Skip to Main Content
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

Schools should judge students on the qualities they can control and nothing else. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Admitting students for more than their race

By Ziqi Wang / November 8, 2018

Last August, several Asian-American students who Harvard rejected during fall 2018 filed a lawsuit accusing the institution for discriminating against...

EDITORIAL: Let's have our backs when others don't

EDITORIAL: Let’s have our backs when others don’t

By Editorial Board / November 8, 2018

  At issue: Supporting other student organizations Our take: All of our work deserves recognition One day after a contentious midterm election,...

Planning a class schedule can stress students out, especially with limited course options. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Students advocate for curriculum modifications

November 8, 2018

Planning a class schedule can stress students out, especially with limited course options. To understand what specific issues students face with course...

EDITORIAL: Be woke, especially when you vote

EDITORIAL: Be woke, especially when you vote

By Editorial Board / November 1, 2018

At issue: The approaching midterm election Our take: Educate yourselves—then vote   Despite our activist culture, most Emerson students...

Grace Griffin - Graphic By Ally Rzesa / Berkeley Beacon Staff

Head Over Feels: The anxiety of dating with a mental illness

By Grace Griffin, Copy Editor / October 30, 2018

In the fourth grade, I had my first panic attack—at least, the first one I remember. It happened at a softball game. I worked myself up to the verge...

All students should feel they are able to change their major without fear of falling behind or being judged, because during college is the time to develop and change our minds. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Letting instincts shape my education, not my major

By Kaitlyn Bryson / October 30, 2018

At 2 a.m. one morning, I broke down and called my mom. Frantic about my decision to change my major, I told her how scared I was because journalism was...

In China, I seldom see or hear the phrase “civic duty.” However, it seems like civic responsibility is indispensable in the United States. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Taking civic duty from the textbook to the real world

By Jiachen Liu / October 29, 2018

I stood in the crowd, witnessing citizens of different ages, all yelling and hoisting signs above their heads. I could feel my heart beating fast. The...

With the top ranking journalism program in the country, Emerson should teach future journalists a global vision. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Opening journalists to a global mindset

By Xinyan Fu, Former Columnist / October 25, 2018

I grew up as one who always sticks up for others. The older I get, the more interested I become in speaking up for social justice. Although China has...

We need to practice what we preach—accepting different beliefs and different viewpoints in all realms of identity. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Suppressed into spiritual silence

By Diti Kohli, Former Editor-in-Chief / October 25, 2018

Last week, as my Introduction to College Writing class engaged in a conversation about global religious persecution, my professor urged my classmates and...

EDITORIAL: Supporting students' athletic endeavors

EDITORIAL: Supporting students’ athletic endeavors

By Editorial Board / October 25, 2018

At issue: Recognizing student athletes' dedication. Our take: We’re all in this together. Last Saturday, the women’s soccer team earned a spot...

Kyle Labe - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

When sexuality steals your youth

By Kyle Labe / October 22, 2018

Over the summer I celebrated my best friend’s 21st birthday with him and some others from high school. We drank beer, sat around a fire pit, and shared...

I’m lucky that my family is able to make the trip to visit me, but for many students, this isn’t an option. / Photo illustration by Cullen Granzen

Op-ed: Realizing the bittersweet nature of Family Weekend

By Katie Redefer, Former Staff Writer / October 21, 2018

I felt isolated and overwhelmed during my first night in Piano Row residence hall. Once my parents left, the distance between my dorm room and my Delaware...

EDITORIAL: Making changes before the climate does

EDITORIAL: Making changes before the climate does

By Editorial Board / October 18, 2018

At issue: Student engagement with sustainability Our take: We must do more Over a week ago, the New York Times detailed a seemingly apocalyptic...

Kyle Bray - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

The B Side: Brockhampton breaks the hip-hop mold

By Kyle Bray, Former Managing Editor: Visual and Design / October 17, 2018

Brockhampton self-proclaimed itself as the “best boy band since One Direction." Its quick rise to fame and early success proves the group earned the...

LETTER: Healing and Advocacy Collective responds to "When 'the best course of action' isn't enough"

LETTER: Healing and Advocacy Collective responds to “When ‘the best course of action’ isn’t enough”

By Letter to the editor / October 16, 2018

For anyone who is reading this, we talk about power-based interpersonal violence, including sexual assault, the Title IX process, and reference some current...

LETTER: Sylvia Spears responds to "When 'the best course of action' isn't enough"

LETTER: Sylvia Spears responds to “When ‘the best course of action’ isn’t enough”

By Letter to the editor / October 16, 2018

Open Letter to the Beacon I would like to express my appreciation to the Beacon and its editorial board for their interest in the hiring process for...

Any bing from my phone induces dread because it may be yet another addition to my never-ending to-do list. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Defying the temptation of notifications

By Hannah Ebanks, Former Staff / October 14, 2018

Recently I’ve had the urge to throw my phone in the trash. It started toward the end of the summer, when breaking news alerts constantly reminded me...

Even during evening runs on the Common, I find myself locating stores, lit areas, and clusters of people to run to if I’m ever in danger. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Exercise for women shouldn’t come with threats

By Katie Schmidt / October 11, 2018

Two summers ago a man in a car followed me while I jogged in my neighborhood. After two instances where he insisted I stop running and speak to him, I...

EDITORIAL: When ‘the best course of action’ isn’t enough

EDITORIAL: When ‘the best course of action’ isn’t enough

By Editorial Board / October 11, 2018

At issue: Vacant Title IX lead investigator position Our take: Refusal to communicate renders ambiguity The Office of Title IX Equity and Access...

International students may hesitate or avoid interacting with domestic students because of the language barrier and cultural differences.  / Photo illustration by Erin Nolan

Op-ed: Speaking up to dismantle cultural barriers

By Flora Li, Former Staff / October 9, 2018

One day, as I sat struggling with a reading assignment, my roommate simply asked, “What’s up?” I wasn’t sure how to reply. In China, I never studied...