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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

Opinion

Illustration Rachel Choi

‘Seguimos aqui’: Bad Bunny’s ‘DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS’ calls us to come home

By Josie Arteaga, Dept. Opinion Editor / February 5, 2025

Back home in Bolivia, I’m on aux. As my mom’s co-pilot, I’m preoccupied with curating our drive, and I take great pride in my song choices. It was...

Illustration Rachel Choi

The Brutalist’s biggest problem is perfectionism, not AI

By Charlie Desjardins, Dept. Opinion Editor / February 5, 2025

For better or worse, it’s been impossible to escape “The Brutalist.” Directed by wunderkind Brady Corbet, this mammoth 3.5-hour study of a Hungarian...

Illustration Rachel Choi

Trump’s immigration policies towards non-white groups spike anxiety

By Ari Mei-Dan, Staff Photographer / February 5, 2025

Being an immigrant under President Donald Trump’s new term has sparked complicated emotions for me, ranging from anger to deep concern. As I begin to...

Illustration Helen Armstrong

If you need AI to write, don’t become a writer.

By Helen Armstrong, Beacon Contributor / February 5, 2025

“Every idea ChatGPT came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out. Why should writers sit around for months searching for a...

Illustration Rachel Choi

As a creator, the TikTok ban has alarming implications for us all

By Madison McMahon, Beacon Contributor / January 29, 2025

When all the Supreme Court opinions and congressional news coverage told me in no uncertain terms that TikTok would be banned in the United States, I cried.  Over...

Illustration Kellyn Taylor

The TikTok ban stunned America. The political agenda behind it should too.

By Bailey Flaherty, Beacon Contributor / January 29, 2025

On the evening of Jan. 18, TikTok’s American ban went into effect. Of course, mass panic ensued when the app shut down and all the phone addicts of...

Illustration Rachel Choi

Is this the American Dream?

By Josie Arteaga, Dept. Opinion Editor / January 22, 2025
As President Donald Trump raised his right hand, I felt the knot in my stomach tighten. It’s a strange feeling, watching a nation change when you’re not part of it.
Illustration Rachel Choi

We can only fight for a better future if we hope for one too

By Ella Duggan, Opinion Editor / January 22, 2025

In four year’s time, none of us will be here. In four years, not a single editor I know will be left in this newsroom. By then, I could walk from Piano...

Illustration Kellyn Taylor

The best coffee shop in Boston is right under your nose

By Charlie Desjardins, Dept. Opinion Editor / January 22, 2025

When I first came to Emerson, I made two promises: One to my sister, that I wouldn’t grow a man-bun (it becomes more and more tempting each day), and...

Illustration Rachel Choi

The blue-collar burden of paying for a Trump economy

By Tess Gleason, Senior Opinion Columnist / January 22, 2025

As the daughter of a blue-collar family from the predominantly lower-middle-class village of Waterford, New York, I’ve shared economic concerns with...

The Emerson College visitor center on Boylston street. (Arthur Mansavage / Beacon Staff, File)

Letter from the Editor: Moving forward, together

By Adri Pray, Editor-in-Chief / January 15, 2025
The Berkeley Beacon is, and has always been, an ever-evolving community effort. 
Illustration Helen Armstrong

Why I’m Afraid of Men

By Helen Armstrong, Beacon Contributor / January 15, 2025

To men: I do not hate you. I am afraid of you.  Experiences with men throughout my life have been a mixed bag. Some have spun me in a glittery prom...

Illustration Rachel Choi

In a barely literate America, a TikTok ban is the least of our concerns

By Ella Duggan, Opinion Editor / January 15, 2025

We have known that there was a possibility that TikTok could be restricted in the United States since early last year. But when Congress and Senate declared...

Illustration Rachel Choi & Kellyn Taylor

Letter: Looking back and moving forward

By Merritt Hughes, Dept. Campus Editor / December 11, 2024
The Berkeley Beacon was the first student organization I joined when I stepped on campus in August 2023.
Illustration Rachel Choi

Emerson isn’t doing enough for its students in recovery

By Max Morin, Beacon Contributor / December 11, 2024

It is safe to say that Emerson College has rather lax rules when it comes to drug and alcohol use. As long as you are 21 and living on campus, given...

Illustration Rachel Choi

Letter from the SGA President: reflecting on the Fall 2024 semester

By Nandan Nair, Guest Author / December 11, 2024

When I started telling people that I was the incoming Student Government Association (SGA) President, the first thing a lot of people asked me was “What’s...

Illustration Rachel Choi

Ode to my male classmates

By Madison McMahon, Beacon Contributor / December 11, 2024

In writing workshops, I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect to be able to tolerate reading the majority of the stories. In the writing, literature,...

Illustration Rachel Choi

‘Wicked’ shows us the importance of female friendships

By Hannah Hughes, Staff Writer / December 4, 2024
Cynthia Erivo rises on the screen to deliver her final, triumphant high note in “Defying Gravity.” My roommates and I are holding hands, squeezing tight.
Illustration Rachel Choi

Putting the ‘I’ back in holidays

By MacKenzie Zwillman, Beacon Contributor / December 4, 2024

As we enter the holiday season, annual festivities like baking cookies with loved ones and filling the house with decorative knick-knacks are in full...

Illustration Rachel Choi

The media doesn’t give Ilona Maher the coverage she deserves

By Tess Gleason, Senior Opinion Columnist / November 19, 2024

In this harmful social media age of parasocial relationships and performative influencers, I try my best not to get attached to celebrities. However,...