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 only secret to not getting duped into sales is to think of the product’s practicality before purchasing. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

How holiday sales capitalize on our impulses

November 12, 2019

A new tidal wave of holiday sales is coming. Stores like Hollister, Zappos, and Macy’s email me every day to advertise discounts and remind me of...

In the age of rapid globalization, breaking news happening on the other side of the world could have an impact on people who are living in America. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Integrate news from around the world into your news diet

November 12, 2019

I learned about the protests in Chile while having dinner with a friend who works as a telescope researcher in Chilean labs for the University of California,...

Gary Sowder - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

It’s okay to have bad sex (and tell all your friends about it)

November 10, 2019

“Alright,” I said, hurling my tacos into a garbage can. “I’m going to go have sex with him.”  “What?” my friend Nicole asked.  It...

Megan Ellis - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Little Shirt, Big Pants: The dichotomy between self-image and style

November 10, 2019

*Content Warning: This article discuses themes of disordered eating and body image. In high school, I used to cry in the mornings as I got dressed for...

Monika Davis - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Motion Picture This: ‘The King’ puts Timothée Chalamet’s star power to the test

November 9, 2019

Proclaimed “white boy of the month” Timothée Chalamet has dominated the last two years in cinema. After breaking into the scene with indie classics...

Some students, including myself, cannot spare five dollars to a school that already does not meet our financial needs. / Illustration by Christine Park

Students shouldn’t be responsible for fueling the endowment fund

November 8, 2019

Last week, Student Government Association Executive Treasurer Abigail Semple wrote in a letter to the editor, “At Emerson College, we have a problem.” She...

Students deserve a stress-free registration process

Students deserve a stress-free registration process

November 7, 2019

This Monday, the registrar’s office shut down class registration for students with 92 or more credits following a technical issue. According to an email...

Yes, on the surface, “A” means success, and “F” means failure. But neither of these letters explain the reasons behind a student’s performance. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

There’s no learning in letter grades

November 6, 2019

Last semester, I took the Fundamentals of Speech Communication class everyone is required to take at Emerson. We completed several group speech presentations,...

Abigail Hadfield. - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

What does trans look like?

November 6, 2019

As a journalist, I try to follow as many diverse voices on Twitter as possible. I follow journalists from news outlets I like, from ones I don’t like,...

Making fun of these girls is a lot easier than acknowledging what is really going on here: tearing down a group of teens for having fun. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

VSCO Girls: Why we need to stop belittling teenage girls’ interests

November 4, 2019

With all of the hate and prejudice in the world, who knew teenage girls wearing oversized T-shirts and scrunchies would be the bane of our society’s...

The reality is that antisemitism is not going to end overnight, but there are steps that we all can take to fight it. / Illustration by Christine Park

Anti-Semitism in the U.S.: One Year After Pittsburgh

November 2, 2019

One year has passed since the shooter in the Tree of Life Synagogue took eleven innocent lives during Shabbat services on Oct. 27, 2018. The Tree of Life...

Editor-in-Chief Chris Van Buskirk and Copy Managing Editor Abigail Hadfield proof the final version of The Beacon before sending it to print.

On-campus media deserve financial independence from student governments

October 31, 2019

When The Beacon’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Van Buskirk stepped before the Student Government Association last week to present an amendment, he cited the...

Melanie Curry - Graphic By Ally Rzesa for The Berkeley Beacon.

Person of Color Column: My skin color is not a Halloween costume

October 30, 2019

On Oct. 23, 2018, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly defended blackface on live television.  “But what is racist?" Kelly asked. “Because you do...

Letter: Abigail Semple advocates community members to donate to the colleges endowment

Letter: Abigail Semple advocates community members to donate to the college’s endowment

October 30, 2019

Abigail Semple is the executive treasurer for the Emerson College Student Government Association. To the editor: At Emerson College, we have a problem....

Kyle Labe - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Remembering Matthew Shepard 21 years later

October 29, 2019

My high school selected The Laramie Project for its fall production during my senior year. This was a shock to me, knowing my town and the conservative...

Telling these underserved stories, however, brings up the opportunity to right historical wrongs to a degree. / Illustration by Christine Park

The most important stories are those we often forget

October 29, 2019

When students apply to Emerson, one of the prompts they are required to answer reads, "Much of the work that students do at Emerson College is a form of...

Often times, we are too caught up in our own lives—rushing to class or to work, for instance—to acknowledge others. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Smiles, greetings, and eye contact: How interaction humanizes the homeless

October 28, 2019

When I left class a few weeks ago, I noticed a homeless person on the street corner asking for money. No one did anything—they kept walking without even...

Gary Sowder - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Don’t call me by my body count

October 25, 2019

My evening started like any other Thursday night—meaning it started at the Tam. It was early September, and I wore my nicest H&M button-up—okay,...

Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Hold university administrations accountable this application season

October 23, 2019

In March, the Federal Bureau of Investigations exposed over a dozen celebrities who bought their children's acceptance into the country’s most prestigious...

Diti Kohli - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Person of Color Column: I ain’t sari for wearing my culture with pride

October 23, 2019

I’m often an all-black outfit kind of gal. My wardrobe mostly comprises turtlenecks, collared shirts, and high-waisted jeans in a sophisticated albeit...