Walk into any grocery store in America, and you’re bound to find shelves full of ultra-processed foods wrapped in shiny plastic packaging. Ultra-processed goods, products that are prepared using industrial methods, are often high in sugar, salt, and fat. For these reasons, many health professionals and critics on social media have taken to advocating for consumption of “whole” foods such as fruits and vegetables. Although reaching for an apple is decidedly healthier than grabbing a bag of chips, both foods can be sources of a less-discussed health threat — microplastics.


Microplastics are defined as small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long, and result from the natural degradation of plastic products, such as packaging, synthetic textiles, and paint. Since the coinage of the term “microplastics” in a 2004 University of Plymouth study, its negative effects on marine organisms have been well-established. However, microplastics aren’t just a problem for our environment — they have begun to find their way into the foods that we consume on a daily basis.


For example, a 2020 study by Catania University discovered that carrots and apples contained high levels of microplastics, likely due to absorption of microplastic-contaminated water. Additionally, according to a National Institutes of Health study from 2023, tea bags made with certain plastics can release billions of very small microplastics into cups of tea. Marine organisms consumed by humans can also have thousands of larger microplastics, and any foods stored in plastic containers contain thousands of plastic particles of all sizes. When consumed, these microplastics have been shown to mimic hormones, messenger chemicals within the body. One study from the American Chemical Society found that a gene called TRPV4 was over-expressed due to microplastics acting as growth factors, leading to respiratory issues. Microplastics can contribute to an increased risk of cancer, neurological diseases, and respiratory issues. They also exacerbate pre-existing medical issues, or activate latent disease-causing genes in the body. 


In particular, many of the microplastics in humans arise from a process known as biomagnification. Because of pollution, there are many plastic particles floating in the ocean. Small organisms eat these plastics, and they are then consumed by predators. The plastics move up in the food chain, becoming more and more concentrated in the tissue of the apex predators. When a human proceeds to eat this animal, they receive a portion of the many microplastics present in the ocean. Biomagnification occurs in a similar sense for land animals like chickens and cows, which often consume contaminated plants. In all cases, the original source of microplastics are man-made materials that pollute the environment.


This is not a problem that can be solved through selection in what we eat, but instead needs to be solved at its origin. We fill our oceans with trash, destroying the single geographic feature that gave rise to all life. As a society, we need to change to save our planet, our oceans, our marine life, and ourselves. Large societal shift begins with small, personal steps. Right here at PHS, students can make a meaningful impact in the fight against microplastic pollution. From the cafeteria to the vending machines, we make daily choices that either contribute to or help combat this growing health and environmental crisis. 


If you want to stay away from these life-threatening, cancer-causing particles, start by putting your water bottles in the recycling. The next time you go to the cafeteria or Tiger Café, choose items with less plastic packaging. Bring your own reusable water bottle instead of purchasing plastic beverage bottles from the vending machine. Even small changes like using your own reusable utensils or avoiding plastic straws count. These changes may seem insignificant, but together, we can reduce sources of microplastics that end up in our food, and in our bodies.

Photo: Julia Li

Izzah Memon ’27 eats a bag of chips during break.

Microplastics are a macro problem

As co-president of the PHS teachers’ union, advisor to the Science Olympiad club, former Hebrew and chemistry teacher, and current special education teacher, Renee Szporn’s résumé spans 40 years and multiple careers. However, education has remained a constant throughout.

“I love learning, and I want to share my love of learning with others,” said Szporn. “I remember from a very young age lining up my dolls and playing school. I always wanted to be a teacher.”

Szporn, at her parents’ request, majored in Chemistry, though she struggled to find jobs after graduation. After brief stints as a chemistry teacher and a Hebrew teacher, Szporn decided to pursue special education.

“At the time that I was looking for work, there weren’t a lot of science [education] jobs. Teachers were treated with a lot more respect — they had a lot more autonomy in their classroom — and [they] weren’t leaving education, so there were no openings,” said Szporn. “All my friends were telling me, ‘Well, if you get certification in special education, you’ll get a job,’ and that’s what happened.”

In New Jersey, special education teachers must receive certification, accommodate students’ Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs), and adapt to students’ varying needs.  
“I’m very glad, but it’s tough. I’ll give an example: here’s Hamlet. I have four different editions. I have kids who need [a larger copy] because of dyslexia. They’ll need a larger print, and then they can rearrange and cut out the letters. Then I have students that have major comprehension problems, so then I’ll have [a translated copy] ... and then I have kids that really can’t read. And then we do stick figures,” said Szporn. 

For Szporn, one of the most rewarding parts of her job is seeing the impact of her efforts. Her special education students have gone on to work on Wall Street, publish books, and attend Harvard Medical School as postdoctoral students.

“I’m making a difference with special education. I’m really helping the kids. I’m glad I made the switch, but it was difficult. I think a lot of people don’t respect special education teachers. I think a lot of people think that we’re less than when we are more than,” said Szporn.

Evan Kang ’25, a student in Szporn’s English IV In-Class Resource Program (ICRP) class, is one student impacted by Szporn. A self-described “introvert,” Kang emphasized how Szporn’s combination of humor and passion has helped him open up.

“[Szporn] makes me laugh every day,” said Kang. “I applied to 26 colleges, and she’s like, ‘You’re crazy.’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to commit somewhere, but I haven’t done it yet.’ And ... she’s like — ‘You’re gonna be the one who makes me want to retire.’ We like to joke around.”

Szporn also serves as one of three co-presidents of the Princeton Regional Educators Association (PREA), a union that represents the interests of all of the  teachers in the Princeton Public School district, including salary, health benefits, working conditions, and teaching policies. Just as with special education, Szporn’s position as union president was not originally planned.

“[I was told] by my father to never volunteer ... but someone came up to me and said, ‘You used to be a debater [and] you speak very well. Would you like to be in the union?’” said Szporn. “And like a fool, I said yes, and I moved up in the ranks. I had no intention of ever being a union president and then I’m co-president.”

Although she has left a career in chemistry behind, Szporn has kept that part of her life alive by serving as the advisor for the PHS Science Olympiad team for the past 20 years.

“I’m with my nerds [at PHS Science Olympiad]. I don’t like to call them that, but I love them. The kids are so inventive and dedicated and driven and we have a good time, and I just adore them. I love it,” said Szporn. 

Throughout PHS, whether in her special education classrooms, at Science Olympiad meetings, or among her colleagues in PREA, Szporn has developed a reputation as a person who is all-in for the causes she believes in.

“[Szporn] is really smart — she cares a lot about her students. She demands a lot of them, but she also gives them the support that they need to reach those goals,” said Jennifer Bigioni, Educational Media Specialist and Szporn’s colleague in PREA. “[Szporn] is flamboyant, she’s funny, she’s a justice warrior — she’s a very dynamic person.”


Photo: Emily Kim

Szporn introduces a video about King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table.

PHS Profile: Renee Szporn

Within two months of taking office, President Donald Trump has already cut funding for many departments within the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk. The cuts to the National Institute of Health (NIH) hit especially hard, removing funding from many research institutions. 


The NIH is the federal agency responsible for conducting and supporting medical research. Their mission statement is to “seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.” 


According to the New York Times, in 2024, $32 billion was spent on grants, with $23 billion going to direct costs and $9 billion going to overhead costs. These overhead costs are what the Trump administration attempts to target, but what they’re missing is that overhead costs are incredibly important to research. Without them, the United States will fall behind in the scope of worldwide research progress. 


The NIH has served an essential role in the development of medications in the U.S. A data assessment from the JAMA Health Forum found that the NIH funded the creation of 99% of drugs approved between 2010 and 2019, ranging from cancer treatments to advancements in gene editing. With funding being frozen for some institutions, these developments are bound to grind to a halt. This means that the United States simply will not be able to research as quickly as other countries. This inevitably leads to less innovation, as the funds for the backend operations required aren’t being provided.


Biology teacher and PHS Research Program head Jennifer Smolyn relied on government funding for the multiple research programs and labs that she participated in during her college years.
“I think colleges and universities are going to have to think about who gets to do research. They’ll probably shift the focus more towards graduate students, and there will be fewer opportunities for undergraduates, is what I would guess is kind of the easiest fix,” said Smolyn. “But they will definitely need to think about where the funding is going, how they’re allocating resources, and to whom.”


Smolyn says that she is trying to be optimistic about the situation, but reading the news about these funding cuts is alarming and discouraging. However, she is still positive about the fact that the U.S. will remain a world leader in scientific research and progress despite these cuts. “I don’t know that I would say we’ll lose our position entirely, but I do think it will be more of a challenge to … hold the standard of academic research that we do,” says Smolyn. 


Although the funding cuts only directly affect the NIH, PHS will also inevitably feel its tremors. As the student Research Program relies on money from the New Jersey State Department of Education, which gets its money from taxpayers, this funding cut will likely affect PHS’s ability to support particularly resource-heavy student projects. Research is an integral part of PHS’s academic culture, and PHS students should be aware of these far reaching policies when casting their votes in the future.

NIH funding cuts hurt innovation

On March 27, PHS students gathered
in the new gym for a celebration of
Hispanic culture and history. Following
the administration’s postponement of the
assembly, which was originally schedule
for October, students from clubs such as
Latinos Unidos and Generation 1 came
together in January to begin the planning
process. This year’s assembly included
numerous performances, including those
that showcased the many perspectives of
Hispanic people throughout the Princeton
community.


In order to address PHS administration’s
concerns about the event’s educational
value, new performances focused on
teaching various aspects of Hispanic
culture, such as mariachi music and
quinceañera dances, a tradition that
celebrates a girl’s 15th birthday common
in many Latin American countries.
“A new event that we tried out that we
hadn’t done previous years for the assembly
is a quinceañera: we [had] a bunch of
quinceañeras with big dresses, and we [had]
teachers to do a waltz with them,” said Aimy
Solares ’26, one of the board members of
Latinos Unidos.


Latinos Unidos led the preperation for
assembly. As a completely student-led club,
the planning board coordinated with several
outside community groups, as well as club
members from the organization Gen 1, to
ensure all events and rehearsals happened
smoothly.


“[The preparation is] chaotic … we have
to talk to everyone who’s part of it to make
sure they’re up to date with everything,
especially with our other events making sure
everyone’s doing their part,” said Osbaldo
Morales ’25, co-president of Latinos Unidos.
This year’s Hispanic Heritage celebration
was the first to include several other PHS
clubs in its performances. This added an
extra challenge for the organizers, as they
had to schedule rehearsal times that would
work for all the students involved.


“For our assembly, usually we kind of just
plan it out among ourselves, but this year we
tried to get other clubs like PULSE involved
and the PHS Step Team,” said Solares. “We
[also tried] to get other people outside of
Latinos [Unidos] to come in and volunteer
and help with the assembly.”


Though the assembly was intended to
celebrate Hispanic culture, students of all
cultural backgrounds are encouraged to
participate in future events.


“Can you dance? Can you sing? Can
you move furniture around? I could. You
can. Everyone’s invited. Whoever wants to
participate — even the administration — is
invited. The community outside of the PHS
community is also invited,” said Idiana
Mejia-Rodriguez, a Spanish teacher at PHS
and the advisor of Latinos Unidos.


The organizers hope that the assembly
not only succesfully educated others on
Hispanic culture and heritage, but also
brought representation to Princeton’s
large, but often-underrepresented Hispanic
community. The assembly was intended to
serve as a public platform for their voices
and ideas to showcase their diverse culture
and form a sense of community.


“I think we just want them to feel seen
and know that there’s other kids just like
them and just to [provide] representation.
Hopefully [even] if they don’t feel like they
belong somewhere [else] in the school,
they know that they belong in our club,”
said Solares.

Photo: Charley Hu  

Camila Del Castillo, Mona Mobin-Uddin ’26, and Cecilia Reynolds ’25 adjust their garments in preparation for the assembly.


Hispanic heritage assembly showcases diversity and culture

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.

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