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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

Each generation likes to believe that they are the best generation so far. They will be the ones to change the system, that impacts the world the most. For this election that might just ring true.

Bring the online push for democracy to the polls

By Sabine Waldeck / October 28, 2020

Many people highly anticipate Election Day. Each and every voter sits staring at their TV screen, hoping they did enough for their candidate to win. This...

Four Emerson students made their way through the cold and rain to vote in the 2018 midterm elections. Stefania Lugli / Beacon Staff

Make Election Day an academic holiday once and for all

By Editorial Board / October 27, 2020

A week from Election Day, the country stands more fractured and divided. With experts anticipating a voter-turnout tsunami and young people already reporting...

Twenty three hours inside the college’s quarantine residence

Twenty three hours inside the college’s quarantine residence

By Domenic Conte / October 22, 2020

I’d give the Paramount Hotel three stars following my brief stay in the college’s on-campus quarantine residence hall.  After showing symptoms...

He's Got Spunk- 'The Ick'

He’s Got Spunk- ‘The Ick’

By Gary Sowder / October 21, 2020

Temperatures have started to dip below the sixties. The leaves in the Common are fluttering off the trees. The pumpkin spice latte is back. It’s...

The Barnes and Nobles at Emerson College on Boylston St.

Waiting weeks for textbooks is unacceptable

By Editorial Board / October 21, 2020

In the midst of midterm season, some students are still waiting on one precious class material: their textbooks.  The campus bookstore has seen severe...

Like Eicher, I also believe in the power of conversation and communication. However, since social media has the ability to reach millions of people almost instantaneously, it can become a dangerous rabbit hole for drama and social exile.

We can cancel online orders, not human beings

By Carlota Cano / October 20, 2020

English poet Alexander Pope, once said “To err is human,” alluding to the fact that all people make mistakes. Some of these mistakes are more serious...

During quarantine I had to come to terms with my own negative thoughts.

Being OK with not feeling OK

By Taina Millsap / October 14, 2020

As a Latina woman, I’ve always been surrounded by happiness and the mindset that everything is fine. Even my grandma, who fought depression all her life,...

For me, traveling offers a time to disconnect from my hectic daily routine and allows my mind to focus on the beauty surrounding me. This year, however, the summer was different for most of us.

Secure the remote control, not your luggage. The “new” way to travel during pandemic

By Carlota Cano / October 13, 2020

Although my luggage now collects dust and remains hidden in the depths of my closet, I often think back to the days when I traveled around Spain with my...

When it comes to COVID testing, where’s the accountability?

When it comes to COVID testing, where’s the accountability?

By Editorial Board / October 13, 2020

Since the start of the fall semester, Emerson has taken considerable action to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and prevent outbreaks on campus. Unlike...

Searching for a resemblance between 2016 polls and the current moment isn’t an effective way to determine who is ahead in this race. After the public outrage from the first presidential debate, we need to compare how they are different and why that matters.

2020 is not 2016. Here’s why that matters

By Shannon Garrido / October 13, 2020

Donald Trump supporters and Democrats have one similar perception of this year’s election: that it will follow in the steps of 2016.  Though it appears...

A poster within Little Building asking students to practice safe sex.

Go solo or go home: The only way to have sex during a pandemic

By Mariyam Quaisar / October 8, 2020

“If you’re not going to wear a mask, at least wear a condom,” posters around Emerson dorm buildings read. However, safe sex means a lot more than...

President Joe Biden

Navigating the U.S. election season as an international student

By Jocelyn Yang / October 6, 2020

“How’s the U.S. election vibe? Who do you think will win? Does any candidate pose policies that hurt China or international students?" I received this...

Three students on navigating a college social life during a pandemic

Three students on navigating a college social life during a pandemic

October 6, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly transformed our college's culture and the way we interact with others. After classes resumed in the fall, students...

My birthday present this year? Stories.

My birthday present this year? Stories.

By Dana Gerber / October 1, 2020

Almost nothing about my 21st birthday will be how I imagined. It won’t take place in a crowded bar. My friends won’t buy me frozen margaritas and toast...

Gary Sowder writes about love and sex.

‘On the DL’: The sexual politics of sleeping with closeted guys

By Gary Sowder / October 1, 2020

My mom lives in Westchester County, New York, a place that is most known for being the home of the Clintons', and the last place Robert Durst’s wife...

As a student with a history of suicidal thoughts, I posed a liability to the school. But when these issues arise, the college should handle them with more flexibility and compassion.

Emerson made me fight for the mental health care I needed. But I shouldn’t have had to

By Cat Bixler / September 29, 2020

*Content Warning: This article heavily references suicide and depression.  The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illness as a medical...

"I’m devastated by her passing, terrified for who will replace her, and doubtful that they will uphold Ginsburg’s views and legacy."

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s fight for women’s rights lives on

By Sabine Waldeck / September 28, 2020

When I first heard the news of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, I was in disbelief. I was aware that Ginsburg had been battling pancreatic...

"Far fetched as my expectations were, none of us pictured freshman year this way, with me logging onto Zoom to attend classes, professors' office hours, and student organizations’ meetings."

We were never getting the college experience we expected

By Shannon Garrido / September 23, 2020

For those of you who spent too much of your childhood obsessing over Legally Blonde and Beverly Hills, 90210, like me, you probably had an inflated image...

Mail-in voting is still not accessible for everyone

Mail-in voting is still not accessible for everyone

By Jacob Seitz / September 19, 2020

This election season, a vast majority of the American population is likely going to vote by mail. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended just about everything...

"When anyone casts their ballot in a normal year, they are fulfilling their civic responsibility as an American citizen. But this November, for the first time in a long time, there is a pandemic plaguing the U.S. during a presidential election." Illustration by Laura King

Mail-in voting is easy. Here’s why you should do it.

By Robbie Shinder / September 15, 2020

What does it mean to vote? When anyone casts their ballot in a normal year, they are fulfilling their civic responsibility as an American citizen. But...