Pulling up to school in luxury vehicles with five-dollar coffees in hand, many PHS students are a far cry from normal. The opportunity to go to farmers’ markets in our senior parking lot on Thursdays and take courses at Princeton University are symbols of comfort and wealth. Especially compared to the school districts around us, PHS is a pillar of privilege. And while much of this privilege is used for good, it’s still strange in comparison to the districts around us. While we got MacBooks, West Windsor-Plainsboro North got Chromebooks, Monroe got iPads, and some schools got nothing. On top of that, some schools have crumbling infrastructure, an issue that they can’t even afford to solve. Meanwhile, Princeton Public Schools has begun construction on a multipurpose studio for yoga and dance.

Solving this pressing issue of inequity doesn’t completely fall on PPS, though spending millions on construction alone is still quite a contentious choice. Rather, American public school funding is what needs to be scrutinized. Education is supposedly a human right, but the government rarely supports this, chronically neglecting struggling public schools. And, like always, it comes down to the policy. The funding of American education is anything but equitable. A large part of public school funding comes from property taxes, a source of money that varies by location. Low-income areas with low property taxes will have little financial support for their schools. Therefore, quality of education is determined by geographic distribution of wealth. Education is also the foundation of success, yet we withhold quality education from people who need it the most. It’s impossible for low-income Americans to lift themselves up out of poverty without quality education, but our current system almost ensures social stagnation. Unless property taxes in poor neighborhoods radically increase (which they won’t, because living in poor neighborhoods isn’t exactly desirable), these schools will simply never get funding.


graphic by [credit name = "Emily Qian"]
But the United States is one of the only developed nations that relies on property taxes as heavily as it does for public education. Many other countries have similar but more effective mediums of securing money for public schools. For instance, some compensate with national or federal aid; their public school financial support comes from supported legislative acts and federal-level taxation, not just from local sources. In the United States, though, much is left up to individual states. Just by looking around us, we can see the necessity for a policy shift. The property value in Princeton is significantly higher than the surrounding towns (just check Zillow), and as a result, our education is significantly better. Students in under-funded schools often feel that their teachers don’t care; at PHS, however, teachers’ passion for learning is evident. Even the resources we get compared to the surrounding schools is baffling. With some exceptions, PHS activities remain well-supported across the board. From clubs to athletics to the arts, student life is highly funded and prioritized by the school. Being able to open your Instagram and see our orchestra in Italy is typical of Princeton High School; bands in most public schools outside of our district couldn’t feel the same. Access to quality education is directly associated with socioeconomic status, and classism in America underscores nearly every issue discussed in Congress. Representatives tend to focus on the hot-button issues while neglecting substantial reform. It is our responsibility to vote in legislators who genuinely care about righting the wrongs in the education system. If we value our education and the privilege it affords us, we should aim to ensure that everyone has access to an equal and quality experience. Education and democracy go hand in hand because both are emblematic of the human capacity to achieve more. So if we truly value our trips to Italy and our sports resources, we need to vote with education in mind.

Princeton’s privilege: rethinking public school funding

There are moments in the day that are strangely empty. A task ends, a conversation finishes, and for a brief second, there is nothing that needs to be done next. Nothing is calling your name, nothing is demanding your time, and nothing is left but a small pocket of quiet thoughts.

Those small moments of thought come with their own kind of baggage — silence. The mind begins searching for something to fill the space. In a world that seems to run without pause, stillness is associated with absence. And when confronted with something unfamiliar, the mind reaches for what is normal — something to occupy itself with to get rid of the quietness. If the silence were not strange and uncomfortable, we would not shy away from it, but our overstimulated minds regard noise as a preferable constant.

That is not to say that this discomfort with silence is new. “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone,” wrote philosopher Blaise Pascal during the 17th century. And yet when we do sit still, the silence we so often avoid begins to settle in the room with us. If we allow it to remain and resist the instinct to reach for occupation, the mind slowly clears. Our best and most creative ideas arrive during such clarity — when we stop avoiding silence and instead consider it as valuable time. 

Due to the temptations and the distractions that surround us in modern times, we rarely allow ourselves to have quiet moments. When we do find them, we substitute them with another task, under the pressure of productivity. 

In recent years, the small pockets of quiet time that once existed in the day have slowly been replaced, something students at PHS know all too well. Turning to the modern cure of boredom, students often fill quiet moments with cellphones, short videos, social media, and the endless stream of entertainment designed to keep our attention. But following Pascal’s suggestion, imagine what might happen if those moments were not replaced. 

When we think quietly to ourselves, we allow our mind to think deeply, to develop new and creative ideas — something that improves mental well-being, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine. Furthermore, in 2012, researchers found that letting your mind wander and thinking on your own often leads to better creative problem-solving. These effects are important to consider when reaching for a cellphone to fill empty space.
 
So the next time you find yourself unoccupied, resist the urge to replace the silence with something else. Instead, allow your own thoughts for a moment. You may find that the boredom we rush to escape is the very place where our best ideas begin. The beginning of something that only silence could reveal.


The benefits of boredom

PHS Takes: What was your pick for Best Picture?

#
#### Answers:
1. B
2. E
3. C
4. A
5. D

Who said what?: Women's History Month edition

“We play a lot of card games,” shared Elizabeth Wong ’28. “There is this game called Big Two which is kind of like a regional version of [Chinese] Dou Dizhu ... If they are collaborative games I get closer to my friends.”

For Wong and many other students, the sound of dice rolling and cards being shuffled brings back happy memories of family game nights and spending time with friends. These games encourage collaboration, conversation, and healthy competition between players.

However, these shared moments are becoming less common in our digitally-dominated world. Rather than suggesting a family board game night after dinner, students opt to recharge through mindless doomscrolling or immersing themselves in a video game. These activities are not inherently harmful; in fact, video games can encourage teamwork and connection, social media can help teens maintain friendships away from school, and virtual board games bridge geographical distance. However, digital interaction lacks depth; the spontaneity, laughter, eye contact, and real-time reactions that traditional game nights bring are all diminished when they occur through a screen.

Additionally, board games and video games have distinct biological impacts. Board games can raise endorphin and serotonin levels, neurotransmitters associated with happiness and stress relief. Social media and video games trigger short-term dopamine levels; they do so by providing instant gratification. According to the Mayo Clinic, this makes them highly addictive, and if used excessively, they can lower the brain’s baseline, raising the bar for the stimulation the brain needs to feel happy. Board games also trigger dopamine levels, but at a much slower rate, leaving players feeling relaxed but still engaged.
 
As such, the genuine relationship and mental health benefits that playing an in-person board game provides are not replicable. In order to keep these traditional opportunities for connection alive, many communities around the world engage in group tabletop games such as mahjong in China and bridge in the Netherlands. Millennials have also revived this, often hosting game nights as a way to connect with loved ones. At PHS, the Card Game Club, started by William Liu ’26 in his sophomore year of high school, offers a place for students to relax and bond over games. Liu’s interest in card games started when he was in third grade, playing with his father. He continued the tradition with his friends at school. 
“Playing card games is a great way for me to destress, where I can focus on sharing time with my friends instead of on the schoolwork,” said Liu. “This was especially useful last year when I was a junior, and I had a lot of academic work. During lunch, I could play cards with my friends to help me relieve my stress on a busy day.” 

In our tech-centric world, activities like  board and card games are perfect for helping people to reconnect with their friends and family while participating in playful competition. The next time you reach for the video game controller, it may be worth it to reach for the deck of cards instead and rediscover the joy of simple human connection. 
  


photo: Emily Kim

Ethan Hu ’27 and Bora Akbay ’27 play a game of golf during break.

The value of board game nights

The Evolution of Women's Sports

On February 21, the PHS girls varsity basketball 
team reached a new milestone as they won their firstever Colonial Valley Championship Tournament, led 
by Captain Anna Winters ’26, who was named the 
championship’s MVP. 

Under the guidance of Head Coach Mary Pat Lelinski, 
team members improved their skills, discipline, and bonds 
with each other. Although Lelinski was new to the head 
coach position, she emphasized early on that her approach 
would be rooted in accountability and consistency. 

Despite changes in coaching, the players were still 
able to find support to help strengthen their game. 
Sedona Arminio ’27, who plays as a center on the team, 
emphasized their role in the team’s development.

“[The coaching staff] are very supportive, which I love,” 
said Arminio. “They encourage you to make mistakes so 
that you can learn from them, and they’re very patient 
and give tons of advice.”

Nevertheless, the team initially struggled with adapting 
to a new coaching style and resolving internal challenges 
within the group.

“It’s hard having three different coaches in four years 
of playing, so it was hard to adjust at first,” said Winters. 
“[Coach Lelinski] was a [junior varsity] coach last year 
— so we knew her — but it took some time to get used to 
her and her coaching style, which [have] been different 
from all the other coaches.”

Through team dinners and bonding events, the team 
was able to create bonds between each player that helped 
with their chemistry both on and off the court.

“We got very close,” said Arminio. “We [would] do team 
bondings a lot, [for example] pasta dinners … that really 
helps us rely on each other and form trust.” 

This bond didn’t go unnoticed as Lelinski praised the 
team for their cohesiveness despite the adversities that 
they were faced with.

“They never [broke off from one another], and they 
never pointed fingers,” said Lelinski. 

After facing these obstacles, the team was able to win 
the championship with a single defeat. Indeed, this feat 
proved to be momentous for the players.

“[Winning the championship] has been a goal of ours 
since my freshman year,” said Winters. “[This season,] I 
was able to develop a good relationship with [Lelinski] and 
the team, which I think made it a really strong season.”

For Winters and the other seniors on the team, they felt 
that the victory was especially meaningful, as it was their 
last win before they left for college. 

“I think it was awesome that it was … our senior year, 
and … our last year to do it,” said Winters. “We’re the 
only group that [has] put something on that [banner] for 
a while. [Princeton has] never won anything since 1918, 
since the basketball team started, so it’s a really big deal.” 

Although the season has ended, its impact remains 
for those who experienced it, as they have not only the 
championship to show for their efforts, but they also have 
the memories and relationships they’ve made to show for it.

“I get a little choked up because these kids have just 
been wonderful, and what they’ve accomplished has been 
amazing,” said Lelinski. “Our season just recently ended, 
but the relationships that we built were really special.

photo: Claire Yang

Angela Cao ’28 receives a pass in a game against West 
Windsor-Plainsboro High School North.

Girls basketball wins first CVC tournament

   This March, thousands of fraudulent emails containing links leading to scam invitations and offers of free electronic devices were sent to PHS students and staff. The accounts of PHS staff and students who clicked on the links were compromised, with some of these accounts used  to send out even more phishing emails. The district is currently working to improve security.

   “This attack accessed their contacts, their giant address book, and sent out an email that looked [like it was] from that person, and that went out to thousands of people in our domain,” said PPS Chief Technology Officer Todd MacDonald.

   PPS Superintendent Michael LaSusa explains that this attack, as well as others, has a broader impact on the district, all the way from minor student disruptions to affecting larger administrative functions. One example of this is PHS emails, such as Birge’s Sunday Night Message, automatically being labeled as spam for some parents’ accounts. This is due to a rating emails receive, that is based on the security of an account, and can be lowered once this email acquires a history of phishing. 

   “The first impact is probably one of inconvenience, because our tech staff frequently have to go in and freeze an account and make sure that whatever the scheme is trying to accomplish doesn't accomplish that scheme,” said LaSusa. “Secondarily, beyond students, I've learned that our email integrity is rated, and if our rating declines, other servers send back our emails.”

   While losing information is the most common consequence of phishing attacks, occasionally, they can cause further damages.

   “[Phising is] a lot more deceiving for students in particular,” said Birge. “In addition to [those] two incidents where students lost a small amount of money, we've recognized that [it has] a real consequence.”

   The attacks consisted of many waves, each attempting to get hold of students’ information through different forms. MacDonald describes one of the waves, where phishers took over students’ accounts and sent out fake invitations to parties.

   “That specific round of emails was an invitation that looked like a [document] to click on that went to a fake Canva. But I believe that one of them is [to] log in to view it. That was their way of trying to get people to log into it if somebody then fell for that attack,” said MacDonald.

  Dzbenski noted that the emails were hard to discern as scam emails due to their sophistication. Felix Yu ’27 received one of these emails and clicked on the link.

   “It was from Brian Dzbenski’s official email. So I thought it was like an official invitation for some sports thing. So I clicked on it, and I thought it also looked pretty official.”

   To ensure that Yu’s information was not used by phishers and prevent any future scams, the tech office changed his password and made it more secure. Another student who clicked on this link, Viola Que ’27, also gave her information to the site, though her account was not compromised. Que described what she learned from her experience.

   “If there is something I'm unsure about, or an email or some type of thing that…looks a little bit suspicious. I'll definitely take caution and kind of investigate further on who the sender is, what the link or what information they're sending in the email,” said Que.

   PHS Principal Cecilia Birge explained that attacks like these occur frequently, but are often caught early, preventing them from leading to widespread consequences.

   “[The tech office] in the background gets attacked every single day with multiple things, and we've seen a couple of leaks that went through the protection firewall,” said Birge. “So what we're seeing is less than one percent of what they're [actually] getting.”

   For those whose accounts were compromised, the tech office needed to take further action to secure their information. 

   “To protect the organization, we disable the account right away, so the data at that point can no longer be accessed by an outside, third party account,” said MacDonald.

   MacDonald highlighted that, while the attack may seem insignificant initially, they often snowball to affect a large number of students, making it harder for the tech office to 
control. 

   “One person kind of falls for it occasionally has a cascading effect on others…as soon as somebody else gets successfully phished, it kind of starts over again. So it leaves us just playing catch up,” MacDonald explained. 

   High schoolers may be more prone to attacks because they lack the two-factor authentication that staff members have for their email accounts. While district staff have a higher level of security, students do not.

   “We make [the teachers] log in with another virtual other verification code, so we have security for people that have high level access. For students we don't, so for students that live so much [of] their lives online, not having two factor authentication for them [is] a risk.” said MacDonald. 

   To avoid being phished or hacked, MacDonald advises PHS students to be skeptical about certain emails.

   “Be suspicious if it's from an outside group, be suspicious if it's giving away electronics,” said MacDonald. “Students fall for those things. Those are things that sound too good to be true. It probably is. So just be cautious.”

   Beyond caution, LaSusa emphasized the importance of ensuring that high school students have access to information about internet security and how to avoid phishing attacks, suggesting ways to improve digital literacy in the future. 

   “Having orientations about proper tech use is a good idea,” said LaSusa. “I think having some type of required training and then ongoing testing or probing is [also] a good idea for students.”

Photo: Yeseong Na

Antonio Morfin, a PHS technician, investigates a phishing email.

Students and faculty fall victim to widespread phishing attacks

When it comes to commuting to school,
visiting town, or simply enjoying the
greater Princeton area, many choose to
walk and bike. In fact, according to the
PPS School Travel Survey, 16.1 percent
of students choose to walk to school,
and 14.8 percent bike. The Princeton
Police Department and Princeton PTO
enforce rules that aim to ensure the safety
of all Princetonians, regardless of their
transportation choice, with one of the main
ways being stationing crossing guards in
student-heavy intersections.

“Within [a] perimeter of the school, we
[have] crossing guards right on school
property, then [there are] crossing guard[s]
out even further beyond the school
property … blocks away, [there are] still
crossing guards to help students cross
the street safely,” said Assistant Principal
Rashone Johnson.

 Scott “Goldie” Goldsmith, who has been
a sports coach and a part-time security and
crossing guard at PHS for 17 years, noted
the increasing complexity of managing
crossings near and around the PPS district
to ensure safety for commuters.

“When I was back in high school here,
we really didn’t have as many crossings as
they do [now],” said Goldsmith. “We have
four elementary schools, [a] middle school
and high school, and out of that there’s 18
crossings throughout the town.”

In order to minimize accidents, crossing
guards undergo around two hours of
mandatory classroom training alongside
20 hours of supervised, controlled practice.
They also take online classes detailing their
responsibilities and the rights and laws
they must uphold. For example, according
to New Jersey Statutes Annotated code,
motor vehicles must stop for pedestrians
while they are within a marked crossway.
To enforce this, crossing guards walk onto
crosswalks while holding up their stop
paddles, which are official signs specified
under federal law.

“I clocked over 200 students coming
through this crossing, and probably double
that in cars,” said crossing guard Adam
Hurley, who is stationed at the corner of
Franklin Avenue and Moore Street. “This
corner specifically is very busy and very
involved. … You [have] to be looking and
listening for things at all times, because I
catch things last minute.”

Despite the training of crossing guards,
some students still express concerns on
their distribution and delegation.

“Sometimes when the buses arrive
[around seven a.m.], there’s not even a
crossing guard,” said Joshua Dong ’29.
“There’s a lot of traffic at that time, so it’s just
moving around without a crossing guard.”

Due to persisting concerns with
transportation, Goldsmith has several
ideas to increase commute safety and add
greenery around the PHS campus.

“My goal is to eliminate vehicular traffic
on Walnut and Franklin, and make that
all green space. … The choir college was
recently bought by the town, and if the
school can purchase that as land for either
classes or athletic fields, then you just have
one green space [around the] middle school
[and] high school,” said Goldsmith.

The municipality is also safety and
sustainability focused. It is trying to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2035 as
part of its climate goal, through The
Vision Zero Initiative. The Vision Zero
Initiative aims to shift from a car-centric
approach to prioritize walking, biking,
rolling, and other alternatives to driving.
However, Sustainable Princeton Executive
Director Christine Symington explains
how important it is for safe infrastructure
to first be in place to encourage people to
use environmentally conscious forms of
transportation.

“Our role is really to try to encourage
people to change behavior and encourage
people to bike or walk more,” said
Symington. “I really do wish we made it
easier in the town for people to bike and
walk, and that we had better infrastructure
so that we didn’t have to rely on cars.”

The Princeton PTO agrees, believing that
the first step in ensuring that students opt
for sustainable transportation is making
them feel safe. The PTO has organized
numerous opportunities to encourage
environmentally friendly commutes, such
as Walk and Wheel Wednesdays. The PPS
School Travel Survey also found that more
than 36 percent of students participate in
Walk and Wheel Wednesdays, a district
initiative advertising walking and biking
to school every Wednesday.

However, the survey also shed light
on certain barriers that stand in the way
of student participation. Six out of the
seven provided reasons against walking or
biking to school dealt with infrastructure
concerns, such as a lack of protected bike
lines, inadequate traffic infrastructure, and
a lack of sidewalks.

While the PTO and municipality are
finding ways to increase commute safety,
Hurley emphasized that both parents and
students also have a responsibility when
crossing.

 “[Students are] not being aware of their
surroundings,” said Hurley. “Drivers need
to just be more aware of the students. …
People get impatient too. They don’t realize
how many students I have.”

 Beyond PHS, the Princeton community
is also working to improve commute safety
for pedestrians and other street users. In
fact, the Princeton Police Department is
also stationed around schools in addition
to the crossing guards every day.

“Every morning and every afternoon
during school arrival and dismissal times,
we have officers from our Patrol Division
and our Community Relations Bureau
visiting different schools,” said Sergeant
Donald Mathews in an email to the Tower.

“In addition, officers from our Traffic
Safety Bureau are typically conducting
some type of directed enforcement detail
in the vicinity of the schools during these
same times.”

Ultimately, the Princeton PTO, Police
Department, and crossing guards
emphasize that commute safety is a
community-driven goal, and is necessary
in ensuring that school transportation is
sustainable. 

Photo: Joy Chen

Dan Hudson directs traffic in front of PHS’s PAC entrance. Students cite that living too far from PHS is the number one reason for not walking, biking, or riding the bus according to the PPS School Travel Survey.

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