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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

Instead of creating self-confidence by erasing long standing insecurities, these procedures sometimes transfer those insecurities onto other people.

Social media normalizes plastic surgery in a dangerous way

By Juliet Norman / January 17, 2021

When a friend in middle school told me she couldn’t wait to spend her Bat Mitzvah money on a nose job, I told her to “go for it.” I remember thinking...

Why are so many people hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine?

Why are so many people hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine?

By Shannon Garrido / January 15, 2021

Amid a pandemic that has taken 1.96 million lives and is set to infect many more, the world anxiously awaited a vaccine. Vaccines typically require...

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters gathered in the nation's capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

The Capitol attack that could have been prevented

By Shannon Garrido / January 9, 2021

On the day Congress met to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over incumbent President Donald Trump, a violent mob of pro-Trump insurrectionists...

You don’t have to validate someone else’s content that you may find inconsistent with your political values over the dinner table. Instead, just use holiday time to get together with family members and relax.

How to avoid the hostile political talk at the dinner table this holiday season

By Carlota Cano / November 23, 2020

As the fall semester slowly comes to its end, many students across the country are preparing to return home for Thanksgiving. This year has been a whirlwind,...

What Biden’s win means for key industries in the Caribbean countries

By Shannon Garrido / November 23, 2020

As inauguration day approaches, leaders of Caribbean countries are coming together to congratulate the newly elected president, Joe Biden. As we move from...

Connection and communication issues stemming from Zoom discussions trigger the disorder’s inability to regulate emotions more easily, leading to frustration and anger that can last the whole day, no matter how minor the issue. The cruel irony is that the more I think about how I need to pay attention, the less I actually pay attention.

How I managed my ADHD diagnosis during COVID-19

By Theo Wolf / November 18, 2020

Back in March, it was easy to chalk up the changes in my mental state and my struggles with online classes to the fact that every CNN notification felt...

My arms genuinely do feel like noodles when I go to open the dining hall door. I do think the pizza looks dry sometimes. But after great thought and a lecture from my mom, where she reminded me of the poverty-stricken streets of her hometown in India, I realized my privilege. The realities I don’t see in front of me every day—like poor families living under tarps, eating whatever they can find—are ignored when I whine about there being no croissants in the dining hall.

Take a moment and appreciate the DH food

By Mariyam Quaisar / November 14, 2020

Why are the doors to the dining hall so heavy? My noodle arms absolutely cannot handle so much weight. Why does it always smell so funky in the dining...

Shawna Konieczny is a junior IDIP major from Medford, Wisconsin.

Why I am one of the voters that helped Wisconsin go blue

By Shawna Konieczny, Staff Writer / November 10, 2020

Four years ago, I had just turned seventeen. I was balancing the stress of school at Medford Area Senior High in Wisconsin, a social life, and the mental...

President-elect Joe Biden visits the cemetery where his son Beau, his wife Neilia, and daughter Naomi are buried.

Biden’s win is defined by his personal losses

By Dana Gerber / November 9, 2020

On Election Day, before Joe Biden’s final stops on the campaign trail, he paid a stop to Greenville, Delaware. He attended Mass at Saint Joseph on the...

A child rides a scooter in the middle of hundreds of people celebrating the election of Joe Biden as president on the Boylston Street and Charles Street intersection on Nov. 7.

Biden’s victory is the beginning of an America people can be proud of

By Sabine Waldeck / November 9, 2020

Around four years ago, I became a citizen of these “United” States. I was reluctant to become a citizen because of the reputation Americans had cultivated...

President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris.

Optimism of uncertainty: What the Biden-Harris victory means for international students

By Jocelyn Yang / November 9, 2020

The whole world has been waiting for this victory — for four years.  As soon as The Associated Press called that Democratic nominee Joe Biden won...

Standing at the intersection at this historic moment, I feel like I can't pursue my future plan the way I wanted.

As an international student, watching this election sparks fear

By Jocelyn Yang / November 4, 2020

Tags related to America have only trended once a while on the Chinese Twitter-like social media platform Weibo since the pandemic began. I remember seeing...

I want to believe that the U.S. is better than that. Better than choosing someone who has continuously shown a lack of empathy and basic human decency. However, I thought that last time. I thought we the people were a united front, not a group that would let ourselves be divided by bigotry and hatred. 

Opinion: How will we cope with another Trump win?

By Sabine Waldeck / November 3, 2020

My stomach has been in knots all day. I have already gotten into multiple arguments with my family members and peers regarding the presidential election....

For Hispanic men who support Trump in the states, there are shared traits. They are proficient English speakers, they share similar economic ideals that include record unemployment and entrepreneurship, and they consume the same kind of media.

Peering into the U.S. election from the Dominican Republic

By Shannon Garrido / November 3, 2020

Tension is in the air on Election Day. Even across the world, people are anxious to know what lies ahead for the United States and how it will affect them...

The question raised in the title of this piece is one that is almost unanswerable, and that is due in part to the fact that everything is on the line

Opinion: Will there be mass violence on Election Day?

By Claire Rodenbush / November 3, 2020

While I am cautiously optimistic about the outcome of this year’s election, I am not optimistic about the potential fallout. No matter what the results...

There is so much doubt that it's a “risk with almost no reward” situation for those in countries dependent on tourism.

International destinations at risk: How to be considerate travelers during COVID-19

By Shannon Garrido / October 28, 2020

Several countries around the world are highly reliant on tourism for generating foreign exchange, attracting international investments, increasing tax...

Each generation likes to believe that they are the best generation so far. They will be the ones to change the system, that impacts the world the most. For this election that might just ring true.

Bring the online push for democracy to the polls

By Sabine Waldeck / October 28, 2020

Many people highly anticipate Election Day. Each and every voter sits staring at their TV screen, hoping they did enough for their candidate to win. This...

Twenty three hours inside the college’s quarantine residence

Twenty three hours inside the college’s quarantine residence

By Domenic Conte / October 22, 2020

I’d give the Paramount Hotel three stars following my brief stay in the college’s on-campus quarantine residence hall.  After showing symptoms...

Like Eicher, I also believe in the power of conversation and communication. However, since social media has the ability to reach millions of people almost instantaneously, it can become a dangerous rabbit hole for drama and social exile.

We can cancel online orders, not human beings

By Carlota Cano / October 20, 2020

English poet Alexander Pope, once said “To err is human,” alluding to the fact that all people make mistakes. Some of these mistakes are more serious...

For me, traveling offers a time to disconnect from my hectic daily routine and allows my mind to focus on the beauty surrounding me. This year, however, the summer was different for most of us.

Secure the remote control, not your luggage. The “new” way to travel during pandemic

By Carlota Cano / October 13, 2020

Although my luggage now collects dust and remains hidden in the depths of my closet, I often think back to the days when I traveled around Spain with my...