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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

The Beacon Staff

All content by The Beacon Staff
Volume 88 Issue 1

Volume 88 Issue 1

The Beacon Staff October 15, 2024

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Take action during this pivotal election

The Beacon Staff October 15, 2024

The upcoming presidential election will undoubtedly be one for the history books. With the date approaching, it's essential to be involved whether you’re eligible or not.  Even if you’re not eligible...

Top 10 ways to say no to a hoco proposal

The Beacon Staff October 15, 2024

"I'm a freshman" Transfer to MacArthur Play dead Tell them their sign's ugly Leave them on heard "I'll have COVID" "Meet my friend __" Griddy away ...

June Spread

June Spread

The Beacon Staff June 11, 2024

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Volume 87 Issue 7

Volume 87 Issue 7

The Beacon Staff June 11, 2024

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Top 10 reasons to go to school in term 4

The Beacon Staff May 3, 2024

Boone's high fives Seeing your hallway crush Crew practice Coming to Beacon interest meetings Laps Avoiding truancy police Feeding the rats Playing...

Volume 87 Issue 6

Volume 87 Issue 6

The Beacon Staff May 3, 2024

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DC CAPE timing hurts students

The Beacon Staff May 3, 2024

Every spring, AP tests send students into a chaotic spiral of studying and trying to remember the equations they learned in October. The announcement of DC CAPE (Comprehensive Assessment of Progress in...

We stand with our teachers

The Beacon Staff March 29, 2024

As of September 30, 2023, members of the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) have been working under an expired contract, which enables DCPS to subject them to unreasonable working conditions. Though this...

Volume 87 Issue 5

Volume 87 Issue 5

The Beacon Staff March 29, 2024

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Top ten things to do on Valentines day when you don’t have a date

The Beacon Staff February 13, 2024

APUSH revisions Third wheel Touch grass Binge Love Island Do The Beacon crossword Ask out a crew kid Call your nana Snap your AI Listen to MGK Hide

Cultural studies should be a required elective

The Beacon Staff February 13, 2024

Jackson-Reed prides itself on its diversity, and its required courses should reflect that. All students must fulfill physical education, music, and art requirements, but there is one type of elective missing:...

Volume 87 Issue 4

Volume 87 Issue 4

The Beacon Staff February 13, 2024

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Volume 87 Issue 3

Volume 87 Issue 3

The Beacon Staff December 18, 2023

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Student transit still needs awareness

The Beacon Staff December 18, 2023

Whether it be just a five-minute drive or an hour-long ride on the Metro, every student at Jackson-Reed makes their journey to school each morning. DCPS has done an effective job at providing low-cost...

Top ten gifts to give your favorite teacher

The Beacon Staff December 18, 2023

1. A raise 2. A Guapos giftcard 3. Your late work 4. A Stanley 5. A personal printer 6. A parking spot 7. Uggs 8. A permanent classroom 9. A crew bumper sticker 10. An apple

Volume 87 Issue 2

Volume 87 Issue 2

The Beacon Staff November 21, 2023

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Volume 87 Issue 1

Volume 87 Issue 1

The Beacon Staff October 13, 2023

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Mandatory revision days benefit students

The Beacon Staff October 11, 2023

For the 2023-2024 school year, DCPS has introduced a new policy requiring teachers to have two “revision days” each term set aside for correcting and making up work. According to DCPS, each revision...

The June 15th work deadline doesn’t make sense

The Beacon Staff June 21, 2023

Students at Jackson-Reed are no strangers to term deadlines and the preceding weeks of stress and work. Each term, there is usually a school-wide deadline where all work is due and teachers have the following...

Volume 86 Issue 7

Volume 86 Issue 7

The Beacon Staff June 21, 2023

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PARCC testing doesn’t serve students

The Beacon Staff May 21, 2023

If there’s one thing Jackson-Reed staff, students, and administrators can all agree on, it is our frustration with the return of PARCC testing.  These standardized exams, described by the official...

Volume 86 Issue 6

Volume 86 Issue 6

The Beacon Staff May 5, 2023

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Changes to digital systems are invasive

The Beacon Staff March 23, 2023

Jackson-Reed’s recent network change from the previous system, iBoss and Gaggle, to Lightspeed Systems frightens us.  Like Gaggle, Lightspeed filters the content that devices on the network can search...

Volume 86 Issue 5

Volume 86 Issue 5

The Beacon Staff March 22, 2023

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Revisions of the AP African American Studies framework were made for the wrong reasons

The Beacon Staff March 10, 2023

On Wednesday, February 1 (notably the first day of Black History Month), a revised version of the AP African American Studies (APAAS) curriculum was released by the College Board. These changes made modern...

Volume 86 Issue 4

Volume 86 Issue 4

The Beacon Staff February 14, 2023

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Volume 86 Issue 3

Volume 86 Issue 3

The Beacon Staff December 20, 2022

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Volume 86 Issue 2

Volume 86 Issue 2

The Beacon Staff November 9, 2022

Hello, readers! The Beacon has published the second edition of the 2022-2023 school year! Click the link below to read more about the Federation of Student Athletes, DCSAA championships, and overcrowding. Click...

FCA’s values contradict with Jackson-Reed’s

The Beacon Staff November 9, 2022

Jackson-Reed strives for inclusivity. In order to support and validate our student body, we need to be thoughtful about which organizations we allow to be affiliated with our school.  The Fellowship...

Volume 86 Issue 1

Volume 86 Issue 1

The Beacon Staff October 13, 2022

This is the first paper of the new school year! Click and open the newspaper to read about overcrowding as a growing problem at Jackson-Reed, to analyze sexual education at our school, and to check out...

It’s time to make our community work for us

The Beacon Staff June 27, 2022

Jackson-Reed is falling apart. Teachers are burned out and students aren’t learning, leaving many feeling as though showing up to school just isn’t worth it. Even though we are quickly approaching...

Volume 85 Issue 8

Volume 85 Issue 8

The Beacon Staff June 26, 2022

Click here to read!     Hi readers! This is the May/June 2022 issue of the Beacon! Click to be introduced to Jackson-Reed's new principal, learn about the recent in-class issue relating...

Hasty changes to educational experience come at high cost

The Beacon Staff May 26, 2022

For both students and teachers, the last few years have been marred by abrupt changes to our educational experience facilitated by DCPS, which have continued to impede the creation of a cohesive and reliable...

Volume 85 Issue 7

Volume 85 Issue 7

The Beacon Staff May 20, 2022

Hello, readers! The Beacon has just published its April/May edition, and the last edition for the current senior staff! Read this edition to learn about portable classrooms for next year, a new AP course,...

Volume 85 Issue 6

Volume 85 Issue 6

The Beacon Staff March 25, 2022

Hello, readers! The Beacon has just published its February/March edition! Read this edition to learn about name change, growing enrollment, lifted mask mandate, and more!   Click here to...

Volume 85 Issue 5

Volume 85 Issue 5

The Beacon Staff February 11, 2022

Hello, readers! The Beacon has just published its January edition! Read this edition to learn about vaccination updates, staff shortages, opinions on the 4x4 schedule, DCSAA All-State athletes, and...

Volume 85 Issue 4

Volume 85 Issue 4

The Beacon Staff December 17, 2021

Hello, readers! The Beacon has just published its November/December edition! Read this edition to learn about hate symbols and vandalism in the bathrooms,  the name change, the boy’s basketball team,...

DCPS must address teacher burnout

The Beacon Staff December 17, 2021

Teacher burnout affects everyone in the building. Through no fault of their own, teachers are often unable to dedicate the complete focus needed to educate Wilson’s students. Lesson plans and time for...

Volume 85 Issue 3

Volume 85 Issue 3

The Beacon Staff November 4, 2021

Hello, readers! The Beacon has just published its October edition! Read this months edition to learn about name change updates, the minorities in AP program, Wilson's new librarian, a spread about academic...

Volume 85 Issue 2

Volume 85 Issue 2

The Beacon Staff October 4, 2021

Hello, readers! The Beacon has published its first edition of the year! Read our September edition to learn about Wilson's COVID-19 safety protocols, homecoming, the theater department, Wilson fashion...

Volume 85 Issue 1

Volume 85 Issue 1

The Beacon Staff June 25, 2021

Hello Readers! The Beacon has published its last PDF of the year! This PDF has articles on COVID-19 restrictions for next year, responses to the name change, senior reflections, and a spread about love...

Volume 84 Issue 6

Volume 84 Issue 6

The Beacon Staff May 21, 2021

Hello Readers! The Beacon has published its sixth PDF of the year! This PDF has articles on the name change developments, end of the year festivities, and a spread about BIPOC-owned restaurants in DC!...

Let’s make the 4×4 schedule a bad memory

The Beacon Staff April 27, 2021

Wilson is almost certainly going to have a 4x4 schedule next year. The Beacon Staff strongly encourages DCPS to rethink their decision in order to improve both the quality of education and the mental health...

Volume 84 Issue 5

Volume 84 Issue 5

The Beacon Staff April 6, 2021

Hello Readers! The Beacon has just published its first PDF of the spring! There are articles about next school year, sports updates, and vaccinations. Check it out! Click here to read the news!

Volume 84 Issue 4

Volume 84 Issue 4

The Beacon Staff February 20, 2021

Hello Readers! The Beacon has published its first PDF of 2021! We have articles about Wilson's new hybrid plan, returning to school, mental health in the pandemic, and an update on the name change....

Top 10 things to do when you get back in the Wilson building

The Beacon Staff February 18, 2021

Walk up four flights of stairs at 8:40 in the morning just because Search for ancient discarded Beacons Drink some of that delicious skin-clearing trash can water in the atrium Get in some...

Volume 84 Issue 3

Volume 84 Issue 3

The Beacon Staff December 22, 2020

Hello Readers! The Beacon has created another digital issue to report on the latest news in our school community! This issue has lots of information on the upcoming name change, the continuation of...

The Beacon endorses Edna B. Jackson for Wilson’s new name

The Beacon endorses Edna B. Jackson for Wilson’s new name

The Beacon Staff December 2, 2020

Removing Woodrow Wilson from our school’s namesake is an undeniably urgent matter. But the significance of this coming change goes beyond our disavowal of the former president —our next title will...

Volume 84 Issue 2

Volume 84 Issue 2

The Beacon Staff November 11, 2020

Hello readers! The Beacon has created a digital issue for our first paper of the year. Topics include the upcoming name change, distance learning, sports commitments, and opinions about the recent presidential...

Return to school only when it’s safe

Return to school only when it’s safe

The Beacon Staff October 14, 2020

Wilson’s reopening is a complicated and multifaceted issue. Although virtual learning is difficult for many families, returning to school is simply unsafe. DC has been doing a decent job controlling...

Volume 84 Issue 1

Volume 84 Issue 1

The Beacon Staff June 22, 2020

The Beacon put together a digital May/June issue. This paper includes updates about school closures, stories about the Black Lives Matter protests in DC, accounts of student activism, and senior ads to...

Volume 83 Issue 8

Volume 83 Issue 8

The Beacon Staff May 1, 2020

The Beacon put together a PDF edition about Wilson and the coronavirus. We have stories about the switch to distance learning, how spring sports seasons have been affected, and the importance of social...

Coronavirus is not an excuse for racism

The Beacon Staff March 12, 2020

The past few weeks, we’ve been bombarded with information and subsequent panic regarding the COVID-19 strain of coronavirus. Countless social media posts, memes, and news stories have contributed to...

Photo courtesy of USA Today

Staff editorial: College process is a meritocracy with no merit

The Beacon Staff March 29, 2019

When the story broke that celebrities were bribing their kids’ way into elite universities, it seemed like many in our parents’ generation were shocked. We weren’t. As high-school students in 2019,...

DCPS: Put some respect on Ms. Martin’s name

The Beacon Staff March 3, 2019

Wilson students are all too familiar with the consequences of understaffing and resource shortages. Teachers are so overwhelmed with their class sizes that oftentimes months go by before they return assignments...

Look harder and share smarter

The Beacon Staff January 28, 2019

Over MLK day weekend, a video circulated on social media of an altercation between a group of boys from a Catholic school in Kentucky and a Native American elder on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The...

The Beacon’s New Year’s resolutions

The Beacon Staff December 17, 2018

Wilson is 37 percent white. The Beacon staff is 76 percent white.   The Beacon’s biggest shortcoming is our lack of racial diversity. This isn’t news to anyone. We talk about this every...

A Very Wilson Thanksgiving

The Beacon Staff November 14, 2018

When we sit down to brainstorm ideas for our monthly staff editorial, we usually end up with a whiteboard full of complaints. This month, we had another lengthy list, and the negativity of our usual staff...

Staff editorial: Year in Review: Wilson Community exhausted by DCPS' game of broken telephone

Staff editorial: Year in Review: Wilson Community exhausted by DCPS’ game of broken telephone

The Beacon Staff June 8, 2018

Looking back on everything that has transpired since we began this school year, it seems that 2017-18 must have broken some kind of record for the amount of tumult and chaos it brought. In December,...

Staff Editorial: Students have the power to effect change

Staff Editorial: Students have the power to effect change

The Beacon Staff March 23, 2018

A sea of Wilson students sit knee to knee on a dusty linoleum floor, clinging to the fear and hope that they all share. Reflecting in silence, they remember those who died in Parkland, whom they didn’t...

Staff Editorial: Threat to DCTAG should not be taken lightly

Staff Editorial: Threat to DCTAG should not be taken lightly

The Beacon Staff February 23, 2018

For high school students around the country, receiving a college acceptance letter is a life changing moment. These letters bring with them feelings of jubilation and excitement about what lies ahead....

Staff Editorial: Attendance policy blindsides student body

Staff Editorial: Attendance policy blindsides student body

The Beacon Staff January 27, 2018

DCPS decisions should be made with consideration for what is best for the students, and should not be knee-jerk reactions to public relations crises. Following the scandal at Ballou High School, DCPS called...

Halloween Spread

Halloween Spread

The Beacon Staff October 31, 2016

In honor of The Beacon's favorite holiday, we put together some high-quality Halloween-themed content, links to which you can find here. Reviews of some lesser-known types of candy! An investigative...

Staff Editorial: Kaepernick's right to use First Amendment is indisputable

Staff Editorial: Kaepernick’s right to use First Amendment is indisputable

The Beacon Staff October 1, 2016

  Colin Kaepernick has been sitting for the national anthem since August 14, 2016. By all indications, he will continue to do so as long as he feels that Black people are second class citizens...

That's So Wilson (we wish): Our interpretation of Wilson's new vision statement

That’s So Wilson (we wish): Our interpretation of Wilson’s new vision statement

The Beacon Staff April 29, 2016

Whenever Raven Baxter of Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven” had one of her psychic visions, it was always without context, and came with little information regarding how or when that glimpse of...

Don't wait to participate: Political action is important and necessary*

Don’t wait to participate: Political action is important and necessary*

The Beacon Staff April 5, 2016

The upcoming presidential election will determine our country’s chief decision-maker for the next four years. Nearly all of Wilson’s senior class and some of the juniors will have a say in who the...

ASPEN removes teacher discretion over grades*

ASPEN removes teacher discretion over grades*

The Beacon Staff March 1, 2016

DCPS announced its new policy for calculating final grades in the Aspen grading system this month. According to this policy, teachers can assign students grades from A to F, which are recalculated into...

Wilson is bigger than a gun*

Wilson is bigger than a gun*

The Beacon Staff December 11, 2015

On Tuesday, December 1, a gun was found in the possession of a Wilson student. In the emotional wake of such an incident, it’s easy to forget about all of the things that were handled well. The student...

Lack of transparency hinders DCPS effectiveness*

Lack of transparency hinders DCPS effectiveness*

The Beacon Staff October 29, 2015

The inner workings of our school system take place behind closed doors. The Beacon needs to contact DCPS officials constantly to collect essential facts, to ensure we have correct information, and to include...

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