Jenna Stucky ’25 grew up in a household full of musicians, so music has always been an important part of her life. She discovered her love for singing and performing at a very young age, and soon began singing in choral groups and even combining her singing skills with acting by performing in musicals. Now a senior at PHS, Stucky has immersed herself in the musical community by singing in PHS Choir and co-leading the a cappella group The Cat’s Meow.

**When did you first start singing and why?**

[I started] when I was pretty young because my family is very musical, so I’d often sing with my siblings and with my parents.

**How do you handle performance jitters?**

I think it’s something that gets easier over time. The more practice you get in front of an audience, the easier that it gets. Sometimes you just have to embrace the nerves and do something even if you’re a little nervous.

**What’s it like being in an acapella group?**

I have a lot of fun. My group, we’re really close with each
other, so oftentimes in our rehearsals we’ll be talking more
than we’re singing. But, it’s a really talented group of people
and I love singing with them and we have a lot of fun together.
I love doing performances, too, sometimes in the winter we’ll
get gigs, so that’s a fun experience, and also performing at the
choir concerts. Also, in Italy we actually got to perform as well.

**How was your tour experience in Italy with PHS Choir?**

It was so much fun and I wish that I could go back. The spaces
that we performed in were gorgeous and stunning, and the food
was amazing, and it was just such a fun experience.

**What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite
band or an artist?**

I listen to a wide range of music, but recently I’ve been listening
to a lot of SZA and some Role Model.

**What are some of your other hobbies?**

I’m very musical, so I like to learn instruments. Recently I’ve been
practicing a lot of guitar.

**If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take
one thing with you, what would it be?**

I would take my kazoo, because I think that would be really
entertaining for me and would help pass the time.

**What are you going to miss most about PHS?**

I’m going to miss the communities here, especially the singing
communities. We’re really close and I’ve got to do a lot with other
artists and musicians at PHS.

**Are you planning on pursuing music in the future?**

Not as a profession, but it’s definitely something that I want to
keep doing when I’m older.

**What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?**

Don’t be afraid to try new things even if it might be a little
nerve-racking.

**What advice would you give to new singers and musicians?**

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and step out of your
comfort zone every now and then. Do things that push you and
help you grow.

Jenna Stucky ’25 finds community through singing

A day of spreading music and bonding with your band
and vocals members: that’s exactly what the National Jazz
Festival (NJF) is about. Every year, the PHS Studio Band
and PHS Studio Vocals compete with high school musicians
from across the country in the NJF in Philadelphia. This year
on March 22, Studio Band and Studio Vocals musicians took
part in a full day of jazz performance at the Pennsylvania
Convention Center in Philadelphia.

This year, Studio Band played three songs: “It Don’t Mean
a Thing” by Ella Fitzgerald, a fast swing song; “Decoupage”
by Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, a slow ballad; and “Heat
of the Day” by Pat Metheny Group, a song with many time
signature changes. By choosing a combination of diverse
genres, Studio Band showed off their range as musicians. The
bands and Studio Vocals began preparations for NJF as far
back as January. After deciding on three songs to play, they
moved on to finalizing and rearranging solos throughout the
song, ensuring that they were able to fit within 20 minutes,
the time alloted to them by the competition.

Joseph Bongiovi, the Studio Band director, led the band
in weekly rehearsals on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30. In
addition to rehearsals each week, Studio Band practiced
by recording hour-long sectionals, where they practice
together to build for coherence and collaboration as a
group. Though the preparation was demanding, it helped
the students grow as musicians.

“The competition kind of forces you to put your best
self forward [and] shows you what [you’re] capable [of]
and what you can actually do if put under pressure,” said
Naomi Carroll ’26, a singer in Studio Vocals.

Aside from providing a platform for competition and
music, NJF also promoted bonds between musicians from
across different schools and between band members.
Competitions like NJF radiate a sense of camaraderie,
creating an atmosphere where band members can enjoy
playing music and pursuing their passions together,
regardless of their preceding relationships.

“There have been times when I’ve seen people [from
other schools] just get into a group and start jamming out
in the instrument storage room. Even though they are from
completely different places, [and] none of them know each
other, they’re just there to have fun,” said Thomas Basso
’27, a clarinet player in Studio Band.

“To me, band is like a big family. I feel like [it’s] a lot more
like a tight knit community, so you see recurring faces at
festivals, and you know certain judges who you’ve seen
over and over again, and certain teachers in certain high
schools. There is a sense of [family and] a big community.”
said Carroll.

Photo: Katherine Chen

Jazz Ensemble members Emil Kapur ’27, Stella Wolsk ’26, Sean Wilton ’25, Shawn Elwood ’26, Adam Greenberg ’26, Donovan Vaccaro ’25, Isaac Son ’27, Mia Abrams-Sartor ’28, Avyaya Srivastava ’28, Blake Kearney ’28, Lucas Martinetti ’28, Nicholas Kopaliani ’26, Ian Lee ’28, Florencia Curchitser ’25, and Michael Chorba ’27 practice “The Gathering Sky” by Pat Metheny Group


Studio Band and Studio Vocals compete in the National Jazz Festival

PHS’s Spectacle Theatre brought a classic comedy to life this year with “Groundhog Day: The Musical” from March 13–15 in the Performing Arts Center. Based on the 1993 film of the same name, the musical follows Phil Connors, a weatherman who finds himself reliving Groundhog Day over and over again in the small town of Punxsutawney. Directed by drama teacher Julianna Krawiecki, the show highlighted the talents of the students involved through acting, music, dancing, and stage management.

“Last year, after we did “Beauty and the Beast,” I sat down and thought about what is a great contrast to this musical ... how do we make sure we give them a very different experience but do something that’s new and challenging and exciting, and “Groundhog Day” [is] very different from anything we’ve done,” said Krawiecki.

Bringing “Groundhog Day” to the stage required months of dedication from the cast, orchestra, and crew. With its fast-paced musical numbers, and intricate technical elements, the show posed unique challenges for everyone involved. From vocal rehearsals with PHS Choir Director
Vincent Metallo to going through scenes under the direction of Krawiecki, students in the cast and PHS Orchestra gave their all to perfect their performances while the tech crew spent hours building the set.

“Basically, as soon as the fall play was over ... we started
building the [set for the] musical because we knew that
it was going to be a huge undertaking. We’ve never done
a turntable before, so there was a lot that we wanted to
get figured out early. So we’ve been working on this [for]
eight to 10, 12, [or]14 weeks at this point,” said Jeffrey Van
Velsor, Set Designer and Technical Director for the show.

Being a member of the musical required dedication and
time management skills, as students spent a lot of time
after school rehearsing.

“The most challenging part [for me was] the amount of
time it [took]. Rehearsals [started] at 5:30 p.m. but they
often [went] past 8 p.m., and while it [was] a lot of fun, it
[could] be really time-consuming,” said cast member Ivy
Cordle ’27.

Music was a key element of the musical, with the orchestra
playing a central role. The PHS Orchestra rehearsed alongside the cast members, ensuring a seamless integration
of live music and performance that brought energy and
excitement to the show.

“Groundhog Day is a contemporary show. The genre
of the music is very upbeat pop [and] rock pop, so it’s [a]
very unique style, and that contemporary musical, more
modern musical, [brought] new challenges,” said Metallo.

PHS Orchestra, which provided a live soundtrack for the
show, faced the challenge of coordinating with the action
on stage as they were playing.

“There’s a lot of effort required ... to keep track of the
actors’ movements and lines. It’s hard to focus on just the
music when there are so many other things to consider,”
said Emily Leng ’27, a flautist in PHS Orchestra.

With months of hard work behind them, the cast, crew,
and orchestra delivered a performance that captivated
audiences over the three-night run. From the high-energy
musical numbers to the emotional character moments,
Groundhog Day was a testament to the dedication and
talent of PHS’s theater community.

Photo: Katherine Chen

Maxime DeVico ’27, Julia Scibienski ’27, Noa Zacks ’25, Sebastian Bongiovi ’25, Milania Kapoor ’27, Elena Barreto ’27, Judy Pwee ’27, Sanya Bhatt ’28, Sophie Mueller ’28, Daniel Spitkovsky ’27, Tara Venkatesh ’28, Sylven Waldman ’25, Ash Nieman ’26, and Anna Kaufman ’26 perform the number “Day One — Punxsutawney Phil” in “Groundhog Day.”

Cast, crew, and orchestra shine in “Groundhog Day” musical

Spring into spring with this crossword

For Elliot Block ’25, music has always been an integral part of his life. His passion for classical music began at an early age, sparked by his love for both the viola and the piano.
Now, as the first chair violist of the PHS Orchestra as well as co-president of its cabinet,
Block continues to explore his passion in chamber groups and on stage.

**When did you start playing the viola and why did you choose it?**

I started viola when I was seven years old, [but] I didn’t choose it. My mom chose it
for me and I didn’t like it at first, but when I was 10 or 11 years old, I started playing in
chamber groups at summer camps, and I realized I really liked that.
That got me into it a little more.

**Who would you consider your inspirations?**

I also play piano, [which] is my [preferred] instrument. Some
of my inspirations are the top performers for piano, like Martha
Argerich, Rubinstein, [and] Horowitz. But there are a ton of great
performers and musicians.

**Why are these artists your inspirations?**

I think it’s primarily their playing style. All the musicians that
I find inspiring are able to approach their instrument in different
ways, but always successfully put their feeling into the music, and
also bring feeling out of the music. I really admire that, and I always
try to do that whenever I’m playing in practice and performance.

**What do you like about classical music?**

There are a ton of things I like about classical music. It’s what I
listen to most. The range of emotions that classical music can feature is really vast, and
there’s always a piece that fits the mood I’m in.

**What do you consider the most challenging aspect of classical music?**

I think the most challenging aspect is the combination of technique and sensitivity
to feeling. It’s sometimes easy to focus on one or the other, but both are necessary to be
really great, and that can be tough.

**How do you handle pressure from auditions or
performances?**

I used to be really bad at that, and I kind of still am really
bad at that, but I make sure that there’s no tension in my body,
and I really practice clearing my head before playing, so that
I can replicate it in front of an audience. It never really is easy,
but I think clearing the tension is the most important thing.

**What is your favorite memory from PHS orchestra?**

Going on the European tour last spring was really fun and [I
bonded] with the orchestra. Through that, I made a lot of new
friends ... It’s made this year a lot more fun too.

**Are you planning on pursuing music in higher education
or as a career?**

Definitely. I want to study piano and classical music in college.
Ideally, it would also make a career. But I know that music will
be with me for my entire life, either way.

Photo: Katherine Chen
Elliot Block ’25 plays the viola in a practice room.

Elliot Block ’25 finds his voice with the viola

As the puck drops, Cassie Speir ’25 glides across the rink with unwavering focus, her
eyes sharp and her grip firm. She closes in on the net and shoots, sending the puck into
the back of the posts and marking her 31st goal of the season. 

Speir, a senior and forward, first discovered her love for hockey at the age of nine.
“I started in a rec league ... [because] one of my really good friends from elementary
school was doing it ... ever since I started, I just loved it,” said Speir. 

She soon transitioned into playing travel hockey, which introduced her to competitive
play and extensive travel, allowing her to go to different states such as Illinois, Wisconsin,
and Michigan. Although Speir also dabbled in lacrosse and softball throughout middle
and high school, it was hockey that she was most passionate about. 

“Quitting has never really been an option for me ... hocky is an outlet for me,” said Speir.
Many athletes have role models they admire, and Speir is inspired by two renowned
hockey athletes: Hilary Knight, who has won a gold medal at the IIHF World Women’s
Championship and the 2018 Winter Olympics, and Sarah Fillier, a former Princeton
University standout now playing in the newly formed Professional Women’s Hockey
League (PWHL).

“I would go watch [Fillier’s] games when I was
younger ... they did have [the PWHL back then],
but the women didn’t really get paid much, and i t
wasn’t super known. But this one’s being marketed
really well, so they are good role models to girls
who want to play,” said Speir.

Speir’s commitment to hockey is year-round,
as she competes for both the PHS girls ice hockey
team and the Princeton Tiger Lilies, a club team
in the National Girls Hockey League. 

“[I play hockey] basically every day,” said Speir.
“At school, I play defense, but for my club, I’m
usually a forward. Playing both positions has
been great for understanding the game better.”

Last season, Speir played a crucial role, leading her team to a 3–11 record to qualify for
the Annis Cup semifinals. She led not just her team, but also the state, in number of goals
in one season, embodying the team’s spirit throughout the season. 

“She’s definitely more down to earth and she connects personally with the players on
our team, and she’s really great for morale. She’s very inspiring. The energy she brings to
the game inspires other people to be more energetic,” said Co-Captain Maya Hagt ’25. 

Christian Herzog, head coach of the girls ice hockey team, who witnessed Speir’s journey
from an ambitious freshman to a leading scorer, reflects on her success. 

“She’s had a lot of success in this sport because she’s been playing quite a while, and she
works extremely hard,” said Herzog. “I would expect to hear about her accomplishments
playing in college as well. She’s definitely going to be a tough personality to lose next season.”

Hagt expresses Speir’s importance to the team, not just as a hockey player, but as a
person as well. 

“She’s so inspiring to have on the ice. But even off the ice, she works so hard. You can tell
that she puts a lot of effort into everything she does. I think she’s also a very empathetic
person. Having her as a friend and a teammate is really, really special,” said Hagt. 

Looking forward, Speir has set personal goals for this season, aiming to continue her
streak by increasing the number of goals she scores and improving her assist count. 

“I’m always working on improving my game all-around, skating, shooting, and handles.
On my travel team we’ve been working on some new o-zone faceoff plays,” said Speir. 

For the rest of the season, Speir aims to continue her streak by increasing the number
of goals she scores and improve her assist count. As for her future beyond high school,
Speir seeks to keep playing the sport she loves. 

“I just want to continue to play, probably at the club level ... [and also] keep introducing
new players to the game,” said Speir.

As she enters her final season at PHS, Speir is determined to make every game count and
build lasting connections with her team. Preparing to skate off into a new chapter of her
life she remembers and appericates
all of the moments that have led her to
become the player and person that she
is now.

“Ice hockey has taught me that hard
work makes good things (goals and other
life things),” said Speir. “It has taught
me a lot about being a very supportive
teammate and friend and my experiences
have made me a more confident leader.”

To Speir, every game, tournament has
meant more to her than her team. Most
important of all, Speir knows that hockey
has given her more than skills — it’s given her unforgettable friendships and memories
that will last a lifetime.

“In the future I hope that I can continue to play for fun and that I will be able to bring
in new players to the game,” said Speir. “Hockey is where I’ve made my best friends in
the world.”

Photo: Katherine Chen
Spier is looking forward to another successful season, both on and off the rink.

Cassie Speir ’25: ice hockey

As a published author and the creator of the Mandarin
curriculum at PHS, Shwu-Fen Lin has taught Mandarin
for over 30 years. Growing up in Taiwan, Lin dreamed
of becoming a Mandarin teacher ever since she was a
young girl.

 “I think [being] a teacher is a powerful job. You can
teach somebody something new,” said Lin. “I think [it
is important that] you teach a student [so that] they can
see, they can read, they can speak, they can talk.”

 Lin’s journey as an educator began in Taiwan, where she
taught high school Mandarin for 3 years before moving
to the United States. She initially taught elementary and
middle schoolers in the Highland Park School District.
She ultimately found herself drawn to PHS because of
the students and the quality of the district.

 “I’m here because Princeton High School [is in] a very
good school district ... they have very nice students ... I
love to teach here,” said Lin.

 Lin employs a number of teaching methods that involve
simulating real-world situations to help students become
more confident with their Mandarin.

 “We can ‘shop’ in the classroom. So some students
become the vendor, some students become the buyer ...
[this is] very practical, how to shop in the real world,”
said Lin. “[I also use the] bicycle-chain [method] every
day. So all the students [stand] ... in the center of the
classroom [and talk about] different topics every day
[with a] friend [until] they rotate like a bicycle chain.”

 Another particularly unique method she uses is called
“ban zhang,” which means class captain. Being ban zhang
allows students to model the lesson for the day, setting
an example for their peers.

 “All the students can become a ban zhang for one
week ... to help ... the student’s self-confidence,” said Lin.
 Outside the classroom, Lin has also co-authored
books on Mandarin, from basic levels all the way to AP.
Her effective teaching style has led her to give talks at
multiple large teacher conferences.

 “The past 19 years ... I [gave] a lot of good [speeches]
in very huge teacher [conferences], like [the] National
Chinese Language Conference, and ACTFL, a very big
World Language teacher conference,” said Lin.
 Thomas Basso ’27, who has been taking Mandarin for
three and a half years, appreciates Lin’s energetic teaching
style and the enthusiasm she brings to class.

“She ... tries her very best to get everyone to participate
and will often cold-call on people who she thinks aren’t
participating enough, which in a way forces everyone
to pay attention and stay engaged ... I’ve been learning
Spanish since kindergarten, and I still feel like I know
more Mandarin than Spanish,” said Basso. “Mrs. Lin
sometimes makes jokes in class to make us laugh and is
happy to answer any questions that we have.”

 Lin believes that the end goal of learning Mandarin
is to connect with Chinese culture. To help spread
and showcase Asian culture throughout the Princeton
community, Lin established the annual Asian Festival
at PHS in 2007, an event featuring performances and
booths from several Asian culture clubs.

“Every year, we have around 500 people that come
together to celebrate [and] learn Asian culture. This is very
important [as] people need to talk to people, [because]
if I understand your culture, I will respect your culture,”
said Lin. “So I say language is communication, the tool,
but most important that you use this tool in real life, and
be able to use language not only as regular conversation,
but also as a skill to develop.

 Lin believes that learning a new language is not
something that can happen in a classroom alone, but
requires skillful practice throughout one’s life.

 “I like to help my [students] become life [learners],
not only in my classroom ... so they can continue to
learn, even in society,” said Lin. “When you graduate,
you will continue to learn your whole life. I think that’s
very important.

Photo: Katherine Chen
Lin shows her Mandarin class traditonal Chinese New Year decorations.

PHS Profile: Shwu-Fen Lin

In the United States, endurance is a virtue valued above
all else. It’s a foundation of the American dream, the belief
that through determination anyone can achieve anything.
And while not a bad ideal by itself, somehow society has
also accepted that the opposite is true — that
quitting guarantees failure.


As high school students, we are often the most
susceptible to this way of thinking. We’ve all stuck
with things we hated for years simply because of
the faults associated with being a quitter.


However, quitting — especially in high
school — is sometimes the best course of action,
contrary to the sign of laziness or emotional weakness that
it’s stereotypically believed to be.


In order to improve in anything, one first has to accept
that the current state of things is not perfect — that it can be
improved upon. This principle seems so obvious in school
or sports. We go to school and learn because we know that
our current understanding of the world isn’t perfect. We
exercise because the current state of our body isn’t perfect.


Somehow, when it comes to deciding what we spend time
on, we don’t acknowledge imperfection or have any desire
to improve. This isn’t about trivial things like watching
movies or scrolling online — this is about the activities we
put effort and focus into, day after day. All too
often, we endure activities that we don’t enjoy or
don’t improve in simply out of habit.


In being more open to quitting things, we are
acknowledging that the way we spend our time
can be improved. In an article for The New York
Times, MIT professor Sendhil Mullainathan
wrote that “experimentation is an act of humility,
an acknowledgment that there is simply no way of knowing
without trying something different.”


Though the act of quitting is a risk, and therefore admittedly
scary, it’s usually the only way to experiment with figuring
out how to spend our time. And as high school students, it’s
ridiculous to think that we have it all figured out.


In addition to this fear comes the psychological
phenomenon known as the sunk-cost fallacy. The fallacy
(so called because it’s completely illogical)
describes an all too common action that
people take: continuing with something
pointless or unpleasant simply because of past
investment in the activity. Although
you shouldn’t give up after every little
hiccup, if something is consistently
unrewarding, perhaps it’s best to move
on and experiment with a different
activity.


Quitting shouldn’t immediately
be thought of negatively, or as a
sign of defeat. It’s not permanent.
Though it is a change, it can also
provide some distance and a
space for reflection. It allows us to
compare how we feel both with and
without a given activity in our life.
It’s never too late to try new things,
but it’s also never too late to quit.

We should embrace quitting

Students Who Can’t Read Books,” caused quite a stir
online. The article puts a spotlight on college professors’
surprising realization that many college freshmen struggle
with reading multiple books per semester. Being able to
read so much used to be standard, but because of a lack
of preparation by middle and high schools, many college
freshmen struggle to read whole books, being more used
to excerpts or chapters.

It seems that smartphones are to blame. “Reading books,
even for pleasure, can’t compete with TikTok, Instagram,
and YouTube,” said Rose Horowitch, the article’s author.

She also pointed to test-oriented education steering
instruction away from reading whole books, instead
assigning students to read excerpts and individual chapters.
Indeed, look no further than the format of the new digital
SAT: in the Reading and Writing sections, the “archaic”
poems have completely disappeared, and the infamous
100-line reading passages have shrunk to single paragraphs.

These diagnoses seem reasonable but are incomplete.
Smartphones aren’t the first challenge books have
faced. According to Britannica, the popularity of radio
broadcasting in the 1920s already spelled trouble for
reading. The Atlantic reported that by the 1960s, Americans
were spending on average four to five hours a day watching
TV and reading time had dwindled down to just 15 to 30
minutes a day. In the battle for our leisure time, books
have sadly already lost a long time ago to other easier-toconsume media formats.

Even when students do sit down and read, classical
literature is increasingly crowded out by a sea of choices
in YA fiction. Thanks to the phenomenal commercial
successes of “Harry Potter” that made J.K. Rowling the
highest paid author to date and Suzanne Collins’s “The
Hunger Games” series that garnered $3.3 billion worldwide
through movie adaptations, authors and publishing houses
have flocked to the YA category, hoping to replicate these
earlier triumphs. In the 1990s, only about 400 to 500 YA
book titles were published each year. That number soared to
1,400 to 1,500 only two decades later. Don’t get me wrong
– some YA novels are quite fun to read. It’s definitely better
to read them than to not read at all. The problem is that
the reading levels of many popular YA novels are simply
too elementary to prepare students for post-secondary
education and beyond. The top ten most popular YA books
on Goodreads sport an average Lexile measure, a scientific
indicator of text difficulty, of just 775. That’s the equivalent
of a fourth-grade reading level.

 While the sales of YA books have plateaued in recent
years, graphic novels and comic books saw a 62 percent
jump in sales in 2021. Publishing industry insiders
argue that the manga versions of classics like
“Pride and Prejudice” and “Macbeth” make these
works more accessible. While that may be true,
graphic novels provide immediate representations
of characters, settings, and emotions, removing
the element of imagination and the critical
skill of interpreting the author’s words
that are an integral part of the reading
experience. Even worse, graphic novel
adaptations often end up serving as
substitutes rather than springboards to
the original texts.

This includes our school too —
according to PHS librarian Jen
Bigioni, between the 10,121 titles
borrowed across physical and digital sources, most were
in the fantasy Young Adult (YA) and manga genres.

Just because students are short on time and commercial
interest is reducing reading to the most basic level, it is still
worth it for us to fight this uphill battle for reading whole,
sophisticated books.

I don’t object to reading excerpts and chapters. But
just like how food samples in grocery stores can never
replace regular meals, reading whole books is a completely
different experience to only sampling chapters. Reading
whole books offers the thrill of the twists and turns of
the plots, the satisfaction of the grand finale, and most
importantly, the understanding of the complexity of the
human experience. If you only read the courtroom chapter
of “To Kill A Mockingbird,” you would mistake Atticus
Finch as an anti-racist advocate and miss the nuance that
he, too, possesses the racial biases of his time.
Through reading whole books, we learn to
see the world not just in black and white, but
also the infinite shades of gray in between.
Moreover, reading books cover to cover
will be a great way to acquire new
knowledge after we complete our
formal education. One of our school
district’s goals is to instill passion and
curiosity in students to become lifelong learners. Without the skill and
stamina to complete whole books,
learning comes to an end when there
are no more tests administered to us.

Adding on to all of this, education
was once affordable only to the rich and
powerful; reading books was an upperclass activity for much of human
history. However, in the 1400s, the
invention of the Gutenberg printing
press revolutionized the dissemination of information and
increased access to knowledge. It was the spread of books
like John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government” and Jean
Jacques Rousseau’s “Social Contract” that ushered in the
Enlightenment Age and built the philosophical foundation
of modern democratic societies. Throughout history, the
widespread access to books has driven human progress,
but if we let reading once again become a luxury of a few,
it will be a major step back in human progress.

You should still read books

At PHS, there are dozens of student-run nonprofits:
StemRoots, PHS Building Bridges, Music Mentoring,
PHS Novae, the Aligned Minds Foundation, etc. This
list represents just a fraction of the nonprofits I saw from
scanning my Outlook inbox over the past 24 hours.

However, these organizations must unfortunately
contend with endless criticism
from their skeptical peers,
nonprofit professionals, and
dozens of online articles.
One article by The Harvard
Crimson bears a title with
a simple instruction for
students: “Stop Making Your
Own Nonprofit.”

The article, like many
other critiques of studentrun nonprofits, argues that
instead of starting their own
nonprofits, students should
instead join existing charitable
organizations. It’s indeed
feasible that in the short term,
building on existing structures
might produce greater net
benefits — for example, by avoiding the logistical costs
that come with running new charitable organizations.
However, importantly, these critiques ignore the
powerful long term impact that student-run nonprofits
have in shaping a charitable community.

PHS students know from first hand experience that
when students begin to create nonprofit organizations,
one of their primary motivations is undoubtedly college
admissions or other personal benefits — such as earning
business experience or demonstrating leadership.

However, despite sometimes selfish beginnings,
through their journey in founding and running a
nonprofit, students eventually gain immense knowledge
about the issue they seek to
address often far more than
if they were to volunteer for
an existing organization. By
navigating the complexities
of fundraising and rallying,
students also learn about how
a nonprofit is structured, and
(hopefully) how to create
change.

A nonprofit founder is
also more likely to engage
peers in their work than if
they were to simply recount
their experiences working
for an established, more
professional organization.
For example, PHS Novae,
a nonprofit founded by two
PHS students to support cancer patients, is able to engage
around 25 people in their weekly meetings.

It would of course be ridiculous to argue that the
nonprofits run by high school students are what will save
humanity. But in the long term, the charitable culture
that they develop might. That’s why it’s important to
engage young people in philanthropy now, so that a
habit of doing good can be cultivated and extended into
adulthood. In 20 years, a current PHS student may have
left behind their high school nonprofit, but the effort
they made to submerge themselves in philanthropy will
undoubtedly stay with them for a long time.

Moreover, if critics continue to discourage high school
students from starting their own nonprofits, they might
not only reduce, but eradicate this culture of charity
completely. Given students’ self-motivated ambition, it’s
unlikely that in the face of continued opposition students
will simply settle on joining existing organizations.
Instead, they will transition to starting other, much more
self-serving, business oriented organizations to gain the
experience they need. As opposed to organizations that,
say, provide music tutoring to underprivileged youth,
organizations that simply charge for music lessons will
spring up.

Rather than writing off student nonprofits as trivial, we
should help to support them, and the students that run
them, in any way we can. By simply providing positive
encouragement to the founders, or mentoring them, or
even helping them reach their mission, we will create a
positive culture that encourages charity and long term
change.

In defense of student-run nonprofits

Student Takes: What is your favorite Halloween costume?

Most students at PHS know that New Jersey is not an easy place to buy a home, but what they might not know is that expensive housing doesn’t just make it harder to buy a house: it raises the costs of everything from insurance to ice cream. Affordable housing should be important to all of us, yet New Jersey’s housing prices still continue to rise. To understand why we lack affordable housing, New Jersey has to examine its past.

About 60 years ago, Mount Laurel officials began demolishing the “substandard” homes of lower income residents. In reply, the residents submitted a proposal to build affordable housing to replace the demolished homes. Unfortunately, an official shot the proposal down, responding: “If you people can’t afford to live in our town, then you’ll just have to leave.”

The residents sued the township. Three state Supreme Court cases later, the New Jersey Supreme Court established that all New Jersey municipalities have an obligation under the New Jersey Constitution to provide low-income and moderate-income housing, and the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) was created through the Fair Housing Act. Yet, years later, New Jersey home prices have risen to the point where the state has the ninth highest average home price in the entire country. To address this housing crisis, Governor Phil Murphy passed the bill known as A-40/S-50 this March. But how did we get to the point where a second bill is necessary?

Put simply, the Fair Housing Act became a joke. Every six years, the COAH underwent rounds of rulemaking, intended to update its formula to calculate township affordable housing obligations. However, due to incessant legal challenges, the COAH became unable to pass any reforms at all, which culminated in Governor Chris Christie attempting to abolish COAH. As a result, by 2015, the COAH was “declared moribund” by the New Jersey Supreme Court. Throughout this all, wealthy townships ignored the COAH by engaging in endless legal disputes and utilizing loopholes to shift their responsibilities to other towns.

This matters for everyone who lives in New Jersey. Fewer houses and higher demand lead to higher property values. As housing prices increase, so too do insurance premiums and property taxes. With people priced out of buying houses, landlords raise rents to take advantage of increased demand for shorter-term housing. When a state becomes more expensive to live in, businesses raise prices to pay higher loan fees and rents. Finally, fewer people seek to migrate to expensive states, resulting in reduced commerce and tax revenue. A-40/S-50 aims to address these issues by replacing the COAH with a new framework to calculate township affordable housing requirements, as well as provide support for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) programs. PILOT programs allow affordable housing to be constructed without putting the cost of construction on taxpayers by reducing taxes on developers and allowing the construction of new marketrate housing. PILOT programs are not perfect, since they don’t provide funding to the school board. Yet not every housing development even utilizes PILOTs, and marketrate housing is still crucial to addressing the issue of housing supply.

Despite this, the primary reason that opponents of COAH cite is cost. According to Senator O’Scanlon, the bill “mandates levels of affordable housing that communities cannot sustain.” Additionally, PILOT projects are profitable for developers. However, part of the reason developers have made so much money is because of lacking auditary standards, which resulted from a COAH paralyzed by constant lawsuits.

Without sufficient audits, developers were able to consistently exploit legal loopholes in their favor. For example, developers could put together the expenses of multiple projects to overstate expenses, thus lowering reported profits to underpaythe city for taxes. This is an issue that A-40/S-50 aims to fix by standardizing the process of constructing affordable housing.

It’s also hypocritical for opponents of A-40/S-50 to cite cost as an issue after spending millions in lawsuits to challenge COAH regulations. Due to these lawsuits, New Jersey is estimated to be 200,000 homes short of meeting basic affordable housing requirements. The actual issue at stake is NIMBYism. The acronym, which stands for “Not In My Backyard,” is a term commonly applied to people who oppose affordable housing out of misconceptions or fear. NIMBYs often oppose change due to perceived risks of crime, strained infrastructure, lowered property values, and changing community character. While many local officials have avoided making statements along these lines, it’s difficult to avoid seeing signs of its influence. The arguments provided against affordable housing are flawed and simply can’t explain the fifty years lawmakers have spent viciously fighting the results of Mount Laurel. However, countless studies have shown that those fears rarely come to pass. For example, a study conducted by Princeton University on Mount Laurel’s affordable housing found that the town’s crime rates, property values, and taxes were similar to the surrounding suburbs, while “the lives of the poor and working-class families who moved there transformed.” Many neighbors were even unaware that affordable housing existed in that area. Despite this, the movement still has strong roots in Princeton itself.

> The arguments provided against affordable housing are flawed.

In 2022, the Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development was formed to fight against an affordable housing development on the land of the Princeton Theological Seminary, on the grounds that it would increase traffic. PCRD founder Jo Butler later elaborated with the words, “every day people are at Einstein’s house…then they want to know the way to Oppenheimer’s house. It’s a big draw and we’re going to ruin it. So, does that make me a NIMBY? I guess.”

Ruin it? How? Is Butler still terrified the development might look ugly, despite the project utilizing top of-the-line materials to blend with the surrounding neighborhood? Does Butler believe evil developers seek to bulldoze Einstein’s house? Will increased traffic somehow injure Princeton’s historical value? Or is Butler still afraid of the people who depend on affordable housing? Whatever the case, there’s no adequate way to justify her statement. Though the group has made statements on seeking common ground, its actions directly contradict this. When they were told they couldn’t sue Princeton’s mayor over the housing plan, the group “refused to amend their case” without actually giving a reason why. Additionally, the group has taken issue with nearly every affordable housing development in Princeton and also attempted to halt construction of affordable housing that was agreed upon even before Princeton’s housing plan was created.

The easiest way to take action? Simply learn more about affordable housing. Opponents to affordable housing often rely on vague fear-inducing statements to generate misconceptions. Students should confirm the validity of rumors before spreading them, and research the ways affordable housing has succeeded and failed. Students also have exclusive access to a crucial audience; their parents. Murphy’s bill is New Jersey’s second chance to address the cost of living, and families shouldn’t let local officials use their taxpayer dollars to fight it. By simply engaging in dialogue, students can shine a spotlight on New Jersey’s housing crisis.

Rising housing costs hurt New Jersey

***Happy Together***

*Written by Maya Wood*

“Let’s start over.”

Named after the popular song from The Turtles, Wong Kar-Wai’s “Happy Together” (1997) follows the relationship between Lai Yiu-Fai (played by Tony Leung) and Ho Po- Wing (played by Leslie Cheung). Having had an on-and- off relationship for a long time, the two find themselves lost in Argentina while searching for the other-worldly beautiful Iguazu Falls. Frustrated and sick of each other, they go their separate ways. Eventually, they both end up in Buenos Aires and find each other again, leading to an emotional and complicated reunion.

Wong Kar-Wai, the creator of “In The Mood For Love” (2000) and “Fallen Angels” (1995), brings back his incredible artistic vision using light and color to shape the emotional evolution of this story. The shifting color palettes reflect the fluctuating dynamics of the relationship between Fai and Po-Wing: warm and vibrant reds and oranges when the characters are experiencing overwhelming love or grief; bright and sunny yellow when they feel contentedness; cold blues and greens when they feel depression
and loneliness; and black and white when they completely hate each other, capturing the realistic and raw emotions of difficult situations.

This movie was made only six years after the legal recognition of homosexual couples in Hong Kong (though same-sex marriage was not legalized), and was very influential in attaining more visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. Even today, same-sex couples in Hong Kong have no legal protections from discrimination or for marriage. This story mostly took place in Argentina, which in the 1990s was more accepting of the gay community, and now has many legal protections in place for LGBTQ+ individuals.

This is one of my favorite movies from Wong Kar-Wai and I think that he does a great job of going below the surface in terms of emotion, which can add a layer of relatability and representation to some members of the audience. The themes in this film are raw and moving, but not for everyone. It deals with topics surrounding a toxic relationship, so viewers’ discretion is advised.

***Far From Heaven***

*Written by Chloe Lam*

I’ve tried, I’ve tried to be like other people.”

Many recent movies have displayed honor and respect towards individuals who have had an impact on Pride Month. “Far From Heaven,” released in 2002, is a drama which takes place in the 1950s. It is a stunning and emotional movie which delivers a powerful message regarding race, gender, sexuality, and escapism during that time period.

The protagonist, Cathy Whitaker, highlights many of the oppressions and expectations women faced during the 1950s, such prioritizing family needs over her own desires. She marries Frank, who is similarly struggling with living a double life, since he’s secretly gay. He is forced to hide his identity, which leads to psychological distress.

Frank decided to marry Cathy because it would adhere to societal expectations. Through his marriage, Frank has conversations with his psychiatrist regarding homosexuality, and he realizes that there is a widespread belief that homosexuality is a mental illness that could be cured.

This untrue belief led to the harm of many LGBTQ+ individuals in real life, in addition to Frank in this movie. The film highlights the homophobia and prejudice in the 1950s, where gender roles took precedence over understanding and acceptance, allowing the audience to be aware of the problem, therefore leading the audience to strive for a greater change in the future.

Soon after, Frank has the courage to move out and decides to find his own happiness. He was able to embrace his own identity despite societal expectations and was able to live authentically in a repressive society. The positive ending to the film highlights the importance of finding the right but painful steps to self acceptance and happiness, despite facing difficult situations.

***Brokeback Mountain***

*Written by Rebecca Zhang*

“I wish I knew how to quit you sometimes.”

On the goldens of the lush plains, thousands of meters above the smokes of life — with rain, with snow, with him — “Brokeback Mountain” tells of the tragic love story when Ennis Del Mar (played by Heath Ledger) meets a rodeo cowboy Jack Twist (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) in a small town of Wyoming in 1963. Introverted Ennis and extroverted Jack soon become good friends as sheep herders on Brokeback Mountain. While both try to avoid it, they notice that they have slowly gone beyond the point of friendship, when one freezing night spent together seals their fate. However, after the job ends, they go their separate ways, longing after their memory of Brokeback Mountain, and only having infrequent, secretive reunions
which makes them miserable.

“Brokeback Mountain” shows how the inequalities that LGBTQ+ people face in this world can frighten them because of the risk that they might be physically attacked or publicly shamed by people with homophobic views, especially at that time. Ennis and Jack’s decisions to marry women while having an illicit affair outside of their marriages demonstrates the fragile balance of striving to appeal to the public’s expectations while attempting to understand
their own differences.

However, their hesitancy to be together throughout the film makes for a tragic end. They wanted to express themselves, but the need to protect themselves from danger ended up reigning over their decisions. Although the world is now changing, gay love is still widely restricted in many places and many beliefs. Jack and Ennis’ relationship in “Brokeback Mountain” depicts a love which is raw but heartfelt, violent but fragile, emotional but persevering, and desirous but forbidden. The film has not only strong convincing elements for people to accept all differences, but it also puts in so much humanity and vulnerability that reveals the truth behind common yet undercoveraged encounters with prejudice.

Finding pride in film: three LGBTQ+ movies to watch

Sepak takraw
Sepak takraw originates from Southeast Asia and shares many similarities with traditional Southeast Asian sports like chinlone, which is from Myanmar, and sipa, which is from the Philippines. Sepak takraw is similar to volleyball but with one key difference: players can only touch the ball with their feet, knees, chest, and head. This makes for interesting, acrobatic matches as players often do flips and bicycle kicks to hit the ball. Sepak takraw was first standardized in Malaysia in 1960. It can be played indoors or outdoors, and teams consist of two to four members. In recent years, sepak takraw’s dynamism and uniqueness have brought it popularity in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. 

Hurling
Hurling is a traditional Gaelic team sport with origins in Ireland. The sport is currently administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is an exclusively outdoor game, and teams consist of fifteen players with several substitutes. In hurling games, players use a stick called a hurley to hit a ball called a sliotar into a net. The sport is similar to lacrosse and American football, but the only protective padding players are required to wear is a helmet. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has labeled hurling as an element of intangible cultural heritage because of its deep connection to  traditional Gaelic values. For example, the sport promotes humility by not letting athletes put their names on their jerseys.  

Bossaball
Bossaball was invented in Brazil. This sport includes elements of volleyball, gynmastics, music, and soccer. The court it is played on is also unconventional — a large inflatable ring with trampolines on either side of a central net. Bossaball is typically an outdoor sport and is usually played on the beach. Teams consist of four players, and each team can touch the ball a maximum of five times before sending it over the net. The most unique part of the sport is its musical aspect. Referees, called “samba referees,” equally serve as DJs and Masters of Ceremony. The word “bossa” is also associated with “bossa nova,” a Brazilian style of music that has become popular worldwide. 

Unconventional sports around the world

Badminton is often thought of as a game that is played at the family cookout or on a warm day at the park,
not a sport. Few know of its professional side or its 
reputation as one of the most intense and fast-paced
sports in the world. These professional players train for years to hone their speed and accuracy, but are still 
underestimated because of the casual viewer’s lack of knowledge about the sport. 
  Badminton has centuries-old roots, originating from a
game called “battledore and 
shuttlecock,” different variants of which were played in ancient civilizations such as Greece, 
China, and India. The 
modern version of the sport became popular in the 
middle of the 19th century in 
British India and eventually spread worldwide, becoming an Olympic sport in 1992.
  However, the sport has never gotten much 
recognition in the United States. This is due to the fact that there is already an abundance of 
professional sports leagues in the United States. 
However, times are changing: the UBX Pro League, the  first 
professional badminton league in North America, will launch in 2025. The UBX Pro League’s goal is to make badminton more prominent. Here at PHS, the 
Badminton Club has begun implementing this same 
initiative, which has introduced many more students to the sport.   
    Founded by William Yao ’24, the Badminton Club strives to create camaraderie among the student body through badminton. Although badminton is played in most gym classes during the winter, Yao noticed that many students view the sport as simple recreation or even as a chore due to its association with the class.             
 Through his dedicated 
leadership, the club has 
created an inclusive 
environment in which 
students of all backgrounds can come together to enjoy the sport. 
 As an immigrant, Yao realized that 
badminton isn’t as popular in America as it is China, so founding the club was his way to not only expand the variety of options students had for sports, but also to teach others about an important part of his culture by trying new things.
   “We have [this] club to [introduce other] people to our  culture,” said Yao. “It’s brought more of the  people who weren’t involved in sports together … [people can] come in and have fun with their friends.” 
   There are a few basic techniques needed to play a game, such as different serve types, which are easy to learn and put into practice, making accessible badminton accessible. 
  Aside from the sport’s convenience and accessibility, club co-leader Nags Muthiah ’25 also places great value on badminton’s recreational and unifying potential. 
  Although few U.S. schools have an official badminton team, many, including PHS, have clubs that occasionally play friendly matches with each other. This makes the club members hopeful about the creation of an official team. 
   “We’re gathering up to make a team and we play against other schools,” said Yao. “Our first match was against 
Basking Ridge in November last year.” 
 These matches were entirely 
organized by students, from funding to 
transportation and any other resources the players required. 
Badminton is yet to have a large impact,  but Muthiah remains optimistic on its potential influence. 
   “I don’t think it’s changed the culture at PHS ... yet, since the Badminton Club still feels [very] small. I’d say it 
changes more like the break culture,” said Muthiah. “It opens up a new activity to do at lunch time, Tiger Time, or if you have a free and if you want to join someone’s gym class.” 
   Although badminton may not become an official sport at PHS for a long time, as the sport is steadily gaining 
popularity through the Badminton Club, with true 
potential to positively impact the whole PHS community through its emphasis on inclusion, fun, and connection. 
   “We had few people [when I started]... we have way more people now,” Yao said.   


Badminton birdie catches wind at PHS

The current online world is plagued with an epidemic of lies. There is so much misinformation in our world that the Associated Press publishes a weekly edition of “Not Real News,” a feature of fake news stories that  have  been published recently. The content varies from President Biden’s supposed plans to give all illegal immigrants $5,000 Visa gift cards to FDA efforts to start a “plandemic” with harmful medications disguised as decongestants.    
Misinformation is by no means a new concept, but the degree to which it pervades society today incredibly alarming. Despite the fact that the internet (and particularly social media) is overrun with conspiracy theories, embellished content, and dangerous misinterpretations, it has become the dominant source of information for Americans, especially for younger generations. 
 Pew Research found that  in 2022, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter were the primary news source for 66 percent of young people. At the same time, according to Gallop, a record 78 percent of Gen Z trust what they read online, compared to just 60 percent who trust reputable national organizations. 
In theory, social media can be used as a tool for exercising freedom of speech, avoiding the restriction of the distribution of information to a few powerful institutions. In practice, however, misinformation makes productive online discussions nearly impossible. In 2018, MIT researchers found that posts containing falsehoods reach 1,500 people on Twitter six times faster than truthful posts. This phenomenon, initially observed and coined in the political scene, is dubbed as “post-truth,” and was named the 2016 Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionary. The most prominent example of the damage misinformation has caused is  our own democracy. For example, CNN found that 38 percent of adults in the United States did not believe in the results of the 2020 election, and USA Today polls show that over half of Trump supporters have already decided that the 2024 election will be rigged. This January, the World Economic Forum ranked misinformation as the greatest global risk, citing its potential to “further widen societal and political divides … undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments [and] infiltrate public discourse.”       
Improving how we process information online may not be as difficult as it seems. According to Matt Groh, a researcher at MIT’s Media Lab, when we simply pay attention to the quality of a source, we’re much better at detecting misinformation. If the legitimacy is not clear even after some research, it’s often useful to find the original evidence the author cited and come to a conclusion without the influence of a secondary source. In general, when we process information, it’s also important to apply the same levels of skepticism and thinking to all content, regardless of whether it aligns with our values or commonly accepted opinion. Without active awareness of our biases, we’re much more likely to believe falsehoods if they align with our own narrative. 
In an age where the internet and social media are everywhere in our life, it’s our responsibility to combat misinformation and to think and advocate for truth, no matter how tedious it may seem. Next time you see something shocking, remember that meaningful information and ideas usually can’t be expressed in a single tweet or Instagram post. 

The Tower

Katherine Chen's Work

The Tower