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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

Magazine

The psychology and science behind new year's resolutions. Do they really work?

The psychology and science behind new year’s resolutions. Do they really work?

By Shannon Garrido, Content Managing Editor / February 4, 2022

As we get closer and closer to the end of this year and try our best to prepare for another, many embrace the practice of setting New Year's resolutions....

New Year. New Diet. The toxicity of Diet Culture

New Year. New Diet. The toxicity of Diet Culture

By Rachel Hackam, Contributing Reporter / February 4, 2022

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of dieting and issues regarding body image.  With the new year, comes “New Year’s Resolutions,”...

The new year is the perfect excuse for total self-reinvention— here’s how

The new year is the perfect excuse for total self-reinvention— here’s how

By Vivi Smilgius, Deputy News Editor / February 4, 2022

Every time Jan. 1 rapidly approaches, with it comes dozens of Instagram posts announcing fitness journeys, wardrobe purges, and a slew of other reformatory...

All the Headaches and Hurdles of 2021

All the Headaches and Hurdles of 2021

By Dionna Santucci, Staff Writer / February 4, 2022

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of violence, death, suicide, and racism.  The events of 2020 left many entering 2021 with hope or skepticism,...

Jan. Letter From the Editor

Jan. Letter From the Editor

By Campbell Parish, Operations Managing editor and Magazine Editor / February 4, 2022

After a long year filled with jaw-dropping events and unforgettable memories, it’s now time to ring in 2022. In honor of New Year’s, the theme of our...

Courtesy Shelley Parish Photography

Letter From The Editor

By Campbell Parish, Operations Managing Editor and Magazine Editor / October 11, 2021

Mental health. We need to talk about it. It’s a topic that has been considered taboo for ages and opening up about one’s mental state can be an...

Illustration by Lucia Thorne

The people left behind

By Kaitlyn Fehr, Chief Copy Editor / October 11, 2021

TW: This article mentions suicide, suicidal thoughts, and grief *Names changed for privacy When I was eight months old, my second cousin John*, who was...

Experiences from the 28 Percent

Experiences from the 28 Percent

By Mariyam Quaisar, Campbell Parish / October 11, 2021

TW: This story contains mention of racism, hate speech, and contains strong language Being a person of color at Emerson is undoubtedly a challenge....

Mariyam Quaisar poses during a photoshoot.

Emerson’s promises of diversity fell short for me

By Mariyam Quaisar, Living Arts editor / October 11, 2021

TW: This story contains mentions of racism, hate speech, and strong language I decided early that whatever college I attended had to have a diverse...

Three weed dealers––Jamie, Alex, and John––who spoke with The Beacon on the condition of anonymity, discussed their life as dealers on campus and how it impacts their customers.

Let’s Be Really Blunt: Student dealers on what it’s like being “The Plug”

By Campbell Parish and Karissa Schaefer / May 1, 2021

College students, often overwhelmed by the pressures of schoolwork, social life, and on-campus extracurricular commitments, not to mention jobs, have increasingly...

 Even as white and Black people use cannabis at similar rates, Black people are 3.64 times more likely to be arrested on charges of weed possession, according to a 2020 ACLU report.

The luxury of neighborhood dispensaries deny America’s racist cannabis criminalization

By Joshua Sokol / May 1, 2021

In 1936, a film titled “Reefer Madness” hit the silver screen. Originally titled “Tell Your Children,” the black & white cinema explored the...

Smokey Coffeeshop is just one of the many social cannabis consumption spaces in Amsterdam.

Massachusetts must open social cannabis consumption spaces

By Clarah Grossman / May 1, 2021

There we were, three college seniors in pajamas on the back porch, huddled close together in the Boston cold, sharing a celebratory joint after one of...

New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Brookline.

Boston dispensaries turn a new leaf amid pandemic

By Ann E. Matica / May 1, 2021

Pure Oasis, the first recreational dispensary to open in a major city on the East Coast, opened its doors for the first time in Boston on March 9, 2020,...

An intimate look inside the lives of student sex workers

An intimate look inside the lives of student sex workers

By Ann E. Matica and Dana Gerber / February 26, 2021

Trigger warning: this article contains mentions of sexual violence, mental illness, and drug abuse On the fifth floor of the Colonial residence hall,...

The craving for physical touch during a pandemic

The craving for physical touch during a pandemic

By Sabine Waldeck / February 25, 2021

When was the last time you were able to run into your friend’s arms and give them a big hug? Last time you were able to kiss your partner? Embrace your...

He's got spunk: Stop shivering and start cooking

He’s got spunk: Stop shivering and start cooking

By Gary Sowder / February 25, 2021

I’m from New York, which is not a very endearing way to start any sentence, but stay with me. When I moved up to Boston for college, I thought I was...

The Complete history of the Marlboro Merger

The Complete history of the Marlboro Merger

By Jacob Seitz / November 12, 2020

In the fall, Potash Hill is silent. The smell of dying trees, turning leaves, and rotten apples on the forest floor wafts through the air. At the former...

Donald Trump in Nashua, New Hampshire

The social division and emotional trauma fostered by Trump’s America

By Katie Redefer and Shawna Konieczny / October 14, 2020

Four years ago, Americans introduced themselves to President Donald J. Trump by marching onto the streets in defiance, huddled shoulder-to-shoulder sharing...

Tris Arthur dropping off her absentee ballot application in the mailbox outside of the Colonial Theater.

Why your absentee ballot might not count

By Diti Kohli / October 14, 2020

Days after Noah Matalon moved into the Little Building to begin his Emerson career, his mom paid him a visit. She buckled into her Acura RDX and made the...

The Oxymoron of Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal Ideology

The Oxymoron of Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal Ideology

By Paige Thimmesch / October 14, 2020

Remember when you first learned of oxymorons in grade school, and you sat in class for the rest of the day thinking of new ones? They’re kind of funny,...