GOP’s latest attack on women’s bodies as the party continues to illogically dismantle access to contraceptives, the very medications that can prevent abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies. This rhetoric perpetuates the many fallacies regarding contraceptives caused by the lack of education and promotion of political beliefs over science. Change within our society regarding contraceptive use is crucial in order to ensure a woman’s constitutional right over her own reproductive rights while allowing for more safe sex. Contraceptives will reduce the amount of both unwanted pregnancies and, as a result, abortions. This would make the lives of many women significantly more simple — however, some people disapprove of giving women power over their own bodies, turning contraceptives into an argument. It is baffling how something that would simply benefit women and not hurt anyone else has turned into a political debate. 

It is important to recognize that women of color and women of lower income are disproportionately affected by access to contraceptives because they are less likely to get abortions and generally have less education on contraceptives’ usage. These women have higher unintended birth rates and are more likely to be less prepared to have a baby. They may not be financially stable and could be putting themselves and their babies at risk (Planned Parenthood Action). Since prescription contraceptives are pricier but much more effective, if contraceptives were more affordable for these women, unintended pregnancies would decrease. According to a 2012 Brookings Institution report, “more than 90 percent of abortions occur due to unintended pregnancy,” so cutting birth control costs could reduce unintended pregnancies and prevent health risks. Of course, contraceptives will never be completely effective, but the rates of unintended pregnancies will decline and women of color and low income women can have a better future. Most of these women barely have enough resources to keep themselves afloat, let alone a child. Mitigating these unwanted pregnancies will allow these women to strengthen themselves financially. Most importantly, contraceptives give women the choice on when to have children and give women the power to make decisions about their bodies. There are so many contraceptives available, and although it can be overwhelming, women need the freedom to choose what’s best for them without having cost as an obstacle. Birth control can also be used for health purposes by preventing transmission of sexually transmitted infections). It doesn’t make sense that many Republicans won’t support a government providing free or affordable healthcare when they themselves want fewer abortions. If they truly were as anti-abortion as they claim, then they would support the resouces, like affordable healthcare, which would decrease abortions nationwide. There’s a clear reason for this: Some Republicans feel they can control women’s lives.

Contraceptives need to be more affordable, and we also need to strengthen awareness and advocacy about them, especially at schools. Many times, schools focus on preventing STIs, but educators rarely talk about preventing pregnancies, which is another key aspect of sexual health. As a whole, we need to work on limiting the inaccurate statements made about contraceptives. This, coupled with reproductive policies that focus on educating about instead of stigmatizing sex, will ensure that our generation stays healthy. The current proposal to ship birth control pills to a patient’s house makes contraceptives more accessible to the people who need them the most. If the stress of buying these pills is gone, they are more likely to actually use contraceptives. A large percentage of unplanned pregnancies are teenage pregnancies, situations that could have been easily avoided if these teenagers had had access to safe and effective birth control in the first place (National Center for Biotechnology Information). For most teenage girls looking to get put on birth control, that process looks like doctors visits, OB-GYN visits, occasionally blood tests, and a trip to the pharmacy — all to get some pills that make you dizzy. 

Many Republican politicians portray contraceptives as “abortion-inducing pills” when in actuality they work to prevent pregnancy. Newspapers also play a big role in spreading misinformation, as many say that emergency contraceptives can cause defects to an “existing pregnancy.” In reality, the stage in which the emergency contraceptive begins to work isn’t anywhere near an actual pregnancy — emergency contraceptives exist to prevent ovulation, not to kill a baby. When sex education is thorough, students are more likely to make safer and healthier choices rather than learning about misconceptions. Most unintended pregnancies involve couples who use contraceptives incorrectly or don’t use contraception at all, emphasizing the importance of sex education starting at an early age to prevent unwanted consequences.

Fortunately, progress is on the horizon as Biden pledges that his federal court nominees support the right of privacy, meaning it is women’s right to decide what they do with their bodies. Biden will repeal the Trump administration’s Title X gag rule, which will protect birth control for four million people and ensure all people have access to all health care options. Additionally, Biden wants to build on the progress made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which covers access to preventive care and contraceptives. He stated, “The public option will cover contraception and a woman’s constitutional right to choose” (Joe Biden Campaign). Ultimately, there is hope to secure women’s access to contraceptives, though it is imperative to increase education and awareness on its usage and to continue the fight in protecting women’s rights. 

 

The Fight for Accessible Contraceptives


Just over a month after inauguration day, on February 25, President Biden called for airstrikes in Syria, which he claimed were a response to attacks against the United States facilities in Iraq. Yet the United States was not in immediate or direct danger, and the attacks shouldn’t be used as an excuse to pretend Biden was trying to “de-escalate” the situation by dropping bombs, especially without the approval of Congress. However, there seems to be little outrage from this action, with notable silence from the Democrats.

When Trump bombed Syria in 2017, progressive citizens and politicians were furious and actively portrayed their disapproval. In 2018, Kamala Harris tweeted that while she supported Trump’s cause, she was “deeply concerned about the legal rationale of [the] strike” and “the president [needed] to lay out a comprehensive strategy in Syria in consultation with Congress.” However, with such similar attacks made under her administration, Harris has defended the actions. When it is a Democratic president commanding the strikes, Democrats are quick to overlook and justify them. Similarly, when a Republican president commands the strikes, Republicans are equally as quick to defend them. But while each party turns a blind eye to the actions of their peers, they virtually never apply this to their opposing party.  This extreme hypocrisy occurs on both sides, but this doesn’t make it acceptable. .  Both presidents’ airstrikes were similar, but the responses from liberals were incredibly different.

Many people, especially younger generations, became more involved in politics because of Trump, but now that he is gone from office, they are ready to return to ignorance. It is irresponsible to elect Biden into office and then ignore him when he commits the very same immoral actions Trump did. For instance, the media was quick to criticize everything Trump did wrong when he was president, but the lack of noise currently from the left-leaning media is not coincidental. People’s true colors are now being revealed: They aren’t willing to call out someone from their own party. Supporters should not feel safe with Biden’s power and let him take control without the nation’s eye on him. He will make mistakes, and they should not be swept under the mat.

Around one year ago, when the Trump administration bombed the Middle East, Americans were convinced that World War III would break out.  But now, in a similar situation, these concerns are not being brought up. In fact, the Democratic party seems void of the same sense of panic that they felt a year ago. Regardless of the party, people should be holding the administration accountable, yet there is more silence than ever. Liberal voters think everything done by Trump will be reversed now that Biden’s been elected and have stopped actively fighting for their values. They’re less motivated to be informed. This is no excuse. Voters who cared about Trump’s wrongful actions should care just as much about Biden’s wrongful actions. Trump would be getting much more backlash than Biden from progressives; idolizing Democratic politicians helps no one — just because they share a party does not mean they share all beliefs. Progressives need to continue working for significant reform in the same way they did under the Trump administration.

Most students at PHS are not old enough to vote, but this does not mean they can not be politically active. There are clubs, protests and online activities available to students so their opinions can be heard. Now, just as much as ever, it is important to not let our voices die down. Not only are we all affected by the actions of politicians elected by us, making their actions crucial concerns, we also need to develop advocacy skills so we can help lead a more responsible generation of political leaders. Getting Trump out of office was a triumph, but the work is nowhere close to done.

The dangers of a blank check president

Within the past few years, especially during the Trump administration, many teenagers received their news from social media. Not only is this harmful because of the relevance of misleading and overly-biased information on social media, it also increases the idolization of certain politicians. Idolizing politicians is the act of putting them on a pedestal and neglecting to hold them accountable for their negative actions. PHS is generally left-leaning, which means that many students tend to treat politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders as celebrities. When they’re adored by millions of people, it's harder to criticize politicians when necessary. 
Many people on social media claim to love AOC, Ayanna Pressley, and other progressive politicians. This is not necessarily bad when a group of women of color inspire many young girls and advocate for social justice. However, do people admire these politicians because they actually believe in and can speak to their policies? Or do they actually believe the sensationalized 30-second clips they see on social media? It’s hard to answer these questions because there will always be evidence of both sides. AOC’s official Instagram account only has 1.3 million followers compared to her personal account with 8.8 million followers, showing that many young Americans prefer to follow her personal life compared to her government role. The huge difference in followers raises questions if people are following her as a politician or as a celebrity: Do they see her as a public official or as someone simply deserving of praise? If they see her political career in its entirety, they would acknowledge claims of her anti-semitism and her ironic sale of $65 sweatshirts printed with the phrase “tax the rich,” rather than obsess over one or two policy points. 
Another idolized government figure is late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away last September. After her death, social media erupted with posts dedicated to memorializing her life; I remember scrolling through identical Instagram stories with pictures of her and texts about how much she has helped our country. RBG is idolized by many because of her relentless fight for women’s rights and gender equality; however, her controversial decisions like clearing the Appalachian trail for a pipeline, despite the protests from environmentalists, are very rarely talked about. And when people do bring up her anti-indigenous rulings, her supporters immediately become defensive and dismissive of the criticisms' validity. Similarly, Obama is heavily idolized as the first Black President and for creating the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare. He has over 34 million followers on Instagram, demonstrating how big his influence is among teenagers. Many news outlets praised his actions as President, sometimes rightfully so, but glossed over the fact that he allowed inhumane drone strikes against the Middle East. Decisions that have severe consequences toward the most vulnerable communities deserve more attention. When these politicians are idolized by so many, people don’t care about their “mistakes” and only focus on their political triumphs. Many young liberals tend to focus on how RBG and Obama were both Democrats and only care about proving some type of Democratic superiority to Republican counterparts.
Everyone knows politicians aren’t perfect, but it is our job as democratically engaged students to hold them accountable for their shortcomings — ultimately, they’re public servants, not our friends. There is a fine line between praising politicians and idolizing them. Idolizing people because they align with your party and your choice of beliefs will benefit no one. These widely distributed Instagram stories use combative language against perceived enemies and glorify progressive politicians, yet the people who post these things refuse to take real action. Performative activism, or activism done to increase one’s social capital rather than because of one’s devotion to a cause, and the idolization of politicians go hand in hand. Many of my peers post about progressive politicians without further reading or understanding their policies to strengthen their own lack of awareness. 
Of course, there are people posting on social media who do their research and educate themselves, but there is also a sizable group of people who don’t. They think by reposting the same stories, they don’t have to do any more research. They think that they’re activists, though the distinction between activists and performative activists is quite clear: activists make change, while performative activists pretend to. These performative activists were the same people who posted the black squares for the #BlackoutTuesday and treated Black Lives Matter as a trend. Meanwhile, activists were the ones marching and calling local representatives. Furthermore, these posts were unhelpful for people who needed actual information on Black Lives Matter because the hashtag would be filled with black squares making it impossible to find the information. The people who did post these black squares were typically the same people who put politicians on a pedestal, politicians that they know nothing about and refuse to learn more about. Putting politicians in an untouchable position hinders our ability to criticise them and keep them accountable. While it’s hard to remove this affection, we need to resume our fight for vulnerable communities by holding our favorite politicians accountable.  It’s our job as young citizens to make sure that they do their jobs.









The Dangers of Idolizing Politicians


	Since volleyball’s introduction as an official Olympic sport for both men and women in 1964, it has faced increasing interest throughout the world. Players can now choose to compete in various numbers, from 6 people teams to doubles and in different courts from indoor to beach sand. But in the past 56 years since volleyball’s inception, it is apparent that girls volleyball specifically has reaped the benefits of increased interest in the sport. While boys volleyball is growing in popularity, PHS still lacks an official boys volleyball team.
“I was kind of confused. I know it’s not super popular as a boys sport, but still a lot of other schools in the area have boys teams, so I was a little bit shocked.” said Matei Moldoveanu ’20
Being a volleyball player himself, Moldoveanu noticed the lack of an outlet for boys to play volleyball and attempted to create a volleyball club. Despite Moldoveanu’s interest along with other volleyball athletes, the push for the creation of a volleyball club has been unsuccessful. Because of the lower recognition of boys volleyball, the administration did not feel the need to allocate the resources needed  to create a team. The absence of a boys volleyball team or recreational club means that students who want to participate are missing out on the opportunity to play a sport that is offered at many other highschools.
 “For a lot of kids, it’s really important to have a school team, so that they can play year round. Kids who don’t have school teams can only play [on club teams]. It’s kind of hard to stay on the same level [as other players] because you’re not playing as much,” Moldoveanu said.
In response to the lack of a boys volleyball program, Howard Cheng, a current volleyball player and coach, created the Open Gym Program hoping that kids in Princeton could have an outlet to play volleyball. 
“As a parent, I've raised two highschoolers already, and I really want to promote physical and mental health. … When these guys get on the court, they will feel totally different. They can get the pressure released, get themselves recharged. I see the benefit it had on my daughters, and I want to make this benefit also available to all our kids, if possible,” Cheng said.
His goals are to provide consistent training for players in Princeton that had already had some experience with volleyball, as well as offering a low cost option for those with financial burdens. The main goal of the program is to provide exposure to the sport of volleyball to all students. Part of increasing the exposure of volleyball is growing the number of male players in the sport. 
“For three years, [there were] almost no boys in the training program, even though the training program is the same [for boys and girls], but this year we do see much more senior boys, a few sophomore boys, and even a few middle school boys join the program,” Cheng said.
As boys volleyball has continued to grow in popularity, many other high schools and districts have taken notice and created boys volleyball teams. 
“Very few towns … don’t have boys volleyball programs. Unfortunately, Princeton is one of them. ... We need to get people’s attention, and we need their support to get the program started.” Cheng said.
However, with the previous lack of success towards creating a volleyball club, Moldoveanu expresses his doubt as it was difficult to get people’s attention before. One step that can be taken towards the establishment of a boys volleyball team is dispelling the stereotype that volleyball is a “girls” sport.
“It’s very much a men’s sport as well. It's very different. … Growing up playing it, I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘Oh that’s a girls sport’ but people don’t really understand,” Moldoveanu said.
Cheng expressed similar sentiments. Having seen his two daughters go through the highschool volleyball program, Cheng knows the many benefits of playing this sport.
“It provides team bonding, building relationships and gives young kids the feeling of happiness,” Cheng said.
Cheng seeks to garner support from the Board of Education, the community, and parents in order to establish a boys team. Cheng suggests to all the boys waiting for an official team to group together and register for a club at PHS. If enough advocacy and voices are raised, Cheng believes that a team will be established in the future. Cheng feels the only way to understand volleyball is to experience it.
“You will see the agility, you will see the power, you will see the speed, you will see everything you can expect from any other successful sport options,” said Cheng. “To discover the beauty of volleyball, you have to experience it.”

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