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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

"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?

By Xinyan Fu, Former Columnist / 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

By Sabine Waldeck, Deputy Opinion Editor / 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

By Grace Griffin, Copy Editor / 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

By Robbie Shinder / 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

By Chris Van Buskirk, Former Editor-in-Chief / 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

By Editorial Board / 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

By Ziqi Wang / 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

By Diti Kohli, Former Editor-in-Chief / 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

By Kaitlyn Bryson / 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...

Katie Redefer - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Read it and weep: LGBTQ kids deserve queer-friendly books

By Katie Redefer, Former Staff Writer / August 31, 2019

During high school, my school district in southern Delaware removed The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth from their summer reading list...

Beacon Archives

Op-ed: An Open Letter to Incoming (And Returning) Students

By Richard West / August 25, 2019

Richard West is an Emerson professor in the Department of Communication and the former President of both the National Communication Association and Eastern...

Letter: Students respond to "Person of Color Column: I am from Hong Kong, not China"

Letter: Students respond to “Person of Color Column: I am from Hong Kong, not China”

By Xinyan Fu, Jiachen Liu and Xinyi Tu / April 24, 2019

To the Editor: Re “Person of Color Column: I am from Hong Kong, not China” (Column, April 21) The Living Arts Section recently published a Person...

Frances Hui - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Person of Color Column: I am from Hong Kong, not China

By Frances Hui / April 21, 2019

I am from a city owned by a country that I don’t belong to. Britain colonized Hong Kong as a consequence of the Opium War in 1842. While China gave...

Editorial: Merging our identity as students and journalists in the Beacon’s recent coverage

Editorial: Merging our identity as students and journalists in the Beacon’s recent coverage

By Editorial Board / April 19, 2019

At Issue: The Beacon’s story on the removal of the list of alleged abusers Our Take: Reporting with the Emerson community in mind CW/TW: This...

Allison Hagan. Graphic by Ally Rzesa

She Goes Down: Reimagining old-fashioned fairytale fantasies

By Allison Hagan, Former Staff / April 18, 2019

Facebook Memories personally attacked me earlier this month by reminding me of an important anniversary—the last time I changed my relationship status...

Editorial: Leaving our past in the Piano Row basement

Editorial: Leaving our past in the Piano Row basement

By Editorial Board / April 18, 2019

At Issue: A moment of self-reflection before we relocate Our Take: There's still work to be done Starting this fall, the Beacon will occupy a new...

Graphic by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: American age restrictions increase students’ craving for alcohol

By Xinyan Fu, Former Columnist / April 17, 2019

When I decided to study abroad in the United States I received advice about the drinking culture at American colleges. One friend, a junior at the University...

Learning to become self-reliant and even enjoying leisurely activities such as going to the movies, dining, and sitting in the park alone is not something women, or anyone, should feel self-conscious about. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Don’t let social norms pressure you out of solitude

By Katie Schmidt / April 15, 2019

Last semester, my intermediate magazine writing class at Emerson required me to travel to Gloucester, Massachusetts, to report on the Portuguese fishing...

Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Editorial: Combating memories of tragedy with representations of strength

By Editorial Board / April 11, 2019

At Issue: Student involvement in Marathon Monday Our Take: Appreciate and honor the marathon   Trigger warning: This editorial addresses...

Because OISA only sends out this single email each year to international students, some of my friends still don’t see the importance and necessity in reporting taxes, so they disregard this email. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Don’t leave international students guessing on Tax Day

By Ziqi Wang / April 10, 2019

About a month before Tax Day last year, I received an email from the Office of International Student Affairs. “DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL” was the...