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

All content by Benjamin Chait
Senioritis is a symptom of a broader problem

Senioritis is a symptom of a broader problem

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief June 21, 2023

It’s a historically odd phenomenon that in our current academic system, the most consequential year is your junior year of high school. You’re expected to work the hardest you may ever work at ages...

We tried every breakfast sandwich in Tenleytown so you don’t have to

We tried every breakfast sandwich in Tenleytown so you don’t have to

Second Chance: Steak N Egg 3.7/5 We begrudgingly made our way back to the sore loser of the milkshake review, hoping to give them a second chance to prove themselves with a challenge a little more in...

A farewell from the chiefs

Hadley Carr and Benjamin Chait May 12, 2023

It’s that time of year. When seniors ditch responsibility and say their farewell. Without further ado: We want to say thank you to everyone who has made this process possible. To Beacon staff, to...

Photo by Deirdre de Leeuw den Bouter

We tried every chocolate milkshake in Tenleytown so you don’t have to

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...

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...

Admin suspends Palestine education fundraiser amidst controversy

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief March 10, 2023

The Jackson-Reed administration suspended and then resumed a fundraiser towards education for Palestinians due to failure to comply with school policy following community pushback.  The charity event,...

College Board updates framework for AP African American Studies

Benjamin Chait, Hadley Carr, and Simon Holland March 10, 2023

College Board released an updated framework for the new AP African American Studies course on February 1. Jackson-Reed is one of 60 schools across the U.S. currently running the pilot version of the program.  The...

D.C. Youth Deserve Data-Driven Policy

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief January 30, 2023

D.C. police began enforcing a longstanding youth curfew last month, restricting the nighttime activity of those under 17. Considering that in its 30-year history it has yet to be proven effective, the...

Fairly Odd Advice

Fairly Odd Advice

Benjamin Chait and Hadley Carr January 30, 2023

Q: There’s an alien in my kitchen! HELP! A: We appreciate that you took the time to check our Instagram story amidst a potential universe-altering event. Funnily enough, one of us had the exact same...

Photo Courtesy of Eli Schwartz

DCPS ruling blocks Christian athlete group chapter at Jackson-Reed

DCPS ruled on Tuesday that Jackson-Reed is barred from establishing a chapter of the national Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), saying that the organization’s “sexual purity” statement violates...

Photo Courtesy of Eli Schwartz

Grievance halts formation of Christian athlete group

The complaint accuses the Fellowship of Christian Athletes of promoting anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs. The school’s chapter of FCA, which had not yet begun, is suspended for at least 30 days.   A Christian...

Classroom incident highlights deep divisions at Jackson-Reed

Benjamin Chait and Hadley Carr June 24, 2022

A recent classroom dispute between a student and a teacher widens deep divisions within the Jackson-Reed community. Students and staff disagree over who is at fault, the consequences, and how the community...

An ode to life with COVID

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief May 26, 2022

I find myself writing this at 12 p.m., in my bed, on a school day. I woke up an hour ago. I’m wearing pajamas and have no intention of leaving my bed any time soon. Life is good.  How, you might...

We tried all of the pizza in Tenley so you don’t have to

We tried all of the pizza in Tenley so you don’t have to

Benjy and Deirdre are back, here to ruin our stomachs for your entertainment. This month we face a fierce contender: pizza. Or, more specifically, pizza slices, since eating multiple small pizzas in one...

Vaccine mandate to be enforced next year

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief March 30, 2022

The DC Council student COVID-19 vaccination mandate recently went into effect, but will not be enforced until the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. However, Jackson-Reed has yet to take any action...

Feb 2022 100 word rants

Benjamin Chait, Lucy Harllee, Charlotte Guy, and Zoe Kaplan February 27, 2022

Please don’t make me spit in a tube By: Benjamin Chait Nothing is more humiliating than spitting saliva into a small vial in front of all 35 of your classmates. It’s even worse when, at the one...

As the pandemic evolves, our policy should too

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief February 27, 2022

It would be naive to think that Omicron will be the last wave of the pandemic. If DCPS truly remains committed to staying open through the next one, it needs to update its COVID policies to reflect reality...

Jackson-Reed likely to become official name next month

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief February 23, 2022

The DC Council voted to rename Woodrow Wilson High School to Jackson-Reed High School. Since the mayor did not sign off on the Council’s approval, the bill awaits congressional review before becoming...

We tried all the fries in Tenley so you don’t have to

We tried all the fries in Tenley so you don’t have to

Benjamin Chait and Deirdre de Leeuw den Bouter February 17, 2022

Keep your friends close but your fries closer. This is a motto we live by. $22 and a case of moderate heartburn later, we tried all of the french fries in Tenleytown so you don’t have to.   The...

We tried every muffin at Whole Foods so you dont have to

We tried every muffin at Whole Foods so you don’t have to

Benjamin Chait and Deirdre de Leeuw den Bouter December 17, 2021

Whole Foods is a popular destination for many Tigers wanting a last-minute snack. In the front corner of the store sits the bakery section: a glorious collection of croissants, bagels, and our favorite,...

Administration rolls out digital hall pass system

Administration rolls out digital hall pass system

Ava Serafino, Benjamin Chait, and Rohini Kieffer December 17, 2021

The Wilson administration has started using online hall passes to replace standard paper passes. CTE teacher Anthony Evans and PE/Health teacher Tia Clemmons are piloting the program. Instructional...

Wilson recenters in response to fights, tardiness

Wilson ‘recenters’ in response to fights, tardiness

Joanna Chait, Benjamin Chait, and Mailey Rash December 17, 2021

Based on observations from Term 1, administrators have begun implementing new policies to address a recent increase in fights and loitering in the hallway during class time. On October 27-29, administrators...

No cap: only 800 students allowed to attend homecoming is unfair

No cap: only 800 students allowed to attend homecoming is unfair

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief October 16, 2021

One day before the homecoming dance, Wilson students were surprised with a last-minute cap on the number of students permitted to purchase homecoming tickets. Rather than implementing the cap a day before...

Let juniors eat lunch off campus

Let juniors eat lunch off campus

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief October 3, 2021

Given the massive enrollment in tandem with the pandemic, this year the Wilson administration has had all hands on deck trying to reduce the density of students during STEP, including implementing the...

No more second chances: re-think the late work policy

No more second chances: re-think the late work policy

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief June 25, 2021

Wilson’s late work policy dictates that teachers aren’t allowed to penalize students for turning in work past the due date. The policy was created to allow students more flexibility during distance...

Dolans Uyghur restaurant in Cleveland Park

Dolan’s Uyghur restaurant in Cleveland Park

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief May 19, 2021

Despite having walked past it countless times, I never really thought to go into Dolan Uyghur; and in retrospect, that was a big mistake. Located a block from the Cleveland Park metro station, Dolan Uyghur...

Bring back private messaging on Teams

Bring back private messaging on Teams

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief March 28, 2021

What do I miss most about in-person learning? Organic social interaction. Cracking a joke to your partner and having conversations with ‘school friends’ or acquaintances who you enjoy, but aren’t...

New year same virus: rules and regulations still matter

New year same virus: rules and regulations still matter

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief January 22, 2021

On New Year’s Eve I watched as the clock struck twelve… and yet miraculously, COVID-19 did not disappear out of thin air. While it’s great that everyone is excited about 2021, it’s important to...

We spend too much time on Teams

We spend too much time on Teams

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief January 4, 2021

Whether you love it or you hate it, virtual school is here to stay. But even after months of this new learning format, there’s still one thing teachers have yet to get down: class timing. Teams classes...

I’m on team Teams

I’m on team Teams

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief September 18, 2020

Recently, DCPS has made the change from Zoom to Microsoft Teams in online school. People seem to be under the impression that Zoom is superior. This is a blatant falsehood, here’s why. A key feature...

Graphic by Sarah Morgan

Quarantine: the life reset we needed

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief June 24, 2020

Obviously, no one likes quarantine. We’re stuck inside, doing online learning and staring into the eternal abyss that is the internet. Covid-19 is going to be one of the defining traits of our generation....

Distance learning forces teachers to alter summer assignments

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief June 23, 2020

With distance learning of the academic year coming to a close, how summer assignments will be coordinated comes into question. Teachers are modifying their summer assignments to fit the new needs of the...

Freshman computers delayed until February

Freshman computers delayed until February

Benjamin Chait and Deirdre de Leeuw den Bouter January 30, 2020

Freshmen are going to have to wait until at least February to receive personal computers from DCPS. Despite plans to issue the laptops in the fall of 2019, implementation problems and a lack of funding...

Impeachment looks good on Trump

Impeachment looks good on Trump

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief November 12, 2019

Donald Trump has been committing impeachable acts for the past three years and it’s finally catching up to him.  The most recent offense is the Ukraine scandal. It all started with Paul Manafort,...

Graphic by Max Wix

Wilson should make FAFSA mandatory

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief October 10, 2019

The class of 2018 lost an estimated $2.6 billion in Pell Grants, need-based federal aid for college. Why? Because they didn’t submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  It is...

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