ump-backed  candidates  in  four  other  swing  states  (a  number  that  may  rise  to  five  if  Raphael  Warnock  wins   the   Georgian   runoff   in   early   December),   Democrats  have  managed  to  keep  control  of  the  Senate,   despite   both   inflation   and   Biden’s   low   approval rate being stacked against them, and the fact that  the  incumbent  party  historically  fares  terribly  in  these  elections.  The  anticipated  “red  wave”  didn’t  show  up  during  this  year’s  midterms  —  voters  were  wary  of  Republican  candidates’  lies  about  election  fraud  and  the  broadly  unpopular  reversal  of  Roe  v.  Wade,  among  other  reasons.  More  interesting,  however, are what the results of the election actually mean,  especially  in  the  context  of  our  high  school.Although plenty of students at PHS were keeping an eye on the midterm results, or at least vaguely rooting for one party to win, this support is often purely based on disliking the political party they want to see lose, or “liking” the political party they want to see win, instead of  focusing  on  the  actual  legislative  and  political  implications of the midterm results. Still, the fact that the  Democrats  won  the  Senate  this  year  will  affect  every PHS student, no matter whether they consider themselves    Republican,    Democratic,    or    neither.Let’s  start  with  the  political  implications  of  the  midterms. For PHS students who consider themselves Republican,  the  clear  shift  in  the  electorate  away  from  Trump-backed  candidates  (the  majority  of  the  candidates  for  the  US  Senate  in  swing  states  that  he  endorsed  lost)  and  the  massive,  20-point  victory  of  Ron  Desantis  (who  is  considered  a  major  rival  to  Trump  for  the  2024  candidacy)  in  the  Florida  gubernatorial   race   means   that   their   party   is   on   rocky  footing.  The  night  after  the  Senate  went  to  the   Democrats,   Republican   senators   from   many   states  that  voted  solidly  for  Trump  in  2020  sought  to  distance  their  party  from  the  former  president.  The   reason   Trump-backed   candidates   lost   in   battleground  states  is  the  same  reason  that  it’s  good  for  everyone  at  PHS  that  they  did  —  they  parroted  the lie that the 2020 election was stolen and planned to  restrict  free  elections  in  their  own  states.  The  Republican   party   has   been   spreading   autocratic   rhetoric  since  Trump  lost  in  2020,  culminating  in  the insurrection on January 6 last year and the rise of political violence across the board, such as the brutal attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of the Democratic Speaker  of  the  House.  In  order  for  our  democracy  to   function,   which   any   student   at   PHS   would   agree  is  important  (look  to  Russia  for  an  example  of   what   happens   when   it   doesn’t),   Republicans   needed  a  clear  refutation  of  their  election  lies  at  the  ballot  box,  and  the  midterms  gave  them  just  that.From  a  policy  standpoint  too,  the  midterms  are  consequential  at  PHS.  Even  though  the  Republicans  narrowly took the House, a Democratic majority in the Senate means three things for President Biden. First, he can block Republican legislation that could’ve been passed if the GOP took both the House and the Senate. That’s important because Republicans would’ve tried to both overturn some of Biden’s previous legislation.This includes his groundbreaking climate legislation, which  will  help  to  ensure  that  everyone  at  PHS  inherits  a  world  that’s  not  too  hot  to  support  life,  as  well  as  bills  like  the  Inflation  Reduction  Act,  which  caps the price for medicines that many students need, and the biggest gun violence reduction act in 30 years, a  topic  that’s  unfortunately  on  many  high  schooler’s  minds.  Additionally,  Republicans  could  have  passed  their  own  legislation  with  control  of  both  chambers  of  Congress,  with  potentially  disastrous  results  for  students   at   PHS.   Republican   states   have   passed   policies  that  restricted  rights  for  LGBT  students,  restricted   voting   access   for   eligible   seniors,   and,   most  importantly,  censured  teachers  from  talking  about  important  issues  like  gender  identity  or  race.But    perhaps    the    most    important    impact    of    Democrats  winning  the  Senate  is  one  that  is  lesser  known.  Senate  Minority  Leader  Mitch  McConnell  warned  that  if  Republicans  took  the  Senate,  they  would  block  Democratic  judges  from  confirmation.  Already,   during   Biden’s   first   two   years   in   office,   Democrats  confirmed  84  federal  judges,  and  since  they   still   control   the   Senate   after   the   midterms,   that  momentum  is  unlikely  to  stop.  Biden’s  judges  are  much  more  racially  and  ideologically  diverse  than   Trump’s,   which   is   significant   because   they   serve   for   life,   ruling   on   our   nation’s   laws   for   generations.  That  means  that  students  at  PHS  will  benefit  from  rulings  favoring  climate  bills,  social  security  nets,  and  the  bodily  autonomy  of  women.  Politics can be dismal and outright scary. However, the state of affairs in our country is something for PHS students  to  research  and  reckon  with,  not  shy  away  from. Hopefully, this article has made the complicated world of politics a bit more digestible. But we should all put in the effort to learn about the implications that elections  have  on  our  everyday  lives,  because  when  people care about the politics that surround them, they are able to make decisions both at the ballot box and in their everyday lives that benefit those around them.

A guide to the midterms at PHS

PHS Takes: How do we like to use our free periods?

APs and random cold days are no more — summer is here! When the school year comes to a close on June 20, the next few months should be filled with respite and relaxation. Unfortunately, for many students at PHS, the opposite is true. Even though the school year has ended, their work is just beginning.
   Many students choose to spend their summers taking PHS classes in order to get ahead of the rest of their grade level. By taking classes like Accelerated Chemistry or Accelerated Geometry over the summer, students hope to be able to take more rigorous and advanced courses during the actual school year. Even more alluring is the potential opportunity to take a class at Princeton University in junior or senior year, which is made available if students exhaust the courses at PHS. The opportunity cost of simply relaxing over summer break is often too much for students (and their parents). But choosing to take summer courses comes with a cost of its own: these courses are incredibly intense. They pack nine months’ worth of content into six weeks, and not only do the grades end up on the student’s final transcript, which means that they are just as stress-inducing as normal classes, but the classes are incredibly long. Participants endure six consecutive hours of sitting in a classroom from Monday through Thursday, all the way from June 27 to August 1. That’s two-thirds of the entire summer. 
   Then, after kids have spent weeks and weeks stressing over nine months worth of tests, and paid $1500 for the course in the first place, there’s one last test they must take, which is a final exam that has questions about everything that the summer class has covered. In the case of the summer math program, if a student’s grade in the course up to that point is less than 88 percent, they cannot take the test in the first place, and their summer has been effectively wasted. If they do qualify, the test can only be taken once, and the stakes are incredibly high — if a student scores lower than 90 percent, again, their entire summer has been completely wasted, as they are no longer eligible to advance past that class, and must retake it during the regular school year. 
   It’s not much of a secret that for the most part, students attend these rigorous summer programs — course advancement programs, debate camp, SAT prep camp — to better their academic track record more than to pursue a passion. Many high schoolers, often rising freshmen and sophomores, are dragged into these intense courses before they know whether or not they are passionate about the subject. If anything, the cut and dry nature of these somewhat surface-level summer courses may put students off. Summer is a time for high schoolers to dip their toes into a variety of fields, and to develop genuine interests through their own small projects. Yes, students should pursue their interests to the fullest, but first, they need to know what those interests are. 
   Moreover, PHS students should be using summer as a time to connect with friends and family. During the school year, high schoolers often get home from school or from practice and go straight to their room to finish their homework. Family time is rare, and summer should be used for some much needed catch up. 
   Laying in bed and reading for hours at a time, enjoying ice cream at Community Park Pool, buying popcorn at Communiversity — in elementary school, summer break was heaven. It was a time to take a deep breath, lay back, and enjoy the company of our friends and family to the fullest. In high school, as we’ve seen, it’s a different story. Summer is now just another opportunity to overtax ourselves with work to prove to colleges that we are better than everyone else. 
   Although PHS students should be spending their precious summers pursuing things that interest them, this should come in the form of a low-stress online course, or camps where, over the duration of just one or two weeks, they can meet new people without any of the academic stress that summer courses bring. Every school year at PHS is insanely stressful, and in order to actually do well in the classes students are interested in, they must use their summers effectively — by relaxing and getting away from the strenuous environment of high school. Worrying about grades and colleges all the time is exhausting; summer is a chance to take a step away from all of that worry.


The case for using summer break as a break

On Thursday, April 21, hundreds of New Jersey citizens woke up early, some at three or four a.m., and stood in a line for hours on end, yawning and slowly inching closer and closer towards their destination. What could prompt so many people to wake up at such an early hour? As it turns out, they were waiting for the opening of New Jersey’s first marijuana dispensaries.

Under the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Act, weed can now be sold to anyone over the age of 21 from dozens of authorized dispensaries scattered across the state. Many New Jersey residents are excited about the change, including Governor Phil Murphy, who called the law a “historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry.” In many towns and precincts though, there has been significant pushback. Princeton is one of those towns.

In November of 2021, an astounding 75 percent of Princeton voters cast their ballots in favor of legalizing marijuana. Statewide, only 67 percent of New Jersey residents voted the same way. Now that marijuana establishments actually seem to be making their way to Princeton, though, a new wave of anti-weed sentiment has spread through the town. In response to a Town Council proposal to open dispensaries in Princeton, an army of residents voiced their disapproval at a council meeting that ran for several hours. However, these opponents are mistaken. We know a lot about what setting up weed dispensaries would do to Princeton, because we’ve seen what setting up weed dispensaries did in other towns, and practically every result was positive.

Let’s talk about the health risks of smoking marijuana. Many people who are against weed dispensaries defend their stance by citing the adverse and understudied effects of recreational marijuana. At first glance, that argument makes sense — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that weed can be addictive, and over time, users start to have problems with memory loss and critical thinking. Many Princetonians have taken this to heart: it’s not uncommon to see bright yellow signs adorning lawns, featuring red blocky letters spelling out the slogan of the campaign: “too many unknowns.”

What this argument fails to take into account, though, is that marijuana that comes from federally approved dispensaries is less harmful than marijuana from the black market. The Trulieve Institute writes in a 2020 article that much of the marijuana bought off the street isn’t pure, and doesn’t follow the regulations and safety checks that dispensaries must. That’s why the National Institute on Drug Abuse writes that street marijuana has volatile, unpredictable effects that can be deadly. Jean-Gabriel Fernandez writes in 2019 that “teenagers and young adults – are disproportionately at risk of being harmed by predatory dealers and low-quality products.” For all Americans, weed coming from a dispensary is safer than the alternative, and leads to less of the harmful side effects of smoking pot that critics are worried about.

Of course, an easy retort to this is that creating dispensaries makes the drug more accessible, which entices more high schoolers to do weed and overshadows the benefits of safer marijuana. However, Amy Morin writes for the mental health organization Verywell Mind in 2022 that practically every single high schooler that wants weed can already get it, which is why a third of high schoolers have tried the drug, and 75 percent of seniors are confident that they could get their hands on it if they wanted to. Establishing dispensaries in Princeton wouldn’t normalize weed – it is already normalized. It would still be illegal for teens to use the drug when dispensaries are established in Princeton, so students would still have to use the black market to make purchases. In fact, a study conducted by the CDC just last year found that among high schoolers, legalizing marijuana actually led to a small decrease in the number of adolescents who smoke weed. That’s because by shrinking the black market, dispensaries decrease teens’ access to the substance.

Moreover, weed dispensaries will help our town achieve social justice. Udi Ofer writes just last month in Planet Princeton that our town suffers from the over-policing of marijuana among adults, which systematically discriminates against Black residents. From 2000-2013, 50 percent of Princeton marijuana arrests locked up or fined Black people, even though Princeton is only six percent Black. Anyone arrested on a cannabis charge can be fired from their job, face up to half a year in jail, and even lose their public housing or immigration status. By putting legal dispensaries in our town, we can reaffirm the statewide decision legalizing marijuana, and make sure nobody in Princeton gets unjustly locked up for purchasing or selling weed illegally.

Considering all of this, the anti-dispensary hysteria in Princeton is unfounded. Dispensaries will ensure safer marijuana for Princeton residents, help to end the racialized policing that’s plagued Princeton for decades, and may even decrease weed usage within our school. Although us students won’t be the ones lining up at three in the morning, waiting for our Princeton weed outlet to open, we’re excited for the day when other residents will have that opportunity.

Princeton’s marijuana scare

Re-entering school last year felt slightly eerie for almost every PHS student. It was undoubtedly strange to experience all of the quirks that in-person education brings — picking up lunch in the cafeteria, rushing to get to our classes on time, and, of course, listening to the Pledge of Allegiance every morning.

When PHS Building Monitor Scott Goldsmith comes on the loudspeaker every morning with the Pledge, a peculiar mix of reactions can be seen among students in the hallway. Some stand still, desperately glancing around for the nearest American flag to salute, and some try to ignore the Pledge altogether, walking through the halls briskly, gazes fixated on the floor beneath them. The pledge had once been so deeply ingrained in students’ minds that no one stopped to think about the meaning of the words being recited. But when students heard the Pledge ringing in their ears for the first time in almost two years this September, many of them began to question it. The Pledge, many students realized, is deeply problematic.

The Pledge’s roots are fairly innocuous — its original prose, “I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” was written in August 1892 by a minister named Francis Bellamy. In 1932, the words “the Flag of the United States of America” were added. Finally, and most worryingly, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower added the words “under God” to the Pledge in 1954, in order to counter a growing “Communist threat.” This addition undeniably associates religion with patriotism, which is dangerous. One of Eisenhower’s close friends, Reverend George Docherty, advocated strongly for the addition of the phrase, proclaiming in a sermon Eisenhower attended that “if you deny the Christian ethic, you fall short of the American ideal of life” . This sentiment is problematic, especially when it’s so integral to a pledge that every public school in New Jersey has to recite. Being patriotic should not be tied to one single religion. Even though the Pledge never directly mentions the Christian God (although it’s heavily implied), the phrasing “under God” excludes people who follow polytheistic faiths, as well as those who simply aren’t religious. By claiming that “liberty” and “justice” are ideals that can only be achieved under the watchful eye of God, the pledge tells non-religious students that these ideals are inaccessible to them.

By forcing students to listen to the Pledge of Allegiance, New Jersey’s legislation is in violation of one of the pillars that our country is built on: the separation of church and state. Even the daughter of Francis Bellamy, the minister who wrote the initial pledge, was unhappy about the injection of God into his original sentence.

The Pledge of Allegiance is also a representation of the unnecessary amount of nationalism that surrounds the U.S. educational system as a whole. Section 18A:36–3 of New Jersey’s 2013 Revised Statutes requires U.S. flags in every classroom and auditorium in the state. This can lead many students to equivocate our flag with freedom and justice, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The United States is a nation built on the backs of enslaved peoples, a nation whose ex-president called Putin’s moves in Ukraine “genius,” and a nation where imperialism and needless proxy wars have often dominated our foreign policy. Often, our country’s messaging to the public is anything but free and just. During the Second Red Scare, when the United States was hysterical about the influx of communism across the globe, we published huge amounts of political propaganda and investigated innocent citizens that were suspected of being communists. Since America fails to hold up to traditionally “American” ideals, the flag does not represent them. By pledging allegiance to the flag, instead of promising to uphold freedom and justice, one is promising to uphold the United States’ superiority to other countries. Propaganda does not belong in our school.

PHS is better off without nationalism. The Pledge of Allegiance, where we praise America for being a country of liberty thanks to us being “under God,” is archaic and doesn’t belong in our school district. But, the state of New Jersey mandates that we recite the pledge every morning. It may seem that PHS students and staff are powerless against this infringement upon our rights. But, there can only be hope for change if we raise our voices to condemn the mandate. If we take meaningful action against this fundamentally flawed practice, it has the power to make the beginning of our school days a little less uncomfortable.

Our school would be better off without propaganda

Clubs are foundational to students’ experience at PHS. They support and engage PHS students while fostering connections and learning new skills. Often, members stay with their clubs for all four years of high school.

Because of this, the club fair is one of the most important parts of high school, especially for new students; when they are able to explore stands that house their interests, joining clubs becomes much easier. Upperclassmen benefit from the club fair as well — it’s never too late for them to join activities that they are interested in.

Last year, the club fair was a disaster. It took place entirely online, with badly formatted videos and tiny virtual boxes for each club. Without interacting with club representatives, it was difficult to figure out which clubs fit your personality. In the end, the only reason I joined any clubs at all was because they either started before the school year or because one of the members contacted me after the club fair.

This year, the atmosphere of the club fair was much more interactive. Club leaders excitedly handed out candy while telling new and old students alike about how fun their clubs are. Poetry Club, which barely met last year, got over 220 sign-ups, because the representatives were able to connect with people.

Maybe it was because of the open green field or the enthusiasm of club leaders, but the club fair had an almost tangible sense of excitement. Many clubs, such as Cultural and Racial Equity and Mock Trial, broke sign-up records, and are coming up with new ways to engage this surplus of students.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of the classes and expectations we’re subjected to instead of enjoying our high school experience. The in-person club fair was a great start to having more fun at the high school, and as a student body, we need to maintain our positive spirit.

Lots of clubs suffer extremely high dropout rates and membership loss in the first few weeks, often because prospective members just ignore the emails of clubs they sign up for. This is one of the shortcomings of club fair, but it’s something that’s pretty easy to improve upon — just go to the activities you signed up for. Clubs are crucial to our school’s well-being and the maintainance of our school spirit, and the best way to keep them alive is to show up and contribute.

How did the club fair fare?

[
“I hate cross country but I’m part of the team because I win races.” My friend, like many other Princeton Public Schools students, had fallen into the trap of doing things they didn’t like only because they look good on their resumé. While this may not be a problem in itself, this, combined with schoolwork and other obligations, perpetuates the trend of students overloading their schedules with activities they’re not passionate. This leaves them without enough time to do hobbies they actually like. Finding enjoyable extracurriculars is the most important step to not detesting your day- to-day life. After all, you won’t find time to both relax and participate in a large amount of activities that are unlikable. The best thing to do is find activities you like and pursue those.

Take sports as an example (although any extracurricular that you enjoy works). Most often, students only do the sports they’re actually good at. This mindset can lead people to do sports they’re not interested in, or not partake in athletics at all. Unfortunately, there’s a huge misconception around sports that you have to be great at them to enjoy them. The truth is, anyone can do an activity he or she likes, no matter that person’s skill level. It can be discouraging to try something you’re bad at, but being the worst person in the room at something is a benefit — you have literally everyone to learn from!

I started running cross country in seventh grade because my best friend was super athletic and I wanted to hang out with him more. I was nervous because I had never been a sporty kid — I had joined a basketball team a few years prior to this, and my only score of the season was in my own team’s basket — but I decided to try. It was hard work, and I was not very fast, but I loved it nonetheless. It was great to get away from school work to just run and
hang out with friends for an hour or two every day. I wish I could tell you that I magically became the fastest runner in the country as I continued the sport, but that never happened. The only reason I ever did cross country was to have fun, and where I am right now — the middle of the pack — is exactly where I feel the best.

The PHS cross country team has been a blessing during the pandemic because we were always able to get together and run. It doesn’t matter that I’m not one of the fastest runners and that I don’t run at every single meet. I have a great time on the team, no matter what. Again, pretty much any activity that takes you away from the stress of school will have mental health benefits, especially if you’re partaking in that activity in order to have fun. At the end of the day, cross country has brought me happiness over the last few years, and I’m glad that I wasn’t too afraid to try it in seventh grade.

To be completely honest, a little bit of pandering to colleges has slipped into my extracurriculars, so I’m not a perfect example, but I strongly encourage people to try new activities just because they seem fun. After all, the worst thing that can happen is you just deciding they’re not worth your time.

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The Tower