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Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Arts

The Hip-Hop Society holds open dance sessions every Tuesday from 8 to 11 p.m. in the multipurpose room. • Maia Sperber / Beacon Staff

The Hip-Hop society dances onto Boston Cypher scene

By Damica Rodriguez / February 21, 2019

A clunky concert speaker blasted music from an aux cord in the multipurpose room of the Piano Row residence hall on Tuesday night. About 10-15 people from...

Alumna Eva Konstantopoulos co-wrote the script of “Malevolent,” a new Netflix horror film based on her book “Hush.” - Photo courtesy of Eva Konstantopoulos

Alumna’s horror novel adapted for Netflix film

By Taina Millsap, Former Staff Writer / February 14, 2019

Eva Konstantopoulos’ ’05 dream came true last year when Netflix released her fictional story “Malevolent” into a film, eight years after the...

Jordan Cipolla ‘18 (right) brought his late friend, Adam James McCarthy ‘17’s (left), vision to life by finishing their collaborative short film “Tulips.” - Photo courtesy of Jordan Cipolla

Alum remember Adam James McCarthy with “Tulips” film

By Erin Nolan / February 14, 2019

Jordan Cipolla ‘18 and Adam James McCarthy ‘17 shared matching tattoos—stick and pokes done by Cipolla’s ex-girlfriend. The design depicted a...

Captain Jack’s 15-minute short film “Junk Town” started as a high school competition entry and outraged school and government officials. - Photo by Madison Goldberg / Beacon Correspondent

“Captain Jack” exposes dangers of trash and pollution in China

By Katie Redefer, Former Staff Writer / February 14, 2019

In a small village outside of Chongqing, China, freshman Jack Liu stood surrounded by garbage. The trash polluted a river in the village, and Liu decided...

Former Performing Arts Department Chair Melia Bensussen will be the first woman director in Hartford Stage's history. - Photo courtesy of Melia Bensussen

Former PA chair makes history at Hartford Stage

By Cassandre Coyer, Former Staff / February 11, 2019

Former Department of Performing Arts Chair Melia Bensussen received an unexpected interview at Hartford Stage the day before she left for Barcelona, Spain...

Junior Henry Pew is releasing a new clothing drop, LUNISOLAR, through his apparel brand, Brand N/A. Photo by Spencer Brown / Beacon Correspondent

Student launches conceptual clothing line from his apartment

By Melanie Curry / February 7, 2019

Junior Henry Pew started printing tee-shirts in middle school. He cut plastic from folders to create a stencil and spray-painted his design onto the...

Mayor Martin J. Walsh named graduate student Porsha Olayiwola Boston's Poet Laureate in December 2019. Courtesy of Porsha Olayiwola

Grad student becomes Boston’s newest poet laureate

By Melanie Curry / February 6, 2019

Creative writing graduate student Porsha Olayiwola read one of her poems aloud for the first time in her senior year of high school. She used the story...

Gaby Dunn ‘09 is on a book tour for her latest book release, “Bad With Money.”
Courtesy of Laura Massa Michael Priest Photography

Alumna Gaby Dunn tells all in new money memoir

By Dana Gerber, Former News Editor / January 31, 2019

Gaby Dunn ‘09 first appeared in the public eye as a brassy YouTube comedian. After accomplishing the goal many strive for—building a following for...

Sophomore Joshua DeGuzman and senior journalism major Tay Thai run ImaginBrockton, an online gallery showcasing artists from Thai’s hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts. - Photo by Emily Oliver / Beacon Staff

Senior starts digital gallery featuring hometown local artists

By Riddhima Dave / January 31, 2019

Senior journalism major Tay Thai discovered her purpose at Emerson during her Digital Storytelling class—to promote artists from her hometown of Brockton,...

Christina Hendricks and David Alan Basche ‘90 star in “Egg,” a film about motherhood that premiered Jan. 19 2019. 
Photo courtesy of David Alan Basche

Alumnus film “Egg” cracks motherhood stereotypes

By Cassandre Coyer, Former Staff / January 24, 2019

Thirty years after graduating from Emerson, and after having starred in Sex and the City 2, Lipstick Jungle, and The Exes, David Alan Basche ’90 decided...

The Banjo Project is a digital museum sharing the history and significance of the banjo in American culture. Photo courtesy of The Banjo Project

Professors’ digital museum tells the unknown story of the banjo

By Cassandre Coyer, Former Staff / January 16, 2019

When Associate Professor Marc Fields finished his documentary “Give Me the Banjo” after a decade of researching and gathering content on the instrument’s...

Producer-in-Residence's film, "Leave No Trace" up for three Independent Spirit Awards

Producer-in-Residence’s film, “Leave No Trace” up for three Independent Spirit Awards

By Lilly Milman / December 26, 2018

If a tree fell in the woods of Portland, Oregon, would anyone be around to hear it? According to Linda Reisman’s latest film, Leave No Trace, the answer...

Director for "Wayne," Iain B MacDonald and writer Shawn Simmons '96 at the Bright Lights screening. Photo by Anissa Gardizy / Beacon Staff

Alumnus discusses inspiration behind new YouTube Premium show

By Zenebou Sylla / December 26, 2018

As a child, Shawn Simmons’ ‘96 bonded with his father over crime thrillers such as Death Wish and First Blood. Simmons channeled that experience into...

Junior Sydney Elise Johnson posing with co-stars Tasha Smith from Empire and Telma Hopkins.  Photo Courtesy of Sydney Elise Johnson

Junior makes primetime debut in BET political thriller

By Monika Davis, Former Staff / December 6, 2018

When junior Sydney Elise Johnson’s agent told her about a potential role in an original primetime television movie, Johnson frantically learned...

“The Vision of Television” gallery features German art from the 1960s and 1970s and will run until January. • Maya Gacina / Beacon Staff

Colleagues piece together late curator’s rare broadcast findings

By Cassandre Coyer, Former Staff / December 5, 2018

The opening night of “The Vision of Television” exhibit filled the Emerson Media Art Gallery with flashing wall projections of experimental media...

Senior Genna Coleman’s novel Catfish and Other Dead Things will be published this semester.
Photo by Erin Nolan / Beacon Staff

Pub Club spotlights personal essay collection and first preteen book

By Melanie Curry / November 29, 2018

James suddenly began having visions of Saint Peter’s Academy and a secret treasure hidden there when attending his father’s funeral. Senior Marissa...

Alex Alpharoah portrays the stories of Dreamers in the one man show WET: A DACAmented Journey. Courtesy of Ray Shaw

Review: ArtsEmerson’s one-man show documents realities of DACA

By Ally Rzesa, Former Staff / November 18, 2018

I sprung to my feet at the end of ArtsEmerson’s WET: A DACAmented Journey. I watched a Tupac-loving teenage girl, a Spanglish-speaking mother, a Guatemalan...

Junior  Hallie Perlman studied clowning with famous clowns and returned to Emerson to begin the first physical comedy group, Body Electric. Photo by
Sabrina Ortiz / Beacon Correspondent

Comedy gets physical with new Body Electric group

By Soleil Easton / November 14, 2018

Junior Hallie Perlman studied the art of physical comedy, like exaggerated facial expressions, in Maine and Greece with famous clowns Avner the Eccentric...

Jim Cummings '09 behind the scenes of "Thunder Road." The 92 minute feature was filmed over 14 days in Austin, Texas. - Photo Courtesy of Jim Cummings

Alum’s Sundance-winning short makes it to the big screen

By Zenebou Sylla / November 13, 2018

After the success of a Kickstarter campaign that raised $36,829, Jim Cummings’ ‘09 Sundance-winning short film, “Thunder Road,” is now a feature...

"American Vandal" creators Dan Perrault ‘09 and Tony Yacenda ‘09 with Emerson's screenwriting organization, SPEC. Photo Courtesy of Rachel Gaudet

“American Vandal” creators talk Emerson Mafia, Chocolate Cake City, and Lil’ Dicky at panel

By Annika Hom, Former Staff / November 13, 2018

American Vandal creators Dan Perrault ‘09 and Tony Yacenda ‘09 danced, joked, and took selfies with students at an Emerson panel where they shared...