   The Tiger Cafe has been a staple at PHS ever since it first opened in 2022. Popular with students looking for snacks, drinks, the Cafe is a highly visited marketplace for various food options. Still, students have expressed a growing number of concerns regarding drawbacks in prices and quality.

   The popularity of the Cafe is explained by the quantity of different snacks and meals, provided by Pomptonian Food Services. Ranging from classic school lunches, such as burgers and wings, to more unique options like artisan sandwiches, the Cafe appeals to those looking for a quick meal during any time of the day.
 
   When creating new items for the menu, the staff at the Cafe look to expand upon popular categories and see what works. This is in large part due to the work of Rosemarie Maldonado, a cook designated to create food for the Cafe, who works with students and sometimes recipes from social media to prepare foods that everyone will enjoy. 

   “We go off of the parameters that we have and see if anyone would want to try something else that's in the same category as the wings or the burger. [For example,] a chicken parm [on a] brioche bun [is] almost like a burger with chicken, and it's made like a pizza,” explained Micheal DeToro, a worker at the Tiger cafe. “We just choose random stuff.”

   However, the large variety of options also leads to the sale of generally considered unhealthy food and drink options, such as energy drinks and other junk foods. This has resulted in numerous concerns over whether or not the Cafe is fulfilling its role as a school provider of food, especially since the switch to Pomptonian last year.

   “I feel like the Tiger Cafe isn’t really healthy, even the salad,” said Ksenia Petukh ‘27. “Sometimes the food doesn’t feel ready or cooked … and you just want to eat normal healthy food.”

   However, even though the Cafe contains various choices, including unhealthier options, cafeteria staff believe that it is up to students themselves whether or not to choose the healthy option.

   “It's certainly not the fact that all the food is not healthy, we do have healthy options over there and unhealthy options. It all depends on who gets the food and what they want,” said DeToro.

   Still, some students feel that the options at the Cafe aren’t as expansive and student oriented as they should be, and that the students should have more say into what the available options are.
 
   “I think the cafe exists for the students because we’re the people who buy most of this stuff,” said Juha Lee ’27. “I think it’s important that we should have a voice in choosing what is available since we’re the ones who are going to buy it.”

   In addition to choice, students are also worried about unexpected price changes within the Tiger Cafe, since they aren’t formally notified about any price changes. This has led to questions regarding the affordability of items in the Cafe.

   “The prices have risen by only a few cents, not a dollar, not anything else,” said DeToro. “[The bagels] were originally $2.50 but they went up to $2.75 because of the high end prices from Bagel Nook.”

   However, many price changes can be attributed to external factors out of the school’s control. Supply chain issues have led to increased costs of food from all suppliers, including produce, poultry, and even french fries. These issues have led to increased costs throughout the industry and make business difficult for all entities involved.

   "It's not like we're trying to stuff it in our pockets or anything. It's just, unfortunately, the cost for us to get everything has gone up,” explained Kevin Lucci, the food service director at PHS.

  Still, there are options for those who are unable to afford the a la carte options from the Tiger Cafe. Because the Tiger Cafe doesn’t operate under the National School Lunch Program, they aren’t obligated to provide low-cost meals. Therefore, students who can’t afford Tiger Cafe items can still receive meals through the school's regular lunch program in the cafeteria, including free or reduced-price lunches if eligible.


Tower Investigates: Tiger Cafe

The Tower asked Princeton High School students for their opinions on about what America and the American Dream means to them, how America has treated them, and if they feel America lives up to its standards on its 250th anniversary.

Each paragraph is a different response. Here's what they had to say:

My great-grandfather immigrated to the U.S. with no money, leaving his family behind. To my family, the American Dream means doing better than the previous generation, something that wouldn’t have been possible for my family had they not come to the U.S.


To me, the American Dream is a sacrifice. Not just in terms of “working hard” but culturally and emotionally too. When I think of my parents, and how they had to be away from their families, had to have lived in a country with different values, raised a child who has values that are different too … all for a country that still doesn’t exactly treat them fairly?

Being surrounded by people of diverse cultural backgrounds, racial makeups, sexual orientations, socioeconomic situations, immigration statuses, career goals, etc., and living in harmony. A place where diversity is supported by both the population and the government and uniqueness is nurtured.

To me, it means the opportunity to live a successful life without the constant pressure of being the best at something. 


To me, the American Dream means reaching a point in your life of stability, job security, personal happiness, and a guarantee that your children will have a good life — if not better than yours. 




Having the opportunity to seek what makes you fulfilled or satisfied. A place where everyone can find success.
I don’t think the American Dream means any one thing, because all Americans experience and live in this country differently. How can there only be one?


To me, “the American Dream” means the ability to pursue a career that I am passionate about and build a family without feeling limited by economic, social, or ethnic hardship. 


I guess by definition the American Dream is the ideal of equal opportunity for upward mobility, conditioned on hard work and rule following. But now it feels like the American Dream is to be as rich as possible while putting in the minimum amount of work, and that feels pretty unattainable for a lot of people.

It is something that is no longer possible for most; traditionally, it has meant financial stability and social mobility, regardless of one’s origin if they want to work hard enough.


As an immigrant being in a different environment, I am just going to say that I am grateful to be in this country. After all, I am receiving support and many educational opportunities. This country is making me a strong person. 




The first thing that comes to my mind about America is that it is not only the United States. There are three parts of America in total, which are South America, Central America and North America. With that being said, I like this country because it has given me a better education. The United States is known for people who have dreams and want to achieve their goals. I am very grateful for the seasons of the year, the education, and how clean some places are here. l love living in Princeton, New Jersey and all of the opportunities that it has.

For me, the United States means freedom. After all, it has given me a lot of opportunities. But I have also experienced new emotions during my time here. Many “Americans,” as you call them,  have very special personalities and may need therapy.

The American Dream means achieving material and spiritual success by whatever your terms are.
The American Dream means being able to climb the corporate ladder or pursue any future career regardless of identity such that you work hard. No political, economic, or racial barriers impede this potential. 

America means freedom, opportunity, and the chance to build a better future. I think America has treated many people well, but not everyone has had the same experience. There are still problems like inequality and discrimination. On its 250th anniversary, I think America is still working toward fully living up to its standards.




It means how everybody has a fair shot at life and are judged based on their character and not their race.

I am disappointed in America. It has treated immigrants cruelly, taken people away, discriminated far too much, and judged people without knowing their history and their values.  A piece of paper should not determine a person’s worth. America does not meet the standard of its 250 years, because it is detaining immigrants who are simply seeking a better life. So, what is the freedom that America promises and claims to possess?

Sometimes the United States can be cruel, because of the current president and his administration. To me, the United States represents an unfulfilled promise of freedom and opportunity. Although it has provided me with education and security, I see that racism and economic inequality prevent many people from enjoying the same rights as others.

To me, America means opportunity and a better future. It has given me the chance to learn, work, and improve my English. Overall, my experience in America has been positive.

The American Dream. The American Dream is a lie for me. It was created to give false hope to immigrants and refugees. It’s unattainable and doesn’t guarantee happiness. 

 



Letters to the Editor: America 250

PHS Speaks Out: What's your favorite senior memory?

On July 4, the United States of America will turn 250 years old. For two and a half centuries, America has defined itself not by religion or ethnicity, but through its ideals. 

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, That among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

These ideals were put forth in the Declaration of Independence, later becoming the foundation of the American Dream: the belief that anyone, regardless of their origin, can have an equal and fair opportunity to achieve success in America. But ideals are not hard and fast rules — they evolve with time, culture, and personal interpretation. As America approaches this milestone birthday, the American Dream appears less like a broken promise and more like an imperfect vision that generations have continued to cling to. 

From the moment the Declaration of Independence was signed, it had already begun to contradict itself. A nation that claimed to offer equality to all allowed slavery to continue for over a century. A government built on the principle of popular sovereignty denied people of color and women the right to vote. A country that celebrated opportunity repeatedly excluded immigrants and minorities from sharing in it, and continues to do so in many cases. 

Yet despite these contradictions, the American Dream continues to be rooted in possibility. Millions of immigrants have built businesses, accumulated wealth, and improved the quality of life across generations, shaping America’s identity.

What that possibility looked like, though, has developed over time. Although the term “American Dream” was coined by James Truslow Adams in the 1930s, the idea of it can be traced back to before the Revolutionary War. Early Americans often associated the dream with political liberty, and self-government. By the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries many immigrants viewed it as the pathway to riches. Following World War II, the dream became increasingly tied to the “white picket fence” metaphor — homeownership, stable employment, and suburban life. While meanings changed across the generations, the notion of individual initiative — the belief that destiny is in your own hands — remained constant. 

However, trust in that dream has rightfully wavered over time. Discriminatory policies such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, racial segregation, racist housing policies, and unequal education have all opposed the core idea of social and economic mobility for all that is the American Dream. Even today, the legacy of these policies and the systemic flaws in many of our institutions continue to act as a barrier to the promised equality of opportunity. 

The truth is that the concept of the American Dream and being able to achieve a better life isn’t completely applicable to everyone, and it won’t be for the foreseeable future. Our hypocritical history makes that so. The trust in it reveals the strength in struggle — despite the inherently flawed and delusional nature of a dream where any ambition is possible, individuals have clung to this fantasy in hopes of actually achieving it. 

Looking back across two and a half centuries of history, these tensions are impossible to ignore. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, these contradictions remain a key part of its legacy. The history of the nation is not a story of success or failure. It is a story of ideals that have been continually challenged, reinterpreted, manipulated, and expanded. The American Dream has endured because Americans persisted despite the flaws in our vision. This optimism is what this anniversary represents. That’s what it means to be an American. 


Two-fifty and counting: the legacy of the American Dream

Starting in the 2026–2027 school year, a New Jersey State bill passed by Governor Phil Murphy will mandate a “bell to bell” ban on all personal internet-connected digital devices in public schools, which includes iPads, smart watches, and personal computers, in addition to phones. While the PPS administration has started to formalize the PHS phone policy, details are still undergoing development.

“One [way] would be to have a policy at the high school that’s just like at the middle school, which is that you can’t have your cell phones out … and if we see your cell phone out, we’re going to discipline you,” said PPS Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa. “The second option would be some type of app, [and] the one that we’ve been … in discussions with is called Doorman.”

The Doorman application is still in development, meaning that PHS currently plans for the first few months of next year to serve as a trial of the software. Doorman enables administrators to have limited customization as to what is accessible on students’ cell phones during school hours.

“The way that [the] app works is students download the app [and] when they come in in the morning, they just scan their phone at a reader of some kind. … Then the app essentially locks all of the other apps on the phone,” LaSusa said. 

Administrators can customize Doorman by approving certain apps that may have educational value or emergency use cases. Unapproved apps, such as iMessages, will be locked, unless overridden by an emergency function that notifies teachers or supervisors upon each violation.

“[Students will] still [be] able to make phone calls from their phone, so if there were an emergency, a student could call home or could call the police,” said LaSusa. “If we approve certain apps, like for instance … Canvas … or Power School, then they could use those apps during the day.”

Administrators are waiting to receive various clarifications from the state of New Jersey. Currently, the law implies that a “bell to bell ban” means the start of the school day until the end of the school day, and does not permit access to phones during non-instructional time periods such as break, or passing times. If this is upheld, then some of the customization of Doorman will not be used, as the ban currently implies that students should not access their phones at all, unless in the event of an emergency.

“With this application, we can actually set it so it can match up with your bell schedule,” said PPS Chief Technology Officer Todd MacDonald. “As soon as that period[‘s] bell rings,  we unlock your phone, so it’s open through passing time [and] through lunch, so that’s where we have flexibility, but we also are still waiting for the state to give a little bit more guidelines for us to make sure we’re in compliance.”

If a student or their parent refuses to download Doorman onto their phone, then they will not be permitted to have a cellphone during the school day. Teachers can also use Doorman to ensure all students in the classroom are in the proper locked mode. The repercussions for violators of next year’s policy have not yet been determined.

During the student forum on May 27, PHS Principal Cecilia Birge wanted to assure students that Doorman is still under legal review, but is expected to uphold state  and district privacy regulations.
 
   “[MacDonald] and I met with a principal in Massachusetts who implemented Doorman [in his school] … he said that [they] chose this company because of the fact that [it] meet[s] the Massachusetts student privacy law, and apparently Massachusetts has one of the most strict privacy law[s],” said Birge.

   The school has hosted a series of forums between May 27 and June 1 to answer questions and concerns from students, parents, and teachers. Some teachers expressed their optimism and support for the ban next year. Currently, teachers are required to independently enforce their own classroom cell phone rules due to a lack of a formal universal policy. 

   “I tend to be most concerned about cell phones [on] things like assessments where it could provide an unfair advantage. … One of my least favorite parts of my teaching job is playing phone police,”  said PHS math teacher Jackson Neuhaus. “Next year [with] the phone policy ban, I’ll probably have something more official in place that’ll be stricter and have consequences.”

   Some students have expressed concerns about restricting access to their cell phones. Upon learning of the current plan to disable the text messages app, Joshua Dong ’29 cited concerns related to accessibility in communication.

   “A lot of time people won’t pick up your calls because maybe their busy or their phone’s on silent … text messages are just an easier way to contact people,” Dong said.

   Woodbury Junior Senior-High School, one of the schools Governor Murphy credited as having implemented a successful phone ban, began using a magnetic pouch system known as Yondr two years ago, resulting in numerous positive effects. The pouch-bound phones are in possession of the students throughout the day, but they cannot physically open the pouch until the end of the day. Portable unlock devices are carried by various staff members and are reserved for emergency or approved situations during the school day. 

   “We [have] had a lot of kids during our lunch … they’re in the gym playing basketball, they’re in the library ... they’re playing board games, and it’s been a better school environment overall,” said WHS Principal Dwayne Dobbins. “I can go into a classroom where there’s not a phone distracting a student.”

   Although the state legislature ultimately forced the district to mobilize for a phone ban, Dr. Michael LaSusa, expressed his support for the ban, citing his belief that phones are an inhibitor of focus in the classroom, and thus education.

   “The time we have in school ... is special, and we should treat it as precious, and recognize that it’s important to listen, to pay attention, to respect the other human beings that are in a classroom with us, without look[ing] at a device,” said LaSusa.


Rated 1.3 stars on the app store, the Doorman app can be customized to lock phones during instructional periods, and be unlocked during breaks. 

PHS surveys options in preparation for next year’s statewide phone ban

This year, PHS is integrating a new electricity source in order to lower the cost of its energy. The school will still be receiving energy from PSE&G, but they will also be getting third-party energy from PSE&G’s supply. The third-party energy source uses the utilities owned by PSE&G but is still their own competitive company. Consequently, when the school pays the bill to PSE&G, a portion goes to the other third-party company. This method gives the school access to more competitive pricing.

For this new electricity source, the district has used an electricity auction, which means it has covered the supply cost using a third party. Another company goes to an auction for the district, and the district has a trigger resolution passed by the board. The trigger resolution states that if the company is able to buy the electricity or natural gas source at a given price, then the bid can be automatically accepted. The district has just gone through the planning process for electricity auctions for 2027. 

Sustainable Princeton is a non-profit organization  committed to motivating the community to adopt environmentally-conscious and sustainable practices, with Jenny Ludmer as a program manager. 
According to Ludmer, the benefits of switching to a new source are clear. 

“Using third-party for their electricity, [the district saves] $55,000 a year … for natural gas, they saved $20,000 a year,” explained Ludmer.  

Because PHS has only started its energy auction recently, the 2027 providers have not yet been confirmed. However, the current providers for the district are NextEra for electricity and NRG and Direct Energy for natural gas. 

As Ludmer pointed out, switching to a new energy provider will not affect the electricity at PHS, just saving costs. 
“It doesn’t change anything with the actual electricity [PHS is] getting,” Ludmer said. “All it does is help [the school] to save money.” 

PHS energy meters keep track of electricity usage in the school. In the last week of May, PHS used 69,420 kWh of energy, over double the national average.

New energy source for PHS slated to bring up to $55,000 in savings

Despite entering college as a basketball player, AP Biology and Biology Accelerated teacher Steffanie Shoop discovered her love for teaching when she first stepped into a classroom, though her love of basketball continues to live on in her coaching position at PHS. 
Shoop has been teaching at PHS for 19 years, arriving in 2007 after her first job teaching in South River. Before becoming a teacher, Shoop’s family’s career in science inspired her to pursue biology instead of an athletic career at Providence College.

“I did not study to be a teacher, [but] I had two options. One of my options was taking a job [in teaching], so I [wondered], ‘Do I go for sports, which is not guaranteed, or do I take a job that is guaranteed?’” said Shoop. “I took the route [of] teaching, and when I stepped into the classroom, I knew I was never, ever, ever doing anything else.”

Within the classroom, Shoop’s teaching style focuses on supporting her students in every capacity. She aims to help students manage the tensions that come with being a student at PHS, especially considering the difficulties of AP Biology.

“I try to make sure that every kid feels seen because they need to understand that they’re not just a grade … [or] just a class [or] just a test,” said Shoop. “They’re a whole individual. … I try to be here as much as I can. … My door is pretty much open all the time.”

Shoop’s commitment to teaching has not gone unnoticed by students. Alongside learning the curriculum, students have appreciated the classroom environment Shoop has created.

“She’s a really funny teacher,” said Abeera Shahid ’29. “She makes sure everyone understands [that] you can always ask for help [and] you can be comfortable.”

Beyond these personal efforts, Shoop’s education style also involves creating diverse lessons that assist different types of learners. She does this by incorporating hands-on learning, often using models and original labs to explain concepts.

“I want to make sure that there are lessons that are engaging and [that] reach different kids,” said Shoop. “So it’s not just notes or lectures, it’s differentiated, it’s thoughtful, [and] it’s engaging.”

Shoop is dedicated to matching the amount of effort that her students make with her own commitment to teaching and timeliness. 
“I have very, very high expectations for my kids because I know they’re capable of it. I grade pretty fast, but I do that because if I expect my kids to work that hard for me, I want them to know that I’m working that hard for them,” said Shoop.

Outside of school, Shoop finds that the combination of being a mother and a basketball coach occupies most of her time, though she also enjoys decorating cakes and playing the guitar. 

 “I don’t have time to do my art anymore,” said Shoop. “I pour my art into my kids.”


Photo: Julia Li

Shoop explains a concept to Carmela Crepezzi '28, providing feedback on her work.

PHS Profile: Steffanie Shoop

Save the Dates: 250th anniversary of the United States

Due to prolonged misuse of PHS bathrooms, administrators have stationed faculty members outside of certain restrooms to enforce new bathroom monitoring policies. The new protocol requires students to use the restroom one person at a time, with a staff member monitoring the hall to ensure the rule is being enforced.
 
The supervision of appropriate bathroom use was clarified by Principal Cecilia Birge as an attempt to address the misuse of restrooms rather than a  brand new policy.

“When some students [are] gathered together in the bathrooms doing inappropriate things, it’s preventing others from using it properly. … It’s not a new policy; it’s our philosophy that all bathrooms and everything in the building should be used properly,” said Birge. “When it’s not used in the proper manner, that’s when the administration team steps in and we help students make corrections.”

Assistant Principal Crystal Riddick commented that the increased supervision of bathrooms came as a result of recent reports of inappropriate activities such as substance use in bathrooms. She explained how the policy wasn’t to restrict students but to help make bathrooms a safer environment. 

“It’s not a restriction …We do want to make sure everybody’s safe and feels safe in front of [and] in the bathrooms, and make sure everybody is able to use the bathroom,” said Riddick. 

Birge explained several issues that had risen regarding the use of bathrooms and emphasized the reason for the introduction of the policy. 

“There was a concern about increased visits to the bathroom during instruction, and potentially engaging in issues related to substance abuse, so because of that we manage the flow to make sure that people are using the bathrooms with its intended purpose,” said Birge. 

When asked about their opinion on the new regulations, students mentioned that they weren’t notified of this by the school and felt ill-informed. Upon arriving at the bathroom, many of them were confused why staff were stationed outside and what the intended purpose was for this increased monitoring. 

“I saw it firsthand, and there was a substitute, standing out [or] sitting outside of the bathroom,” said Julia Shea ’29. “There was a sign that said one person at a time.”

Additionally, students voiced their concerns about the inconvenience of this new approach to bathroom monitoring becoming a permanent long-term policy. 

“I think it’s gonna make it really inconvenient for students to use the bathroom and it’s gonna make it harder for them to get back to class on time. … Sometimes the teachers reprimand you for that and say you can only be out for five minutes, but [walking] all the way around the school makes that harder,” said Laura Pepek ’29.

The increased monitoring of the bathrooms is expected to continue indefinitely  as it has produced positive results, creating an increase of appropriate behaviour. During staff meetings, there have been fewer complaints from staff and hall monitors about students being out of class and participating in dangerous and prohibited activities.

“Yes, in short, we have had conversations where people say in certain halls when we’re there or when there’s a monitor, there has been a change in behavior,” said Riddick. “So from my perspective, I have [had] zero complaints, zero reports from adults, from teachers, from building monitors in the past couple of weeks since AP exam time.”

Birge also notes that high school students’ behavior can fluctuate, so supervision will only continue as needed. As of now, monitoring has decreased, but staff members will help guide students in the right direction if reports of dangerous activities start to increase.  

“At this point, [the bathrooms are] a very safe and comfortable place for all students,” said Birge. “So we’ll keep our eyes on [them], that’s the intent.”


Photo: Rohan Srivastava

Alexis Aguiar sits in front of the 180s hallway as a part of the adminstration’s new bathroom monitoring policy.

New PHS bathroom policies cause confusion among PHS students

For the 2026–2027 school year, the district’s budget has faced significant stress with rising costs and reduced funding, resulting in changes to budget allocation, positions, and resource distribution.

“The district budget has been cut mostly because of the lack of [monetary] aid from [the] federal government and … unusually high costs that’s market driven, such as insurance costs at the state level,” said Princeton High School Principal Cecilia Birge.

Under New Jersey Chapter 44, state regulations strictly dictate how local school districts must handle employee healthcare coverage. Under this mandate, all public schools must enroll teachers in the New Jersey Educators Health Plan, the Garden State Health Plan, or an identical, locally equivalent plan, legally binding all public districts to these specific state-approved programs. 

“Princeton [has its] own private insurers, and our cost only went up by 15 percent … [which is] a lot higher than the two percent property tax cap imposed by the [Chris] Christie administration,” said Birge.

The property tax cap directly limits the amount of money the government makes and therefore limits the money that schools can receive. Therefore, this imbalance in insurance premiums with tax caps creates a deficit.

Transportation costs and teacher contract obligations have also risen due to pre-existing contracts and market demand. Certain teachers receive annual raises that are higher than two percent a year, but the school can’t get more than two percent increase in its funding. 

“Using this structure, [Princeton Public Schools] cannot maintain this operation in the same way as previous years and year after year,” said Birge.

While positions will be reduced next year, administration emphasizes that is due to attrition and not layoffs. As staff retire or resign, the district has chosen to not refill some roles in order to save money. 

“All retired teachers, all teachers who have resigned … are being replaced … [by] the best teachers who are affordable,” said Birge. “We want to make sure we hire the teachers who are willing to grow within our school.”

These budget cuts are not planned to affect academics, as the administration emphasized how they have and will continue to prioritize the academic rigor of the school. Instead, the burden will be felt by extracurricular activities, which may not receive as much funds, as previously reported on by the Tower. 

“Students are our highest priority. … I’m not looking at [an] increase of [individual] class sizes because no teachers have been cut,” said Birge.

Despite the pressure of budget strain, the administration has stated that it will not resort to cutting down core programs.

“We’re still exploring ways to expand programs; that’s our bread and butter,” said Birge. “[They make] PHS great.”


Effect of budget cuts on PHS students and staff

Featuring music, food, flags, and much more, the fifth
Annual Latino Fest took place on June 1 on the PHS front
lawn. Organized by the Latinos Unidos club, the festival
aimed to highlight Latino culture as well as to engage the
community, showcasing stands from local organizations
as well as a free clothing stand. In order to provide these
stations, preparation for the event was a year-long process.

“Throughout the school year, we [promoted] a clothing
drive, so we had a lot of people bring in clothing [to
give] back to the community back for free,” said Aimy
Solares-Zacarias ’26, a leader of Latinos Unidos and major
organizer of the festival. “We had to get in touch with a lot
of organizations, like the firefighters and the municipality,
along with Mercer County.”

The festival also included various cultural food stands,
served entirely for free for all attendees. Volunteers served
tacos with Latino preparations of pork, beef, and chicken, as
well as providing drinks. Getting all the volunteers present
for the event was also an involved process.

“We invited a lot of alums. The presidents last year
came in to support bringing food and Princeton Regional
Education Association (PREA) sponsored the food,” said
Solares-Zacarias. “We also field-tripped students to help
us prepare.”

The cuisine and clothing attracted Princeton community
members who otherwise may not have come to the fest.

“[I was drawn in by] the music and the colors,” said Sonya
Keaney ’28. “[Latino Fest] is making culture so enjoyable
for everyone ... and [easier] to share. It’s a great event.”

Photo: Landon Pesnell

Top left: The Princeton community make conversation as they enjoy the food provided at the Latino Fest. Bottom left: Students line up as they receive food provided by Latinos Unidoes. Right: Flags decorate the lawn as students explore different activities on the front lawn.

Latinos Unidos hosts community-centered Latino Fest

On May 30, the PHS Odyssey of the Mind team placed
10th at the Odyssey of the Minds World Finals, the highest
placement in PHS history. Starting their preparation in
September, the four-member team selected the theme
“Classics ... the Epic Quest,” in which they were tasked with
writing their own epic hero’s journey. This year, the team
performed a story about characters overcoming common
teenage problems, such as low self-esteem.

“I played Julius, [who] was the hero of our performance,
but he also works with the sidekick Mark, played by Julia
Li [’27],” said Marcus Strum ’27, a member of the team.
“By World Finals, we had settled on major lessons that we
were telling through our story, so we had a beast character,
which represented ... insecurity.”

The team selected this challenge rather than the other
options, such as programming a robotic sidekick, because
they wanted the competition to be a creative outlet.

“We chose this problem ... [because] we figured that
we didn’t want to have to have the extra technical barrier,”
said Strum. “We wanted to have it to be more open ... [to]
cool stuff with our set.”

After selecting their theme and writing the script,
the team needed to find two more members, as their
performance required six actors. One person who agreed
to help perform and join the team was Noah Lee ’27, a
member of the club last year.

“I [didn’t] feel like it was a burden,” said Lee. “I really
wanted to do it because I had such a fun experience last
year. I was really excited to [participate] again and have fun.”
After placing second at state finals, the team used the
$4000 earned from hosting the Odyssey of the Mind New
Jersey State Finals to help fund their trip to World Finals.
Lee emphasized that the opportunity for different teams
to gather at World Finals from all across the globe made
it a unique experience.

“I learned that people can have vastly different lives
than I do, even though we’re in the same grade,” said Lee.
“Even within such a [similar group], there’s a vast amount
of different experiences.”

Odyssey of the Mind is different from other competitions because of the rubric’s more subjective nature, as teams can take on various interpretations of the same requirements. Strum learned that a more thematic presentation may have been the key to their success.

“Last year, part of the reason why I didn’t go far in the
competition with my team was because there wasn’t any
special meaning or impact behind what we were conveying in our performance,” said Strum. “But this year, we’ve
really tried to make everything symbolic, and I think
that’s why we got so far going to Worlds.”

Photo: Joy Chen

From left to right, Luna Xu ’28, Joy Chen ’27, Aarna Dharmavarpu ’27, Noah Lee '27, Marcus Strum ’27, and Julia Li ’27 pose in front of their set after their performance, wearing their costumes, headwear, and face paint.

PHS Odyssey of the Mind team receives first ever top ten placement at world finals

On April 27, the Princeton High School Euro Challenge
team placed first at the National Euro Challenge, an annual
economic policy competition for U.S. high school students
to learn about the European Union and its currency. Each
team picks a country that is in the eurozone, and presents
that country’s economic policy problems and solutions
for chosen issues. Following PHS’s first place victory, they
traveled to Washington D.C., where they met with an
ambassador of their chosen country and discussed the
real-world implementation of their research.

PHS’s team captains Aritra Ray ’27 and Helen Yu ’27
chose Slovakia this year, focusing on discussing the country’s
potential economic growth and prosperity. Yu explained
what challenges the team faced during the preparation for
the competition.

“There’s a lot of parts where we thought the solution was
not specific enough ... so we had to think, ‘What else can
we do that will help bring up a new section that hasn’t been
paid a lot of attention to?’” said Yu. “In general ... we had
to build a team dynamic, and we had to make sure that
overall our presentation wasn’t monotone.”

The team had to divert slightly from their usual process,
especially with regard to overall productivity, after not
placing first for about five years, though the team did have
a fourth place finish last year.

“I think this year we stayed a lot more on task. Having a
strict schedule really built [us] up for success, because on
the day of the competition, all our members had everything
that they needed to know,” said Yu.

While Yu and Ray played a role in the research process
and the management of the group, the presentation was
designated to the freshman and sophomore team members.

“Every year, we pick people [to make the presentation more
engaging]. So I was Michal Meško, a [Slovak entrepreneur]
... [and] Rohan was the minister of economics,” said
Sebastian Balestri ’28, one of the PHS presenters.

Along with the changes on their presentation, the club’s
advisor, PHS chemistry teacher Matthew Krip, noted
another unique feature of the PHS team, and other PHS
clubs in general, highlighting their student-run nature.

“That dynamic is unlike any other school that was [at
the competition], and coming as the teacher who believes
in that type of pedagogy, the dynamic is that the students
who had competed previously, they became the leaders,”
said Krip. “That’s the ideal pedagogy, because when I saw
the other groups, the teachers were pretty much advising
everything.”

As a prize for the team’s first place victory, on June 2
and 3, the team traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with
Slovak ambassador to the United States, Matúš Huťka, and
explore the possibility of turning their ideas into a reality.

“I think it’s about realism and meeting people who have
influence, and hearing their perspective validated, and
that’s very empowering. Any person who has put enormous
amounts of time and research into a certain subject, and
then going to an authority in some way, honestly, it’s kind
of interesting,” said Krip.

The team spoke to the Slovak ambassador and other
Slovakians, hoping to explore the viability of their ideas
and whether they could have a real impact.

“I really want to talk to the [Slovak] people, and then
[see] if our solutions would be something that they would
consider ... and I just want to see how they would respond
to [these problems], [if] this is something they’ve considered
in the past, and why they haven’t done anything about it
yet,” said Yu.

Unlike other clubs, the Euro Challenge club allows team
members a hands-on opportunity to step into the role of
policymakers and carve their own solutions.

“I think Euro Challenge really offers a unique experience,
especially when it comes to ... formulating your own
solutions,” said Balestri. “That’s not something that you get
with many other clubs.”

Ben Carliner, a senior economist at the EU Delegation
who worked with the Euro Challenge organizers to plan
the Washington trip, echoed a similar idea.

“Putting [students] in front of [adults] who will take
[their] ideas seriously and ask questions ... really prepares
[them] for the kind of work [they’ll] need to do in the real
world,” said Carliner.

Photo Courtesy: EUintheUS

Euro Challenge team members take a photo with first place trophy. Left to right: James Draney, Joy Young, Cole Grainger ’29, Rohan Sriavstava ’28, Sidharth Maghnani ’28, Helen Yu ’27, Aritra Ray ’27, Sebastian Balestri ’28, Aidan Sutphin ’29, Vasco Leal ’28, and Joshua Huang ’28.

Euro Challenge team wins first place nationally

On May 29, PHS students, faculty, and families gathered
on the front lawn for the fourth annual Pride Fest in
support of PHS’s LGBTQ+ community. Clubs from across
the school, including the Queer Manga Club, Gender and
Sexuality Alliance (GSA), and Student Council hosted
booths at the event. The PHS a cappella groups also
performed various pieces throughout.

Alex Brown ’27, co-leader of the PHS GSA club and
main organizer of the Pride Fest, explained how gathering
funding and clubs was more difficult this year, with most
outreach efforts coordinated by students. In past years,
teachers have secured Pride Fest funding through the
Princeton Regional Education Association. However,
this year, because Pride Fest lacked a faculty advisor, it
was unable to receive funding directly from the district.

“We’re low on funding this year, so it’s just what [the clubs]
can contribute ... it’s really just a grassroots movement at
this point of bringing people together,” said Brown. “It’s a
lot of student-based work right now.”

While Princeton provides a relatively supportive
environment for LGBTQ+ students, participants explained
the importance of acknowledging the challenges that queer
people continue to face outside of PHS.

“Princeton is a really privileged area to be living in, and
this circumstance is not the same ... in systems in different
countries and even in the U.S.,” said co-leader of the Queer
Manga Club Priscilla Ha ’27. “The LGBTQ+ community
is suffering so much under the Trump administration
[with] all the cuts for things like [transgender] welfare
and mental health.”

Given this climate, Student Body President Zoriah
Bess ’27 believes that events like PHS’s Pride Fest are
crucial because they can help LGBTQ+ students feel
more connected and included within their communities.

“[Pride Fest is] important because a lot of kids need to
be seen in their community ... We have so many clubs
that are based on religion or sexual orientation or even
race, like base clubs, so people can feel like they have a
community here at PHS,” said Bess.

Beyond just celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, the
event also helped to connect queer people at PHS together.

“Having everyone together and feeling confident in
themselves ... it ties the queer community to this fun
experience that brings everyone together,” said Hannah
Suzuki ’29.

Bess believes that even students and staff who are
not part of LGBTQ+ community can play an important
role in creating a more inclusive and welcoming climate
just by showing up.

“I’m an ally,” said Bess. “I’m not part of the LGBTQ+
community, but I still come and show support ... I want
to be here because everybody else is here, everybody’s
having fun.”

Brown hopes that events like Pride Fest help foster
greater visibility and build a community for LGBTQ+
students.

“With such a hostile climate today, it’s so important
to highlight the triumphs of youth,” said Brown. “Having that celebration, empowerment, and such a fun
celebration is really important, because it just brings
comfort to people ... knowing that they’re safe in this
community.”

Photo: Katherine Chen

PHS students gather at the front lawn as they listen to various a cappella groups perform during Pride Fest.

Student leaders unite to organize PHS’s fourth annual pride fest

Effective the 2026-27 school year,
Princeton Public Schools will no longer
allow students aged 20 years or over
to enroll at PHS following a review of
district policy and state law by the Board
of Education and the district’s attorney.
This change does not include students
on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
– who receive special federal protection
up to the age of 21 – but still applies to
12 students at PHS, several of whom are
English Language Learners (ELL).

According to New Jersey State law,
public schools must provide free education
to students between 5 and 20 years old,
but are not obligated to enroll students
beyond this range.

“Districts are required to provide free
appropriate public education to students
until the age of 20. And then after that, it’s
the district’s discretion whether or not to
continue providing that,” said Christian
Gonzalez, an English teacher who works
with ELL students. “If the district is legally
able to, at their own discretion, continue
that education for that student who’s
right on the cusp of graduating and who’s
otherwise in good standing...why don’t
we just continue at that point?”

PPS has in the past allowed students
over the age of 20 to continue enrolling
because the district was not aware of the
law, according to PHS Principal Cecilia
Birge and Supervisor of School Counseling
John McMichael. The district made this
change following a review this April after
an inquiry by a high school staff member.

“I think this was a law that’s been
on the books for a while and we just
weren’t following it... I don’t think it was anything intentional,” said McMichael. “This is tough because we’re talking about
students... [but] this is what we have to do
to be in compliance with the laws of the
state of New Jersey and the Department
of Education.”

Five graduating seniors will not
be affected by the policy. Beyond the
graduating seniors, in the current student
body, Birge said that the schedule of two
students will be updated to ensure that
they can graduate on time, which may
entail moving the date of their NJGPA test.

“Previously, we would let them just
complete the entire school year. [Now] they
will still be part of the graduation, because
the graduation ceremony is important,
but we have to let the student leave school
before that,” said Birge.

However, several other students will be
forced to leave the school without a diploma
once they turn 20.

“We have students who are turning 20,
but they’re so far behind because they’re ESL
[students and] don’t have enough credits.
Even if we keep them here until 21, they
wouldn’t be able to graduate,” said Birge.

Additional teachers who spoke to
the Tower under the condition of
anonymity due to fear of retribution
against themselves and their students
voiced concerns about the change.

“Students are crying,” said one
anonymous teacher. “They’re okay the
day before their [20th] birthday. What
changes after that?”

The bulk of students who will be
affected are ELL students who enter PHS
in freshman year at the age of 16. Priscilla
Russell, Supervisor of ELL & Language Programs, said that she is working with central administration to advocate for
students in ELL programs. However,
anonymous staff members explained that
the change was not communicated to
them until May, and they did not receive
an official announcement of the change,
because it was “under the rug,” according
to the source.

“This policy is frankly disheartening.
Princeton purports itself to be liberal and
inclusive, but the community doesn’t know
what’s happening,” said the anonymous
teacher.

According to Dr. Michael LaSusa,
superintendent of Princeton Public
Schools, the district will continue to
support the students who are not on track
to graduate.

“While I am not permitted to speak about
specific individual student circumstances,
I can say that any student who may age
out of eligibility to remain enrolled in our
district by graduation has had and will
continue to have opportunities to meet with
their school counselors and other staff to
develop a plan that best meets their needs,”
said LaSusa.


Photo: Rohan Srivastava

For some students, the end of the road will come early: once students reach their 20th birthday, PPS will no longer allow them to remain enrolled to finish the school year — a change largely affecting English Language Learners.

PPS to end enrollment of 20-year-old students following review of state law

Starting this year, a resurgence of classic backyard games has swept the nation, with teenagers across the United States reviving recreational pastimes such as frisbee, wiffle
ball, cornhole, spikeball, and especially hacky sack. The recent comeback of these sports has reached student life at Princeton High School as well, with students all across
campus participating. With little equipment necessary and a spontaneous nature, these backyard games are bringing students together, encouraging them to unplug and stay
active throughout the day.

### Hacky Sack

The origins of hacky sack can typically be traced back to
1972 at a local festival in Oregon, where co-inventors Mike
Marshall and John Stalberger met. Marshall introduced
his friend to a hobby learned from his time with Native
Americans, kicking a bean bag back and forth for hours on
end. Entranced by this rudimentary but engaging hobby,
they birthed their company Hacky Sack.

Starting in the Northeast just after spring break, many
high schoolers were introduced to the new sport. Spreading
like a wildfire through social media, schools have even
started forming hacky-sack teams that range from the
varsity level to exclusively freshman. PHS has decided to
join in on the fun too.

Most recently, PHS varsity sacks has been participating
in a state wide hacky sack tournament featuring a $4,000
prize for first place. Each submission consists of a video,
showcasing one round of hacky sack, with the public
voting for the winner. Members of PHS’s own varsity sack
team have been putting up flyers to promote participation
in voting. Winning both the rounds of 64 and 32, this
strategy seems to be working. The future success of our
varsity sack team rides on both the skills they can bring to
the table and the school spirit we can back them up with.

These sacks are technically called foot bags, with Hacky
Sack being just a brand name. But nevertheless, retailers
of all kinds are scrambling to keep up with the demand.
Co-owner Joanne Farrugia at Princeton’s local toy shop
Jazams emphasizes this point.

“We brought in several hundred and then sold out pretty
quickly, and then brought in more, sold out pretty quickly”
said Farrugia. “Now we have another huge order coming
in. So, hopefully that will last a little while.”

With this craze infecting the hallways of PHS, students
have been finding every chance to play. Many see this
revival being a good thing for the students, with one being
Marion Walsh ’29.

“I think it benefits society because people are together,
having fun, [getting] physical exercise, [and] forming
friendships and bonds over such a beautiful game,” said
Walsh. “It’s just a part of my life now, and I wouldn’t have
it any other way.”

The hold that hacky sack has on this generation can
be attributed to its sociable and simple nature. Constant
overlap in action forces communication, making hacky
sack a great way to build connections. Along with this,
all that is needed is a sack smaller than the size of your
palm, allowing games to take place anywhere, anytime.

### Frisbee

Another backyard game that is popular in the
United States today is frisbee. Although activities
similar to frisbee can be dated back to the 8th century
B.C., the sport was mainstreamed in the United
States after the inventor Fred Morrison created a
plastic disc inspired by flying saucers. Since then,
frisbee has grown into a sport played in at least 70
countries around the world.

Frisbee encompasses many different playstyles,
ranging from ultimate frisbee to disc golf. Ultimate
Frisbee is played in a similar way to American football,
except that instead of a football, players throw a disc
around. In recent years, many competitive Ultimate
leagues have been established across the United
States for all ages. Disc Golf is usually perceived as
a more casual way to play frisbee, usually found in
parks or on beaches.

Since many frisbee games can be played either
competitively or casually, the sport impacts all kinds
of PHS students, one of them being PHS Frisbee
Club Captain Julian Grossman ’28.

“[If you’re] on the same team, it’s a very good
bonding experience,” said Grossman. “[You] get
[to] exercise and be with friends.”

Grossman has been the captain of the club since
the start of the 2025 school year and his love for
frisbee stems from its uniqueness. Many students
specifically choose frisbee over other sports because
they value the sport for the people that they can
bond with and get to know while playing.

### Spikeball

Ever since its appearance on Shark Tank in 2015, Spikeball
has taken the world by storm. The company has managed
to sell over five million nets since then and the sport has
become a staple part of recreational backyard or beach
hangouts.

Similar to how wiffle ball is modeled off of baseball,
Spikeball is a hybrid of volleyball and four square. Two
teams of two players take turns bouncing a ball back and
forth off of an ankle high circular net. Each team gets up
to three touches — similar to volleyball — to pass the ball
and spike it back onto the net. If a team misses the net, hits
the rim, or uses too many touches, a point is awarded to
the opposing team.

This backyard game has intrigued PHS students so much
that they have decided to form a club. Run by Romy Johnson
’26 along with other PHS students, the club provides an
environment for students to enjoy Spikeball while meeting
new people in the process.

“I think it’s just a fun activity for me to do with my
friends. It doesn’t require you to be super athletic, and it’s
not like you’re getting tired because you’re just standing
there, but it’s still fun and engaging,” said Johnson.

There are other factors that also may influence the
appeal to Spikeball. Many people enjoy the connections
that they are able to make with friends while playing while
others view the game as a break from studying or work.

Spikeball’s appeal may also come from its convenience.
The entire setup fits inside a drawstring bag, which allows
people to play it in various environments. But what
makes Spikeball stand out from other backyard games?

“Spikeball is a bit more interactive, it’s a bit more
intense, getting the ball onto the net, running for it
sometimes, there’s [these] fun moments that come out
of it,” said Ethan Tang ’29. “Something like catch [is] just
boring. There’s not a lot of stuff that happens.”

photo: Katherine Chen

Left to right: Moksh Rajpal ’28, Nikola Tholens ’28, Bruno Giacoppo ’28, and Lucius Rufo ’28 play hacky sack by the flagpole.

Backyard games make a comeback

No one enjoys losing. After all, everyone wants to succeed,
win, and enjoy the fruits of their labor. However, the fear of
losing often accompanies the drive to accomplish, especially
for athletes that are expected to perform well regardless of
external or internal conditions that may impact gameplay.
As a result, athletes must adopt a tenacity which allows
them to handle loss, and to learn and grow from their past
mistakes or setbacks.

Often, a loss can expose what a win often hides: weak
communication, lazy habits, or poor decisions. When a team
wins, faults in individual decision-making or teamplay may
be ignored, as the guise of success and victory routinely
cover up areas of potential improvement. It stands to
reason that the losses hardest to accept are often the most
necessary. They ask you only one thing: do you have the
courage to keep going? Even at the highest level, the mind
is tested, demanded, and challenged — both on the court
and long after the game ends.

“Concentration and mental toughness are the margins
of victory” said legendary 11-time NBA Champion Bill
Russell.

Such mentality not only separates great athletes from
good ones, but also exposes the depth of an athlete’s
commitment. It’s easy to remain invested when success is
almost habitual, when confidence is high and victory comes
with ease. On the other hand, a loss commands effort and
progress that is no longer glamorous. Ultimately, a loss
forces an athlete to decide whether the result will carry
on as frustration or instill a newfound drive to be better.

The point of losing is not to just give up what you have
worked so hard for all because of a bad moment. Where
there are ups, there are downs; what matters most is what
you decide to do with your losses. For instance, in track,
immediate reflection can look like adjusting
your pace after going too fast, taking a leap of
faith in yourself to go climb up a few spots,
or choosing when to conserve energy and
when to push following a bad start.

“There’s always something you
could have done better. [I always have
to think about] what [I could have]
done better, what was out of my control,
what I [can] control, [and] what [I
can] do to come back stronger,” said
Felix Yu ’27.

However, improvement
is not only limited to
physical training. It
could also be about how
an athlete approaches an
event itself — how they handle pressure, make decisions,
and adjust in the moment. At times, what once looked
like a lack of fitness can actually turn out to be a matter
of judgement. A loss can reveal problems that came from
stressed nerves, a lack of proper preparation, or from the
way a plan was executed differently than from practice.

“A lot of times when I lose I just think to myself it’s just a
fitness issue. Now, improvement doesn’t come from better
training ... [it] comes [from] just learning how to [properly]
approach races,” said Yu.

A race is never decided by one moment alone.
Ayrton Senna, for example, did not win his first
Formula One race until his 16th start, however;
that first breakthrough became the beginning of
everything that followed. A race, in the same
way, is rarely a reflection
or summation of one’s
continued work. More
often, it is part of what
eventually makes success
possible. It can sharpen judgment,
expose weaknesses, and leave behind a clearer
sense of what must change before the next competition
arrives.

So, the next time you end a competition on the wrong
side of the scoreboard, don’t sulk over the immediate
defeat. Think about what you can learn from your
loss, and use that understanding in order to prepare
for how you might win your next game. Success isn’t the
absence of failure; it is the result of it, and the perpetual
reflection of oneself on their previous losses.

What we gain from losing

Long distance running is exhausting, repetitive, and
mentally draining. Practices often involve early mornings,
sore muscles, and miles of pushing through discomfort. Yet
for many runners at PHS, there are moments during a workout
or race when the pain suddenly fades into the background
and running begins to feel almost effortless, tapping into a
mental state where exercise that once felt difficult becomes
calming, energizing, and even enjoyable — often referred
to as “runner’s high.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, scientists
have believed the “runner’s high” was caused mainly by
endorphins. These chemicals, released by the body to help
reduce pain and create positive feelings, are unable to cross
into the brain. Due to this, they realized it could not be
the cause. On the other hand, the same study suggests an
alternate factor may play a larger role. Specifically, scientists
believe endocannabinoids may contribute more directly to
the euphoric feelings many runners describe because they
can cross into the brain and affect mood, stress,
and anxiety. These scientists also believe the
phenomenon may explain why many runners
feel calmer, mentally refreshed, or less stressed.

Nevertheless, for many runners, the
“runner’s high” is difficult to generalize because
every athlete experiences it differently. Some
describe it as excitement, while others define
it as mental clarity or a sudden feeling of
confidence during a difficult run.

“It’s just this feel-good feeling,” said PHS
track Coach Jennifer Smolyn. “This sense of
euphoria or excitement. ... You tend to feel
less tired, less fatigued.”

Smolyn explained the experience is difficult to define
through only one cause and believes there are multiple
contributing factors.

“There’s definitely a [mind-body] connection,” said
Smolyn. “Your muscles feel less tired, so stuff is going on
in the brain, but [it’s] probably a mix of a bunch of things.”

For Steven Cenci ’26, the captain of the cross country and
track and field teams, the “runner’s high” often appears in
the middle of a strong race. After the opening miles — when
exhaustion normally begins to take over — he described
moments where confidence begins to replace doubt.

“Sometimes when you have a really good race, it’s just so
exciting to keep going,” said Cenci. “You know you’re gonna
do well, and you know you’re gonna be proud of that race
when you finish.”

Cenci explained how while training strengthens the body,
racing often depends on whether runners can mentally push
through discomfort when their bodies begin telling them
to stop. He explains how distance running is as much of a
mental sport as it is physical.

“Everyone could go for a run, but it’s not
something that most people choose to do, because
it is very mentally tough to start doing. ... When
your mind wants to give up, it’s not because your
muscles have to give up,” Cenci said.

Isabella Franceschi ’28, who runs cross country
and track, described “runner’s high” as a sudden
burst of energy.

“It feels like you can run forever... right when
you start out running and you don’t feel tired at
all,” Franceschi said.

According to Franceschi, the “runner’s high” happens on
days when you feel prepared, such as when you had a good
meal or when you’re really hydrated. Although it’s rare, she
believes it can heighten performance by minimizing error
and heightening confidence to get past comfort
zones. She noted the feeling cannot be forced,
making it harder to explain to people who have
never experienced it.

Head track Coach James Smirk said his own
experiences with running changed as he became
more experienced with the
sport.

“As I became a better
runner, I actually went
the other way and associated [running] with
[discomfort],” Smirk said.
“I enjoyed leaning into the
difficulty of the task.”

Smirk explained that he does
not see “runner’s high” as only a
feeling of happiness during exercise.
Instead, he believes many runners
experience it through focus, purpose,
and engagement with the challenge
itself.

“I think a lot of those feelings
[associated with] ‘runner’s high’
are feeling accomplished and very
comfortable with the work being
done. ... You’re doing something just
fundamentally difficult,” said Smirk.
Smirk also described running as
something that became an important
part of his daily routine over time.

“There was this component to my day where I could
just stay within myself,” Smirk said. “ [I] enjoy[ed] the fact
that I was doing a thing that I was in charge of and I was
in control of.”

Although the “runner’s high” is often talked
about among athletes, Smolyn agreed it is not
something runners can force. Even experienced
runners may only experience it a few times
throughout an entire season.

“You’re not gonna achieve that feeling too
frequently,” Smolyn said. “Some runners will never
experience the ‘runner’s high’ feeling.”

In other words, the runner’s high is an elusive
state that is not something atheletes can practice or
train because it is tied to the pressure and emotions that are
unique to competition. On the other hand, Smirk emphasized
how people often expect immediate results from running,
even though the benefits can take much longer to develop.

“I think people are like, ‘if I just run for 10 days, I’ll feel
better,’” said Smirk. “This might take months or years, but
just do it a little bit every day and see where that puts you.”

The science behind the runner's high

On Saturday, June 6, Princeton hosted its second-ever
triathlon. Organized by the Princeton High School Triathlon
Club in conjunction with the Princeton Recreation
Department, the event attracted 16 participants from
Princeton High School, as well as from eight states across
the country.

The Princeton Triathlon Club has been working on
this event for the past three years. The idea for the club
started when Shawn Elwood ’26, now the Triathlon Club
leader, thought that the school could use a Triathlon
Club and that Princeton should host a triathlon. As
a freshman, he started his own club and tried to start
the Princeton Triathlon the first year the club existed.
The first year it was attempted, Elwood and the other
club members ran into issues with
getting a permit from the township.
While they weren’t able to hold the
triathlon that year, they still had
valuable planning that was reused
for the second year, when they
eventually got the permit.

“The township, actually, denied
us access to a permit. So year one,
we are already facing seemingly an
impossible barrier,” said Elwood. “But
the year after, we doubled down on
planning, we compromised when we
could, and were able to get the permit ...
From there, we actually had to
plan the event, which was a large amount of organization.”

Last year was the very first year of the Princeton
Triathlon, and 250 people participated. It was a
supersprint triathlon, which meant a 300m swim, a 5.5
mile bike and a 1.5 mile run. This year, along with the super
sprint, they also offered a normal sprint triathlon, which
is a 400-meter swim, 10.5 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run.
This year was also the first year that the duathlon (1 mile
run, 5-mile bike, 1.5-mile run) and aquabike (300-meter
swim, 5-mile bike)
were offered, for
participants not
interested in racing
the full length
triathlon.

“We’ve expanded
it to a sprint as well,
so it’s not just the
supersprint length
... which is really
exciting. It means
more ground to patrol and make
sure everything’s good ... I think
that would be the biggest thing
[I’m looking forward to], I’m
excited to see how it all works
together,” said Braedyn Capone
’26.

Along with the more race
options this year, the Princeton
Triathlon offered merchandise,
including t-shirts, hoodies,
water bottles and more. The
organizers of the event were
also able to double the cap of
participants
to 500, up
from the 250 that raced last year.They
hosted a vlog contest for anyone who
was participating, and the top three
finishers of the vlog contest received
a discount off the triathlon for next
year, and had their vlog featured on
the Princeton Triathlon’s social media
account.

"Now that we have the organizational part of it under our
belt ... we’ve invested much more in
community engagement. For example,
we’re introducing merch,” said Elwood.
“We have a family corner. I think about 30-40 [percent] of
our signups are from families, so we’re kind of branding
ourselves as the Princeton Triathlon family.”

Many PHS students and alumni — including Martin
Trkov ’29, Deniz Gawiser-Salur ’29 and Evan Raphael ’26
— participated in the race. A total of 497 people raced in
this event, with 429 finishers. These participants put in
a lot of time and effort in order to properly train for the
event, practicing the swim, bike, and run in preparation.

“My training mainly consists of doing group runs as part
of the track team ... as well as doing bluefish in their early
season,” said Trkov.

Gawiser-Salur agrees that running for the track team
has helped him train.

“I never got out of shape since I’ve been constantly training
for track by running,” said Gawiser-Salur.

Similarly, lots of effort and preparation was put in from
the volunteering and organizing teams, some of whom
arrived at the venue at 4:00 a.m. to help set up. From
putting up signs to directing people during the race,
volunteers were present at every step of the event.

“I did [the super sprint] last year, and it
was a lot of fun. ... I saw [Shawn] running
around ... he was doing five different
things at once and I thought, maybe
this guy needs some help, which is why
I [helped] him ... I [had] to get there at
4:30 and then he [started] bossing me
around after that, I [helped] draw some
of the bike course out, [or] just [got]
people in lines,” said Sonya Keaney ’28,
a volunteer for the Princeton Triathlon.

This year’s top finishers from the
high school sprint triathlon were
high schooler Luzi Meggers, and Evan
Raphael ’26 for men, with times of
1:09:03.18 and 1:01:27.48 respectively.
In the supersprint the top PHS finishers were Angelena
Gonzalez ’29 for women, and middle schooler Nathan
Ricciardi for men, with times of 44:38.19 and 44:16.34.
Overall, the 2026 Princeton Triathlon provided a
unique opportunity for people of all ages to experience
a triathlon, and brought the community of Princeton
together to support the race and all those participating.
With new plans for next year already in discussion amongst
the Triathlon Club leaders, it’s clear that the Princeton
Triathlon is here to stay. Similarly, the Triathlon will only
continue to grow with the continued support of eager
Princetonians.

“My favorite part is on race day, seeing everything come
together, and in the work that has gone on over the past
few years ... standing out over the swimming start and
watching the hundreds of people extremely excited to
jump in and push themselves, it’s an amazing feeling,”
said Elwood.

photo courtesy: Shawn Elwood

PHS math teacher Peter Stanton celebrates his successful finish.

PHS Triathlon Club co-organizes second-ever Princeton Triathlon

From June 11 to July 1, Canada, Mexico,
and the United States will host the 2026 FIFA
World Cup. The FIFA World Cup is an
international men’s soccer tournament
featuring national teams that compete
for the title of world champion. Held
every four years, the tournament draws
about five billion viewers throughout
its duration.

On May 6, New Jersey Governor Mikie
Sherrill announced a $5 million grant
that would be spread across 34 NJ-based
organizations hosting fan experiences
and community events for the World
Cup. One such grant was given to
Experience Princeton, Princeton’s
downtown business association. They
will be hosting food-filled
World Cup watch parties on
June 20, June 28, and July 14.
Across the country, various
towns will hold watch parties .

These watch parties will
create a lively environment and
community for soccer fans in
NJ. With the World Cup Final
and group-stage matches
featuring Brazil, France,
England, and Germany being held at
Metlife Stadium, both Princeton and
New Jersey will become major soccer hubs
this summer. This will bring lots of tourism
and soccer fans to these areas, and is slated
to support the state’s economy.

“I think it’ll be a crazy time, because
there’s gonna be a lot of tourists in the
area, which is a good time to show off
New Jersey. I think New Jersey in the
summertime is a great place to be,” said
Ryan Walsh, PHS Boys Soccer Head
Coach. “I’m hoping that as people come
to watch these games, they’ll also get a
chance to step out and see the Jersey Shore
and some of the parks.”

FIFA announced that this year’s World
Cup will be the first to allow 48 teams to
compete in the group stage instead of the
standard 32. Although this lets smaller
teams such as Jordan, Uzbekistan,
and Cape Verde compete for the
first time, many fans have mixed
opinions on this change in the
tournament.

“I thought that there are too
many teams qualifying that don’t
actually deserve to qualify. It’ll be
fun because there’s more games
and because some countries
that haven’t qualified in a long
time are now qualified,
but they only qualified
because they expanded
the tournament,” said Walsh.

Although there are concerns about the expanded
qualification, the tournament
still carries emotional weight
for fans around the world. This
year’s World Cup will be the
last that soccer legends such as
Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar will compete
in. It’s a bittersweet moment for many fans
because although these soccer greats are
leaving the pitch, they will make room for
new talent to step forward. Players like
Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland are
poised to become the next generation of
greats.

“How do you not talk about Yamal, he’s
sensational,” said Walsh. “I obviously coach
the high school team here, and I always joke
with the guys. I’m like, ‘Hey, he’s your age,
imagine if he was on this field right now,
how great he would be.’”

FIFA also values their exclusive
sponsorships for this year’s World Cup
highly and seeks to protect the rights of these
sponsors. As a result, MetLife Stadium was
renamed New York New Jersey Stadium,
and similar changes were applied to other
stadiums and venues.

With the addition of the 16
teams to this year’s World Cup,
fans expect some interesting
matchups throughout the group
stages. The United States will
compete in Group D, where it
will face Australia, Paraguay, and
Turkey. Meanwhile, countries
such as France, Brazil, Spain, and
defending champion Argentina
are viewed as strong contenders
for the title.

“It appears that a lot of the
European nations are more dominant,” said
Ray Yamada ’29. “These nations seem to
[have] a lot of talent [on] the team. There
are some dark horses [though, for example]
last time in the 2022 World Cup, Morocco
made it all the way to the [semifinals].”

For many nations around the world,
the World Cup is a
powerful source of
patriotism and cultivates a collective
identity. The World Cup
also has the potential
to unite the globe even
during times of turmoil
and international unrest. For example,
during their 2006 World
Cup qualification, the
Ivory Coast temporarily
paused its civil war so
people could watch the
national team play. Beyond moments of
global significance, the World Cup also
brings family, friends, and teammates
together as they watch matches and cheer
for their countries together.

“It just brings the whole nation into one
sport, which is really nice,” said Yamada.
“People who don’t watch or play soccer
normally are also interested as well, so it
just brings unity.”

As the world shifts its attention
to North America this summer, the
2026 World Cup will highlight global
excitement and local pride. With New
Jersey as a host, the energy of the
tournament will be brought into the
everyday lives of New Jerseyans, through
packed stadiums and community watch
parties. The expanded qualification
format, coupled with the final World
Cup appearances of legendary players,
will bring a feeling of anticipation and
nostalgia to fans across the globe. In a
time when the world can feel so divided,
the tournament offers billions a chance
to connect, bond, and celebrate.

The FIFA World Cup gears up in North America

PHS Speaks Out: What’s your favorite relaxation technique?

Over the past few months, the student body has been subjected to many policy changes: websites have been blocked and certain applications no longer open. In response, there has been considerable outrage, demonstrated by means ranging from word of mouth to contact with the tech office. However, these policies do not warrant such a reaction.


Most obviously, each student and their family signed a contract upon receiving a school device, stating that they would follow the acceptable-use guidelines. The vast majority of blocked websites only ensure that students have no mechanism of violating these guidelines. There is no reason to complain about Minecraft being blocked; these devices do not belong to students.


As always, however, the devil lies in the details. There are a number of websites that have been caught in the crossfire, being blocked despite serving a solely beneficial purpose, including Github and certain news sites. This may seem like a negative, but in reality it serves as a lesser of two evils. It is clear that bad websites must be blocked, or else students will continue misusing school devices, and there are two methods of achieving this goal: a whitelist, where a certain list of websites are the only sites allowed to be visited, or a blacklist, where a certain list of websites are blocked. Broadly, the system that PHS is currently using functions more similarly to a whitelist, where only certain categories of websites are allowed to be visited. Websites get blocked when they are mischaracterized.


The alternative to this would be a blacklist, where the school would need to explicitly   list every website that ought to be blocked. This        approach obviously would not work as students would create new websites to evade these bans, or they would find new websites that the administrators were unable to find to block. Essentially, a blacklist creates a game of cat-and-mouse, where the tech office is overwhelmed and occupied by constantly looking at student usage to find new websites to block while students keep finding new sites; in fewer words, a waste of time for students and administration alike.


What’s the drawback with the whitelist? Certain websites get blocked. Fortunately, there is a very simple solution: any incorrectly blocked website can be unblocked with a simple-to-submit tech ticket.  Yes, this responsibility falls on the teachers, but it’s preferable to having students distracted during lessons. As you may have noticed, Github is unblocked as of writing this article, because resolving conflicts doesn’t have to be difficult.


Fine, maybe blocking the websites isn’t the problem. It’s the way that it’s done. Students cite a lack of communication as the issue, but the current system is the best one. Is the school expected to reveal their plans to the student body, explain their desire to prevent them from misbehaving, and then accept their input? There is nothing useful that students could provide before the implementation.


Maybe it’s the inconsistency? What problems does the inconsistency realistically present? Anyone using their computers correctly is largely unaffected by new policies, and if anything arises, it’s resolved by just one tech ticket.


It’s okay to make a ruckus when the school does something wrong; there’s no need to create a stir about them doing something right.

PHS’s new policies aren’t that big of a deal, actually

Cheers & Jeers: June 2026

“2023: Corona ended. 2026: Hantavirus,” X user @iamasoothsayer posted in 2022. Since the reports of a recent hantavirus outbreak surfaced, the post has reappeared, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes and responses as users cite it as proof that the outbreak was planned in advance.  Alongside these speculations, exaggerated claims comparing hantavirus to COVID-19 are also spreading online, warning about a possible major pandemic despite health officials stating that the virus poses far less of a threat.


Despite the lack of proof for hantavirus epidemic theories, their popularity is evidence of a major problem. Growing at a rate seemingly faster than the actual virus, the rise of misinformation is alarming. Unlike other false claims, medical misinformation has a more direct impact on immediate decisions about treatment and prevention, as well as on trust in medicine as a whole. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how quickly false claims can spread online. This proves dangerous, as many students, including in Princeton, are exposed to most of their health information digitally.


Medical misinformation shoulders a unique risk because it can shape how people approach taking care of their own health. It may lead to false interpretations of the available evidence, misallocation of health resources and an increase in vaccination hesitancy. Currently, social media acts as the primary catalyst, with platforms boosting content regardless of accuracy for an audience that focuses on sensationalist headlines. 


COVID-era misinformation was characterized by claims that vaccines caused cancer and that hydroxychloroquine was a viable treatment. Similarly for hantavirus, Dr. Mary Talley Bowden falsely advertised on X that ivermectin was a cure for the disease — an idea that was perpetuated by government officials including Marjorie Taylor Greene.


Widespread misleading information has proved damaging to broader public health. Many individuals no longer view routine immunizations as necessary due to skepticism that took off during the pandemic. According to CDC data, vaccination rates for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) have dropped to 92.5 percent, falling below the 95 percent herd immunity threshold needed to prevent measles transmission. At the same time, Johns Hopkins research has also found that nearly 80 percent of countries have reported drops in childhood vaccination rates following the pandemic. Due to the increasing number of false claims about vaccine safety and effectiveness, trust in public health has weakened. As vaccines are only effective when used in combination with widespread participation, communities have become vulnerable. If misinformation continues to push people to opt out of vaccination, the consequences of ignorance toward credible medical information could extend beyond one’s personal beliefs and become a health concern for everyone.


The resurgence of false information about hantavirus is proof that our habits of believing anything we see on social media have not disappeared since the COVID pandemic. Algorithms tend to present perspectives based on how much attention it may garner, whether they are accurate or fabricated. Medical misinformation deals directly with our personal wellbeing as well as broader health, which makes this issue particularly pernicious. Digital literacy remains a must in this day and age, including skills like identifying clickbait headlines and verifying sources. Ignoring our responsibility to question and confirm online medical claims before accepting or sharing them will inevitably lead to detrimental consequences for all. 

The resurgence of medical misinformation

In a democracy, voters are supposed to choose their leaders. But in American politics this fundamental truth is being challenged; politicians are using algorithms to hand-pick their voters. The practice, called gerrymandering, is where an electoral constituency’s boundaries are rearranged to favor one group, generally either by party or race. As gerrymandering continues to evolve, the question remains: do opposing parties fight fire with fire?


The idea of gerrymandering began in 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry approved a salamander-shaped district designed to favor his party. However, at the time, gerrymandering was a rudimentary political tactic, and the execution of it was not nearly as systematic as it is today. As technology continues to develop, gerrymandering poses a more serious threat, as it is no longer a sporadic tactic vulnerable to human error, but instead, driven by data science and high-tech precision. Partisan gerrymandering continues to legally be used by political leaders to rig elections, especially after Rucho v. Common Cause (2019), which eliminated the federal judiciary’s jurisdiction to rule on partisan gerrymandering cases — essentially legalizing it unless states took action. 


Countless cases have revealed that when political parties choose to retaliate with more gerrymandering, they are not defending democracy, but actively participating in its decline. Sam Wang, leader of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and former candidate in the 12th District Democratic primary, argues that counter-redistricting to combat gerrymandering is not a sustainable solution.


“[Redistricting] is a thing that. . .Democrats could do in response to Republican gerrymandering, but I would hesitate to call that fighting gerrymandering,” said Wang. “What that does is doubling gerrymandering.” 


While counter-gerrymandering often masquerades as a solution, it forces both parties to give up their values and pursuit for the public’s trust by validating gerrymandering. Gerrymandering isn’t a necessary evil to survive politically, and by fighting fire with fire, parties only affirm that assumption. It’s also worth noting that gerrymandering disproportionately disenfranchises marginalized groups. 


The best way to end this anti-competitive practice is to take redistricting out of the hands of partisan lawmakers (which very few other democracies allow) and instead put it in the hands of an independent commission. Wang believes that the solution lies in independent citizen commissions rather than New Jersey’s current system utilizing a group of political appointees.


“Independent citizen commissions act like a jury, and they take the task of redistricting away from elected politicians and put it into the hands of citizens who then have much less self-interest,” Wang explained. “The single most predictive factor of a partisan gerrymandering is a process that’s controlled by one party.”
With the current Supreme Court hostile to voting rights, the two major options for remedying this situation are either citizen ballot initiative or national legislation, both of which would remove the partisan obligation out of politics. 


Instead of continuing with gerrymandering, Americans can campaign to end this undemocratic practice. There is a pending Congressional bill — the Freedom to Vote Act — that would not only ban all partisan gerrymandering (the only legal type currently per loophole), but would also implement much fairer voting practices. Congress has the federal power to reclaim control over elections, but whether it passes this bill or a similar one will be dependent on public pressure. As Congressman John Lewis once wrote, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part.” Now is the time for our generation to participate and better ensure that each vote does matter. We have popular sovereignty, we are the ones that give these systems power, and when our voices are suppressed, democracy itself is in question. 

How to rig elections: a user’s guide to gerrymandering

#
# The Naturals
Cassie Hobbes is gifted at reading people, taking one look at them and piecing together information about their lives. But she doesn’t think much about this gift, simply using it to get tips from customers at the diner where she works. That is, until a strange boy shows up one day and leaves her a business card to the FBI.

Cassie is sent to Washington D.C., where she meets Dean, Lia, Sloane, and Michael, the boy who she first met at the diner. These five teenagers make up the Naturals: a classified FBI program for exceptional teenagers like Cassie, and a program where the five members are trained to catch serial killers. 

But this story isn’t just about Cassie. There’s someone else telling it: “you,” an anonymous serial killer slowly closing in on the Naturals themselves. “She doesn’t know who you are, but you know her. You’ve chosen her. She won’t understand until it’s too late.”

An emotion-reader, a lie detector, a human computer, and two profilers: the Naturals. And when a new killer strikes nearby, the five are going to have to use their gifts just to survive.

“The Naturals” is a perfect book for murder mystery lovers, and anyone who’s interested in psychology. Mainly focusing on Cassie’s story, with short “you” chapters in between, Barnes keeps the readers always guessing. This novel is an amazing summer binge-read, with three subsequent books continuing the story, making it a great starting point for fast-paced readers.

With complex character relationships and teenage romance thrown into the mix, this murder mystery is one you won’t be able to put down. The characters of “The Naturals” each have precisely developed profiles and characteristics that make the story incredibly emotionally striking. As the suspense of the story builds, so does the pressure on the Naturals, leading to tense confrontations and stressful situations that leave the readers frantic to find out what comes of the bonds between characters.

This suspense-packed story is addicting, and the plot twists are completely unpredictable. 
So whether it’s a late night or a long car ride, “The Naturals” is a captivating story that will keep you engaged and entertained during even the most boring of summer days.
Last summer, I spent hours laying on my back porch with my head buried in “The Naturals.” As someone interested in psychology, I was left speechless at the amount of effort that went into this novel. And as I continued reading the rest of the series, I realized that everything was important. Every character, every minor detail, and every word was carefully thought out. That’s what made me really love this series: the way everything connected.

“The Naturals” is the first building block for an astonishing puzzle of a series, and it kept me constantly wondering what the Naturals team would do when new challenges arose. This story taught me to expect the most unexpected of turns, and to always trust in the abilities of a group of five teenagers with some help from the FBI. 

# Better Than the Movies
It’s her senior year of high school, and Liz Buxbaum’s dream rom-com situation is about to come true. Her childhood crush Michael just moved back to town, and he’s just in time to ask Liz to prom. But there’s only one problem: Wes.
Wes Bennet, Liz’s next door neighbor, is insufferable. He’s infamous for cruel pranks and making fun of Liz throughout their childhoods, making Wes the absolute last person Liz wants to work with. But Wes is  close with Michael, and Liz knows that if she wants Michael to notice her again, she’s going to need his help.

So Wes and Liz form a team, and as they work together to secure an invitation from Michael to prom, Liz finds that Wes might not be as much of a jerk as she thought. As Liz questions everything she knows about her dream-come-true rom-com story, she has to balance the ever-building tension over prom with her fears about college and the big changes ahead of her.

“Better Than the Movies” by Lynn Painter is the perfect teen romance story for any and all rom-com lovers. With relationships you could get lost in and bittersweet love stories, this book is perfect for a warm summer day. “Better Than the Movies” is packed with emotions, confessions, and relatable high school experiences.

Similar to the movie “10 Things I Hate About You,” with its strong, likable characters and swoon-worthy romance, this novel is just unpredictable enough to keep you hooked while still bringing a heartwarming sentiment into your reading. Reading this book, you’ll catch yourself rooting for the main couples and catching second-hand embarrassment from some of Liz’s less-than-ideal decisions.

Personally, I loved this novel so much because of how it made me really feel the emotions of the story. Even though Liz was a fictional character, I felt like I knew her and truly understood her. Her worries about the future resonated with my own, her nervous habits reminded me of my own, and her obsessions felt all-too-farmiliar to me. In “Better Than the Movies,” Liz felt like a friend, or even a version of myself, come to life on paper.

Another reason I felt so connected to Liz’s story was because I never got bored. Every time the romance storyline slowed down, I was introduced to new characters, new conflicts, and new ideas to focus on. As someone who struggles to get through slow starts in books, “Better Than the Movies” kept me constantly invested, and had more than enough action to keep the story interesting for days on end.

This light-hearted romance is practically designed for a warm day by the pool or laying on a towel in the sand. An entertaining and wholesome novel, “Better Than the Movies” is a great addition to your summer to-be-read.  

Beach reads for summer vacation

The audience fell quiet as two figures
walked out into the center of the stage.
Holding the microphone, Andrew Kim ’26
and Onyx Roden ’27 began to sing “I Guess
Why That’s Why They Call It the Blues” by
Elton John.

On Thursday, June 11, PHS Choir
hosted their annual Cabaret Night, a lively
performance to end the year. The concert
was a collaborative effort, uniting PHS Choir
and musicians from PHS Orchestra and
Studio Band for a diverse program of pop,
rock, and musical theater songs.

Beginning in 2009, PHS Choir’s Cabaret
Night performance was intended to be a
departure from the program’s traditional
concerts. While the usual concerts
throughout the year focused on classical
choral music, Cabaret Night moved away
from that genre and instead incorporated
a different type of singing.

“We were thinking it’d be great to do one
more concert, something a little bit more
lighthearted ... and really focusing on
jazz music, pop music, R&B, and musical
theater,” said choir director Vincent Metallo.
“So every year we put together a program,
[with] completely different repertoire, [with]
songs that feature the full choir, and then
songs that feature soloists, duos, and trios.”

Although traditional PHS Choir concerts
also occasionally feature solos, duos, or
trios, Cabaret Night exclusively focused
on them, performing songs by artists like
Beyoncé, Elton John, and Maroon 5. With
the number of small vocal ensembles, the
event is a unique opportunity for choir
students to sing in front of a large audience.

“Cabaret Night is a really unique
experience because a large majority of people
who do choir don’t really have the chance to
solo ... [so] it’s the only opportunity where
you get to show off your range and maybe
a style that you’re not familiar with,” said
Kim. “It’s kind of that learning experience
that helps a lot of people grow. For me, I
had to sing a really high tenor song, [and]
I was able to learn a new style of music and
apply [it] to my vocal range.”

Along with the new styles of music and
genres that Cabaret Night brings, singers
must also learn new techniques for their
songs.

“There’s definitely different ways that you
have to sing. There’s some songs that you may
need to be more careful about [and enunciate
your] words,” said Anna Gniewosz ’27.
“And obviously pop songs sound different
from [choral music], so there are different
techniques you have to use.”

While the choir stands still during
traditional concerts, Cabaret Night expanded
beyond just singing, incorporating some
elements of musical theater as well.

“[Cabaret Night] is a lot different from
traditional choir concerts, because for [those
performances] you’re usually just standing
still, really serious ... [while] during Cabaret
Night, the energy is really different,” said
Kim. “For the musical set, we’re moving
around, we’re dancing, ... we’re allowed to
express ourselves more.”

Through incorporating new genres and
introducing theatrical elements, Metallo
hopes that Cabaret Night can demonstrate
that PHS Choir is more than a classical choir,
but one that also features diverse genres of
music. By doing so, he aims to bring together
the wider high school community and
explore a different facet of the choir program.

“I think a challenge at any school is that
there’s all these sort of separate organizations,
whether it’s the football team, the lacrosse
team, the chess club. ... Sometimes it’s
challenging to bring audiences [together],”
said Metallo. “And so we hope that in doing
a more versatile program like this, we can
[interest] other students who wouldn’t
normally come to a choir concert.”

Although the main purpose of Cabaret
Night is to fundraise for the following year’s
PHS Choir trip, choir members also see it
as a fun way to end off the year with an
informal and energetic concert.

“I think [Cabaret Night is] just to have fun
and have a nice last concert for the PHS choir,
and to say bye to the seniors. [The spring
concert] was more formal, [but] ... you get
to see more personality [in this concert],”
said Josiah Hall ’28. “I hope the audience
has a good time. ... I think the audience,
especially parents, just get to appreciate
some more modern music, along with the
old 1700s [music] ... we usually sing.”

photo: Katherine Chen

PHS Choir members Elena Barreto ’27, Abhimanyu Tripathi ’26, Lily Berkery ’26, Ezra Lerman ’26, Penelope Cardona-Fox ’26, Milo Molina ’26, Julia Scibienski ’27, and Simryn Patel ’26 (left to right) rehearse for the performance.

Cabaret Night unites the PHS community with diverse performances

From May 22 to May 30, members of PHS Orchestra along with vocalist Tess Boyle’28 traveled on their European Performance Tour, playing in Amsterdam, Paris, and London. Between concerts, the students visited a local Dutch high school, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World
Headquarters, as well as a variety of famous museums and landmarks.

PHS Orchestra was invited to perform as part of the 2026 UNESCO Culture and Arts Education Week, an annual event that aims to inspire lasting peace across the globe. UNESCO aims to strengthen international cooperation and foster a world of greater equality. As a part of this goal, PHS Orchestra participated in the “In Harmony
with Peace” tour.

“I think it’s important for artists and musicians to be able to relate to the larger world in general. And it’s a beautiful thing that music is able to connect people, and that's essentially what UNESCO is all about: the aspect of being able to reach out and bring people together for greater understanding,” said orchestra director Robert Loughran.

The first stop on the orchestra’s tour was the Netherlands. After exploring Amsterdam and attending a concert of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” they spent a day performing at Hofstad Lyceum, a UNESCO network high school in Den Haag. After the performance, PHS students spent the afternoon with Dutch students.

“I think the best part [of the trip] was the Dutch high school students, just being able to connect with them. ... It felt like these small high schoolers really just [took] on such a big matter. ... It was such a big connection, and a bunch of the people on
the trip are still texting with [the Dutch high school students],” said Boyle.

In Paris, PHS students also got the opportunity to tour the UNESCO World Headquarters. Here, Sophia Budny ’28 and Elif Cam ’26 were able to share how they think music helps to connect people across cultures in an interview for a short video on UNESCO’s Instagram. During the tour, Moksh Rajpal ’28, a violinist for PHS Orchestra, enjoyed learning more about the organization’s initiatives and operations.

“We got to tour the facility and we got to learn about all the peace work that they do,” said Rajpal.

The orchestra’s only performance in Paris at L’église de la Madeleine, a church in the eighth arrondissement, featured music from Bach, Ravel, Fauré, and Morricone.

“My favorite venue was the [L’église] de la Madeleine in Paris, and it was this gorgeous, huge church. Coco Chanel had her funeral there and it was huge It was [so] cool. ... The best part was that it was so famous, it’s a tourist attraction, [so] even when we
were rehearsing, not only just our performance, so many people were just coming in to watch,” said Boyle.

The last stop on the tour was London, with a performance at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden alongside the Choir of King’s College London.

“‘Imagine’ [by John Lennon] was a really fun piece especially. We got to hear Tess, everyone in the King’s choir, and we got to sing along with them,” said Rajpal.

Photo: Kylie Sek

PHS Orchestra students rehearse before their performance at St. Paul’s Church Covent Garden.

PHS Orchestra tours Europe with UNESCO

#
### Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years, 1945-1950 ###

*March 15 to July 26*

Acclaimed modernist painter Willem de Kooning is celebrated
with an unprecedented collection of his early art at the Princeton
University Art Museum. Admission is free.

### Faig Ahmed: Textiles of Consciousness ###

*March 28 to August 2*

Explore the work of Faig Ahmed at Art@Bainbridge's exhibition,
running until August 2. Remixing traditional Azerbaijan textiles
with contemporary ideas, Ahmed's work touches on themes of history, consciousness, and Azerbaijan culture.

### Princeton Pride Parade ###

*June 13 at 10:00 a.m.*

Celebrate Pride Month with the Princeton community on Saturday,
June 13. Organized by the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice,
Princeton’s inaugural pride festival will feature a variety of events,
including a parade, arts and crafts tent, and vendors.

### The Princeton Festival ###

*June 5 to June 21*

Join the Princeton Symphony Orchestra for three weekends of performing
arts on the grounds of the Morven Museum & Garden. The festival begins
Friday, June 5 by featuring Sierra Boggess, a broadway singer from “The
Little Mermaid,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and “School of Rock.” On
Sunday, June 7, the American Repertory Ballet will perform on the pavil- ion stage to Tchaikovsky, Shaw, Barber, and Francaix. The following week- end begins with Queen Nation on June 13, the number one ranked Queen
Tribute Band in America. The final weekend kicks off on June 19 with the
“Great Ladies of Jazz,” with a particular emphasis on Ella Fitzgerald, Judy
Garland, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday. The penultimate night on
June 20 features The Bacon Brothers, a group formed by Hollywood actor
Kevin Bacon and Emmy award winning composer Michael Bacon. The
siblings will perform a mix of rock, soul, country, and folk music. All tickets for students under 17 are half off but price is dependent on the night.

### yART sale ###

*August 1 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.*

Support the local Princeton art community at the yART Sale on Satur-
day, August 1, organized by the Arts Council Princeton. In the park-
ing lot of the Paul Robeson Center for Arts, local artists will be selling ceramics, jewelry, prints, and paintings all at studio clean-out prices.

June 2026: Save the Dates

From PHS Jazz Ensemble to the Juilliard School Pre-
College program, Daniel Haiduc ’26 has explored a variety
of outlets for his musical passion. As a pianist and leader of
the Harmony Project, Haiduc’s performance philosophy is
centered around giving back to his community through music.
Haiduc hopes to continue playing in the future as he enters
college.

**How did you start playing the piano?**

I was in first grade and my mom signed me up for ... an afterschool program where
you learned to play on some mini keyboards, and initially I didn’t really enjoy it much. I
remember my mom had to learn the pieces I was supposed to learn and then she would
show off in front of me to motivate me to play. So [I started at] around seven, and then I
started to fall in love with it when I was 11 or 12, and that’s when I got to the point where
no one needed to remind me to practice or anything like that.

**Do you have any musical inspirations? How have they influenced your work?**

First and foremost, my teachers are always an inspiration. When I was starting in
seventh or eighth grade after moving to Princeton, I started studying with a teacher
here. Her name’s Ingrid Clairfield, Mrs. Clairfield. She taught me the importance of using
your music to give back to your community and to make a difference ... as opposed to
just winning competitions. ... And this is something I do every year, actually here in the
PAC. I give recitals to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It’s called a
performathon and it’s a bigger effort across New Jersey. ... Another [inspiration] is [PHS’s
bands]. Starting from seventh grade until tenth grade, I was in the band. In ninth grade, I
did PHS Jazz Ensemble, and then tenth grade into the Studio Band. ... That’s where I really
began to enjoy listening to a lot of jazz music. ... Nowadays I [don’t] really improvise
because I’m a classical pianist [but] I like to play a lot of like written-out jazz stuff.

**How do you prepare for performances?**

One thing I’ll do is I’ll go on Instagram Live just to simulate some of the pressure or
nerves I might be feeling on performance day, and sometimes a friend or two will pop
on and they’ll say something. The day of [the performance], I like to have a routine. I’ll
schedule everything so I have a plan. When I’ll wake up, I might do meditation. ... I try
to get [to the venue] a bit early to have time to settle down, ... I’ll scope it out a bit, get
some water, and then in the minutes leading up to it, I like to close my eyes, take a couple
deep breaths, and just be aware of my five senses. So I think [about] what I’m hearing,
[which] might be my breathing, might be the audience, might be whoever’s playing before me. ... Then I’ll do what’s called four-seven-eight breathing, where you inhale for
four [seconds], hold for seven, and exhale for eight. ... And then I’ll give myself some
words of encouragement and motivation, and I’ll walk on. ... I take three deep breaths and then I start.

**What is the biggest challenge you face regarding music?**

Piano is very lonely. I guess if you’re in the orchestra, you’re around people ... but unless
you’re a soloist, you don’t really get to play with the orchestra much. But you’re all by yourself
in the practice rooms. I mean, it’s probably the case for other [instrumentalists] as well,
but there’s not a lot of people in the world that really understand or can tell the difference
between how I might play and how someone else might play, but yeah, it’s pretty lonely.

**What has been a memorable experience from your time playing the piano?**

One that comes to mind is [from] when I was in seventh grade, I think it was right
when COVID started. It was this piano competition, it was the final round. And I had
some issues with my hands ... like pins and needles. ... After I started playing, it was so
bad that I basically couldn’t move my fingers. I pushed myself to play through the piece,
but it was a pretty traumatic experience. After that, I didn’t touch the piano for a couple
weeks. That’s when I started to do some research and I found this guy named Jim Taylor.
He’s a sports psychologist and he writes books about different techniques you can use, like
breathing and meditating. So I started to try and incorporate some of those into my piano
playing, and they took a year or two, but eventually I was able to regain my confidence.

**In the future, how do you see music factoring into your life?**

I’m not too sure. I ... probably won’t pursue ... a career in music. [It’s] difficult, because
I applied to college this year and so I was thinking “should I do a dual degree program or
should I just play on the side,” but eventually I just decided ... [that] I might minor in it.
I’ll probably just keep playing whenever I have the time and I won’t stop, because I feel
like that’s such a shame. I’m here, I put in all this work. So, I’ll keep playing, but probably
more as a hobby as opposed to a career. I won’t be as locked in.

New Student Issue