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

Thoughts

Late Paramount security guard leaves legacy of dedication

Late Paramount security guard leaves legacy of dedication

By Zac Poulin, Correspondent / September 27, 2023

John O’Toole, who worked at Emerson College for 14 years, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 19 at Tufts Medical Center. He was 59 years old.  O’Toole...

Illustration by Claire Smith

Spoiler alert: Nobody dies in the end

By Maggie Kaprielian / September 27, 2023

“History, huh? Bet we could make some,” (Mcquiston, 2019).  I spent last week reading my friend’s favorite novel: "Red, White & Royal Blue"...

Illustration by Rachel Choi.

American individualism contributes to class division and prevents collective contribution

By Sydney Thomas-Arnold, Beacon Correspondent / September 27, 2023

As privileged communities in America continue to advance, class division increases and the collective consciousness is further disrupted. The narrative...

Illustration by Kellyn Taylor

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

By Merritt Hughes, Beacon Correspondent / 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....

Photo by Ryli Stoker.

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

By Ryli Stoker, Beacon Correspondent / 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

By Leo Kagan, Assistant Sports Editor / 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

By Hailey Akau / 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

By Bryan Liu, Assistant Opinion Editor / 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...

Creative Commons

Emerson’s “support” of WGA is not enough

By Jackson Bailey, Staff Writer / 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...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

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

By Meg Richards and Ty Gavin / 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? 

By Rachel Choi / 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...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

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

By Rachel Choi, Multimedia Managing Editor / 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

By Meg Richards / 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...

Illustration by Hailey Akau

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

By Hailey Akau / 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?

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor In-Chief / 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

By Rachel Choi, Multimedia Managing Editor / 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” 

By Ty Gavin / 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,...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Supernatural teen drama genre takes another blow to the chest with Paramount+’s Wolf Pack

By Shannon Garrido / April 5, 2023

The human embodiment of a downward spiral, Jeff Davis—who was also once a decently respected director and creator—has fallen victim to a culture of...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

I’m ready to talk about my feelings

By Meg Richards, Assistant Opinion Editor / April 5, 2023

Throughout my life, I’ve let some questionable shit happen solely because I was afraid that I was feeling my feelings too intensely, even though all...

Illustration by Addie Winter

We Should No Longer Separate the Art from the Artist 

By Addie Winter / March 29, 2023

“I’m just separating the art from the artist,” is a phrase usually heard in defense of criticism of a certain artist that has fallen under the scrutiny...