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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

Thoughts

Unfortunately, collective grief comes alongside numbness. We, as a human collective, when overwhelmed with so much sorrow, seem to have an “off” switch.

Traversing grief in a pandemic

By Joshua Sokol / March 17, 2021

While scrolling through Twitter—a passive and frequent pandemic pastime—I’ll see tweets along the lines of “We survived 2020; that’s something...

More than a year of our college experience has been lost forever, and the scary reality of graduating into a pandemic looms ahead.

A year of loss and disappointment: what the pandemic has taken from us

By Juliet Norman / March 17, 2021

I remember my last day of normalcy perfectly. I met my friend Natalie for morning coffee at The Thinking Cup, went back to my dorm to say a quick goodbye...

The Flag of the Dominican Republican

Pandemic highlights education inequities in the Dominican Republic

By Shannon Garrido, Deputy Opinion Editor / March 11, 2021

On Feb. 14, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Education, Roberto Fulcar, affirmed that there is still no set date for the return of students to the...

Gov. Abbott’s rollback of mask mandates, as well as allowing businesses to open at full capacity, threatens to accelerate COVID spread even further.

Texas, please stop embarrassing me

By Camryn Ciancia / March 9, 2021

As proud as I am to be a Texan, attending school in Boston has forced me to reflect on the state that I love—and it’s become apparent just how flawed...

Although we already live in a digital age, the pandemic made us even more reliant on technology than ever before.

The need for digital knowledge is more important than ever

By Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat / March 6, 2021

We’ve all heard the short explanation for how computers work: ones and zeroes. There is electricity involved, algorithms, and some processing units that...

I convinced myself that people could see my loneliness, radiating like an inverted aura that stigmatized me into something wretched and weak.

Confronting my loneliness was a double-edged sword

By Joshua Sokol / March 1, 2021

I first moved to Boston in the fall of 2017 from Westminster, Massachusetts; a small, rural town. It was a move that filled me to the brim with anxiety...

The first amendment protects citizens against criminal and civil sanctions, but it doesn’t protect government officials against impeachment and conviction.

Trump should have been convicted. Here’s why.

By Shannon Garrido / February 24, 2021

Most of us can agree that the Senate’s vote on Feb. 13 to acquit Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 Capital attack was more than disappointing. Not just because...

I am aware that my work has lots of room for improvement, but I am proud of myself for starting after being discouraged in my youth.

Creating art is not limited to just artists

By Jialin Xu / February 23, 2021

When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a painter. But I became discouraged after my mom told me I didn’t have the talent to be a painter, and that...

The Pandemic made loungewear exclusive for elites

The Pandemic made loungewear exclusive for elites

By Camryn Ciancia, Correspondent / February 17, 2021

Since the pandemic began in March of last year, our time has been consumed by WiFi and computer screens due to the nature of remote living. Suddenly, people...

Drug overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, and companies like McKinsey have benefited from it the most.

America’s opioid epidemic lies in the health care system

By Shannon Garrido / February 16, 2021

On Feb, 4, NPR released a segment of their morning edition broadcast, where they discussed the current legal state of consulting giant McKinsey and Company....

As much as the game itself may have been disappointing, how many events like this have truly felt right since the start of this pandemic?

Superbowl traditions this year just weren’t the same

By Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat / February 13, 2021

The general sentiment of last Sunday’s Super Bowl seems to be ‘disappointment.’ Many viewers felt the game itself was boring for the standards of...

Why you should care about Trump's second impeachment

Why you should care about Trump’s second impeachment

By Shannon Garrido / February 10, 2021

It’s been one month since the House of Representatives introduced articles of impeachment against former President Donald J. Trump for incitement of...

Demonstrates carry a peace sign flag on Boston Common in reaction to Joe Biden's presidential victory on Saturday, November 7, 2020.

As a journalist, I still deserve to have an opinion

By Lucia Thorne / February 10, 2021

As journalists, we are taught that objectivity is the key to good reporting. We’re taught we must not allow our biases to seep into our reporting and...

Stand with Standing Rock- March on Washington, D. C. 
March 10, 2017

Climate justice must include Indigenous sovereignty

By Joshua Sokol / February 10, 2021

When I think of the year 2016, it seems like eons have passed. In the past four years, time has moved awry, with one headline after another bringing waves...

During his 2008 presidential campaign, Giuliani told voters that he is responsible for the decline of the New York City crime rate. Studies have failed to link the tactics of the Giuliani administration to this large decrease in crime rates.

How good is Rudy Giuliani at establishing law and order?

By Shannon Garrido / February 6, 2021

In February of last year, the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, hired Rudy Giuliani as a consultant for national security services. Today,...

Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat

The missing half: The reality of Mexico’s femicide crisis

By Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat / February 3, 2021

Content warning: This Op-ed discusses topics of domestic violence, murder, sexual assault, and gender-based violence.  On Mar. 9 of last year, millions...

Retail investors, trading for themselves rather than on behalf of institutions or corporations, first hatched the plan on the Reddit community r/wallstreetbets almost a year ago.

The GameStop surge shows Wall Street’s contempt for the “free” in free market

By Camilo Fonseca / February 3, 2021

The stock market uproar over the past two weeks has enthralled financial institutions and social media platforms alike. It threatens to prove, if nothing...

Calling for unity in America—to once again use the trite politics-as-a-sport metaphor—is like calling for peace in the middle of a football game. It isn’t going to happen.

Unity in America is a far-off dream

By Jacob Seitz / February 3, 2021

On Jan. 20, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stood in front of the Capitol Building and gave his inaugural address. His words had a resounding theme, one...

Even though the world is forced to adapt to the pandemic, the fashion world may never be the same again.

Could the pandemic get rid of fast fashion for good?

By Jialin Xu / January 26, 2021

COVID-19 has heavily impacted the fashion world, which has led to more than a one-third drop in revenue within the fashion industry. Even though the world...

Starting college during the pandemic takes a toll on mental health

Starting college during the pandemic takes a toll on mental health

By Shannon Garrido / January 24, 2021

Moving onto campus for the first time as a freshman is daunting. Stepping out of your comfort zone while meeting new people from different backgrounds...