Making resolutions has become an advent for the new year. After all, the blank pages of our new journals and calendars need to be filled with something new. In need of inspiration, many students turn to social media for guidance on what they should achieve in the upcoming year. 

Unfortunately, social media is fake — and characteristically so. In order to succeed on the algorithm, creators often need to present the most perfectly aesthetic side of their lives and deliver the most shocking statements. Most of what we see online are carefully curated and artificial, with no reliable way to confirm which lifestyles are truly authentic. If our resolutions are built off of these unrealistic online influences, they can at best lead to disappointing outcomes and at worst cause lasting damage to bodily and mental health. 

One popular new year’s resolution for students is to pursue new academic goals. Aesthetic “Study-tok” and “That Girl” videos, for example, that show unrealistically perfect routines, pressuring students to believe overachieving goals are practical. For example, many videos may include ideas equating achieving a 4.0 GPA or learning a new language in an absurdly short period of time to being a “perfect” or “ideal” student.
 
Fanciful academic resolutions are not the only unrealistic expectations pushed by social media; there are also athletic or appearance-based goals. For instance, the pressure to “glow up” can cause teens to question their body image and develop negative self-esteem, often leading to eating disorders. The constant stream of “what I ate in a day” videos or cleansing challenges can lead impressionable audiences to make nutritional decisions without professional nutrition knowledge.
 
In the end, each person knows themselves best. When setting goals, it is important to consider what one knows they are actually capable of and what their situation allows for. For example, trying to squeeze in more hours of studying into an already packed schedule could cause burn out and negatively impact future performance. Aiming for a complete physique change in a short period of time can lead to the development of unhealthy exercise habits and cause injury. 

Rather than aiming for lofty, unrealistic goals motivated by social media’s expectations, it could be better to break these goals down into smaller, more specific objectives, such as exercising three times a week or cutting down on fried foods. These kinds of resolutions are not only specific to each person, but also more simple and reachable, making them more likely to be achieved. 

Look away from online resolutions

For over 50 years, the EPA has been responsible for ensuring that American air and water is safe. December 2, 1970 marked the inauguration of an agency that has unilaterally brought monumental benefits to the American quality of life — from tackling forever chemicals like PFAS in our water to working with global partners to fix the growing gap in our ozone layer. The EPA is the one agency to which we can attribute tangible change and benefits for Americans across all strata of life. Because the environment doesn’t discriminate — regardless of social status or party line, a warming atmosphere chokes everyone equally.

Yet now, the EPA’s mission has shifted significantly, and politics has entered the arena of environmental protection in a way never seen before. The EPA’s mandate has been warped and its authority diminished. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has openly reframed the agency’s purpose, saying that the agency now aims to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home and running a business.”

Let’s be clear: the EPA’s job should not be to make buying a home more affordable. It should be to make sure that our homes aren’t poisoning us, and our cars aren’t producing emissions that burn our lungs. The EPA, by its principles set out in Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” ought to operate separately from the free market. Capitalism already does well enough of a job of cutting the most corners and finding the cheapest solution possible, often at our expense. We must not forget the impetus of Carson’s novel: that the toxins released into our environment are often invisible to the naked eye, yet their effects are very real on the human body.

These changes couldn’t come at a worse time. With the global AI boom, the United States is quickly becoming the nexus of new data centers to power massive AI engines. And this all comes at a harrowing energy cost. For the first time in over two decades, electricity demand is on the rise again. Now more than ever, we needed the EPA to step in. To regulate and to fulfill its initial mission set in motion by Carson’s book. 

The changes at the EPA are supposedly part of a broader campaign to put America first. Yet taking a step backwards in energy regulation does anything but and betrays the American people. A systematic gutting of the agency by firing scientists, cutting funding, and staffing industry lobbyists cripples the agency’s very foundation. Through the elimination of regulations like the “Good Neighbor Rule,” a policy which mandated states to address pollution drifting across borders, the EPA essentially absolves corporations of any accountability for the toxins they create. Federal changes affect New Jersey and Princeton directly — dirty air minds no borders, but neither should our resolve. We must urge our lawmakers to put the climate agenda first, for both our lives and our livelihoods.

As PHS students go out to vote, make the environment a top issue on your ballot. Because while the economy or education could seem important, none of it matters when our health is being directly undermined. It is an invisible virus with lasting afteraffects. Remember that your fight matters, and it has tangible consequences for your community. In the absence of clear, concrete, and measurable regulation, it is time we realize that where Washington D.C. has stepped away, Trenton must step in.

It’s beginning to look a lot like...a climate crisis

PHS Speaks Out: How do you feel about the discontinuation of the penny?

Senior year is one of the most significant times during high school. It’s the year everything starts turning into a “last” — the last first day, the last spirit week, and the last time you sit and learn in the same classroom with your childhood friends. But at the same time, this is also the transition from childhood to young adult life brimmed with new experiences, new responsibilities, and new chances to have those ever special firsts out in the big beautiful world. 

Students involved in choir, band, or language programs at our school have special opportunities to have these experiences. Buses, hotels, cities; unfamiliar sights that hum with the dazzling intensity of something new. These moments coalesce into living, breathing memories that can define one’s high school experience. 

Giving seniors the chance to make one more shared memory and expose them to new cultures and environments, and a moment away from the stress of grades and college applications, may be the last chance where everyone unites before they go their separate ways.

Field trips allow students to experience new cultures, engage with the world beyond the classroom, meet new people, and grow in ways traditional instruction cannot provide. According to the NEA, 89 percent of adults said that trips had a “had a positive, lasting impact on their education and career because [they] made them more engaged, intellectually curious, and interested in and out of school.” 

Of the trips that happen now, most of them are limited to students in specific programs, unofficial beach days, or last-minute plans within social circles and friends groups. These experiences are enjoyable for those who attend, but they are exclusive. Students without reliable transportation, flexible schedules, or extra money to spend are excluded. For a school as large and diverse as PHS, it is unfortunate that a significant portion of these upperclass students finish high school without ever getting the opportunity to go on an official school-sponsored trip.

All of this being said, there are still a couple of undeniable problems with a whole class trip. These being, primarily, logistical as well as financial. Our school has classes made up of hundreds of students, which makes taking an entire grade on a trip an incredible challenge between chartering enough buses, booking enough hotel rooms, getting enough food, and of course, having enough money to supply all of these things in the first place. Funding is finite even for language and music trips, thus often resulting in costs falling on students — a cost not every family can afford to pay. 

A field trip or group activity may not fix every disparity in experience of the past four years, but it gives seniors a treasurable event to look forward to: one shared moment that belongs to all of us. After all of the grit and work this class has gone through together, they deserve more than just an unremarkable ending — they deserve a final send-off worthy of warm nostalgia and satisfying closure from this chapter in their lives.

Seniors deserve a school-sanctioned trip

As much as people try to deny it, labels are everything. They allow us to identify what is important to us and how to align with common interest groups. Thus, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)’s recent removal of certain degrees from the list of those classified as “professional,” such as nursing, education, and accounting, will have significant negative repercussions. Notably, the act will invalidate many female-dominated fields and create financial barriers to higher education. The ramifications of this reclassification extend to college-bound PHS students, whose chosen majors may be affected by changing loan conditions as well as a skewed perspective of a career path’s “legitimacy.”

The designation of degrees as professional determines the loan ceiling for many graduate programs. The OBBBA gives professional degrees a total limit of $200,000, while the cap is halved for degrees simply classified as graduate — $100,000. Additionally, the bill cuts the Grad PLUS student loan program, further heightening financial barriers for many individuals to access post-secondary education. 

Moreover, many of the reclassified degrees are in female-dominated fields, resulting in a disproportionate impact. For example, AuDs, the degree necessary to become an audiologist or hearing doctor, are among those being reclassified. It is a rigorous four year doctoral degree in addition to a bachelor’s degree. At the end of the program, students gain clinical experience through an externship, which is a short, observational program where a student shadows an experienced individual in order to learn more about a field or industry. Women comprised 82 percent of the audiology field in 2019, and this level of educational experience is the same, if not more, than “professional” fields such as dentistry or law. Restricting financial aid for vital degrees, especially considering that audiology and nursing are facing worsening labor shortages, creates additional barriers for individuals to enter each field.

On a more narrow scale, there is no doubt that this will affect what majors high school students will choose, including students at PHS. Those who once considered pursuing graduate futures in nursing or accounting may have to reconsider due to a hindered ability to cover education costs. Students who are the first in their family to go to college will be especially hard hit—according to Ohio State University in 2022, 72% of first-generation low income students rely on federal student loans to fund higher education. Individuals will be forced to turn to private loans, which require strong credit history and are more difficult to obtain. Instead of attempting to encourage social mobility, the government is only exacerbating an existing socioeconomic education gap.

The OBBBA is not a judicious reform, but rather a careless gamble of progress. As part of the future workforce, we must advocate for the legitimacy of vital career fields. Although the OBBBA is an intimidating piece of federal legislation, there are still ways we can express our opinions about the reclassification. Contacting local government officials and working to raise community awareness about civic engagement always helps. Students can also contact universities about their financial policies to see if they will offer new school-specific loan options considering the recent degree reclassification. No matter the illusions created by a law, our dreams remain legitimate, and we must continue to fight for the everlasting principles of curiosity, integrity, and the enduring pursuit of knowledge.

The domino effects of degree reclassification

Cheers & Jeers: December 2025

Winter is the time of year for hot chocolate, festive spirits, and the best part: gifts. Exchanging holiday presents allows loved ones to come together and express their gratitude for each other. 

Unfortunately, the task of selecting a gift is often challenging. One of the hardest questions we ask ourselves is where to find the perfect present. Immediately, most of us look at big-box stores like Amazon and Target. However, located right in the core of Princeton, stores like Miya Table and Home, Mandalay, Shop the World, and Greene Street are small, local businesses that give our town its character while also offering unique gifts. In spite of that, these stores are often underappreciated and, consequently, underutilized when it comes to picking out the right present.

This difference in sales for big companies versus local businesses during the holiday season can be attributed to a few logistical distinctions. First, larger corporations use deals and sales that make purchases irresistible for customers. Indeed, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are evidence of the importance of markdowns in modern American consumer culture. Second, larger businesses are often more well-known, and strong marketing can allow them to reach more potential customers. Local businesses, on the other hand, may not have the same budget to allow them to advertise their products in the same way their wealthier counterparts can. Finally, the prominence of conspicuous consumerism encourages buyers to gravitate towards top brands that are easily recognizable, which local businesses can’t compete with.

That being said, local businesses present many distinct advantages that retail corporations don’t. For instance, locally-owned businesses are often individual by nature, meaning that presents bought there can’t be found elsewhere, whereas top brands manufacture hundreds of millions of the same drop-shipped products. By opting to steer away from the most well known brands, customers are able to give unique items with more personality.

On the other hand, purchasing gifts from mainstream stores like Amazon and Target does offer some benefits. Their distribution center business model offers a large inventory of products for consumers, further boosting the platform’s appeal. Furthermore, Investopedia finds that big box stores tend to have lower prices for similar products compared to local businesses. Despite these conveniences, shopping local still offers benefits, especially in Princeton. Our downtown area offers a wide scope of stores, along with stunning holiday decor for a festive ambiance while shopping. Many of them offer affordable options as well; for example, Miya Home and Table has many products that are under $20. 

The holiday season is meant to be a celebration of others. It is an occasion to give, and the gifts given are the medium through which appreciation is shown. Buying local in and of itself is a twofold gift — building community and showing gratitude. Shopping local signals to storeowners that their passion is valued by others. Unlike nameless, faceless big-box brands, this commitment to craft is what gives them their identity, and what keeps them on the map. Secondly, it is a token of gratitude towards whomever may receive the gift. Instead of giving them something streamlined and artificial, you instead gave them something personal and unique. The gift, though material, represents something more.

‘Tis the season for small businesses

For most of us, winter break offers an opportunity to relax and spend time with our friends and family. Comforting dinners around grandma’s kitchen table are often the pinnacle of the holiday season, but in today’s divided political climate, a warm conversation with extended relatives can quickly turn into a heated debate. Mentioning a controversial topic can twist a once pleasant vacation into an uncomfortable situation, causing some teens to feel apprehensive about discussing political topics around relatives. As the rift between political values grows wider, this is becoming a more frequent problem.

In 2024, Pew Research Center conducted a study revealing that 66 percent of voters ages 18–24 aligned with the Democratic party, while 51 percent of voters ages 70–79 and 58 percent of voters age 80+ aligned with the Republican party. This difference in political alignment and beliefs between the age categories contributes to political disagreements between younger and older generations. Another factor that has been increasing tension between Republicans and Democrats is ideological polarization. Ideological polarization is when beliefs are split into two harsh extremes, with little common ground. Over time, this gap has become more and more pronounced, causing a sharp divide between the beliefs of individuals affiliated with different parties. 

If you are worried about getting into delicate conversations, there are many ways to sidestep or minimize their consequences. As a whole, try to keep political discussions to a minimum whenever possible. Set clear boundaries if you are aware that your beliefs clash with your relatives. However, if somehow a discussion does come up that you would not like to be a part of, you can avoid it by switching to a more neutral topic, such as the weather, movies, sports, or a shared memory.

If you do in fact enjoy debating about politics, it’s important to approach disagreements thoughtfully. First, you should try to understand the other person’s perspective rather than jump in and automatically try to convince them of your ideas. When you are attempting to persuade a relative on an issue, ensure that the dispute does not push them away but rather makes them consider your position. You should remain respectful, calm and collected throughout the duration of the argument, even if the other person does not. You should also ask questions about the other person’s beliefs to better understand their thinking, and show that you care and are listening. Do not be afraid to take a break from the discussion or switch topics if you feel it is getting too intense. This will prevent arguments that hurt your relationship with your relative, or make a meal unpleasant for your family. 

As students in an ever-changing world, it is important for us to be exposed to various points of view, including those that clash with our own. Rather than impulsively trying to win a fight, treat every rebuttal as a learning opportunity. Above all, prioritize your relationship with your family — be mindful of your words when political issues surface and maintain a respectful tone. In the end, the holiday season is for spending joyful time with your loved ones, so take gratitude in every interaction.

Set the table, set aside politics

A club leader excitedly posts about an upcoming event. A team captain announces a fundraiser. In both of these cases, the student instantly reaches hundreds of views with a click of a button.

And then suddenly — one day — ”BLOCKED DOMAIN.” An orange globe symbol appears that has come to symbolize the source of every student’s technology frustration. One more site — a site more consequential that it may seem to the naked eye — has been blocked. 

All of this frustration results from the new filter placed on school-issued devices: Mosyle, a program which automatically categorizes websites and allows technology officers to block categories deemed unacademic.

Many students have been left reeling and frustrated after Instagram, among other websites, has been blocked. Some feel silenced and unheard. And the path to appealing these blocks seems intentionally obscured.

“I wouldn’t say [the appeals process is] intentionally not out there, but it certainly isn’t a goal to get students to be putting in tickets,” said PPS Chief Technology Officer Todd MacDonald.

The district’s official procedure for appealing blocks is through staff tickets — and it is a process that relies solely on them. This places an undue burden on teachers, as they now need to advocate for students on top of all their other responsibilities. What’s more is that it robs students of a valuable opportunity to articulate their needs and advocate for themselves.

“The approach technology is taking is that if there is a service, an application, or a website, that’s really essential to instruction, then teachers can email technology, then they review it, [and] they approve it,” said Principal Cecilia Birge.

However, in an increasingly digital world, learning to balance freedom with responsible usage is a critical skill — it is critical thinking applied to a very real part of student’s lives. As a school district that emphasizes “learning to live,” learning to make effective decisions about technology are just as important as traditional classroom skills. 
“There’s a lot of research out there that not even adults are good at always maintaining that balance,” said PPS Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa.

If even adults struggle, however, it only underscores the importance of teaching healthy online managment early. High school provides a controlled environment to learn how to effectively regulate skills in our formative years. 
To be clear, many of the new restrictions are a result of administration prioritizing student online safety — which is a worthy interest to pursue.

“When it comes to safety, [that is] absolutely top down. There’s just no compromise to that ... adults are trained ... to learn how to manage the safety aspect of [technology],” said Birge.

LaSusa also emphasized that his primary concern was the integrity of the school network.
Aside from clearly dangerous sites (that install spyware, for example), however, students should have free access to the internet, just as they would in a real-world setting outside of school. This provides opportunities for them to grow and learn from failure, becoming effective 21st century citizens. 
Thus, we implore the district to meet us halfway. Proactive communication is key — when sudden blocks are put in place at the mercy of an automated device manager, it is only inevitable that the student body begins to breed resentment. Blocking a tool first and waiting for backlash and appeals — which disrupts student activities and learning — is a poor way to manage technology.

Instead, we invite our technology department to actively seek student voice in implementing technology policies—speak with our student representatives, and bring passionate voices to the table to truly understand the needs of the student body. Only then can we move beyond a mindset of restriction and work towards creating an environment of forward-thinking learning that reflects the changing world we live in.

Analog mindset in a modern world

It is well documented that many teenagers experience a myriad of social pressures just from simply going through their day. A report from the National Institute of Mental Health reported that an estimated 31.9% of adolescents have had some anxiety disorder. Unfortunately for them, our world currently prioritizes extroverts. Especially among the social lives of young people, there’s much to gain from being unafraid to wave in the halls, initiate conversations, work through awkwardness, and deal with the complications of social cues. It is easy to assume that being outgoing equates to being happy, or even being successful, but this is not the case. Introverted people are capable of being fulfilled as well, but they simply prefer utilizing quiet reflection and close connections. Introverted students, already hindered in the social scene, find themselves further disadvantaged in their academics.

   Consider a student in their math class, raising their hand to answer a question they think they know well. If they get the question right, there is not much of a reward; the class progresses as usual. If they get it wrong, however, there are many perceivable social risks: their teacher and fellow students now know that they have a gap in their knowledge, which possibly builds a bad impression. Running through these scenarios, many students find that there is little incentive to participate. This is especially true for an introverted student, who may not enjoy participating in class even when they know the answers. Although small group discussions or one-on-one discussions with the teacher may work for them, they often get penalized all the same for not participating during full-class discussions. Currently, class participation is often ultimately a system that doesn’t account for differences in learning styles.

  While research on active learning shows that engaging with the material can help retention, it does not say that students must constantly speak in class discussion to learn. It is reasonable that there is a correlation between participation and understanding, but that is more likely because students who already know the material feel comfortable speaking and therefore get more chances to answer questions. The problem is not participation itself, but the narrow way it is viewed upon. If teachers are going to grade participation, there needs to be a conscious effort between the teacher and the student to communicate. Teachers should strive to learn how each student learns best and acknowledge multiple valid ways to “participate” in class, such as through group projects, written responses, one-on-one check-ins, or short reflections, not just speaking out in front of thirty people. For many students, working in small groups is just as effective, and often less intimidating, than responding to or asking a question in front of the whole class.

  Isaac Son ’27 corroborated this idea. “I think definitely within a small group, I feel like you probably have much less judgment.”

 Teachers who want to better gauge student performances can use written responses or individual forms. To facilitate the sharing of ideas, classes should use small groups in which students can confer with their peers and have more meaningful conversations. There is never a need for teachers to assign grade-point worth to a system that works for very few and accomplishes very little.

Cons of participation: How important is class participation?

Whimsical winter wordfest

#

### Experience the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Princeton 
*January 4, 2026 - 9:30 am to 12:00 pm*

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the pivotal Battle of Princeton with the Princeton Battlefield
Society! The event will feature a historically-accurate reenactment of the Battle featuring more
than 350 actors and a memorial ceremony afterwards. Attendees will also have the opportunity to
tour the Thomas Clarke House, one of the most historically important sites in Princeton, and will
be provided with free coffee and hot chocolate. Although registration is required, the
semiquincentennial of this important battle shouldn’t be missed!

### StuCocoa Day
*January 8, 15, 22, and 29, Flex Time and after school*

As the bitter frost of winter sets in, students may find themselves struggling to grapple with the
cold weather, especially after a tiring day at school. Luckily, on the Wednesdays of January,
Student Council will be selling hot chocolate as part of their annual StuCocoa fundraiser outside
the PAC. There will also be toppings like whipped cream and marshmallows for you to add,
creating the ultimate after-school cold-combating combo!

### Winter Club Fair
*January 26*

Clubs are an integral part of the PHS student experience — it's a place to explore passions and
build friendships. On January 26, the club fair will return for clubs and students alike to explore
their interests or sign up for a club that may not have been at the fall club fair. Happy clubbing,
PHS!

### January Big Band Dance
*January 30th, 7–10 p.m.*

Join PHS Studio Band and Jazz Ensemble for a night of music ranging from jazz classics to pop
hits. Refreshments will also be provided by the PHS Band Parent Association. Get ready to
dance in your finest under the bright lights of the PHS Cafeteria!

January 2026: Save the Dates

In 2003, English Language Learner (ELL) teacher Michael Klinger took a simple photograph on his trip to Guatemala:  bare-faced and bare-footed, children stared from their dirt-floor huts. More than 20 years later, he sees the image as a motivator for the work he does everyday for students at PHS that come from realities nearly identical to those in the photograph.

“A Princeton High School diploma for this kid is amazing,” said Klinger. “This really puts your work into perspective as well — the idea that these students become the same students that graduate with high school [diplomas]”.

For decades, the unspoken agreement within ELL classrooms has been simple: if a student sits passively to the side without causing any trouble, they receive a passing grade, regardless of their level of engagement. Klinger described this as an entrenched tradition in line with the “soft bigotry of low expectations,” referencing George W. Bush’s speech addressing an annual NAACP conference in 2000.

“I think that a lot of American schools, including these here, have been guilty of that,” said Klinger.

To dismantle this trap, PHS’s College Counseling and ELL Department are launching a renewed partnership this December to reshape the district’s support of ELL students. By breaking down communication gaps, they hope that their mission to support these students will be fully realized.
“Right now, [we’re] more of a team, which is what we need,”  said Nipurna Shah, PHS’s College Counselor. “We just [need] to communicate and work together. You can’t be successful in a silo or working against each other.” 

Shah’s approach to college counseling is central to the new partnership: she offers individualized support to every student that comes through her doors by upholding the dreams of the students.
“We want to set students up for success,” said Shah. “We want students to have opportunities and open pathways to really reach whatever goal it is that they want to do.”

Back in the classroom, Klinger mirrors Shah’s ambition for the students, but believes that seizing those opportunities requires a fundamental shift in academic expectations.

“I’ve started to give the kids quizzes every week, and they’ve never had quizzes before,” said Klinger. “We had some quizzes today, and the kids did not study, and the results were not good.”

For Klinger, however, these failures are not a reason to retreat to the old, softer standard: instead, they are stepping stones towards building genuine agency. He views his efforts in increased rigor as “growing pains” for students who have rarely been asked to take ownership of their learning in the past.

“You have to have these moments of maybe stumbling and falling on your face for them to get the message of ‘No, I’m serious [about] my expectation that you spend some time studying,’” said Klinger. “That you’re actually committing some of your own personal mental energy. You’re not just sitting there passively, because that’s what’s happening.Too many of our kids are just sitting passively through their days and not learning enough.”

The increased rigor is also paired with an introspection into how material is taught. Klinger explained that, for too long, high school English teachers attempted to teach literary analysis to students who still needed support with foundational literacy. To address this, he has begun to work with experts like Sarah Moore, an elementary school literacy specialist, as well as Dr. Solange Murphy-Lopez at The College of New Jersey to redefine the program’s approach towards phonology and basic reading instruction. 

By aligning the curriculum towards students’ true needs, Klinger hopes that the program moves toward empowerment rather than pity.

“When we’re throwing seven hours of English at these kids a day, and then they don’t understand 90 to 95 percent of it, that’s frustrating ... they’re normalizing tuning it out,” said Klinger.

Raising the bar within the classroom is only half the battle, however. To ensure that students have support beyond their four years at PHS, the College Counseling Office helps students navigate the bureaucracy of the enrollment and scholarship process.  Shah also acknowledged that a four-year university can sometimes be out of reach, especially for students that need to work to support families at home and abroad.

“I want to meet the students where they are, I want to listen to what their goals are and then help them provide the pathways to get to that goal. And that’s the same whether you’re an ESL student or whether you’re a ... student in any population,” said Shah. “I don’t tell them, here’s what you need to do, X, Y, and Z.”

Through the 101: Fund scholarship, PHS students can receive complete tuition support for two years at Mercer County Community College, giving students a stepping stone into higher education as some still try to figure out their future.

“Two free years of college ... Why not take advantage of a unique opportunity that’s only at Princeton High School? There are no other high schools that have this scholarship program,” said Shah.

Even with free tuition on the table, Shah recognizes that immediate employment is a necessity, not a choice, with some students working over 40 hours to support their families. To that end, Shah’s goal is to ensure that bureaucracy is never a hurdle in the scholarship application process, and that every student receives individualized support to set them up for success.

Dr. Andrea Dinan, director of the IDEAS Center, has come to better understand the experiences of students from immigrant communities through her work with first-generation students. For her, helping is walking a fine line between caring and being overbearing.

“We have to respect the kids’ dreams. It’s really easy for anyone that starts working with kids with such sad stories to start feeling bad. They want to be their savior,” said Dinan. “That’s not the way to do it. You got to find out what the kid wants.”

With these challenges in mind, the ultimate goal of the new partnership is to foster agency among students. The staff hopes to replicate the success stories of ELL program graduates like Carolina Soto ’17. After graduating from PHS, she served in the military police through an ROTC program and is now an education major at Dickinson College. Soto plans to return to PHS as a part-time ELL and part-time Spanish teacher.

For now, Klinger is steadfast to a simple goal within the ELL program: help his students learn English. Working single-mindedly to this singular goal then gives students the agency to make the right decision for their own futures.

“We can assist them, and we can encourage them, and we can present options to them,” said Klinger. “But that’s [the] agency. That’s respecting them as autonomous, human beings that have come to this country with a plan, [and] have come to this country with a vision.”


Photo: Michael Klinger

On his 2003 visit to Guatemala, Klinger saw the plight of children in the country. In his classroom today, his work aims to build up students from nearly identical circumstances. 

Beyond the “soft bigotry of low expectations”: Redefining success in PHS’s ELL programs

#
### The Apartment (1960) dir. Billy Wilder

Winter on the East Coast is cold, dark, and long, and stepping out of the biting cold into the warmth of one’s home is a relief like no other. Some though, like the lead character of “The Apartment,” C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), have nowhere to go — although his circumstances are rather unique. The affable if lily-livered office worker is lonely and it’s the holidays, but he has found himself in the habit of loaning out his Upper West Side apartment to the higher-ups at his company for their extramarital trysts.

Soon enough, Baxter is contacted by personnel director Jeff Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), who tells Baxter that he will be promoted if he allows Sheldrake use of the apartment. Baxter agrees, and asks an elevator girl, Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), out for that night. She agrees, but ends up standing him up for a date with none other than Sheldrake, with whom she has had an off-and-on affair.

Both characters are lonely, and the decision to set the movie over the winter holidays (major plot events happen on Christmas and New Year’s Eve respectively) reflects their state of mind. Though these holidays are typically times to rejoice with your loved ones, Baxter and Kubelik instead endure a series of heartbreaking rejections and setbacks in their relationships with other people.
 
Lemmon’s fantastic performance and the jokes packed densely into the script manage to transform what seems like a somewhat miserable plot, however, into — miraculously — a comedy, and a great one at that. Though “The Apartment” has been overshadowed by other romantic comedies from the same period like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Some Like it Hot,” it is one of the best films to come out of the 1960s and deserves a reputation as not only a great film but a perfect one for the winter holidays.

### The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) dir. Wes Anderson
Though it does not once mention Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year’s, there is no doubt in my mind that “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a film for the winter holidays. It is a story within a story within a story, established in an opening sequence of a woman visiting the grave of an author who wrote a book about his visit to the titular hotel, where he was told a story by the proprietor, Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori). The eccentricity in the framing of the story is present in virtually every other aspect of the film, from the pastel color palette, to each frame’s stilted symmetry, to the miniature models of the hotel. Anderson is one of the most distinct directors of our age, and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is an extravagant aesthetic indulgence, both visually beautiful and absurdly unnatural.

The bulk of the story follows Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), a prim, poetry-loving concierge at the Grand Budapest who rules stringently over the staff and dotes on the elderly female patrons. Though there is a plot, involving a stolen painting, prison escape, and secret society of hotel concierges, it takes the back burner for the film’s more pressing thematic concerns, particularly nostalgia. Though the range of confectionary colors and dollhouse-esque sets evoke childhood aesthetics (further evidence of it being a holiday movie), more specifically, the somewhat ridiculous yet eminently respectable Gustave is a dandy committed entirely to the kind of high-end service that, as chronicled by the gradual degradation of the hotel, was in its dying throes at the time.

Though the Grand Budapest is located in a fictional Republic of Zubrowka, the phases it goes through are not unfamiliar to the 21st-century viewer: the colorful, glamorous 1930s giving way to a Nazi-equivalent occupation, and then finally the Iron Curtain-era dilapidation and grayness. Despite its highly unnatural and stylized composition and the layer of fiction separating our world from Anderson’s, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” imparts serious messages about fascism and art. It is also wildly entertaining, with a pitch-perfect comedic performance from Fiennes alongside Anderson’s crew of regulars, including Bill Murray and Owen Wilson.



### The Holdovers (2023) dir. Alexander Payne

“History is not simply the study of the past, it is an explanation of the present,” the curmudge only teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) says in “The Holdovers,” a snowy dramedy set in a New England boarding school over winter break. Indeed, when a Focus Features logo customized to look retro flickers onto the screen, it’s made clear that “The Holdovers” is a film concerned with the past. Shot digitally, then edited to emulate film, it’s composed like a film from the 1970s, with Cat Stevens songs playing quietly over long shots of empty school halls and snowy Boston. But the quietly moving pain of the three lead characters, along with the unlikely bonds they form because of it, make this story still deeply resonating in the present day.

When Hunham fails the son of a major donor, his administration-prescribed punishment is to stay at the school and supervise the unruly group of boys “holding over,” the sort of rich, insubordinate brats he despises. Soon, however, most of the holdovers are picked up by one student’s magnanimous father, leaving only a student of Hunham’s named Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). The head cook Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), grief-stricken from her son’s death in the Vietnam War, joins them, and the three form an awkward trio, with each member initially concerned only with their own holiday melancholy. Through the events of the film, the three form a genuine bond that transcends their unfortunate circumstances.

The film is anchored by the three strong lead performances, particularly Randolph’s, who has been given the rawest emotional moments and does beautifully with them. It’s a quiet movie, fuzzy around the edges like childhood Christmas memories, and though the plot may not exactly move at breakneck speed I always find myself wishing at the end that Hunham, Angus, and Mary’s stories could last just a little bit longer. “The Holdovers” is a new, offbeat addition to my December movie rotation that manages to be heartwarming without being saccharine and melancholy without being maudlin, despite occasionally falling prey to holiday-movie clichés. 




Unofficial holiday movies

Earning another summoner’s belt, South Korea team T1 didn’t just win Worlds 2025; they reminded the world why their dynasty refuses to die. League of Legends is a multiplayer game where two teams of five players each try to destroy the other team’s nexus. Every player controls a character known as a champion, each with special abilities and roles. The game uses strategy and teamwork as players try to out-battle and out-smart the opposing team. The strategy, competition, and organized leagues make the game an esport that has been growing in popularity since its creation.

 T1 defeated fellow South Korean team KT Rolster in a dramatic 3-2 series to win the 2025 League of Legends world title on November 9 in Chengdu, China. This win marks T1’s dominance, as they are the first team in League of Legends history to win three consecutive world championships, making this their sixth world title.

On average, roughly 6.7 million people tuned in to watch the final between T1 and KT Rolster. The event also held massive opening ceremonies, featuring K-pop stars, popular singers, and lifelike animations. The game even produces new songs every year for this moment. 

“My favorite part was definitely the Grand Finals, just watching T1 and KT go back and forth was crazy. Every game felt super cool and like it could flip any second,” said Sahil Ponnada ’29. “The hype and the crowd was all super energetic and made me feel really part of the moment.”

T1, along with KT Rolster, were two of the four teams sent by the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). The rivalry between the two teams gained so much significance in the world of esports that it became known as the “Telecom War,” stemming from the fact that both teams were founded by major telecommunications companies: SK Telecom and KT Corporation. The rivalry between their organizations is not limited to League of Legends; it began in StarCraft in the early 2000s and continues in other competitive games and sports like basketball.

Stars such as Faker, who first went viral back in 2013 from a clip demonstrating his skills in a solo mission, drew in further interest towards the game. He later earned an exemption from the Korean mandatory military service by earning a gold medal in the Asian Games, allowing him to play in future League of Legends events. 

“I think [Faker] is gonna keep going until he gets bored of it. This is the LeBron James of esports,” said Edward Yin, a Computer Science Teacher. “League of Legends is competitive. It’s a thing of national pride, right? So in a certain sense, he represents Korea on the world stage for a competitive event.”

From the opening ceremonies to the very end, the League of Legends tournament has gained popularity from across the globe while also elevating the game and its community. As this year’s tournament has drawn to a close, the future of the esport appears to be bright.

League of Legends: the center of esports

Breakdancing isn’t just spins, flips, and crazy footwork — it’s a cultural movement. Though breakdancing was created by Black American and Latino youths on the streets of New York City during the 1970s, this style of dance has now grown into a worldwide phenomenon. 

Today, it shows up in music videos, competitions, and even the Olympics. Breakdancing made its first and only Olympic appearance in 2024, and has since then been removed from the Olympic catalogue of sports.  Nonetheless, the Olympic debut remains a memorable moment for those who saw breakdancing as a sport more than an art.

“I think breakdancing is very impressive and entertaining to watch and requires lots of skill,” said Claire Hua ’27. “I was disappointed they took it off the Olympics because I liked watching it.”

With dance trends spreading through social media and school events, breakdancing cannot only be seen as a global art but also as a way of expression. 

The art of breakdancing corresponded with the rise of hip hop. DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican-American DJ and nicknamed the “Father of Hip-Hop,” founded it at the age of 18 in the Bronx. During extended instrumental drum breaks, breakdancers had a chance to display their skills in front of the crowd. Early breakers — the term for individuals who practice this form of dance — developed and created unique moves such as the top rock, six-step, and power spins.  Later on, in the 1980s, breakdancing began to reach larger crowds as famous artists, including Michael Jackson, started performing it during concerts.

Over time, breakdancing has become more than just a dance, but a form of expression and rivalry between neighbourhoods. Crews and teams formed around the globe soon after battles in New York popularized. Even right now, the Pro Breaking Tour invites dancers from across the globe to compete in Los Angeles, California.

During the pandemic, it was announced that breakdancing would be at the 2024 Olympics, and breaking had a huge surge in popularity. Breaking competitions became popular over Zoom calls and facetimes between people. Lots of breaking studios held cheaper online classes so people could learn the sport and art of breaking. As a result, it became very popular and helped sustain breaking studios throughout the tough economy during the pandemic. 

Recently, the Redbull Dance Competition was held in Los Angeles, where breaker JAIRA Joy took first place, defeating the previous champion, Waackxxxy, in the final. The Redbull Dance Competition is the world’s most respected dance competition, where individuals from all over the globe are brought together to share their creativity and talent. Breakdancing battles are not only judged through skill and power moves, but also taking into account musicality and originality. 

“I think break dancing is very impressive. I respect it so much for those who can breakdance,” said Jessica Zhang ’26. “It’s very impressive and admirable to see how people can move and control their body in so many different ways to express certain feelings.”

Today, breakdancing continues to inspire and intrigue many of the youth, whether that be in schools or at home. Competitions, talent shows, and school events allow break dancers to show off their skills and creativity.  What began as a street dance in the 1970s has now grown to become a form of art and expression for students who enjoy music, movements, and freedom to create their own style.

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