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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

Opinion

The way we experience the weather says a lot about our positionality and our privilege.

Climate change is detrimental for people living in poverty

By Shannon Garrido / April 21, 2021

A few days ago it was raining, and for the first time in a while, it wasn't too cold for me to enjoy the drizzle. Whenever I see rain, my mind immediately...

Pursuing a theatre degree is all dreamy and glamorous—until a faculty member breaks the news that Summer Stock won’t be doing any Lin-Manuel Miranda productions this summer, so “don’t get your hopes up.”

We Are Here: college theatre programs need to create more inclusivity for students of color

By Amaris Rios / April 14, 2021

If someone asks me to sing “Breath” from In The Heights one more time, I think I might actually escort myself back to Puerto Rico. When I auditioned...

Here's some tips and tricks from The Beacon editorial board on getting vaccinated.

Here’s how you can get vaccinated for COVID-19 in Massachusetts

By Editorial Board / April 14, 2021

Since the pandemic began, millions across the globe have waited anxiously for their turn to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. It took months of trials and setbacks,...

The unwavering patriarchy in India is deeply rooted in the history of the country, and it starts with the Indian family dynamic. The husband and father is the head of a household, making sons the desired offspring, while daughters can be seen as a burden..

Femicide in India defines the country’s patriarchy

By Mariyam Quaisar / April 14, 2021

TW: This op-ed contains graphic mentions of misogyny, sexual assault, domestic abuse, and murder. On April 10, a 26-year-old woman was stabbed to death...

Emerson students receive hand sanitizer outside Tutfs testing location.

Editorial: There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the pandemic isn’t over yet

By Editorial Board / April 8, 2021

Pandemic fatigue is rife around the globe after enduring more than a year of sacrifice and isolation. In the past year, we’ve been forced to give up...

The Minnesota assault overturn shows that the justice system is going backward

The Minnesota assault overturn shows that the justice system is going backward

By Mariyam Quaisar / April 8, 2021

Through recent Instagram posts, I found out the state of Minnesota does not fairly investigate a sexual assault case if the victim was voluntarily intoxicated....

It’s one thing to engage in fearmongering by spreading conspiracy theories on a Facebook message board, and another to give them more coverage on prominent news platforms.

Fear-mongering in the media has spiraled out of control

By Shannon Garrido / April 7, 2021

On March 25, NPR published “Few Facts, Millions Of Clicks: Fear Mongering Vaccine Stories Go Viral Online.” In the story, NPR analysts point out that...

A janitor working in the dorm hallway.

Editorial: Emerson’s staff and faculty deserve better

By Editorial Board / March 31, 2021

Emerson would be nothing without the hard work of its staff and faculty. They are tasked with cleaning our spaces, providing equipment for us, teaching...

The Office of Financial Aid in the Union Bank Building.

Yearly tuition increases should not become the norm

By Shannon Garrido and Lucia Thorne / March 31, 2021

On March 15, Emerson announced a “flexibility week” meant to tackle the steady decline of students’ mental health. That same week, it was announced...

No one should have to pay to work, especially college students who are already paying for their respective schools.

Internship for credit: gaining experience or getting scammed?

By Juliet Norman / March 31, 2021

During my first-year student orientation, I was excited to see that Emerson offered academic internship opportunities, including one located in Washington...

The unwavering patriarchy in India is deeply rooted in the history of the country, and it starts with the Indian family dynamic. The husband and father is the head of a household, making sons the desired offspring, while daughters can be seen as a burden..

There is no excuse for hate crimes against Asian Americans

By Mariyam Quaisar / March 25, 2021

The recent murder of eight people, including six of Asian descent at three different locations—a massage parlor in Acworth, GA and two spas in Atlanta,...

Soledad O'Brien speaking to graduates during 2019's commencement ceremony.

Should Emerson host in-person graduation?

By Editorial Board / March 25, 2021

As college students, the driving force to get us through 8 a.m. classes, midterm exams, and the ever-rising tuition rate is the monumental closing event...

David Dobrik’s kingdom of bullying

David Dobrik’s kingdom of bullying

By Kaitlyn Fehr, Columnist / March 25, 2021

Trigger Warning: This column contains mentions of racism, homophobia, ableism, and sexual assault. Over the past couple of years, the YouTube community...

Unless you are a business mogul or a Rockefeller, shrinking your carbon footprint will not create the same level of difference that a corporation would by changing their waste methods.

Private corporations must be held accountable for climate change, not the American public

By Juliet Norman, Opinion Editor / March 25, 2021

For as long as I can remember it has been ingrained in me that helping the planet is my individual responsibility. Posters in the hallways of my middle...

Here's some tips and tricks from The Beacon editorial board on getting vaccinated.

When will I get the vaccine?

By Shannon Garrido / March 19, 2021

Amid seven new variants of the already malicious novel coronavirus reaching the United States, my fellow Emerson students and I wonder: when will we get...

Katie Redefer is a senior journalism major and the Editor-in-Chief of The Berkeley Beacon.

Letter from the Editor: Reflecting on a year of the pandemic

By Katie Redefer / March 19, 2021

The past 12 months may have been the most unprecedented year of our lifetime. The first pandemic of the 21st century transformed life as we knew it in...

As someone who struggles with mental illnesses myself, I can say with complete conviction this hybrid learning model has been detrimental to my health.

Adapting to hybrid learning is a privilege

By Lucia Thorne / March 17, 2021

Trigger warning: This op-ed discusses topics related to mental illness. After a year of experimenting with new forms of learning in an attempt to simulate...

Unfortunately, collective grief comes alongside numbness. We, as a human collective, when overwhelmed with so much sorrow, seem to have an “off” switch.

Traversing grief in a pandemic

By Joshua Sokol / March 17, 2021

While scrolling through Twitter—a passive and frequent pandemic pastime—I’ll see tweets along the lines of “We survived 2020; that’s something...

More than a year of our college experience has been lost forever, and the scary reality of graduating into a pandemic looms ahead.

A year of loss and disappointment: what the pandemic has taken from us

By Juliet Norman / March 17, 2021

I remember my last day of normalcy perfectly. I met my friend Natalie for morning coffee at The Thinking Cup, went back to my dorm to say a quick goodbye...

The Flag of the Dominican Republican

Pandemic highlights education inequities in the Dominican Republic

By Shannon Garrido, Deputy Opinion Editor / March 11, 2021

On Feb. 14, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Education, Roberto Fulcar, affirmed that there is still no set date for the return of students to the...