Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Spring 2023 Masthead

Mariyam Quaisar
Editor In Chief

Mariyam Quaisar

Mariyam Quaisar (she/her) is a junior journalism and BCE double major from Brookfield, Connecticut. She currently serves as editor-in-chief and also manages The Beacon's business operations. She loves to share her views on “unconventional” topics and will never turn...

Adri Pray
Content Managing Editor

Adri Pray

Adri Pray (she/her) is a sophomore journalism student from Cape Cod, MA who currently serves as the City Content Managing Editor. Previously a correspondent, Assistant Express News Editor, and News Editor, she has written for bot...

Shannon Garrido
Content Managing Editor

Shannon Garrido

Shannon Garrido (she/her) manages global content at The Berkeley Beacon and covers news centered around the Caribbean. She is an undergrad at Emerson College, majoring in Journalism. ...

Camilo Fonseca
Content Managing Editor

Camilo Fonseca

Camilo Fonseca is a content managing editor for The Beacon's campus coverage. He joined The Beacon as a correspondent, helping cover the 2020 presidential election and exploring COVID-19's effect on campus life, local businesses,...

Rachel Choi
Multimedia Managing Editor

Rachel Choi

Rachel Choi (she/her) is a freshman writing, literature, and publishing major with a concentration in publishing. She currently serves as the Multimedia Managing Editor and Chief Copyeditor for the Beacon. She also occasional...

Bailey Allen
News Editor

Bailey Allen

Bailey Allen (she/her), a third-year journalism major from Newport Beach, CA, is The Beacon’s news editor. She previously served as deputy enterprise editor and, before that, a staff writer. She also works as a correspondent...

Bryan Liu
Opinion Editor

Bryan Liu

Bryan Liu (they/he) is a freshman journalist from New Jersey who micro-doses on pop culture one social commentary at a time in their op-eds. With a background in living arts, Bryan's feature writing also explores the greater Bost...

Hadera McKay
Opinion Editor

Hadera McKay

Hadera McKay (she/her) is a junior Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson College. She primarily writes on the convergence of Blackness and popular culture. This is her third semester serving as The Beacon’s opini...

Sophia Pargas
Living Arts Editor

Sophia Pargas

Sophia Pargas (she/her) is a junior Journalism and Marketing Communications double major from Miami, Florida. She currently serves as the Beacon’s living arts editor and enjoys this opportunity to be heavily immersed in the h...

Leo Kagan
Sports Editor

Leo Kagan

Leo Kagan (he/him) is a freshman journalism major from the North Shore of Boston. He currently edits The Beacon’s sports section. He is also a member of Noteworthy, one of Emerson’s a cappella groups. In his spare time, he...

Olivia LeDuc
Assistant News Editor

Olivia LeDuc

Olivia LeDuc (she/her) is a journalism student and assistant editor for the campus coverage of The Beacon’s news section. When she’s not reporting, you can find her crocheting or going on yet another long walk in the city.

Maddie Khaw
Assistant News Editor

Maddie Khaw

Maddie Khaw (she/her) is a sophomore journalism major from Portland, Oregon and serves as the assistant news editor for The Beacon's citywide coverage. She is also minoring in women's, gender, and sexuality studies, and plays on...

Meg Richards
Assistant Opinion Editor

Meg Richards

Meg Richards is a first-year student from Richmond, Virginia. She has a double major in journalism and political communications. She mainly writes for the Opinion section, though she dabbles in News and Living Arts. ...

Ryan Yau
Assistant Living Arts Editor

Ryan Yau

Ryan Yau (he/him) is a first-year journalism major from Hong Kong. He is an assistant editor for the Living Arts section, writing normally on film or Asian American experiences, sometimes intersectionally. Occasional...

Jason Tulchin
Assistant Sports Editor

Jason Tulchin

Jason Tulchin (he/him) is a senior journalism major from Somers, New York. Jason has been a Correspondent for the Beacon since October 2021 and now serves as the Deputy Sports Editor. Jason enjoys all things combat sports and is...

Kellyn Taylor
Illustrator

Kellyn Taylor

Kellyn Taylor (she/her) is a freshman VMA major from Pell City, Alabama. She currently serves as an illustrator.

Hailey Akau
Illustrator

Hailey Akau

Hailey Akau (she/her) is a writing, literature, and publishing major from Honolulu, Hawaii. She focuses mainly on illustrations and graphics for The Beacon but also contributes the occasional opinion as she sees fit. She also...

Quinn OConnor
Staff Writer and Copyeditor

Quinn O’Connor

Quinn O’Connor (she/her) is a junior journalism major from Bethlehem, PA and serves as a staff writer and copyeditor for The Beacon. Quinn is also a member of the women’s basketball team at Emerson and enjoys all things hip-hop...

Kerin Tsui
Podcast Editor

Kerin Tsui

Kerin Tsui is a junior at Emerson College who majors in journalism. She is co-hosting the Berkeley Beacon Podcast section for Spring 2023. Tsui is from Beijing, China, and she is very interested in broadcast journalism.

Nia Harmon
Podcast Editor

Nia Harmon

Nia Harmon is a first year journalism major from Dallas, Texas. She is currently a writer for the Berkeley Beacon’s news section, podcast co-host for the Spring 2023 semester, entertainment correspondent for WEBN, and vice president of...

Maddie Barron
Staff Writer, News

Maddie Barron

Maddie Barron (she/her) is a freshman journalism major, pre-law minor. She currently serves as news staff writer in addition to being in CPLA and doing graphic design for the news podcast, The Round Room. Maddie is from South...

Ryan Forgosh
Staff Writer, News

Ryan Forgosh

Ryan Forgosh (he/him) is a second year journalism student from Manalapan, NJ. He is also the captain of Emerson Esports' Splatoon team and is a reader for Stork Magazine. Twitter: @licoricedog2003 — Instagram: @xandarstormwrai...

Mike McHugh
Staff Writer, News

Mike McHugh

Mike McHugh is a senior journalism major and sociology minor from Reading, MA who currently works as a staff writer for The Beacon’s news section. He joined the Beacon in Fall of 2021 as a correspondent after transferring from...

Aidan Crooke
Staff Writer, Sports

Aidan Crooke

Aidan Crooke (he/him) is a sophomore sports communications major hailing from Lenoir, North Carolina. Crooke's work focuses on the UFC, NBA, and NFL, mainly in his work with Crooke's Cage. Outside of the Beacon, he can likely...

Jordan Pagkalinawan
Staff Writer, Sports

Jordan Pagkalinawan

Jordan Pagkalinawan (he/him) is a freshman journalism major from Burbank, California.  He is currently a staff writer for the sports section of The Berkeley Beacon.  In his spare time, he enjoys rooting for the Lakers, Dodgers...

Christina Horacio
Staff Writer, Opinion

Christina Horacio

Christina Horacio is a creative writing major graduating in 2024, based in California. She is a freelance writer and writes for The Beacon's opinion section.  

Jackson Bailey
Staff Writer, Living Arts

Jackson Bailey

Jackson is a Writing, Literature and Publishing major who has previously worked with The Beacon as a correspondent. When he isn’t writing about local concerts and art exhibits, Jackson spends his time watching NBA games, snowboarding,...

Clara Faulkner
Staff Writer, Living Arts

Clara Faulkner

Clara Faulkner (she/her) is a freshman majoring in journalism and BCE. She currently serves as a staff writer for living arts with a love of pop culture. She also is a member of SPJ, CPLA, AEPHI, and is marketing director of Em...

Karissa Schaefer
Staff Writer, Living Arts

Karissa Schaefer

Karissa Schaefer (She/Her) is a senior journalism major from Long Island, NY, who is also minoring in psychology and publishing. This is her sixth semester writing for The Beacon, and she previously served as the Living Arts editor and ELA Bureau Chief. When she’s not...

Sasha Zirin
Staff Writer

Sasha Zirin

Sasha Zirin (they/them) is a freshman from the Washington, D.C. metro area. They are a creative writing major transferring to journalism. They are a staff writer who enjoys writing for both news and living arts. They are also...

Maeve Lawler
Kasteel Well Bureau Chief

Maeve Lawler

Maeve Lawler (she/her) is a second-year Journalism major at Emerson College from Scituate, MA, who previously served as a correspondent and the Deputy Enterprise News Editor. With minors in Political Science and Publishing, she aim...

Hannah Nguyen
Editor At Large

Hannah Nguyen

Hannah Nguyen (she/her) is a sophomore journalism major from North Wales, Pennsylvania. Her work has appeared in publications like AsAmNews, Unpublished Magazine, and North Penn Now. Outside of writing, she enjoys thrifting a...

Vivi Smilgius
Editor At Large

Vivi Smilgius

Vivi Smilgius (she/her) is a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in environmental studies. She previously served as The Beacon’s editor-in-chief, assistant news editor and assistant sports editor. Raised in Indiana, Vivi...

Vani Hanamirian
Staff Writer, sports

Vani Hanamirian

Vani Hanamirian is a staff writer for The Beacon's sports section. She loves to write, watch, and play sports. She also enjoys hiking and trying new food in Chinatown. She is a first year, and she's excited to see what this year h...