Skip to Main Content
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

Coronavirus

Students working on a set in a visual and media arts course.

In distanced classes, professors repackage theatre and film curriculum

By Dana Gerber / October 1, 2020

In junior Ava Petrecca’s BFA Acting Studio 1 class, she’s learning the Alexander Technique: a focus on posture and body movement that aims to increase...

Alpha Phi Omega's recruitment efforts have been greatly impacted by COVID-19.

Student organizations reimagine operations under new restrictions

By Dana Gerber and Ann E. Matica / September 30, 2020

Emerson’s student organizations are facing a herculean task this semester: to reimagine their clubs, most of which depend on in-person interaction, so...

Emerson's testing site is located at a Tufts Medical Center facility on the corner of Harrison Ave. and Kneeland St.

Emerson reports no new positives, 235 new tests

By Charlie McKenna / September 30, 2020

Emerson reported no new positive COVID-19 tests results Wednesday out of 235 total tests, leaving the college’s cumulative positive tests since Aug....

A view of Emerson's Dining Center from the Boylston Place alley.

Dining Center to temporarily close following three positive COVID-19 tests among food vendors

By Andrew Brinker and Charlie McKenna / September 22, 2020

The Dining Center was temporarily closed for service Wednesday morning after college officials announced three new positive COVID-19 tests among food vendors.  The...

Emerson's testing site is located at a Tufts Medical Center facility on the corner of Harrison Ave. and Kneeland St.

GRAPH: College reports 11 positive COVID-19 tests, inconsistent dashboard numbers

By Andrew Brinker, Tomas Gonzalez and Charlie McKenna / September 17, 2020

Emerson’s cumulative positive COVID-19 test results have risen steadily each week, as seen in the graph above. Each point on the graph represents...

Safety, job security top staff concerns for the fall

Safety, job security top staff concerns for the fall

By Ann E. Matica / September 16, 2020

Emerson staff members are grappling with safety risks and the threat of job insecurity, as the college proceeds with a reopening plan that brought much...

In swift reversal, Emerson opts for daily COVID-19 updates

In swift reversal, Emerson opts for daily COVID-19 updates

By Diti Kohli / September 8, 2020

In a shift from prior announcements, Emerson administrators vowed Tuesday to begin updating the college’s COVID-19 dashboard daily after more than a...

Students cross the intersection of Boylston St. and Tremont St.

A mix of excitement and anxiety as students return to an altered campus

By Beacon Staff / September 4, 2020

Five months and 11 days after Emerson prematurely shuttered its campuses due to the initial U.S. outbreak of COVID-19, the college officially reopened...

Emerson's Los Angeles campus.

ELA campus won’t reopen in the fall, classes to remain online

By Charlie McKenna / September 4, 2020

Emerson’s Los Angeles campus will not reopen for in-person classes in the fall semester in light of new COVID-19 guidance from LA county officials. The...

Emerson launches initiative to rebuild the community in upcoming academic year

Reopening is going to plan, administrators say

By Andrew Brinker / September 4, 2020

The first week of Emerson’s reopening put into practice a plan that attempts to continue in-person instruction while staving off COVID-19 outbreaks,...

Emerson reports three new positive tests since Monday

Emerson reports three new positive tests since Monday

By Charlie McKenna and Diana Bravo / September 3, 2020

Emerson reported three new positive COVID-19 test results between Aug. 30 and Sept. 2, bringing the community’s positive tests to 10 out of 7,422 administered.  One...

Emerson's testing site is located at a Tufts Medical Center facility on the corner of Harrison Ave. and Kneeland St.

Emerson reports three positive COVID-19 tests this week, bringing August total to five

By Charlie McKenna / August 31, 2020

Emerson reported three new positive COVID-19 tests from Aug. 24 to Aug. 30, bringing the community’s  total positive tests to five since testing began...

Emerson will remove plexiglass dividers installed in classrooms preceding the Fall 2021 semester.

Campus capacity severely limited with new retrofitting measures

By Charlie McKenna / August 27, 2020

The rapidly approaching fall semester will see Emerson’s vertical downtown Boston campus drastically altered due to COVID-19 safety restrictions and...

'It was really easy': Students describe ins and outs of the college’s COVID-19 testing procedures

‘It was really easy’: Students describe ins and outs of the college’s COVID-19 testing procedures

By Diti Kohli / August 26, 2020

Several Emerson students who have received COVID-19 testing at Tufts Medical Center—an integral part of the college’s reopening plan—described the...

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

Emerson reports second positive COVID-19 case in two weeks, 0.16 percent positivity rate in new dashboard

By Charlie McKenna / August 24, 2020

Emerson reported a second positive case of COVID-19 on campus Monday afternoon, bringing the college’s positivity rate to 0.16 percent after administering...

Who are the core leaders behind EmersonTogether?

Emerson releases symptom tracker, designed to keep community members with virus symptoms from campus

By Charlie McKenna / August 22, 2020

Emerson released a COVID-19 symptom tracker Friday that will require community members to report their potential symptoms through the Emerson mobile app...

Emerson launches initiative to rebuild the community in upcoming academic year

Students in private on-campus rooms may isolate ‘in place’ if exposed to virus

By Andrew Brinker and Diti Kohli / August 21, 2020

Students housed in single rooms with private bathrooms on campus or in the W Boston hotel may be quarantined and isolated in their own dorm room following...

The college's positivity rate sits at 0.17 percent after 576 tests.

Emerson reports 0.17 percent positive COVID-19 test rate out of 576 tests

By Charlie McKenna / August 20, 2020

Tufts Medical Center has administered 576 COVID-19 tests on Emerson community members to date, President M. Lee Pelton announced in an email Thursday afternoon. One...

The alley entrance to the Walker building casts a beacon of light on the campus.

State to mandate flu shot for college students

By Charlie McKenna / August 19, 2020

All college students will have to get the flu vaccine in the fall when it becomes available, the Massachusetts Department of Health announced Wednesday...

The view of Boylston St. from The Little Building.

Emerson releases disciplinary measures for students who violate COVID-19 safety protocols

By Charlie McKenna / August 18, 2020

Emerson students who violate the college’s COVID-19 safety protocols will be referred to the standard student conduct policy to receive disciplinary...