*interviewee name replaced by fictional name out of respect for their privacy

An anonymous student said they created an instagram page @jcpcompliments to create a “safe” space for Jones students during the pandemic. 

Since the start of remote learning, Jones gossip or hate pages became popular. 

Jones student Ladybug* said she created  the page because Jones could use more “positivity”

“Part of it was I felt disconnected from the Jones community and I thought I could take that into my own hands and make something cool that everyone could enjoy and connect with,” said Ladybug.  

Ladybug started this page on Oct. 12, and has already gained more than 500  followers (as Dec.2). The page has been growing  in popularity Ladybug said the account has been  hard to manage with their school work.

“I did not anticipate how popular it would get,” said Ladybug. “I was getting so many compliments to share and that I ended up putting out around 60 compliments a day. So I made a post saying that I was going to roll that back, which has definitely helped. Now I post about 20 a day and I am able to have a good balance between school and the page.”  

Ladybug said she has been receiving a lot of support lately from the Jones community, especially from the underclassmen.

 “I love that the page is spreading positivity,” said Trey Tucker ‘24. “Even though it seems like our world is worsening every day, it is like a beacon of hope showing us that not everyone is a bad person.”

However, there is an overall agreement that the compliment page does more good than harm.

“People wake up in the morning and get to see that people have complimented them,” said Andy Boustillos ‘23, a friend of Ladybug. “Not just from a friend but a compliment for everyone to see.”

In response to the account,a nother Instagram account was created for people to ‘cancel’ one another and to insult students. . 

“I think pages like these undermine what I am trying to create,” said Ladybug. “By design it is the opposite of what I am trying to do,”

The insult page was asked to be taken down and no longer exists. By contrast, some students said they want the compliments page and its activity to continue after the pandemic.

“I think this is important to bring a sense of community even when we all can’t be together,” said Tucker.“My hope is that this page continues even past quarantine and even past when ‘ladybug’ graduates, to make sure we keep a positive vibe at Jones.”

Ladybug said they hope to maintain their page when in-person schooling returns.  

“I don’t see it stopping any time soon,” said Ladybug.  “When we come back to in person learning, I think it would still be cool to run the page, but I know right now I am not stopping any time soon.”

With the amount of support and love Ladybug has received from friends and fans of the page, the goal is for the community of Jones to become stronger each day. 

“Ladybug wanted to spread positivity,” said Boustillos. “They wanted to create a space where people feel loved. All it takes is a couple of posts to put a smile on someone’s face and make a difference in their life.”