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

Illustration by Kellyn Taylor

‘Y’all means all’: a Southern queer kid’s take on Dylan Mulvaney’s talk

September 20, 2023

After a 27-hour-car ride from Louisiana, my first steps onto Emerson’s campus three weeks ago were in a rush to meet my roommate for the first time....

Illustration by Rachel Choi

#BiWeek and bisexuality as a cultural comparison

September 20, 2023

I didn’t realize how much I had taken for granted being a queer person in New Zealand until I was forced to contend with my sexual identity for the first...

Photo by Ryli Stoker.

The criminalization of unhoused and impoverished populations in “college towns”

September 20, 2023

A lot of Emerson students act like they have never seen unhoused people before.   The first time I picked up on this was in a dorm with a small group...

Illustration by Hailey Akau

“Community” is the tombstone to the episodic sitcom’s grave

September 13, 2023

“Community” is the greatest TV show of all time.  Maybe you think I’m wrong—that I’m stupid or simply misinformed. The 10” x 10” sheet...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

It’s time to retire the term AAPI

September 13, 2023

Growing up Asian, Hispanic, and Kānaka Maoli on the island of Oʻahu, I have always been keenly aware of my racial identity and the way it is viewed by...

Illustration by Kellyn Taylor.

Activism isn’t skin-deep

September 13, 2023

I am sitting with the wettest elbows.  My forearms are slick with water from this morning when I was bent over the sink, washing my face. They will...

The Maximilian Mutchnick Cafe.

Forsake minimalism, embrace the Max

September 13, 2023

The Max, formally the Maximilian Mutchnick Cafe, underwent its now-infamous remodel over the summer. Gone are the homely red tile, oil-slick couches, and...

Creative Commons

Emerson’s “support” of WGA is not enough

July 2, 2023

The Writer’s Guild of America has been on strike since early May over labor disputes due to poor compensation. The strike has paused numerous film and...

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Looking back: Advice for incoming freshmen and sophomores

April 26, 2023

Dear Maddies, How has this year been for you both, navigating through freshman and sophomore year? What’s your crash course to surviving these years...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

The grind don’t stop…until the body is destroyed 

April 26, 2023

Meg I have been dancing since I was two years old. Ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary—pretty much all of it. My feet have only stopped moving...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Disney is homophobic. What’s new? 

April 26, 2023

Walt Disney Studios has produced a variety of content ranging from high-budget disappointments to low-budget masterpieces; but recent shows have nothing...

Need advice? Use this barcode or visit the story highlight on our Instagram, @berkeleybeacon, and fill us in on all the deets through our anonymous form.

ADVICE: How do I know if someone is right for me?

April 19, 2023

Dear Maddies, I’m struggling with a new relationship, as I’m feeling some anxiety about whether this is the right person for me or not. How do you...

Corporate nihilism for a post–‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ apocalypse

Corporate nihilism for a post–‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ apocalypse

April 19, 2023

I should be stoned for enjoying “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The movie represents everything I dislike about contemporary children’s cinema:...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

There’s no ‘devil’s advocate’ for eugenics—you’re just bigoted

April 19, 2023

The world’s population has reached eight billion and continues to grow exponentially. In response to the climate crisis and overpopulation, 21st century...

Illustration by Ryan Yau

Let’s put it bluntly: all drugs should be legal

April 19, 2023

It’s 4/20, a day for the predominately white students of Emerson College to ditch class and smoke in the Boston Common, without a care in the world and...

Need advice? Use this barcode or visit the story highlight on our Instagram, @berkeleybeacon, and fill us in on all the deets through our anonymous form.

ADVICE: How do I become comfortable with solitude?

April 12, 2023

Dear Maddies, Ever since I started at Emerson, I’ve realized that I’m uncomfortable with doing things alone. I’m anxious to go places like the...

Illustration by Hailey Akau

Your parents don’t hate you, you’re just entitled

April 12, 2023

Ah, yes, the cool rebellious teen trope. The “nobody understands me” loner with undoubted swagger and a “fuck authority” attitude. A figure that...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Why do we hate women in sports?

April 12, 2023

On April 3, SportsCenter posted a video of Demi Bagby, a fitness influencer, throwing the first pitch at the San Diego Padres versus Arizona Diamondbacks...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Autism isn’t a new “trend”—it’s been part of human history for millennia

April 12, 2023

The idea that autism is a new and recent trend due to nefarious, external factors is cementing itself in the minds of many with terrifying speed. The anti-vaxxer...

Illustration by Rachel Choi.

Finger-Lickin’ Good? The coding of queerness as cannibalism in “Bones and All” 

April 5, 2023

In 1846, The Donner Party, pioneers from Illinois in search of homestead in California, resorted to cannibalism as a means of survival. Decades later,...