Conversations at PHS are often embedded with strings of expletives, which occasionally result in teachers warning students about their language. This seemingly normal occurrence demonstrates that although profanity has become desensitized for younger generations, it still carries weight for the older population and in professional environments. According to a paper from the International Journal of Literature, Language, and Linguistics (IJLLL), a survey comparing Generations X, Y, and Z reported that only 4 percent of Generation Z respondents reported no use of profanity, contrasting with a larger 43 percent of Generation X participants. Despite this disconnect between profanity and past generations, most popular curse words have deep historic roots and come directly from the Middle Ages.


According to the Saturday Evening Post, profanity in medieval times mostly revolved around religion and eventually became associated with immodesty. These examples allude to a greater trend in profanity — historically, profanity matches the needs and desires of its users and the society it exists in. For example, general profanity revolved around racial slurs in societies where racial discrimination was a norm. Today, what we define as profanity is once again changing, and it will likely cause a rift between Generation Z and older generations such as Generation X. For example, the word “damn” was considered a serious profanity in the 16th century. However, in the modern era, its profane nature has more or less dissipated. For instance, The New York Times and other major print publications have loose regulations surrounding the printing of  “damn” in article titles, but will only include the word “f—” in “highly contentious quotations and interview transcripts”. The IJLLL paper found that Generation Z is more likely to use profanity light-heartedly or in casual conversation. Words currently still generally considered profane, such as “f—” or “s—,” may join “damn” and quickly lose that designation if they continue to be used in normal contexts.


   In contrast to “damn,” certain words have had their profane statuses elevated. The r-slur, which began as a professional medical term for neurodivergent people, quickly became common profane vocabulary. After various social movements pointed out the r-slur’s derogatory nature towards neurodivergency, it began to be considered as a slur. Its slur status was then solidified in 2010 when President Barack Obama signed “Rosa’s Law,” which changed “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability.” It’s likely that the next wave of profanity will not be any new, strange words, but rather a revival of what is currently considered unacceptable. For example, most PHS students have likely heard at least one slur in the hallways. Offensive slurs such as the f-slur and the r-slur that have been phased out of popular vocabulary seem to be making a worrying comeback. Interestingly, this coincides with the rise of conservatism among U.S. youth alongside racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, etc. These ideas and associated slang spread quickly in the fast-paced digital age, contributing to the loss of meaning for otherwise offensive words.


It is important to recall, though, that these changes in profanity are generally concentrated in younger generations. Older generations are less likely to change their perception of words they have always known as profane. This results in a generational language gap — when younger generations casually use words older generations may still perceive as highly hurtful, it can cause conflict. In the workplace, which many PHS students are only years away from entering, this dissonance could have particularly negative effects. Although curse words being used more casually isn’t inherently negative, it is important for younger people to remember that language does not change at the same rate for everyone.


As we, the younger half of Gen Z, begin to enter the professional sphere and transition into a world where we are not always mostly surrounded by our peers, we should start to be more mindful of our words — we will need to communicate effectively with other people, and profane language, although more casual for young people, is intrinsically divisive.


Traditional curse words are losing their meaning for younger people as they use them as casual terms, not as expressions of significant emotion. These developments should be taken seriously, as they will not only create far-reaching professional and interpersonal consequences, but could also accelerate the use of bigoted slurs in common conversation. Although these linguistic developments seem out of our hands, by consciously making an effort to remove profanity from our vocabularies, we can still make a difference.

The evolution of profanity

   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

For the first time in PHS history, a student-run badminton tournament took place in the Old Gym, where 12 singles players and eight pairs of doubles all tried to claim the championship title.

PHS Badminton Club leaders William Liu ’26, Kaitlyn Bian ’26, and Joseph Hu ’26 took months to plan.

“There were a lot of steps. First, we had to get approved, and then we had to get all the logistics, like the nets, the tournament order as well as [decide] who is going to judge. So there’s a lot of components, and I’m glad that we were able to get it together in the end,” said Bian.

After playing badminton in China, Liu wanted to build a community that shared his passion for the sport with his fellow students. At the club fair, the club got over 200 signups — an eighth of the entire student body.

“I’m trying to find [people] who share the same interest with me in badminton and also trying to encourage others to play this sport,” said Liu.

The co-ed tournament was held in an elimination style format, playing the best out of two sets, with each set only going up to 11 points, unlike the professional standard of 21 points.

Players had the choice to sign up for either doubles or singles, and were required to bring their equipment.

In the finale of the tournament, Akshaj Sama ’26 and Anirudh Kashyap ’25 won the doubles tournament and Yunsheng Xu ’27 took home the singles prize.

Sama initially decided to sign up for the tournament for fun and to compete with fellow students.

“I’m really happy about my win,” said Sama. “I definitely couldn’t have won without my teammate Anirudh … This experience was really fun!”

Club advisor and gym teacher Carlos Salazar remembers badminton being a tradition among the P.E. teachers and wanted to help the students at PHS get involved with the sport outside of their gym class. In his 34 years of teaching, “this is the first time” he’s witnessed such an event.

“As an advisor, my main goal is to make sure that it is a … student-oriented program,” said Salazar. “I make suggestions, support them as much as I can … basically it’s been [the leaders’] ideas [and] their support.”

Although PHS does not have an official badminton team, the tournament served as a way to connect badminton players throughout the school, regardless of their skill level or previous experience.

“I played badminton outside of school, and I think it’s a very fun sport. It’s good exercise as well,” said Bian. “I think [the tournament] positively influenced sports culture [by] getting people who normally don’t participate in sports to participate in some type of activity.”

After seeing the success of their very first tournament, Liu is optimistic about the future of badminton at PHS and even beyond.

“Maybe next time we can have an inter-school tournament. For next year, we’re gonna have the same school [event], hopefully,” said Liu.

PHS holds its first badminton tournament

With each precise stroke, Ellie Kovalick ’25 brings her team closer to the finish line. Guided by the rhythmic splash of the oars against the water, the boat inches past the others. In a succinct, combined effort, Kovalick and her teammates secure 15th place out of a total of 90 competitors in the 2024 USRowing National Championships.

Despite doing track in middle school, Kovalick began focusing on rowing as her main sport starting freshman year. She specializes in rowing eights, the largest, fastest, and most competitive type of boat.

“I started rowing the summer before my freshman year, and I kind of just knew that I loved it,” said Kovalick. “And the thing about rowing is that it’s year-round, so it’s hard to do multiple sports at once. So once I discovered that I loved rowing, I looked back. I never really looked back. I’ve never considered doing another sport since I started.”

This commitment has propelled her to find success at the highest level. Kovalick has gone to Nationals during her sophomore and junior year. In addition, her team, Mercer Juniors, was the 13th fastest in the nation last year with this year’s national championships yet to take place. However, the achievement comes with challenges.

Throughout her high school career, Kovalick has seen three changes in coaching, turning what can be a very chaotic, fast-evolving sport into a test of resilience.

“Our team has gone through a lot so there have been rebuilding years in a way, for sure. But one of the athletes has to step up and take a more active role in how we want the team culture around how we want the dynamic of our team to be,” said Kovalick. “But overall, I think we’re a resilient group, and we managed all right, even through coaching changes.”

Despite the stress, Kovalick and her team are still very competitive. Rowers have to row nonstop for races that can be up to three miles long, such as the Head of the Charles in Boston that Kovalick’s team will participate in this fall.

Kovalick’s impact isn’t limited to her contributions on the water. Yita Moss-Wang ’25, Kovalick’s teammate and long-time friend, explained what helps Kovalick set herself apart from the rest.

“What’s really unique about Ellie is … [her] consistency, every day at practice, every day on the water; and you can see that when she rows, she’s very decisive with her stroke,” said Moss-Wang.

Sam Atter, Kovalick’s coach on the girls rowing team, confirmed her dedication.

“I think that’s been a consistent theme for Kovalick from 2023 to now: her ability to be in these hard situations, these hard races, and [being] this kind of a leader, demonstrating and acting on this is just great. If you get the job done, don’t talk under pressure kind of success,” said Atter.

Here at PHS, Kovalick has taken the initiative to expand the sport of rowing to a wider audience, founding the PHS Crew Club from its few year hiatus.

“I’ve definitely been trying to get more PHS kids involved in the sport, because it’s not too good in Princeton right now. And it’s just such an awesome opportunity … I have nothing but good things to say about [Mercer Rowing],” said Kovalick.

Kovalick is now committed to continue rowing at the Division I school of Wisconsin, in addition to serving as the Collegiate Rowing Commitments Intern. As she embarks on the next chapter of her rowing career at the collegiate level, Kovalick reflects on her choice to row.

“There’s people that discover this sport their year and immediately quit [rowing], and then there’s people that stick with it. And I think I [have] just found a passion, and it’s not something I ever want to give up,” said Kovalick.

Photo: Charley Hu

Kovalick, who has commited to the University of Wisconsin, continues her senior rowing season while looking forward to competing at the collegiate level.

Ellie Kovalick '25: rowing

Growing up as a proud Irish-
American, the month of
March has always been a
time for me to celebrate
my identity, my family
history, and all things Irish.
Whether it’s listening
to The Cranberries,
reading Oscar Wilde, or
simply hearing my Irish
grandmother’s charming
accented voice, I lean
into my roots more
than ever. After visiting
Ireland for the first time
last spring, I learned
about the culinary
aspects of my culture
beyond anything my
relatives ever made me.
Granted, the cuisine isn’t the most technical or visually
appealing, but the flavors are extremely comforting and
layered. One dish that has those complex flavors but is
simple to make is Irish apple cake. The cinnamon, ginger,
and nutmeg provide a richness that is perfectly balanced
with the slightly tangy apples, pleasing any crowd,
especially Irish. Sláinte!

**Ingredients**  

Streusel topping:  
4 tablespoons salted butter (cold)  
½ cup flour  
⅓ cup granulated sugar  
Pinch of salt  
1 teaspoon cinnamon   

Apple cake:  
1 stick unsalted butter (room
temperature)  
½ cup granulated sugar  
2 teaspoons vanilla
extract  
2 large eggs  
1 ¼ cups all-purpose
flour  
1 teaspoon baking
powder  
1 teaspoon cinnamon  
½ teaspoon ginger  
¼ teaspoon nutmeg  
⅛ teaspoon salt  
¼ cup heavy cream  
2 Granny Smith apples (peeled and thinly sliced)  
Confectioners’ sugar for serving 

**Instructions**  
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a 9-inch baking dish and line the bottom
with parchment paper.  
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour,
granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add the
cold butter and combine until the dry ingredients
have the texture of coarse breadcrumbs and there
are no chunks of butter left. Set aside in the fridge.  
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated
sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and
eggs one at a time until fully combined.  
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour,
bakingpowder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and
salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Then, add
the heavy cream and combine.  
5. Add the batter to the greased pan, evenly layer the
apples on top, and cover with streusel topping.  
6. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the top is golden
brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let the cake
cool slightly in the pan before removing and placing
onto a rack. Let it cool completely and then dust with
confectioners’ sugar. Enjoy!

Adapted from Food Network

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