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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

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor

Leah likes to call herself a student-athlete, but really, she’s just a Managing Editor of this newspaper. Leah is constantly worried that she’s doing her job wrong and texts Emily Mulderig every 2 minutes. If she’s not FaceTiming Deirdre or adding something to her to-do list that she’s already done just to check it off, you might be able to spot her rowing speedily on the Potomac River at 5am. During her “free time”, she works at Mathnasium as a tutor. Also her favorite food is jjajangmyeon.

All content by Leah Carrier

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...

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...

Turning over a new leaf: atrium trees replaced by new plantings

Turning over a new leaf: atrium trees replaced by new plantings

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor December 17, 2021

Strolling through the atrium one Wednesday afternoon, I spied an unusual sight: science teacher Daniela Muñoz equipped with a long, collapsible gardening hose, watering plants.  Before the pandemic,...

High school hiatus: students reflect on a virtual year

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor November 30, 2021

“Learning” is definitely a word that one could use to describe the past year and a half. We’ve learned that the world is in even more dire straits than ever before. We’ve learned how to survive...

Carrier Corner: a review of Maman Joon

Carrier Corner: a review of Maman Joon

Ellen Carrier and Leah Carrier November 9, 2021

Nestled in the heart of Tenleytown lies a warm and vibrant nook of a restaurant: Maman Joon. We set out to give it a try on one overcast fall evening, our stomachs eager with anticipation.  Stepping...

Edna B. Jackson and Vincent E. Reed

Edna B. Jackson and Vincent E. Reed

Emily Mulderig and Leah Carrier November 6, 2021

Edna B. Jackson 1955 was an important year in Wilson High School’s history. Not just for the twentieth anniversary of its opening, but for the arrival of one of the most impactful teachers to set...

Graduates reflect on their senior year

Graduates reflect on their senior year

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor June 28, 2021

Listening to the stories of two Wilson seniors made for a bittersweet experience. On their faces I saw wistful expressions, but also a refreshing sentiment: optimism. Spending the last year of high...

Benjamin leaves Wilson after 24 years

Benjamin leaves Wilson after 24 years

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor June 14, 2021

Angela Benjamin leads the SciMaTech academy, teaches one of the most difficult courses at Wilson, and has won numerous local and national education awards. And now, after 24 years as a physics teacher...

All students to return in-person in August

All students to return in-person in August

Hadley Carr and Leah Carrier May 9, 2021

All DCPS students are expected to return to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. “[DCPS] schools will continue to implement a system of layered protections to ensure we are able to safely...

Soccer mentality should not be life mentality

Soccer mentality should not be life mentality

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor April 26, 2021

I’m terrible at soccer. Even my parents, typically a supportive pair, admit it. I was doomed to fail before I even tried on my size five cleats in fourth grade. Every game, I’d inevitably find myself...

Integrated Performance Assessment implemented to increase student engagement

Integrated Performance Assessment implemented to increase student engagement

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor April 19, 2021

It’s a challenging year to be Wilson High School’s only Chinese teacher. But the obstacles of communicating online have helped Yin Chang improve her teaching style. “In the beginning, no one wanted...

Ten songs for Women’s History Month

Ten songs for Women’s History Month

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor March 16, 2021

It’s time to celebrate Women’s History Month with a dance sesh featuring ten iconic and empowering songs. Enjoy! Good as Hell by Lizzo - Lizzo’s contagious energy carries these heartwarming lyrics...

Invisible students: behind the blank screen

Invisible students: behind the blank screen

Leah Carrier and Sophia Ibrahim February 5, 2021

Sophomore Amina Vázquez has a lot going on in her household. She lives with seven siblings and attends virtual school from her dining room table, so it’s understandable that she rarely has her camera...

Back to school, sort of: Kate Bukowski

Back to school, sort of: Kate Bukowski

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor October 10, 2020

Staring at a computer screen all day long makes Kate Bukowski feel bored out of her mind. She’s sitting by a sunny spot in her purple-themed bedroom, a volleyball trophy visible on a shelf behind her....

100 Word Appreciations

Friendship is underrated Written by Leah Carrier My best friend is an outgoing, smiley, life-of-the-party type of girl. She has this heartfelt, honest laugh that I could recognize anywhere. She’s...

Graphic by Shirah Lister

It’s okay to take a media break

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor May 24, 2020

When my parents gave me a phone in 6th grade, they said I was only allowed to use it to text, call and read. So I did just that. ‘News’ became my most used app–which wasn’t a problem until I found...

Graphic by Sarah Morgan

Let teachers talk about politics

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor April 22, 2020

Students, teachers, friends, family, atrium rats currently taking over the school, humor me for a minute. Close your eyes, and imagine being back in the classroom. Picture two scenarios: in the first,...

Courtesy of Creative Commons

Problems with presidency: an incomplete list

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor February 26, 2020

In 8th grade, I thought the Constitution was pretty cool. How smart it was, I thought, to have three different sections of government to distribute power. How sensible it was, I thought, to use competition...

Graphic by Stella Schwartzman

When it comes to college applications, money is power

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor December 22, 2019

Over the past few years, the prestigious worlds of Harvard, The University of Southern California, and other universities have been clouded with news of internal corruption. But while extreme levels of...

Renaming Columbus day isn't enough

Renaming Columbus day isn’t enough

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor November 12, 2019

If a robber were caught stealing a diamond from a jewelry store, they’d probably be arrested and fined. If a murderer were identified, they’d be put in jail, and in some states, sentenced to death....

Graphic by Lila Lingo

Student should care about serving the community

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor October 10, 2019

Freshmen are constantly receiving advice from upperclassmen. While tips like “don’t sit on the senior steps” and “set your schedule as your lock screen” are helpful, I was overwhelmed by the...

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