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

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

Lunch is for eating, not cooking

   Having a tutor does not guarantee success. That is the mistake too many students make. The assumption goes like this: if you are struggling in a class, hiring a tutor will fix everything. A tutor will reteach the material, clarify confusion, and help you complete assignments. If you sit through lessons, understanding will come eventually. But that is not how learning works.


Students who rely on tutors as a safety net — thinking they can check out during class because they will “just relearn it later” — are setting themselves up for failure. A tutor is not a replacement for active engagement. They are not an alternative to thinking for yourself.


PHS students know this pattern too well. You can walk into the IDEAS Center on any given afternoon and see tutoring sessions happening at nearly every table. Some students are asking questions, engaging in discussion, and working through problems themselves. Others sit back, listen passively, and nod as if absorption was automatic. Then, they go home, take the test a few days later, and are surprised when their grade does not reflect all those hours with their tutor.


The reality is that success depends on active learning. That means asking questions in the moment, staying engaged with the material, and making an effort before seeking outside help. It means attempting the homework before assuming you need a tutor to walk you through it.


Tutors are not a shortcut. They should be a supplement: a way to refine understanding, clarify difficult concepts, and receive guidance on problem areas. The students who see real results from tutoring are the ones who already engage in class, who struggle first before seeking help, and who come to their tutor with specific questions instead of waiting to be spoon-fed the material. PHS offers plenty of resources for students: teachers who hold office hours, peer tutoring programs, and the IDEAS Center. However, none of it matters if students refuse to take the initiative themselves. The bottom line? If you are zoning out in class, thinking your tutor will handle it later, you are wasting time — yours, your tutor’s, and your teacher’s. The real work happens in the classroom. Tutors can help, but only if you are willing to help yourself first.

Photo: Charley Hu
Stellan Song ’28 and Vinay Lele ’28 study together in the IDEAS Center.

Tutors are not shortcuts to success

After months of debate and community discussions, all three parts of Princeton Public School’s $89.1 million referendum were officially approved by Princeton voters on January 28, 2025. The first two parts of the referendum, which will fund infrastructure and educational improvements at PHS and PMS, were passed by a margin of 2,075–1,317 and 1,973–1,410 respectively, while the third part, which will fund expansions at Littlebrook Elementary, passed by a slightly closer margin of 1,890–1,491.

With the referendum approved, the district must now decide how to execute the projects. The money will go towards facility upgrades, including HVAC overhauls, technology improvements, and enhanced security throughout the school district.

“The most important [things] that we’re doing with this referendum [are] adding 23 classrooms and five small group instruction rooms, and we’re going to fix the HVAC at Princeton High School,” said Dafna Kendal, president of the Princeton Board of Education.

PPS has not yet released the details of the contract process, in which the district hires private companies to execute specific projects. PPS Business Administrator Matthew Bouldin noted that while the district aims to keep the public informed, some details can’t be shared immediately.

“We will give periodic financial reports, but we don’t want to be so transparent that we stifle competitive bidding on our projects by telling [contractors] what we think it will cost, or have budgeted,” said Bouldin. “With multiple projects happening at once, we have to leverage our professional consultants — architects, engineers, and construction managers — to keep everything on track.”

Inflation and logistical challenges could affect the construction timeline, with some projects expected to begin this summer and others that may take years to complete. Bouldin emphasized that managing costs will be key as inflation and tariffs impact material prices.

“We have built-in cushions but may have to do value engineering, which [could mean] scope changes and alternate bids,” said Bouldin. “A referendum cannot use interest earnings to expand the dollars spent, [but] the district can augment [costs] through capital reserves.”

That means any interest earned on the referendum’s funds can’t be added to the project budget. However, the district can use its capital reserves, which are funds set aside for long-term projects, to cover unexpected costs or supplement spending if needed.

Despite concerns over inflation and potential high spending, Kendal believes the referendum was the right financial choice for the district.

“Years of planning went into this, and I think that these three questions are the most cost-effective [options] that were available,” said Kendal. “I think that dollar for dollar, we’re going to get the most bang out of our buck, and also the $19.9 million of state aid, which will help to lower the tax burden.”

With the assistance provided through state debt service funding, it is estimated that the three questions passed in the referendum will result in an annual property tax increase of $532 for the average household in Princeton. This has caused some household residents, especially those without children currently in the school district, to speak out against the referendum.

“I am one of those many people whose taxes ballooned more than once in order to support what by now feels like a black hole of need,” said Princeton resident Daniella Bittman in a letter to local newspaper *Town Topics*.

PHS principal Cecilia Birge has a different metaphor to describe the passed referendum.

“For the referendum, it’s like our own house, right? For us at the high school level, we live in a 96-year-old building, and things through wear and tear need updating. Every 10 to 15 years, a lot of these machines need to be replaced. New technology comes in, and they need to be replaced,” said Birge. “As a taxpayer, I may not be here in five years, so it’s more equitable for me to pay my portion over time rather than all up front. It allows the burden to be shared by those who are still here when the improvements last.”


Graphics: Charley Hu

Proposed renovations for PHS under the referendum, including the conversion of the current technology department area into instructional spaces.

Voters approve all three parts of PPS’s $89.1 million referendum

Across PHS, the use of artificial
intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT
to assist students with school assignments
has become an increasing trend, raising
concerns about the future of academic
integrity at PHS.

While some argue these tools are simply
new forms of study aids, others are raising
concerns regarding AI being used as a
gateway to academic dishonesty. The rise
of AI has made cheating easier than ever
in a modernizing digital environment,
where a few keystrokes can generate
essays, solve math problems, and even
mimic human thought. At PHS, AI
chatbots have sparked concerns among
teachers, administrators, and student
leaders, who are actively collaborating
to discover new methods and policy
changes to uphold academic integrity in
an increasingly tech-savvy world.

“[AI is] a fast developing technology;
our policy, our adaptation to it, how we
manage our student expectations, [and]
how we teach in [the] AI era, needs to
continue to be evaluated and monitored
... perhaps regulated as well,” said PHS
Principal Cecilia Birge.

There is a significant concern that
violations of the AI policy may become
progressively challenging for teachers
to regulate as technology
continues to advance and
become more accessible.
The challenge lies more in
addressing how these tools
impact student engagement
and education rather
than simply identifying
AI-generated content. As a result,
many teachers have developed various
techniques to tackle this growing issue,
such as the usage of AI checker softwares
or monitoring the editing history to
prevent students from entirely relying on
AI to complete their assignments.

“We have students submit assignments
to Turnitin.com, but I also check,” said AP
Language and Composition and English II
teacher John Bathke. “[Students] give me
editing permission on Google Docs and a
lot of [assignments] are written in class.”

But teachers aren’t the only ones
concerned about AI — student leadership
representatives have also voiced their
worries about its misuse. In November,
Board of Education Student Liaisons
Nikolai Margulis ’25 and Maya Hagt
’25 addressed the Board of Education,
highlighting instances of students
violating the district’s AI policy. Since
then, the administration has been actively
discussing ways to strengthen policies,
ensuring that PHS not only keeps up
with rapidly evolving technology but
also upholds its commitment to fostering
safe and effective AI usage that enhances
individual learning.

 “We can’t completely keep kids from
cheating,” said Margulis. “Teachers can
make rules for cheating ... [but] it’s hard
to enforce those rules unless the student
body is committed to it and believes it
from an ideological standpoint. I think
that’s really important [to] ingrain it in
our school culture not to cheat.”

With AI usage often overlapping with
academic dishonesty, educators believe an
overreliance on AI tools can stifle critical
thinking and problem-solving skills, as
students may feel empowered to skip the
deeper analytical thinking in favor of the
quick, easily presented AI responses. This
not only impacts their ability to absorb
and apply knowledge but
also creates gaps in skills
that are crucial for success
in both future academic
and professional settings.

“Using [AI] to complete
entire assignments [will]
hurt you in the long
run. If I plagiarize all my stuff, then I’m
not actually doing the learning that is
required for me to actually [understand]
the information, which ultimately [will
hurt me] when I get to the real world and
[have] a job, since I haven’t learned that
skill,” said Bathke.

The environment students are in
is believed to also play a large role in
shaping how students use these tools.
If classrooms foster collaboration,
curiosity, and accountability, students
may feel more encouraged to engage
with the learning process authentically.
However, in more cutthroat, competitive
environments, students may see it
necessary to unethically use AI tools
as a means to gain an edge, prioritizing
outcome over learning.

“We live in a very competitive learning
environment, society as well. An
unhealthy part of our building culture
is this toxic competitiveness of grades.
So there’s that simple-minded focus on
grades that makes some of our students
make bad choices,” said Birge. “But when
your grades are not truly reflective of your
mastery, eventually it will catch up with
you. It happens all the time in life.”

However, many teachers do not view
the existence of AI tools as the issue, but
rather how they are used. When used
thoughtfully, AI has the potential to
support learning by offering explanations,
generating ideas, and providing assistance
that encourages deeper understanding.

“There [are] significant benefits that
AI brings, especially when it comes to
equity issues. If I speak English as a second
language learner, I can say something in
[English in] an okay manner, but if I ask
AI to help me with certain content and
language and grammar, that’s learning.
That’s a positive thing,” said Birge.

Many educators believe that the key
is balancing the positives and negatives
of AI,which involves teaching students
to use these tools responsibly, as an
additional source of learning rather than
a replacement for completing their own
work.

“AI is like a compass — it can point
you in the right direction, but [real
learning happens] when you put in the
work yourself and make the most of the
tools around you to learn,” said computer
science teacher Edward Yin. “AI can be
integrated into education when used
thoughtfully and responsibly ... but it’s
up to students to use it as a learning
tool, not for shortcuts. As [educators],
we must [create environments] where
students don’t feel like cheating, but
rather [learning]."

PHS Investigates: academic integrity

​In a world where AI can be used as an automated thesaurus, grammar checker, editor, and worksheet filler all in one, it is understandable that schools may be hesitant about its ethics; but the benefits of integrating it into education are still hard to ignore. So why are we holding back on a tool that could transform how we learn? Instead of worrying that AI might “spoil” students, maybe it’s time to recognize it as a potential solution for the United States’ deteriorating education system — a tool that empowers students to learn more efficiently.

At PHS,  students constantly juggle rigorous coursework, intense extracurriculars, and ever-looming college prep. So what if AI could step in? Imagine a world where AI tools can keep track of deadlines, create personalized study guides for your hardest classes, or even streamline teacher feedback, leaving you and your teachers more time for critical one-on-one moments.

Instead of sifting through hour-long videos or scouring lengthy research papers for that one idea you need, AI-powered tools such as Otter or NoteGPT are able to categorize information and provide concise summaries. This allows students to allocate more time to absorbing or understanding key ideas instead of spending time searching for them. AI can be an on-demand and cost-effective tutor, with programs like Khan Academy’s Khanmigo that are always available to assist students with difficult concepts by walking them through step-by-step.          
                            
But the benefits of AI go beyond supporting students at PHS; it can also provide valuable assistance to teachers. As the country faces a teacher shortage driven by feelings of being underpaid and overworked, AI can be a valuable tool to ease educators’ stress and retain more teachers in the profession. By using AI to handle some time-consuming and repetitive tasks, such as grading work based on completion, teachers can instead invest that time into providing personalized support or planning engaging lessons that are memorable and valuable. Tasks that previously took hours can now be knocked off of to-do lists in minutes, allowing teachers to destress and prioritize impactful teaching over busy work, creating a stronger and more supportive environment for students.

In a 2023 article titled “New York City Public Schools Ban Access to AI Tool That Could Help Students Cheat,” Jennifer Korn and Samantha Kelly of CNN express concerns about AI’s ability to generate “convincing responses and even essays in response to user prompts, could make it easier for students to cheat.” They also note the worry that tools like ChatGPT could spread inaccurate information. However, misinformation is not unique to AI; it’s a challenge we face daily, whether through the internet, social media, or even word of mouth. Just as students are taught to verify information from these traditional sources, they can also apply this valuable skill to using AI responsibly. Rather than blocking access, teachers at PHS could incorporate lessons on how to use AI effectively into their classes, helping students understand its potential and warn of its ethical concerns. Additionally, PHS teachers have access to School AI, a program that can identify generated AI content, holding students who misuse this privilege accountable while teaching integrity. Restricting access to AI is an ineffective solution; it is more beneficial to equip students with values and critical thinking   skills that help them realize AI is a resource for growth and learning — not just for easy answers. 

Empowering minds: a new era of learning at PHS


    This November, 32 PHS students embarked on an eleven-day cultural exchange trip to Japan. Organized by Japanese teacher Risa Sakakibara, the trip spanned Kyoto, Nara, Kanazawa, and Tokyo. Including a homestay with host families, the trip offered PHS students an immersive experience of Japanese culture, traditions, and daily life.

   “The itinerary was carefully designed to include as many cultural experiences as possible, including activities at Izumigaoka High School and visits to notable sightseeing locations,” said Sakakibara. 

   At the trip’s first stop, Kyoto, students explored landmarks such as the Kiyomizu and Kinkakuji Temples, experiencing a blend of history and nature through traditional architecture and Bonsai gardens. The students then visited the city of Nara, where they toured Nara Park, fed free-roaming deer — a display of the city’s connection with nature — and explored the Great Buddha Hall at Toda-ji Temple. 

   “I had many valuable opportunities to directly engage with Japanese history, its traditions, and culture,” said Oscar Kim ’26. “I really enjoyed interacting with the local residents and visiting historical sites and temples.”

   Beyond sightseeing, students were able to closely interact with Japanese life through a homestay experience, in which they attended Izumigaoka High School in Kanazawa alongside a partnered exchange student. At the high school, several first-year classes were available for PHS students, including science, physics, mathematics, modern Japanese, classical Japanese, and social studies.
 
   “The [school] treated us amazingly. It was super welcoming. Everything was catered to us,”  said Kona Macallister ’26. “One thing that surprised me, though, is they actually don't [wear] shoes in high school. They wear slippers. So you take your shoes off at the front door and you wear slippers, which is pretty cool.”

   To further immerse themselves in the experience of Japanese high schoolers PHS students engaged in extracurricular activities at the high school, participating in debate, traditional Japanese calligraphy, and practicing in mochi-tsuki, the Japanese process of pounding rice to make rice cakes.

   “This diverse range of activities provided the students with a comprehensive look at Japanese high school life, blending cultural traditions with academic and interactive experiences,” said Sakakibara. “The warm and welcoming attitude of the students and teachers at Izumigaoka High School made these experiences even more enriching and unforgettable.”

   After school, the Japanese exchange students often acted as tour guides for PHS students, bringing them to downtown Kanazawa temples, stations, and convenience stores. Returning home to the houses of their Japanese exchange students, PHS students were often faced with language barriers with host families. 

   “With the parents, there was a language barrier, but I was able to communicate with them pretty decently with my knowledge of Japanese,” said Macallister. “My [exchange] student was very good at English, so it really helps with the language barrier and trying to communicate with everyone.”

   But despite these communication barriers, host families welcomed PHS students into Japanese culture, teaching them how to play Japanese board games and cook Japanese food, such as Takoyaki.
 
  In Kanazawa, the group also explored the Higashi Chaya District, known for its traditional tea houses, and strolled through the Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s most celebrated landscapes. Other experiences included participating in a tea ceremony and riding a bullet train to Tokyo. 

   In Tokyo, students explored more modern neighborhoods such as Shibuya, Harajuku, and Akihabara, learning the public etiquette and the pace of daily life in Japan. 

   “[In Japan], people strictly adhere to the rules. So in New York City, for example, many people jaywalk. But that's not the case [in Japan], as everyone waits for the stop lights to go off, and they also keep the cities really clean,” said Kim. “I think in Japan, [people] keep to themselves in public. But if you go to American cities, people are generally loud [and] rowdy.”

   But after the week and a half trip to Japan, the students walked away with more than just a better understanding of Japanese culture, but a broadened interest in the Japanese language. 

   “I think that this trip has really motivated me to learn more Japanese and try harder in class, because I want to be able to actually go there in the future, someday, and be able to interact with local residents in fully Japanese,” said Kim. 

   Through overcoming language and culture barriers, Sakakibara feels that students were able to build long-lasting connections with their counterparts overseas.

   “This trip was far more than a sightseeing excursion—it was an extension of education, a platform for deep learning, and a step toward fostering mutual understanding between cultures.” said Sakakibara. “I am profoundly grateful to the staff and families in Japan, as well as the many individuals who supported this program. I hope this exchange becomes a bridge between our two schools and nations, strengthening the bonds of friendship and collaboration for years to come.”


The Tower

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The Tower