About Us

Founded in 1976, The Augur Bit is the premier student newspaper of Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C. We publish a weekly email newsletter and regular print editions. Here is the newspaper’s Style Guide & Staff Policy.

“A very auger bit will now be turned into your souls until your honesty is proved.”

Arthur Miller, The Crucible

If you have any questions or feedback for the editors, please email augurbit@gds.org.

Alumni Advisory Board

The Alumni Advisory Board’s members, all GDS alumni who work as professional journalists, counsel the editors on the Bit’s strategy and difficult situations they encounter. 

Juliet Eilperin ’88, The Washington Post

Franklin Foer ’92, The Atlantic

Matt Kaminski ’90, POLITICO

Vanessa Larson ’97, The Washington Post

Nicole Lewis ’05, The Marshall Project

Hannah Natanson ’15, The Washington Post

Michael Schaffer ’91, POLITICO

Awards

2025

Quill and Scroll, International First Place, Superior Ranking 

Quill and Scroll Private School Journalism Association Contest, First Place in Editorial Leadership, Sam Gross ’27, Molly Kurtzer-Ellenbogen ’26 and Teresa Dean ’26

Quill and Scroll Private School Journalism Association Contest, First Place in Sports Writer of the Year, Jonah Levy ’27

Quill and Scroll Private School Journalism Association Contest, Second Place in Continuous Team Coverage, Sam Gross ’27, Gilly Lyons ’27, Rachel Hellman ’28, Alexandra Ezrow ’28 and Arielle Stopak ’27

2024

Quill and Scroll, International First Place, Superior Ranking 

American Scholastic Press Association, First Place

Quill and Scroll Private School Journalism Association Contest, Second Place in Editorial Leadership, Callie Solomon ’25, Peter Kumar ’25 and Jeremiah Farr ’25

2023

Quill and Scroll, International First Place 

American Scholastic Press Association, First Place

Journalism Education Association, D.C. Journalist of the Year, Ethan Wolin ’23

National Scholastic Press Association, Story of the Year, Third Place, Ethan Wolin ’23, Anna Shesol ’24 and Andrew Mikhail ’23, “An Action Plan, an Audit and Still Scant Public Data

American Scholastic Press Association, Outstanding Story, Alex Gerson ’23 and Edie Carey ’23, “On Screen: 2023 Oscars Best Picture Nominees

2022

American Scholastic Press Association, First Place With Special Merit and Most Outstanding High School Newspaper

National Scholastic Press Association, Third Place in Comic Strip/Panel (Cartoon of the Year), Julius Boxer-Cooper, “Chadwick the Cheerio Applies to College

National Scholastic Press Association, Honorable Mention in Artist of the Year, Nava Mach

2021

Yale Daily News Journalism Symposium, Photo Essay Honorable Mention, Olivia Brown, Laith Weinberger, Fiore Petricone and Lexi Rabasco, “Biden Victorious After Tumultuous Election; DC Celebrates

Yale Daily News Journalism Symposium, News Article Honorable Mention, Nick Penniman (with contributions by Seth Riker), “Turning Point Club Sparks School-wide Debate

Yale Daily News Journalism Symposium, Best Feature Article, Jacqueline Metzger and Ethan Wolin, “Through Instagram Account, Current and Former Black Students Offer Scathing Criticism of GDS’ Record on Race

American Scholastic Press Association, First Place With Special Merit

American Scholastic Press Association, Outstanding Photo, Olivia Brown

National Scholastic Press Association, First Place in Social Justice Reporting, Jacqueline Metzger and Ethan Wolin, “Through Instagram Account, Current and Former Black Students Offer Scathing Criticism of GDS’ Record on Race

2020

American Scholastic Press Association, First Place

2019

American Scholastic Press Association, First Place

American Scholastic Press Association, Outstanding Investigative Reporting, Zach Blank, “Swastikas Found in Bathroom and Choir Room