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

Beacon Archives

Students deserve transparent sexual assault statistics

September 25, 2019

On Wednesday, the college disseminated its annual Clery Report through a campus-wide email. The 57-page-long report details both the criminal offenses...

I mostly stayed silent because I found myself unable to join discussions about how the case can affect our society and our legal system. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Patriotic language in class leaves international students behind

September 25, 2019

During the beginning of my first semester at Emerson, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and his alleged sexual misconduct were all over the news. As...

Diti Kohli - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Person of Color Column: My mission to say my name correctly

September 24, 2019

My name is Diti.  It is short and sweet—four basic letters that, despite their simplicity, are curiously foreign to most Americans. I’m Indian,...

Children with pursuits that aren’t conventionally academic should not be discouraged from pursuing what they love. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Abandoning creative pursuits in the name of success

September 24, 2019

I started playing the piano and taking painting and drawing classes outside of school at age nine. In eighth grade, I studied art history for the first...

When we were newbies at college, we might have encountered mean upperclassmen giving us a hard time or looking down on us. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

You were a freshman once, too

September 20, 2019

On the first day of classes this year, after I sprinted from the Park Street Station to the Walker Building, I took the stairs to avoid the long line for...

Beacon Archives

Abolishing admission fees could hurt student organizations

September 18, 2019

Editor's Note: Editor-in-chief Chris Van Buskirk did not contribute to or edit this editorial due to a conflict of interest.  At the Student Government...

Kyle Labe - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Age of the Twink: Yes, I am a gay-mer

September 18, 2019

When it comes to a “Super Mario” game, I’ll always choose Princess Peach as my avatar. If it’s “Resident Evil," I’ll go for Ada Wong. I prefer...

Meeting people online brings with it a whole new world of anxiety-inducing expectations I do not enjoy. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Relationships: Virtual versus reality

September 18, 2019

In an age where technology cannot be avoided and social anxiety is at an all-time high, the once-taboo idea of forming relationships with people online...

Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Students detail which icebreakers caught their attention

September 16, 2019

Professors are sometimes guilty of overusing icebreakers in the initial days of a new semester to get to know their classes. But icebreakers don’t always...

Bostons City Hall Plaza

Don’t forget to vote local in the upcoming city council elections

September 11, 2019

The Boston City Council election this fall is quickly ramping up to be one of the most competitive in recent years with a total of 24 candidates running...

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

Person of Color Column: Conversations can change culture

September 11, 2019

Last semester, I confronted a white friend about her unintentionally racist comments. In our conversation, I talked about one of the biggest problems with...

Instead of solving problems and misunderstandings, people now tend to default to an extreme and biased opinion more than ever before. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Is social media creating connection or ruining it?

September 11, 2019

In the early 2010s, an Egyptian man named Khaled Said was tortured to death after being held in police custody. The photo of his death quickly went viral...

The relationship I started mid-first year was great, and it still is. But I became enthralled with having someone new to spend all my time with. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Walking the tightrope of college relationships

September 11, 2019

When I started my freshman year, not a month had gone by before I saw couples forming.  Typically they did not last very long, and lingered in the...

Grace Griffin - Graphic By Ally Rzesa / Berkeley Beacon Staff

Head Over Feels: Anthems of my recovery

September 9, 2019

*Content Warning: This article discusses themes of violence, trauma, and sexual assault. The first time I heard a musical artist sing openly about sexual...

While speaking to my family on the phone before the storm, I could hear that they were becoming anxious, which then rubbed off on me. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Coping with distance when disaster strikes at home

September 9, 2019

Being born and raised in South Florida, I was always taught to prepare for the unexpected—the bad driver on the road and even the pop-up thunderstorm....

Editor of The Beacon Chris Van Buskirk.

Letter from the Editor: Ushering in a new era for The Berkeley Beacon

September 4, 2019

As another school year begins, I want to take a moment to address some changes both in our paper and on campus.  Little Building finally opened and...

Beacon Archives

Maintaining student activism surrounding Title IX

September 4, 2019

Emerson College has a long, complicated—and, at times, bleak—history with incidents of sexual misconduct and Title IX, the federal civil rights law...

“It took me two years to understand that America is not the same as back home, and that there are more conflicts than I could ever imagine.” / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: The Disparity Between Looking and Feeling Like A Person of Color

September 4, 2019

I knew I wanted to go to college in America as early as middle school. In China, I went to an international school, and I spent my junior year of high...

The gurdwara collects people of one following to thank a higher being for their fortunate pasts or pray for better futures. And just like other global houses of worship, it is under fire. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Religious Institutions Should Not Have To Pay For Safety

September 4, 2019

The officer at my local gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, always sat alertly in his SUV. He puzzled over families entering the building, which houses...

I never could have imagined how students’ excessive online shopping could impact the workers, and how much worse this purchasing habit would get over the course of my college career. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

September 3, 2019

In a world filled with instant gratification, personally tailored advertisements, and one-click shopping, it can be easy to overlook how our purchases...