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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

Campus

The exterior of the W hotel.

Students moved to W Boston Hotel in effort to create more isolation spaces

By Abigail Lee, Magazine Editor / February 3, 2022

Emerson relocated 40 students to the W Boston Hotel at the beginning of the spring semester,  in order to free up spaces for on-campus isolation in the...

Incident Journal: ECPD provides medical assistance, responds to disturbances

Incident Journal: ECPD provides medical assistance, responds to disturbances

By Vivi Smilgius / February 2, 2022

The Emerson College Police Department provides the Incident Journal to The Beacon every week. Beacon staff edit the Incident Journal for style and clarity...

Emerson's testing site at Tufts Medical Center.

Emerson reports six positive COVID-19 tests

By Adri Pray, Editor-in-Chief / February 1, 2022

As of Tuesday, Emerson reported six positive COVID-19 cases of the 1,685 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.36 percent. Tuesday...

Boylston Street was blanketed in snow on Saturday.

Boston weathers ‘historic’ snowstorm, as strong winds batter campus

By Camilo Fonseca and Frankie Rowley / January 29, 2022

New England is experiencing a winter storm of a magnitude not seen in years, dropping nearly two feet of snow on downtown Boston and enveloping Emerson’s...

Former Director of Production and Safety Leonard Manzo

Leonard Manzo out as VMA director of production and safety

By Bailey Allen, Former news editor / January 28, 2022

Leonard Manzo, longtime director of production and safety at Emerson, will no longer serve in the position as of Jan. 27, according to a Thursday evening...

An ECPD patrol vehicle.

Incident Journal: Medical aid provided to two students, window in Union Bank Building found damaged

By Frankie Rowley, Content Managing Editor / January 28, 2022

The Emerson College Police Department provides the Incident Journal to The Beacon every week. Beacon staff edit the Incident Journal for style and clarity...

Greencare KN95 masks (left), which college officials said they provided faculty, and the masks obtained by Beacon staffers (right)

College-supplied masks could possibly be ‘counterfeit,’ warns faculty union

By Bailey Allen, Former news editor / January 27, 2022

Emerson community members are raising concerns about the efficacy of the KN95 masks distributed by the college last week, citing a lack of proper authenticity...

Bags of food in the Dining Center waiting to be delivered to quarantined and isolated students.

Students who test positive experience disorganized isolation periods

By Abigail Lee, Magazine Editor / January 27, 2022

With COVID-19 cases on campus reaching their highest levels since the outbreak of the pandemic, a high volume of students have been admitted into Emerson’s...

Emerson's Office of International Student Affairs.

Global rise in COVID-19 cases poses difficulty for international students

By Adri Pray and Gabriel Borges / January 27, 2022

Kevin Wang hasn’t visited his family in China since August. If he wants to return, he’ll have to first endure three weeks in quarantine before spending...

FIRE, working with Emerson's chapter of TPUSA, hired a truck with the phrase "Emerson Kinda Sus" to circle Emerson's Boston campus.

Turning Point USA responds to suspension with ‘Kinda Sus’ ad campaign

By Vivi Smilgius and Adri Pray / January 27, 2022

Months after being accused of propagating anti-Chinese rhetoric, Emerson’s chapter of Turning Point USA has mounted an advertising campaign targeting...

Phi Alpha Tau hopes to change culture after 18-month hiatus

Phi Alpha Tau hopes to change culture after 18-month hiatus

By Vivi Smilgius / January 27, 2022

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault.  Phi Alpha Tau will return to action this semester, marking the end of the fraternity’s...

Emerson's testing site at Tufts Medical Center.

Emerson reports 11 positive COVID-19 tests, lowest single-day total this semester

By Adri Pray, Editor-in-Chief / January 25, 2022

Emerson reported 11 positive COVID-19 tests on Tuesday out to the 1,841 administered on Monday. Tuesday’s dashboard update also reported that eight...

What is Emerson’s interim policy for campus demonstrations? We explain.

Reporting issue prompts erroneous loan emails

By Charlie McKenna / January 25, 2022

A student enrollment reporting error caused some loan providers to see some Emerson students’ status as not enrolled, prompting them to notify the students...

Students entering the dining hall.

Campus facilities, meeting spaces and dining to reopen Jan. 24

By Frankie Rowley, Content Managing Editor / January 23, 2022

The fitness center, dining facilities, and on-campus meeting spaces will be open for in-person operations beginning Jan. 24, announced college officials...

Bags of food in the Dining Center waiting to be delivered to quarantined and isolated students.

Students split on college’s COVID protocol’s effectiveness upon return to campus

By Hannah Nguyen, Editor-in-Chief / January 21, 2022

In an effort to rebuild the “Emerson bubble” in the first weeks of the spring semester, the college imposed several restrictions not seen since the...

Some of Emerson's first-get students have bonded over shared experiences. From left to right: Priscilla Beltran, Maria Vu, Ashley Blanco, Kelly Moreno and Carolina Alcantara.
Courtesy / Ashley Blanco

‘Almost hidden diversity’: Emerson’s first-generation students share their stories

By Payton Cavanaugh and Adri Pray / January 21, 2022

First-generation students, without guidance from older family members or friends, and limited access to resources, face a far more challenging acclimation...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Emerson surpasses 350 COVID cases nearly three weeks into semester

By Adri Pray, Editor-in-Chief / January 21, 2022

On Thursday, Emerson’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 12 positive tests of the 972 tests administered on Wednesday, setting the daily positivity rate at...

Emerson's testing site at Tufts Medical Center.

Emerson reports 301 positives two weeks into spring semester

By Adri Pray, Editor-in-Chief / January 18, 2022

In just two weeks since the onset of the spring 2022 semester, Emerson has reported a cumulative 301 positive COVID-19 cases. The college has administered...

A group of students walk down Boylston Street wearing masks.

KN95 masks to be made available to students

By Bailey Allen, Former news editor / January 18, 2022

A limited supply of KN95 masks will be available for pick up at the Campus Life Office and Information Desk beginning on Jan. 18, announced college officials...

Paramount residence halls are designated as a quarantine and isolation space in the fall for ill and exposed students.

Non-residential students’ visitation to be restored

By Frankie Rowley, Content Managing Editor / January 17, 2022

Non-residential Emerson students can visit residential halls beginning on Jan. 18, college officials announced on Monday evening.  Starting at 9 a.m....