Brent Ferguson on the intersection of math and religion

In which Kim Groome, who has taught about both America's history and its government at PHS for over a decade, tackles questions about the purpose of education, the perils of this political moment, and the problems with our response to climate change. So, easy topics, right?"PHS Talks" is a part of of Princeton High School's student run newspaper, The Tower.

Bhavya Yaddanapudi '25 is here to answer some of your most burning questions about life at Princeton High School: how should us students deal with climate anxiety? Can you do karate and run track at the same time? What's the geographical makeup of Michigan?PHS Talks is a podcast produced by the Multimedia section of the Tower, PHS's student-run newspaper. To see more from the Tower, visit https://www.towerphs.com/home.

Lauren Freedman, a life-long Princetonian who's taught math, led committees, and engaged with students at PHS for over a decade, began her tenure as Assistant Principal this October 2nd. I got the chance to ask her about her vision for the future of our school. (It was awesome.)

Every year, PHS is overrun by posters and handouts campaigning for would-be student council members — but how much policymaking power are they actually competing over? I sat down with Ashlena Brown '24, last year's Junior Class President, to find out. To see more from the Tower, visit towerphs.com

Biology — the "study of life" — is complicated, and beautiful, and humungous. Never fear, though: Jayne Ricciardi and Steffanie Shoop, biology teachers at PHS, are here at the lab table with me to peel back its folds and reveal the lessons (and unanswered questions!) within the science that matter to all of us. Oh, and also, they're here to be best friends, and to make me laugh so loudly that I almost fall off of my lab stool.

Ms. Garcia, a student counselor at PHS, was kind enough to sit down with me and talk about how much our school's student body has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, and also how much remains the same. Along the way, we discuss the stress surrounding college applications, the beauty of therapeutic poetry sessions, and more.

The PHS girls' swim team had a historic season this year — they went 15-0 and won the NJSIAA Group B Girls Swimming State Championship. Jessica Hull '23 explains how they did it, and what lessons we can all take from their success.

Five days ago, Mr. Chmiel was put on paid leave. The Board of Education, citing New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act, have not provided an explanation for his dismissal, but plenty of parents have: we take a look at how the outrage that resulted from the perceived injustice of his situation culminated into an hour-long demonstration on the PHS lawn, and wonder about who's being left out of the conversation.The New Yorker article quoted in the episode is "J. D. Vance, Ron DeSantis, and the G.O.P’s Diverging Paths."Episode corrections:Ms. Birge is the acting co-principal of PHS, not an interim principal.Clarification: although many students and parents have used the word "dismissed" to describe Mr. Chmiel's departure from PHS, he and the administration have clarified that he's on "paid administrative leave."

Math and religion are often seen as fundamentally different disciplines, but in actuality, a long, rich history of philosophical thought ties them together. Brent Ferguson, a calculus teacher at PHS, breaks those connections down, and explains how his own theological outlook affects the way he thinks about — and teaches — math.