The Student Newspaper of Jackson-Reed High School

The Beacon

The Student Newspaper of Jackson-Reed High School

The Beacon

The Student Newspaper of Jackson-Reed High School

The Beacon

The downsides of daylight savings
Greta Bradley-Meal and Jessica McCallum March 31, 2023

Every time November rolls around I have mixed feelings. The weather is nice, there are plenty of short weeks, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. But there’s this ever-looming event on my mind: daylight savings. It happens every year and yet I am still disappointed every time we lose an hour of daylight after school.  The practice of changing the clocks for daylight saving dates back...

"Everything Everywhere All at Once"
August Taylor, Contribuyente • March 25, 2023

Podría intentar esconderla, pero debo revelar mi opinión honesta de esta película. Esta es la película que pienso que merece ganar. En absoluto. Todo desde el montaje hasta la actuación hasta el guión...

Realidad fragmentada
Camila Reinoso, Editora de Copia • March 25, 2023

Una mujer cubriendo su espalda cicatrizada con un tatuaje de dragón. Una chica con una muñeca cubierto de pulseras. Un niño sin la mitad de un dedo, otro con una cicatriz en su ceja, y aún otro descansando...

¿Un tigre? Mejor Pedro Pascal
Sophia Ibrahim, Editora Ejecutiva • March 25, 2023

Es posible que conozcan el actor, Pedro Pascal, por su trabajo en Juego de Tronos, El Mandaloriano, y Narcos. O tal vez, como yo, lo conozcan por el videoclip de la canción “Fire Meets Water” de la...

Senioritis esta pegando fuerte
Lily McCarthy, Contribuyente • March 25, 2023

Ya que llegamos a la segunda mitad del año, el ‘senioritis’ ya está afectando a los estudiantes del grado doce. De las que ya han sido aceptados por las universidades, muchos sienten que el trabajo...

Volume 86 Issue 5
Volume 86 Issue 5
The Beacon Staff March 22, 2023

Click here to see the full issue!

Volume 86 Issue 4
Volume 86 Issue 4
February 14, 2023
Volume 86 Issue 3
Volume 86 Issue 3
December 20, 2022
Volume 86 Issue 2
Volume 86 Issue 2
November 9, 2022
MacArthur High School to open in fall to alleviate overcrowding
Clara Doyle, Contributor • March 23, 2023

In an effort to combat overcrowding at Jackson-Reed, DCPS will open MacArthur Boulevard High School this fall in Northwest DC. MacArthur will be the new in-boundary school for all in the Hardy Middle School district. However, there is uncertainty as to whether the school will be ready in time.  Last fall, DCPS purchased the building from Georgetown Day School (GDS). The building previously served...

Inadequate ticket sales lead to dance cancellation
Isadora Groves and Kiley Hatcher March 23, 2023

Cupid’s arrows could not penetrate the hearts of Jackson-Reed students this February, leading to the cancellation of the Valentine's Day Bash.    The dance, originally scheduled for February...

Menstrual product dispensers added to Jackson-Reed bathrooms
Leah Carrier, Managing Editor • March 23, 2023

All girls bathrooms were equipped with pad and tampon dispensers over February break. The dispensers charge ¢25 for each product.  These new installations were financed using funding delegated by the...

Low water pressure prompts bathroom closures
Isadora Groves, Natalie Gordon, and Junior Editor, Sports Editor March 23, 2023

A plumbing issue left all toilets in the main building and portable trailers unusable. Jackson-Reed students and staff remained in school throughout the dysfunction.  A blockage in the water filtration...

Controversies arise as high schoolers turn to AI for cheating
Hadley Carr and Benjamin Chait March 23, 2023

The room was quiet, except for the sound of rustling papers and the furious scribbling of pencils. These conditions are typical of AP-style essay exams, which demand total silence and are written exclusively...

Inadequate ticket sales lead to dance cancelation
Isadora Groves and Kiley Hatcher March 18, 2023

Cupid’s arrows could not penetrate the hearts of Jackson-Reed students this February, leading to the cancellation of the Valentine's Day Bash.  The dance, originally scheduled for February 10, was...

Disability Student Alliance hopes to create a safe space for disabled students
Becca Green, Features Editor • March 25, 2023

Formed in December 2022 the Disability Student Alliance (DSA) is “bringing those who are disabled and disability allies together,” said founder Edie Young.  “I have multiple disabilities and notice that people aren't always very accepting of disabilities,” Young said. Young continued that she constantly hears students using harmful slurs and wanted to “create a space where people could...

Asian Student Union revived at Jackson-Reed
Rohini Kieffer, Section Copy Editor • March 25, 2023

Watching movies, eating dim sum, going to museums, and having potlucks. What more does anyone need? Jackson-Reed’s new Asian Student Union envisions all of this in its future. Founded by juniors Lila...

Photo by Margot Nissen
Lesser-known clubs
Norah Caplan and Rohini Kieffer March 25, 2023

It’s 8:57 a.m. (if you’re on time). As you ascend the stairs from the atrium, something catches your eye. A pop of color to your left. You look over to find a bulletin board filled with all the clubs...

A blast from the past: corporal punishment at Jackson-Reed
Dani Wallace, Section Copy Editor • March 25, 2023

When students stepped out of line, how were they punished? Back in the day, spanking was a popular choice for students of all ages.  To look into past punitive approaches, we are jumping back to March...

Photo by Deirdre de Leeuw den Bouter
We tried every chocolate milkshake in Tenleytown so you don't have to
Benjamin Chait and Deirdre de Leeuw den Bouter March 25, 2023

M.I.A: McDonald’s 0/5 With our stomachs empty and hopes high, we entered McDonald’s excited to try a road trip staple: the McD’s chocolate milkshake. However, to our anger and dismay, the ice...

The downsides of daylight savings
Greta Bradley-Meal and Jessica McCallum March 31, 2023

Every time November rolls around I have mixed feelings. The weather is nice, there are plenty of short weeks, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. But there’s this ever-looming event on my mind: daylight savings. It happens every year and yet I am still disappointed every time we lose an hour of daylight after school.  The practice of changing the clocks for daylight saving dates back...

Top eight icks
March 25, 2023

Buzz cuts Hitting fruit-flavored vapes Unironically using the laughing emoji Sports betting Being on the beacon staff (but pu next interest meeting room 205 on 3/24) Wannabe Sound Cloud...

Senioritis is a rite of passage that every senior deserves to experience
Daniel Whitley, Junior Editor • March 24, 2023

For those who don’t know, senioritis is a crippling condition in which second semester seniors no longer feel obligated to arrive on time, let alone attend class. They often make up excuses about being...

Don't fumble the bag: senioritis isn't worth it
Dante Chinni, Contributor • March 24, 2023

First off, I get it, ok? You’ve gone through eleven and a half years of school, it’s easy for the last five or six months to feel pointless. I mean, who can blame you for your missing assignments once...

Did COVID kill school spirit?
Josephine Caplan and Willa Marks March 23, 2023

After years of sports titles and academic achievements, you’d think that our school would be more spirited than it is. As a high school that dominates in pretty much every field, where is our enthusiasm? Before...

With hopes to open next fall, DCPS struggles to make MacArthur accessible city-wide
Deirdre de Leeuw den Bouter, Managing Editor • March 23, 2023

Whenever DCPS tries to solve a problem, they always seem to go about it in the strangest ways. The most recent example of this is the new MacArthur school, which is an attempt to reduce the student...

Jackson-Reed Hockey Team has a successful start to the season
Angelina Payz-Peña, Contributor • March 10, 2023

The Jackson-Reed Ice Hockey team has started its season. Separate from the school, the team is a part of the DC Stars organization, which allows students attending DC high schools the opportunity to play in the Maryland Student Hockey League. With the fresh new start of DC Stars and the season running almost year round, the team finds themselves with limited and fast-paced practices. The team’s...

Basketball star Robert Dockery signs on with Texas A&M
Zach Isaacs, Sports Editor • March 10, 2023

Rob Dockery, a star of Jackson-Reed basketball, has committed to play at Texas A&M. Dockery chose the Aggies over offers from Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Georgia, among others. The junior forward...

Track meet cancellations cause frustration
Camila Reinoso, Section Copy Editor • March 10, 2023

After two unexpected cancelations, the Jackson-Reed track team was finally able to compete in a DCIAA meet on Wednesday, January 11. With the season opener coming nearly two weeks before championships,...

Varsity Girls Basketball welcomes two freshmen to the starting lineup
Natalie Gordon, Sports Editor • March 10, 2023

It’s not typical for varsity freshmen to be in a starting lineup, but on the Jackson-Reed girls basketball team, there are two starting freshmen. While the lineup isn’t necessarily set in stone, what...

Brrrr… Unpredictable weather during the J-R athletics season leaves students freezing
Lila Chesser, Written Content Editor • March 10, 2023

It’s no accident that tigers have fur, but for athletes who haven’t grown their winter coats yet, there are other strategies for staying warm while playing winter sports. When the weather falls...

The ultimate coach: Aaron Besser
Noah Frick, Contributor • March 10, 2023

Aaron Besser is an iconic member of the Jackson-Reed teaching staff. Many of us remember him teaching World History I, or loathing/loving his AP Human Geography class, but he does more than just teach...

"Everything Everywhere All at Once"
August Taylor, Contribuyente • March 25, 2023

Podría intentar esconderla, pero debo revelar mi opinión honesta de esta película. Esta es la película que pienso que merece ganar. En absoluto. Todo desde el montaje hasta la actuación hasta el guión...

Realidad fragmentada
March 25, 2023

Una mujer cubriendo su espalda cicatrizada con un tatuaje de dragón. Una chica con una muñeca cubierto...

¿Un tigre? Mejor Pedro Pascal
March 25, 2023

Es posible que conozcan el actor, Pedro Pascal, por su trabajo en Juego de Tronos, El Mandaloriano, y...

Senioritis esta pegando fuerte
March 25, 2023

Ya que llegamos a la segunda mitad del año, el ‘senioritis’ ya está afectando a los estudiantes...

Terremoto imenso sacude Turquia y Siria
March 25, 2023

El lunes 6 de febrero de 2023, un terremoto de gran intensidad golpeó regiones de Turquía y Siria,...

Sophia’s Playlist!
Sophia Ibrahim, Executive Editor • March 10, 2023

This playlist is exactly what you need for a good time. A collection of instrumentals ranging from South Asian psychedelic funk to African postcolonial jazz, these songs embody calm and steady good vibes,...

Movie review! Avatar: The Way of Water
March 10, 2023

Rating: 8/10 After over a decade since last seeing the Sully family, it is time to head back to the...

2022 in media!
March 10, 2023

Every year, it feels like a million and one new movies, shows, albums, podcasts, video games, books,...

Call Your Mother takes Little Red Fox’s place on Connecticut Avenue
March 10, 2023

Ever since Little Red Fox closed, I’ve been left with a fox-sized hole in my heart. The pandemic had...

Comfort foods: Finishing the winter off, as cozy as can be
March 10, 2023

While the days begin to get longer and we wait for spring to approach, we all need a little pick-me-up...

January Spread
January Spread
Zach Isaacs, Dani Wallace, Eli Schwartz, Ellenia Paty, and Adler Amolsch February 10, 2023

Click here to read!

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