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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

Students deserve a stress-free registration process

Students deserve a stress-free registration process

By Editorial Board / November 6, 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

By Xinyan Fu / 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?

By Abigail Hadfield / 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

By Jess Ferguson / 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

By Robbie Shinder / 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

By Editorial Board / October 30, 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

By Melanie Curry / 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 college's endowment

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

By Letter to the editor / 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

By Kyle Labe / 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

By Althea Champion / 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

By Jess Ferguson / 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

By Gary Sowder / 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

By Editorial Board / 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

By Diti Kohli / 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...

"I wanted to show them that I was not American, but that I was not Thai either. I was a third culture kid." / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

The challenge of living life between cultures

By Katiana Hoefle / October 23, 2019

I realized how different I was from everyone else when I first came to college.  When teachers would ask students to go around the room saying where...

Letter: Sylvia Spears Responds to "Title IX hiring process failed to involve students enough"

Letter: Sylvia Spears Responds to “Title IX hiring process failed to involve students enough”

By Letter to the editor / October 23, 2019

To the editor: Re “Title IX hiring process failed to involve students enough” (Editorial, Oct. 17) While the editorial makes a valid point about...

"With midterms creeping in, it’s even more important to go out and get moving." / Illustration by Ally Rzesa 

Exercise to relieve academic pressure this midterms season

By Carlota Cano / October 22, 2019

Every day, college students balance time between assignments, work, co-curriculars, and social lives. Getting our blood flowing via exercise gets pushed...

"As I grew up, I realized that being an only child taught me more than just being self-sufficient." / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Overcoming the familial obligation I felt as an only child

By Jocelyn Yang / October 20, 2019

I grew up as an only child and grandchild—but soon, this won't be true anymore.  My family recently told me about the first cousin I will have come...

Emerson's downtown Boston campus.

Person of Color Column: Reconciling my mental health with my culture

By Seren Cho / October 19, 2019

Part of my identity is made up of being academically successful, or, for a better use of the term, a “know-it-all.” Growing up half-Korean in a Korean-dominated...

Beacon Archives

Title IX hiring process failed to involve students enough

By Editorial Board / October 16, 2019

The two-year vacancy in the Title IX office is finally being filled. But the hiring process for the Deputy Title IX Coordinator has brought its own shortcomings.   The...