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

Kasteel Well

An Instagram post announcing the return of Black Swan for the Spring 2024 semester.

Meet Black Swan, Kasteel Well’s magazine by students, for students

By Jordan Pagkalinawan, Managing Editor / March 21, 2024

As Kasteel Well students approach the final weeks of their semester, they’ve likely already collected plenty of souvenirs and trinkets across Europe....

Sophomore marketing communications student Sam Switall stands in front of Il Paradiso, a canvas painting in the Grand Council Hall at the Doge’s Palace, a landmark building that was once the Doges residence and the center of the Venetian government, in Venice, Italy. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Switall)

Photos: Kasteel Well students explore Europe on travel break

By Jordan Pagkalinawan, Managing Editor / March 19, 2024
Twice a semester, Emerson students at Kasteel Well go on academic excursions to various countries.
Kasteel Well students prepare to participate in the Carnival festivities.

Kasteel Well students connect with community in Carnival celebration

By Jordan Pagkalinawan, Managing Editor / February 22, 2024

While Americans geared up for Super Bowl 58, Emerson students studying abroad at Kasteel Well prepared for a different celebration—participating in the...

Coming to Kasteel Well? Don’t pack the kitchen sink.

Coming to Kasteel Well? Don’t pack the kitchen sink.

By Maeve Lawler, Kasteel Well Bureau Chief / April 12, 2023

Are you a future Kasteel Well dweller? If the answer is yes, then you’re probably wondering how to prepare for your semester abroad. What do I pack?...

Kasteel Well campus ends weekly testing protocol, shift to symptomatic testing only

Kasteel Well campus ends weekly testing protocol, shift to symptomatic testing only

By Maeve Lawler, Kasteel Well Bureau Chief / March 22, 2023

As of March 9, Emerson’s Kasteel Well campus no longer requires twice-a-week COVID-19 testing, according to an email sent to Kasteel Well students from...

Kasteel Well’s assistant director of student affairs embraces life’s challenges and community building

Kasteel Well’s assistant director of student affairs embraces life’s challenges and community building

By Maeve Lawler, Kasteel Well Bureau Chief / February 18, 2023

Each semester, a new group of students participating in the Kasteel Well program are welcomed by a medieval castle tucked in the countryside of Well, Limburg....

Emersons Kasteel Well campus.

Kasteel Well community feels mixed emotions about the Ukraine-Russia war

By Mariyam Quaisar, Managing Editor / March 3, 2022

A mere 1,200 miles away from the fighting in Ukraine, students and faculty at Emerson’s Kasteel Well campus are anxiously watching history unfold as...

Emersons Kasteel Well campus in Well, Netherlands.

COVID outbreak at Kasteel Well forces students out of rooms

By Bailey Allen, Former news editor / February 17, 2022

Students at Emerson’s Kasteel Well have been moved out of their dorms to make space for quarantine and isolation housing as part of the satellite campus’...

The exterior of the Kasteel Well castle

No change in sight for Kasteel Well following Omicron variant detection in Netherlands

By Bailey Allen, Former news editor / December 2, 2021

Weeks after a surge in COVID-19 cases forced the Netherlands into another lockdown, the appearance of Omicron—the latest mutation of the virus—threatens...

Emersons Kasteel Well campus in Well, Netherlands.

Emerson students at Kasteel Well unfazed by Netherlands lockdowns

By Bailey Allen, Former news editor / November 18, 2021

Amid a rise in COVID cases throughout the Netherlands, Emerson students studying abroad at Kasteel Well face a three-week partial lockdown, which has limited...

The exterior of the Kasteel Well castle

Kasteel Well students reflect on departing the castle

By Shawna Konieczny, Staff Writer / March 29, 2021

On March 2, 2020, the 76 students studying at Emerson’s Kasteel Well campus gathered in a cramped dining hall awaiting an update on spring break, expecting...

Emersons Kasteel Well campus in Well, Netherlands.

With no students at the castle, the town of Well remains shuttered

By Camilo Fonseca, Editor-at-large / February 18, 2021

Nearly 3,500 miles away from Boston, a towering castle is quiet. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the dorms at Kasteel Well have sat empty for nearly...

Emersons Kasteel Well campus in Well, Netherlands.

Kasteel Well fall program canceled in a swift change from previous plan

By Diti Kohli, Print Designer / August 4, 2020

The fall Kasteel Well study abroad program has been canceled after the college was unable to secure permission for U.S. citizens to enter the Netherlands,...

The exterior of the Kasteel Well castle

Extended EU travel ban could throw Kasteel Well study abroad program into uncertainty

By Andrew Brinker, Senior Investigative Reporter / June 25, 2020

European Union officials plan to extend a ban on travellers from the United States as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to silently accelerate in the country,...

Students enrolled in the colleges Kasteel Well study abroad program for the fall semester will be under strict travel restrictions and enforced social distancing measures.

Kasteel Well study abroad program to move forward with limited travel for fall semester

By Dana Gerber, News Editor / June 16, 2020

Emerson’s Kasteel Well study abroad program in the Netherlands will proceed in the fall semester with significant alterations in light of the ongoing...

Kasteel Well students to receive refund for canceled Milan excursion

Kasteel Well students to receive refund for canceled Milan excursion

By Lara Hill / April 3, 2020

The college plans to issue a refund for costs associated with the Milan academic excursion that officials canceled due to concerns with the spread of COVID-19...

College considering housing refunds for Kasteel Well students leaving campus

College considering housing refunds for Kasteel Well students leaving campus

By Lara Hill / March 12, 2020

The college is currently “leaning in the direction” of providing housing refunds to Kasteel Well students planning to return home for the remainder...

President M. Lee Pelton speaking to students who were forced to evacuate the Netherlands during the Spring 2020 semester after COVID-19 spread rapidly around the world. Pelton expressed support for the Defund the Police initiative Tuesday, saying that the police are overly militarized and the system needs overhauled, in a virtual panel with Commonwealth Magazine.

Kasteel Well students return amid Coronavirus concerns

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer / March 7, 2020

Kasteel Well students trudged bleary-eyed through the rain at 4:00 a.m Central European Time on Friday to board a bus to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, beginning...

The exterior of the Kasteel Well castle

Kasteel students to return on Friday as Coronavirus spreads in Europe

By Dana Gerber, News Editor / March 4, 2020

The college plans to send students studying at the college's Kasteel Well campus back to Boston on Friday after college officials announced earlier this...

The college gathered all Kasteel Well students in the dining hall Monday evening to announce the cancellation of the program.

Kasteel Well students to return to Boston after outbreak of Coronavirus

By Lara Hill and Katie Redefer / March 2, 2020

WELL, NETHERLANDS—The college will send Kasteel Well students back to the Boston campus later this week due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases,...