How to avoid the hostile political talk at the dinner table this holiday season
November 23, 2020
As the fall semester slowly comes to its end, many students across the country are preparing to return home for
As the fall semester slowly comes to its end, many students across the country are preparing to return home for
As inauguration day approaches, leaders of Caribbean countries are coming together to congratulate the newly elected president, Joe Biden. As
The Beacon’s first print issue of the semester in early September initiated a wave of resignations from almost 20 staff
When I think of emo music, I used to think of Gerard Way, Patrick Stump, Brendon Urie, or Hayley Williams. After the 2020 presidential election, I now know the truth—President-elect Joe Biden is the undisputed King of Emo. Dear readers,
This week feels like a much-anticipated moment is finally upon us. Emerson went almost three months without seeing a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases. For so long, it felt like we might actually make it through the semester—at least until
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 like it came straight out of Stephen King’s The Stand. Following
Being the Student Government Association Executive Treasurer was both the best and worst year of college. Though it may shock some, I am shy and never imagined I would have taken such an active role in Student Government when I
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 hall? Where is the normal food? Talking through a mask is
And just like that, President Donald Trump’s reign is over. But the work for equity? For justice? For a better world? Far from done. Around the world, supporters of President-elect Joe Biden have swept the streets, beaming with joy and
Embed from Getty Images Saturday became a record-breaking day as Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump in the election—the first time a sitting leader only lasted one term since George H.W Bush was just known as George Bush back
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 toll from losing three grandfathers within the year. But all those emotions
Embed from Getty Images Basketball superstar LeBron James’ nonprofit voting organization More Than A Vote played an integral role in last week’s election by helping drive the record turnout of Black voters—a move that boosted former Vice President Joe Biden
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 Brandywine Roman Catholic Church. After the service, he visited his son, Beau, at
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 to outsiders—selfish people who did what they wanted and did everything gluttonously. With that,
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 the electoral vote of his native Pennsylvania, pushing him over the 270 electoral-vote threshold
The election may be over, but our job as students, citizens, and politically engaged people is not. In fact, voting during a presidential election year is the bare minimum. It’s important to keep fighting for our principles and beliefs regardless
This October, I celebrated the birthday of an emo icon. My Chemical Romance’s third album, The Black Parade, officially turned 14 years old in October 2020, meaning the album beloved by angsty teenagers everywhere is old enough to be an
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 trending terms like “U.S. COVID-19 cases climb,” “Trump blamed China for coronavirus outbreak,” “Trump tested
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. The sheer thought of another four years of this administration makes me feel as though
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 for the next four years. Here in the Dominican Republic,
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 are, a lot of heavily-armed people may be really angry, and anger plus ammunition is
Several countries around the world are highly reliant on tourism for generating foreign exchange, attracting international investments, increasing tax revenue, and providing job opportunities. Many have had to slow down or completely shut down these sectors in order to control
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 election is no different, and it carries even more weight and importance than previous
A week from Election Day, the country stands more fractured and divided. With experts anticipating a voter-turnout tsunami and young people already reporting record breaking voting numbers, Americans are nearing a historic election with potentially life-altering implications. Although many people,
I’d give the Paramount Hotel three stars following my brief stay in the college’s on-campus quarantine residence hall. After showing symptoms of COVID-19 but receiving a negative test last week, I was advised by the college’s Center for Health and
Temperatures have started to dip below the sixties. The leaves in the Common are fluttering off the trees. The pumpkin spice latte is back. It’s official: fall is here. Yet there is a much more sinister season creeping up on
In the midst of midterm season, some students are still waiting on one precious class material: their textbooks. The campus bookstore has seen severe delays this semester—so much so that people have gone weeks or months without getting their hands
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 than others, like knocking over the coffee mug onto your expensive computer or accidentally
As a Latina woman, I’ve always been surrounded by happiness and the mindset that everything is fine. Even my grandma, who fought depression all her life, always put up a positive front. My mom—a single mother—never showed signs of weakness.
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 family. My parents are originally from Spain, but I was born
Since the start of the fall semester, Emerson has taken considerable action to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and prevent outbreaks on campus. Unlike other universities that have reported more than 1,000 student cases, like Pennsylvania State and Arizona State
Donald Trump supporters and Democrats have one similar perception of this year’s election: that it will follow in the steps of 2016. Though it appears America is heavily divided on almost every important issue on the ballot, there is similar
“If you’re not going to wear a mask, at least wear a condom,” posters around Emerson dorm buildings read. However, safe sex means a lot more than just wearing a condom. Just because there’s a pandemic happening doesn’t mean people
“How’s the U.S. election vibe? Who do you think will win? Does any candidate pose policies that hurt China or international students?” I received this list of questions from family and close friends back home during the first presidential debate
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly transformed our college’s culture and the way we interact with others. After classes resumed in the fall, students adapted to their altered social lives — on and off-campus or remotely. We asked students to tell
Almost nothing about my 21st birthday will be how I imagined. It won’t take place in a crowded bar. My friends won’t buy me frozen margaritas and toast to another year in the books. I won’t celebrate in a nice
My mom lives in Westchester County, New York, a place that is most known for being the home of the Clintons’, and the last place Robert Durst’s wife was seen alive. After COVID-19 touched down in America, I was forced
*Content Warning: This article heavily references suicide and depression. The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illness as a medical condition, just like heart disease or diabetes. From my experience, however, it is usually treated as something else altogether. Earlier this September,
When I first heard the news of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, I was in disbelief. I was aware that Ginsburg had been battling pancreatic cancer, but contemplating the possibility of her passing was too scary
For those of you who spent too much of your childhood obsessing over Legally Blonde and Beverly Hills, 90210, like me, you probably had an inflated image of what college life would be like when you got here. I imagined
This election season, a vast majority of the American population is likely going to vote by mail. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended just about everything in our American way of life, including the way we vote. Like anything else, voting
What does it mean to vote? When anyone casts their ballot in a normal year, they are fulfilling their civic responsibility as an American citizen. But this November, for the first time in a long time, there is a pandemic
Obviously, a lot has changed on campus because of the pandemic. But what bothers me the most is not the online classes, nor is it the frequent testing, social distancing, or mask-wearing. What I miss most is The Max. “But
When I see OneEmerson plastered on walls and headlining emails, all I do is think. I think of the students who live through police brutality and racial injustice on a daily basis and it isn’t just some liberal game of
The Office of Financial Aid at Emerson College is devoted to providing access to education for all students with financial need. Unfortunately, inaccurate descriptions of individual circumstances and the College’s response to financial aid situations are prevalent—they can misrepresent the committed
As members of Protesting Oppression With Educational Reform (POWER), a group working to advocate for BIPOC students, we have a vested interest in how The Beacon and other predominantly white organizations on campus portray the BIPOC community. We do our
Billy Brodeur is a senior studying comedic arts. On a walk to Paramount my sophomore year, I turned a corner and saw my friend Paul slumped on the ground. Paul is a homeless man in his late 60s who sports
Throughout my entire childhood, I always loved books. I forced my grandma to take me to the bookstore after my Friday classes every week, so that I could spend hours upon hours browsing the shelfs. In my literary journey, I’ve
In a room full of pessimists, I am the first to say that the world is going to hell. Nowadays, I cannot believe I am alone in that assertion, especially among my Gen Z peers who also attend Emerson College.
Testing all Emerson students weekly is both a noble goal and a requirement this year. It’s been widely proven that the most effective way to pin down the coronavirus before it spreads—or shortly after its transmission begins—is through frequent testing
Jillian Kay is a middle blocker for the Emerson women’s volleyball team. Kay is a rising sophomore studying broadcast journalism. When COVID-19 cases first surged in March, I had no idea how much the virus would challenge my athletic identity.
By now, you may have heard a joke or two leading up to this semester—something like “off to school for a few good weeks” or “don’t make your room look too nice, since it’ll probably be empty by next month.”
As Emerson moves forward with its reopening plans for the fall semester, many students have raised concerns about the value of online classes. Is it comparable to the in-person experience, they ask, when teachers only appear through a screen, sometimes
Throughout the summer, Emerson administration has sent students sporadic emails. In June came the announcement that campus would reopen in late August. A few weeks later, updates on tuition and then dining flooded students’ inboxes. And just recently, administrators proliferated
When I first landed in the U.S. during high school, the customs officer asked me what I wanted to pursue as a career. When I told him journalism, his immediate reaction was to ask me, “So you want to work
Kim McLarin is a writing, literature, and publishing associate professor and a graduate program director. Dear Emerson Community, These are frightening times. We fear for ourselves, our families and friends, our students and staff and colleagues, the College itself. We
In a world toppled by the COVID-19 pandemic, Emerson administration gave students a choice: return to an altered campus and participate in a mix of in-person and online classes or opt to go fully online. (Another handful, alternatively, chose to
Around this time each year since I officially entered Emerson, I’ve always found myself coming to campus with a certain worry. As an incoming first-year student two years ago, my biggest concern was if students and faculty thought I was
Sophia Speciale is a rising senior studying visual and media arts. Like many young couples these days, my ex-boyfriend and I met on the dating app Bumble. We connected quickly while text messaging and clicked on our first date. We
My boyfriend texted me right after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Monday that international students would need to leave the U.S. if their university transitions to online-only learning this fall. My first thought was, “Maybe this is a
Ever since I first became invested in sports, especially football, I have experienced situations where I wasn’t taken seriously due to my gender. As a young woman, I don’t look like someone who could easily name every Super Bowl champion
Maxx Carr created the Instagram account @blackatemerson, which presents Black students at Emerson with a platform to anonymously discuss the injustices they’ve experienced on campus. Carr is a second-year student majoring in creative writing. I grew up in New York
Dan Daly is a graduate of Marlboro College residing in Camden, Maine. It seems like writing at this juncture about Marlboro College is a bit like that scene in the movie Chinatown (1974). This appears to be a “Forget it
I once had a small, insignificant, ten-minute conversation with my high school friend Kelis that my mind will never let me forget. One day, Kelis walked into a Georgian Nordstrom to window shop, and a white sales associate approached and
When I was a sophomore in high school, one of my classmates asked for donations through a GoFundMe link on her Facebook page. When I clicked on the link, I expected her fundraiser to cover the cost of family medical
T. Hunter Wilson served as a faculty member at Marlboro College for 47 years. The Marlboro College Board of Trustees is moving toward a shameful end. They have signed a Purchase and Sales agreement with the Democracy Builders Fund that
When I am slated to waitress my restaurant’s closing shift, suggesting new appetizers and giving wine recommendations is something I usually look forward to. Dining at a restaurant is meant to be a relaxing night without the responsibility of cooking.
On June 1, as inklings of warm summer air crept in, a massive protest overtook the streets of Boston, just steps from Emerson’s campus. Demonstrators marched to get justice for the countless Black lives lost at the hands of the
Christopher Stetson Wilson is the administrative associate to the chair of Emerson’s Journalism Department. Wilson is also an Emerson graduate student studying creative writing. Claire Rodenbush’s opinion piece on June 16 (“Emerson should work for a more affordable hybrid experience”),
Claire Rodenbush is the Student Government Association Executive President for the 2020–21 academic year. Rodenbush is a third-year student studying creative writing. The following is a message to the Emerson Board of Trustees: You have a moral obligation to significantly
I didn’t even notice the heavy blanket that formed on my body at first. I didn’t even notice my depression and anxiety were triggered. I never thought I would have to leave campus without emotional preparation, I thought I had
Last week, the school released its presidential working group draft findings, which sought to detail the sexual misconduct climate at the college through a year of review by 10 members of the Emerson community. In the report, the group highlighted
I started writing love columns by accident. One Wednesday during the first semester of my sophomore year, my boyfriend at the time broke up with me at approximately 5:30 p.m. I had a Beacon production meeting at 6 p.m. So,
Last semester posed an interesting dilemma for my love life. I had just emerged from a serious, long-term relationship in October 2019, and I planned on studying abroad at Kasteel Well the following semester. I approached my dating life very
Kerry Ferrell is an Emerson College class of 2020 graduate. I wholeheartedly reject the idea of an “Us versus Them” mentality at Emerson in regards to the handling of sexual assault on campus. Rather, I see it as “Those Compassionately
Claire Rodenbush is a rising junior at Emerson College who was recently elected as SGA’s executive president for the 2020-2021 academic year. My initial reaction to the opinion piece “Us Versus Them” was one of disgust. Telling survivors of sexual
Kaitlyn Bryson is a senior at Emerson College and serves as a student representative on the Title IX working group created by President M. Lee Pelton in the summer of 2019. She is also a contributing Op-Ed writer. Last spring,
The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated every facet of life at Emerson College, making the Student Government Association’s spring election more important than ever. The actions of the next executive president will determine the course for an organization that has completely
After multiple rips from a bong and eating a whole package of cookies, I found myself sprawled on the floor of my freshman year dorm, full. I had just made my way through four episodes of Face/Off and one package
Today, I did something I hadn’t done in a while. I went outside to meet up with some friends—except, I didn’t leave my sofa. My friends and I went fishing, visited a few shops, and even took a trip to the
Amy Tudor is an alum of Marlboro College and affiliated with I Believe In Marlboro College, a group of alumni and community members opposing Emerson College’s acquisition of Marlboro College. In a March 19 Berkeley Beacon article, Emerson-Marlboro merger still
On March 6, all 81 Kasteel Well students were brought back to Boston by the college due to rising concerns about the spread of COVID-19. We were told this decision was made out of the best interest for our safety—yet
Recently, my dad told me on the phone that after 70 days of home quarantine, he was finally able to go out following China’s ease on their lockdown. I almost screamed when hearing this good news. COVID-19 had forced him
We are pained to announce that The Berkeley Beacon, the college’s only student newspaper, plans to shutter operations effective Wednesday at 10 p.m. after more than 73 years of serving the Emerson community. After necessary funding was denied, we concluded
In an email to the Class of 2020, President M. Lee Pelton announced that Commencement on May 9 and 10 will be postponed. “No doubt, this news comes to you already anticipated,” he said. Maybe I’m an unwavering optimist, but
Ryan Rock is a senior theatre major To the Emerson College administration, I want to understand more exactly the basis in which you are describing how online classes are going to be on the same educational level as my in-person
On Friday, March 13, Emerson College announced it would close its residence halls, effectively kicking us all out of our dorms. Across campus, students cried, raided The Max, and frantically texted their parents. Only the night before, in 172 Tremont,
Abigail Semple is the Student Government Association’s executive treasurer for the 2019-2020 academic year. I wish this wasn’t happening. I wish I could finish my senior year on campus, I wish I could have all the traditions that the graduating
It’s been a hectic week, to say the least. There are 197 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts as of Monday, according to public health officials. The college made the decision Friday to ask students to leave residence halls at
The view from the third floor of 172 Tremont St. may not look different from only a week ago but the tone and anxiety permeating Boston is tangible. Excuse the cliche, but one could cut through the stress and distraught
Abigail Semple is the Student Government Association’s executive treasurer for the 2019-2020 academic year. Everything right now is hectic. Things are overwhelming and scary. But, we all need to remember to care for ourselves, which means sleeping, eating, washing your
A few weekends ago, I went bar hopping with my friends in Amsterdam. You would probably expect me to be dancing and singing to the reggaeton music playing at the bar, living my best life abroad. Instead, my mind was
On Tuesday, I followed along on my phone as I flew back to Boston and watched school after school announce their plans to address the COVID-19 outbreak. My boyfriend received the notification that his school, Suffolk University, would be moving
College officials announced Tuesday that the school will transition to classes online for the rest of the semester due to the global spread of COVID-19. Emerson is among a list of local colleges including Northeastern University, Harvard University, and Suffolk
A few weeks ago, I scrolled on my TikTok “For You” page and stumbled across a video of a white girl claiming that every race can be racist. I stared in shock for a few seconds before reading the comment
The quote “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” takes a hard look at empathy. Whenever I see a “Masshole” driving in Boston, I just remember my mom telling me, “they probably just really need to poop.” While I chuckle on
Every year when October rolls around, I dread filling out the application for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA. It takes me weeks to complete over 100 questions while I walk my mom through
Rebecca Boyden is a former resident of Marlboro whose father was a teacher, Dean, Trustee and Acting President at Marlboro College for over 30 years I am profoundly disturbed by the levels of secrecy which are now accepted at Marlboro
Brad Dye graduated from Emerson College in 2006 and served as the Student Government Association’s elections commissioner for three years. As the person who served as SGA Elections Commissioner for three years, and oversaw the College’s transition from paper balloting
Kasteel Well officials announced on Feb. 24 that they canceled their planned four-day mandatory academic excursion to Milan, Italy, and barred students from traveling outside the Netherlands until March 15 out of concern for the recent spread of COVID-19 in
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