The lunch bell rings at 11:33, and fourth period ends as hundreds of students pour out of classrooms and into the halls of Princeton High School. Some students head to the library, while others head to the guidance office. Some just walk laps — earbuds in, heads down, skipping lunch for the third, maybe fourth day in a row. It is not a diet. It is not a protest. It is not always a choice. 


For too many students, lunch has become optional. Not because they are not hungry — they are — but because 35 minutes is not enough time to eat, finish an essay, ask a teacher a question, and review for the quiz they have next period. In the past few years, there has been an unhealthy exaggeration of high school performance and how it affects the futures of these students. Because of this, when given the choice between nourishing the body and “getting ahead” in their studies, the choice seems trivial.


This is not just a PHS problem. According to a 2020 national survey by Yale University, 75 percent of high school students report having negative feelings toward school. The general sentiment seems to be that these students feel negatively towards school because of apathy or laziness. The truth, though, is that these students are under copious amounts of stress, driving them to have these negative feelings.


A New York Times article written by Tim Donahue stated that “we [as a society] have pushed high school students into maximizing every part of their days and nights.” Students feel like they need to do more and more in order to stay afloat. Self-care takes a backseat because students feel like they need to do so much in order to distinguish themselves. They need to get perfect grades, take the hardest classes, be a part of every extracurricular under the sun. Of course, under all of this pressure, physical needs become an afterthought.


The way students cope with this stress is not always visible — but it is often unhealthy. Skipping meals, sleeping in fragments, and studying at midnight. It becomes a game of sacrifice: what can be dropped to make room for everything else? For too many, the answer is lunch. A study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that students given less than 20 minutes to eat consumed significantly less food and nutrients. When the body is not given the nutrients it needs to function properly, productivity drops. This, in turn, harms students’ academic performance.
When students are skipping meals just to keep up — when they feel they have to choose between eating and succeeding — something is wrong with the system, not the student.


We need to stop pretending that this is normal.


Lunch should not be a luxury. It should not be treated as expendable. It is time — real, uninterrupted time — to eat, decompress, exist as something other than a GPA.


So the questions posed are, how do we take back our lunch periods? How do we take our lives back from the grind that academia has instilled in us? There is no single fix, but there are places to start — both as individuals and as a school.


At a school-wide level, the goal should not just be more time. It should be better use of the time we already have. Lunch needs to be protected. No required meetings, no mandatory makeups, unless a student chooses them. The school can also help by making lunch more accessible — a pre-order system or even a simple form could cut down the lines that push students away. And if we are serious about student wellness, the message needs to be loud and clear: eating and resting are not optional, they are essential. Teachers and administrators should say that out loud. Not just in emails during Mental Health Week, but every day, in how they schedule, how they speak, and what they prioritize.


But change cannot just come from the top. It starts with what we do, too. That might mean bringing food from home instead of skipping lunch. Taking ten minutes to sit down and actually eat. Using free periods to slow down instead of squeezing in more. Outside of school, it means setting boundaries — around sleep, around work, around the pressure to always do more. And maybe most of all, it means shifting how we think. Getting the perfect grades and getting into a top college are not the most important things in your life. More than that, needing rest does not mean you are failing. Taking care of yourself is not weakness — it is proof that you are still trying to live, even in a system that tells you to do the opposite.


So when the lunch bell rings at 11:33, you do not need to run. You can stop. You can eat. You can let that be enough.

Photo: Julia Li


Ksenia Petukh ’27 eats lunch and studies in the IDEAS Center.

Lunch is for eating, not cooking

The crowd holds their breath as Jacqueline Zang ’25, with her driver in hand, steps
up into the tee box of the first hole. She carefully chooses a spot to place her tee and
golf ball. Visualizing her shot, Zang takes a confident swing, influenced by her favorite
professional golfer, Nelly Korda. Her shot breaks the crowd’s silence as it flies through
the sky and lands perfectly on the green.
At age five, Zang began playing golf after her father introduced her to it. She initially
only played golf with her family, but later in her career, she would compete in big
tournaments.
“I used to play tennis, and
when I was around 11, my
parents told me to choose one
or the other,” said Zang. “It’s
funny, because I didn’t want
to do tennis because my dad
told me I’d be running around
in the heat. So I chose golf not
because I liked one more than
the other, [but] just because I
didn’t want to run.”
After deciding to pursue
golf over tennis, Zang went to
her local country club’s driving
range and practiced with her
sister, Madeline Zang ’23. When they practiced, they would mutually help and encourage
one another, along with the additional coaching from their father.
“November through March, I try to do around an hour a day. Sometimes, I skip a few
days. In the summer, if I’m not playing a tournament that weekend, I’ll be practicing
five to seven [hours],” said Zang.
Zang joined the PHS golf team in her freshman year, when golf was a co-ed sport
led by Head Coach Patrick Noone and Assistant Coach Jess Monzo. During Zang’s
sophomore year, a girls-only golf team was formed with Monzo as head coach. Over
the course of the past few years, Monzo has been able to see Zang grow as a player
and a person.
“She’s definitely matured a lot. She’s always been very focused, very lights out,” said
Monzo. “[She] knows what she wants to do, but I think as she’s gotten older, she’s
developed and kind of matured in the sport and understands that if I don’t make every
shot, it’s not going to make or break me.”
Zang’s determination and dedication not only helped her reach her current level
but also inspired the rest of her team, including teammate and close friend Kyuyoung
Chung ’26.
“She’s definitely very skilled as a golfer, and so I think that’s definitely inspired a lot
of the girls to practice more,” said Chung. “We’ve seen scores go down from last year,
so score-wise we’re doing better than we did last year.”
In addition to being a skilled golfer, Zang, who is captain of the team, serves as a
leader and role model to her teammates.
“She also has this sort of leadership [quality] about her, and so she’s just sort of
someone you can look up to, [and]
I certainly look up to her,” said
Chung.
Monzo witnessed the effect of
Zang’s leadership on the team and
how she serves as a role model for
her teammates.
“Every girl looks up to her,” said
Monzo. “She’s able to kind of help,
and she lends a hand, and she’s
always available to give girls advice.
So she’s been one of a kind.”
Throughout her career, Zang
qualified for the National Junior
PGA championship, the highest
level of junior golf, being inducted
into the Rolex Honor Society, and
placing in the top five in an American Junior Golf Association tournament in 2022.
Despite this, there were challenges that Zang had to overcome. Staying calm under
pressure and controlling emotions are both aspects of the sport that Zang has learned
to play with.
“[The most difficult part of] golf for me [is] probably the mental side. Just being
in the moment, committing to it, and actually doing what I’m trying to do on the
course,” said Zang.
While individual golf can be mentally challenging and stressful, Zang’s favorite part
of golf is a more enjoyable and less stressful way of playing it.
“[My favorite part] ... is team golf because golf is an individual sport, so it can get
kind of lonely sometimes,” said Zang. “Everyone plays their own ball, and then you
add up each individual sport for a combined team.”
Committed to Carnegie Mellon University, Zang hopes to contribute to another
season as one of their best players. As she prepares to leave PHS and start college, Zang
reflects on the valuable lessons golf has taught her throughout her years of playing.
“It’s a lot of ups and downs. It’s never really consistent, so when you’re not playing
as well, [be] patient with yourself, and keep your hard work up,” said Zang.

Photo: Charley Hu

Zang is one of the original members of the girls golf team, and is preparing with the
rest of the team to gear up for the Mercer County Championships in May. 

Jaqueline Zang ’25: golf

   With its box-office-breaking records and eye-opening perspective on Chinese animation, “Ne Zha 2” (2025) isn’t just a film — it’s a cinematic landmark in the animation world. “Ne Zha 2” is an animated fantasy movie loosely based on the 16th century novel “Investiture of the Gods” by Xu Zhonglin, and a sequel to the first movie “Ne Zha.” Written and directed by Yang Yu, or more famously known as Jiaozi, “Ne Zha 2” is a visually stunning and emotional movie. 

   Following the first movie, Ne Zha, a teenage deity, and Ao Bing, a dragon prince, are struck by lightning, which destroys their physical bodies. To prevent the destruction of their souls, Master Taiyi Zhenren uses the powers of his Seven-Colored Sacred Lotus to recreate their physical bodies. Despite the regeneration, both Ne Zha and Ao Bing’s bodies are still fragile, so Master Taiyi Zhenren advised the two to act with caution. Believing his son to be dead, Ao Bing’s father Ao Guang sends out an order for Shen Gongbao, Ao Bing’s former master, to attack Nezha’s hometown Chentang Pass. Ao Bing defends Ne Zha’s home, but unfortunately destroys his weak body in the process. 

   In order to revive Ao Bing, the Seven-Colored Sacred Lotus must be restored. As a result of a deal, Ne Zha and Ao Bing must share a body for one week, complete three trials to become immortal, and receive a potion that can restore the lotus and create a new body for Ao Bing. As the two strive to combat new challenges, secrets unravel, putting them to their friendship to the test. 

   Throughout the movie, the visuals and animations stood out to me. For example, Ne Zha and Ao Bing perfectly contrast each other, with Ne Zha designed to resemble fire and flames and Ao Bing with cool tones, symbolizing ice. Unlike in the previous movie, Ne Zha looks fiercer and more mature with fiery eyes and energy swirling around him. Ao Bing on the other hand is portrayed elegantly, his actions both smooth and regal. The visual contrast between the two characters highlights their personality differences while showing how they balance each other out. 

   Furthermore, the gods and mythical creatures were also designed intricately. Each character has their own distinct color palette, symbolic accessories, and details that are inspired by Chinese mythology. One of my favorite parts of the movie was when Immortal Wuliang led his army, the Chan sect, to fight in the battle. To show the strong bond between the army, animators depicted the Chan sect in the shape of a golden bonsai tree. The details were mesmerizing, reflecting the countless hours animators put into this project. These fascinating visuals contrast drastically with the precedent set by other Chinese animated films. While many argue that Chinese animations are often “cringy” due to immature plotlines or distinction from western familiarity, “Ne Zha 2” proves these assumptions wrong. 

   What makes this movie even more impressive is its complete dominance over the box office, grossing over $2.1 billion. Even though “Ne Zha 2” has been released for less than six months, it has reached number one on the list of highest grossing animated films, surpassing “Inside Out 2,” made by an American studio, by almost $500 million. While being an engaging movie with its visuals and colors, the movie also modernizes old folk stories, making it accessible to younger audiences. 

   “Ne Zha 2” brings China’s mythology to life through ways unlike before. The movie is a continuation that explores the personal growth of Ne Zha and the other characters through eye-opening visuals. It is a wonderful animation that truly changes the history of Chinese film-making through its visuals and record breaking gross in the animation world.

"Ne Zha 2" reviewed

What was once a level playing field for athletes has
become a marketplace. Modern college athletics has
reached an all-time high in popularity, becoming a
multimillion dollar business built on the backs of athletes
who have received nothing for their performance.
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is an NCAA policy
that allows college athletes to earn their own money
through branding. This policy prevents brands from
misrepresenting athletes or using them to promote their
brand without consent. It also allows them to earn cash
for brands they choose to represent, eliminating the issue
of the NCAA’s lack of compensation. Some opportunities
for student athletes to make money through NIL include
autographs, merchandise, blogging, commercials, and
more. As of 2021, college athletes can make money
with the NIL, but some consequences such as wealthier
schools gaining more power and student athletes losing
focus from their monetary trade have been producing a
net negative impact on college sports.
Compared to last year's 200 players, more than
1700 athletes in men's college basketball entered the
transfer portal on its first day of opening because of
their inability to make money and earn recognition
in the current colleges they attend. This eliminates a
feeling of school loyalty and prevents smaller schools
from building better athletic programs, as they are
consistently losing their players to the bigger schools
with deeper pockets. Because of the branding, schools
with publicized athletes will compete more
often and in high-level tournaments, while
schools with less publicized athletes with the
same or better skill may not have the chance
to compete in these tournaments, as selection
depends on what the audience wants to see.
Still, many incoming college athletes look
forward to these opportunities.
“I think it would be great to be paid for
sponsoring someone and use my image to
promote their brand. It would be nice to have
extra cash for college,” said Sean Wilton ’25, a Brown
commit for shot put.
The ability for student athletes to promote their brand
and receive payment in college has been a debated issue
long before the NIL was passed, specifically because
supporters of NIL believe that student athletes should
earn compensation for what they accomplish. However,
opponents of the NIL believe that college freshmen
are simply not responsible or experienced enough to
handle these large sums of money. Still, the NIL was
officially introduced and passed in 2021. In recent
years, well-funded powerhouses have poached recruits
from smaller colleges with a much higher salary. These
temptations are slowly turning the focus of college
sports away from what they were originally, which was
for athletes to improve and be able to perform their best.
At first, the limelight and extra cash earned through
NIL policies may seem to benefit student athletes, but
over time, it has harmed them. These well-funded
schools are also more attractive to recruits looking for
colleges, creating situations where student athletes are
choosing schools for the money, rather than what is the
best fit for them. Not only does this create a negative
culture, but it also often results in going “one and done”
through college, meaning they go to school for only 1
year without graduating to immediately pursue their
sport professionally. This leaves athletes in difficult
situations if they are plagued by injury or other careerending issues and do not have a college degree to choose
a different career.
Schools without branding and NIL money don’t
get the same chance to recruit better players
and be shown more to a national audience.
Therefore, athletes who want to be recognized
for their talents and make a cash surplus must
attend colleges with highly publicized athletes.
These well-funded schools ultimately make
student-athletes into athlete-students. Despite
the benefits of NIL, some athletes are finally
seeing the downsides.
“I think right now [NIL’s] actually impacting
them for the worse,” said Wilton. “It is hurting
more athletes than helping them in some way.”
To prevent conflicts such as unfairness and loss of
focus, players and coaches could push for NCAArecognized restrictions on NIL. One potential solution
could be to implement a NIL budget for every school to
abide by, regardless of size or wealth, similar to a salary
cap in the NFL and NBA. Additionally, policies could
be used to regulate player agreements with NIL deals,
such as a loyalty clause, where students must stay with
a school they commit to for at least 2 years, to ensure
both the school and the athlete have equal benefits. This
proposition would not only create an equality amongst
colleges and universities in terms of NIL usage, but also
give college players a better overall college experience.
The initial intentions of the creation of NIL were
morally correct in the sense of giving college athletes
what they deserve for their hard work, given the
amount of money the industry makes. However, there
have been many hidden flaws that could have serious
negative effects on college athletes' experiences as they
go through their careers. This requires action against the
current forms of NIL, and restrictions need to be made
before college athletics are changed forever. If college
sports continue to uphold this negative culture, school
spirit and built-up talent will be replaced by business
proposals and short-term gains, leaving behind the true
meaning of the game. 

The dark side of NIL

**Across**

1. Hogwarts School of ___ and Wizardry 

6. 1.5 Volt battery 

7. It’s marked by an X 

10. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings recently received one 

12. It’s used to make bronze, along with tin 

14. Matilda’s teacher 

16. It protects your eyes from the sun 

18. The five senses are for this 

20. The exam much of PHS is dreading 

21. If it’s after BCE 

22. It provided the boy with apples, branches, a house, and a boat. 

27. Holmes, but not Sherlock 

28. Sci-Fi author Asimov who coined “psychohistory” 

30. Nintendo’s best selling console 

31. Harper who published To Kill A Mockingbird 

33. Guthrie, but not Woody 

34. Golfer’s goal 

36. Jaws or Goosebumps, to a child 

**Down**

1. Aladdin’s first was to be a prince 

2. It’s known for being very hungry 

3. 10,000 square meters (abbreviation) 

4. They’re usually yellow in NYC 

5. Gatsby is celebrating its 100th 

8. The most famous supercalifragilisticexpialidocious user 

9. E or A’s scrabble value 

11. __ Kaplan, Pentatonix singer 

12. “__ don’t feel,” Elsa’s demand to Anna 

13. Impulse 

15. Reddit, DoorDash, and Airbnb incubator (abbreviation) 

17. The modern form of the metric system (abbreviation) 

19. Humpty Dumpty was one 

20. This type of wine or cheese is usually more expensive 

23. Technique in many video essays (abbreviation) 

24. “No”, to a Scot 

25. B, in fixed do solfège 

26. The BFG had a large one 

29. Viet - ___ 

32. Pen in most nurse’s offices 

Literary crossword

Walk into any grocery store in America, and you’re bound to find shelves full of ultra-processed foods wrapped in shiny plastic packaging. Ultra-processed goods, products that are prepared using industrial methods, are often high in sugar, salt, and fat. For these reasons, many health professionals and critics on social media have taken to advocating for consumption of “whole” foods such as fruits and vegetables. Although reaching for an apple is decidedly healthier than grabbing a bag of chips, both foods can be sources of a less-discussed health threat — microplastics.


Microplastics are defined as small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long, and result from the natural degradation of plastic products, such as packaging, synthetic textiles, and paint. Since the coinage of the term “microplastics” in a 2004 University of Plymouth study, its negative effects on marine organisms have been well-established. However, microplastics aren’t just a problem for our environment — they have begun to find their way into the foods that we consume on a daily basis.


For example, a 2020 study by Catania University discovered that carrots and apples contained high levels of microplastics, likely due to absorption of microplastic-contaminated water. Additionally, according to a National Institutes of Health study from 2023, tea bags made with certain plastics can release billions of very small microplastics into cups of tea. Marine organisms consumed by humans can also have thousands of larger microplastics, and any foods stored in plastic containers contain thousands of plastic particles of all sizes. When consumed, these microplastics have been shown to mimic hormones, messenger chemicals within the body. One study from the American Chemical Society found that a gene called TRPV4 was over-expressed due to microplastics acting as growth factors, leading to respiratory issues. Microplastics can contribute to an increased risk of cancer, neurological diseases, and respiratory issues. They also exacerbate pre-existing medical issues, or activate latent disease-causing genes in the body. 


In particular, many of the microplastics in humans arise from a process known as biomagnification. Because of pollution, there are many plastic particles floating in the ocean. Small organisms eat these plastics, and they are then consumed by predators. The plastics move up in the food chain, becoming more and more concentrated in the tissue of the apex predators. When a human proceeds to eat this animal, they receive a portion of the many microplastics present in the ocean. Biomagnification occurs in a similar sense for land animals like chickens and cows, which often consume contaminated plants. In all cases, the original source of microplastics are man-made materials that pollute the environment.


This is not a problem that can be solved through selection in what we eat, but instead needs to be solved at its origin. We fill our oceans with trash, destroying the single geographic feature that gave rise to all life. As a society, we need to change to save our planet, our oceans, our marine life, and ourselves. Large societal shift begins with small, personal steps. Right here at PHS, students can make a meaningful impact in the fight against microplastic pollution. From the cafeteria to the vending machines, we make daily choices that either contribute to or help combat this growing health and environmental crisis. 


If you want to stay away from these life-threatening, cancer-causing particles, start by putting your water bottles in the recycling. The next time you go to the cafeteria or Tiger Café, choose items with less plastic packaging. Bring your own reusable water bottle instead of purchasing plastic beverage bottles from the vending machine. Even small changes like using your own reusable utensils or avoiding plastic straws count. These changes may seem insignificant, but together, we can reduce sources of microplastics that end up in our food, and in our bodies.

Photo: Julia Li

Izzah Memon ’27 eats a bag of chips during break.

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