DC’s most ethnically diverse high school, Jackson-Reed is home to a number of affinity groups and student unions. Last year, a new organization was added to that list: the Arab Student Union.

Founded by current senior Karam Weigert, the ASU quickly established an active presence in the Jackson-Reed community. From mutual aid opportunities to social mixers (which, in the past, have included free Lebanese food in the atrium), the ASU has come up with a variety of creative ways to engage with staff and students. Their most recent endeavor, a podcast in collaboration with the Beacon, promises to continue this course of action.

According to Weigert, the podcast will cover a range of subjects relating to the Arab world and the experiences of Arab students at Jackson-Reed. Members want to discuss both historical and contemporary issues while bringing awareness to the crises happening in North Africa and Southwest Asia. Right now, prominent topics of discussion include the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the erasure of indigenous Amazigh communities in North Africa. 

While the podcast is intended to be more informational, it will also operate as a social resource. Future episodes are expected to cover cultural features of every Arab country: for example, Weigert anticipates a series on linguistic diversity in which various Arabic dialects are compared. 

Members also hope to use the podcast to spread the word about the ASU’s many events. According to Weigert, “Throughout the year we will hold mutual aid projects…last year we held a winter clothing drive for Afghan refugees, and coming up, in the month of November, we’re having a pennies for Palestine initiative.”

When talking about the broader goals of the ASU, members emphasize the importance of creating a safe space for Jackson-Reed’s Arab students. “I initially started the ASU because in classes I felt that when we discussed the Arab world, we were approaching it from a lens that did not ever consider the actual people who live there,” Weigert says. For them, this podcast is part of a larger effort to teach the entire Jackson-Reed community about Arab culture from the perspective of Arabs.

Interested readers will be happy to know that there are ways to get involved beyond just listening to the podcast! The ASU, which reconvenes every Wednesday at lunch in room 325, is always ready to welcome new members. They assure us that meetings frequently involve cookies (club sponsor Phillip Bechara is an alleged cookie fiend).

Until then, make sure to catch up on all new episodes of Reason, Religion, and Revolution: A Deep Dive into the Arab World, available now on Spotify. Happy listening! •