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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

Adri Pray

Adri Pray, Editor-in-Chief

Adri Pray (she/her) is a senior journalism student from Cape Cod, MA. She was previously a managing editor, news editor, and assistant news editor at the Beacon, and took a brief hiatus from the paper in 2023 to complete two reporting co-ops at The Boston Globe. Outside of the Beacon, her work has appeared in the Globe, Cambridge Day, Food Bank News, and Milk Crate, an online music publication. She has two minors in political science and environmental studies.

Latest from Adri Pray
Emerson's COVID-19 testing center.

Emerson reports three COVID-19 cases over Spring Break

By Adri Pray / March 14, 2022

Over Spring Break, Emerson reported three COVID-19 tests over the span of the week of the 643 total tests administered. No data was reported on Monday...

Emerson's COVID-19 testing center.

Emerson reports 5 COVID-19 cases on Friday

By Adri Pray / March 4, 2022

On Friday, Emerson reported five COVID-19 tests for Thursday of the 619 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.81 percent. The college...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports 14 COVID-19 cases Thursday

By Adri Pray / March 3, 2022

On Thursday, Emerson reported 14 positive COVID-19 tests for Wednesday of the 777 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 1.80 percent. The...

‘The world is watching’: the Boston community stands in solidarity with Ukraine

‘The world is watching’: the Boston community stands in solidarity with Ukraine

Blue and yellow speckled the Boston Public Garden Sunday afternoon as protestors held Ukrainian flags and signs high, showing their denunciation of Russia’s...

The sign outside of the Cutler Majestic Theater.

Emerson community weighs in with their thoughts on Ukraine

Sophomore visual and media arts major Yujun Liu gets texts from his friend in Ukraine, who updates him on the war he is experiencing firsthand. “He...

Erik Muurisepp sits at his desk on the fourth floor of the Walker Building.

Emerson semester total tops 550 COVID-19 cases

By Adri Pray / March 3, 2022

Emerson reported 14 COVID-19 tests of the 803 administered on Tuesday, setting the daily positivity rate at 1.74 percent. The college also reported...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports 18 positive COVID-19 tests on Tuesday

By Adri Pray / March 1, 2022

On Tuesday, Emerson reported 18 COVID-19 tests for Monday of the 980 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 1.84 percent. The college...

Students in the Little Building

Little Building laundry rooms to be closed for routine maintenance

By Adri Pray / March 1, 2022

The Little Building laundry rooms will be unoperational on both Wednesday, Mar. 2 and Thursday, Mar. 3 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., per an email sent from the...

Emerson's COVID-19 testing center.

Emerson reports six COVID-19 tests over the weekend

By Adri Pray / February 28, 2022

On Monday, Emerson reported 6 COVID-19 tests for Saturday of the 179 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 3.35 percent. No data was...

College to host “open hour” amid Russo-Ukrainian conflict

College to host “open hour” amid Russo-Ukrainian conflict

By Adri Pray / February 25, 2022

Emerson will host a “virtual open hour for conversation and support” in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for community members.  The open...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Emerson surpasses 500 COVID-19 cases for the spring 2022 semester

By Adri Pray / February 25, 2022

Emerson broke 500 COVID-19 positives on Friday, the highest-ever semester total since the onset of the pandemic.  The college reported 11 COVID-19...

Pro-Ukraine demonstrators at the Massachusetts State House on Thursday

Protestors at State House condemn Ukraine invasion

By Adri Pray / February 25, 2022

A throng of people donned in blue and yellow gathered at the steps of the Massachusetts State House on Thursday, protesting the invasion of Ukraine launched...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports 17 COVID-19 cases on Thursday

By Adri Pray / February 24, 2022

On Thursday, Emerson reported 17 COVID-19 tests for Wednesday of the 737 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 2.31 percent. The...

Erik Muurisepp sits at his desk on the fourth floor of the Walker Building.

Emerson sees 19 COVID-19 cases amid policy change

By Adri Pray / February 24, 2022

Emerson reported 19 positive COVID-19 tests on Wednesday, signifying an uptick in cases on campus and the highest single-day total since 31 cases were...

‘We learn as much from them as they do from us’: ArtsEmerson honors Rocío Pérez and Lemar Archer as Cutler Fellows

‘We learn as much from them as they do from us’: ArtsEmerson honors Rocío Pérez and Lemar Archer as Cutler Fellows

By Adri Pray / February 24, 2022

ArtsEmerson recognized two students as its 2022 Cutler Fellows, inducting them into the year-long program designed to cultivate theater production skills. The...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Zero COVID-19 cases reported over the long weekend

By Adri Pray / February 22, 2022

On Tuesday, Emerson reported zero COVID-19 tests for Friday and Saturday of the 432 tests administered, and no data was readily available for Sunday and...

The exterior of the COVID testing site.

Emerson reports four COVID-19 cases following announcement of updated policies

By Adri Pray / February 18, 2022

On Friday, Emerson reported four COVID-19 tests for Thursday of the 756 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.53 percent. The college...

Age doesn’t exist for accountability, stop acting like it does

Age doesn’t exist for accountability, stop acting like it does

By Adri Pray / February 16, 2022

I was freshly 17 when the pandemic started. I witnessed a global recession, the first-ever second impeachment of a United States president, numerous climate...

Emerson Los Angeles COVID-19 numbers reach new heights

Emerson Los Angeles COVID-19 numbers reach new heights

By Adri Pray / February 16, 2022

Emerson’s Los Angeles campus is recovering from the surge of COVID-19 cases it experienced at the onset of the spring semester, which eclipsed all of...

The exterior of the COVID testing site.

Emerson reports one COVID-19 test on Wednesday

By Adri Pray / February 16, 2022

On Wednesday, Emerson reported one positive COVID-19 test for Tuesday of the 605 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.17 percent. The...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Six-case COVID-19 spike reported Tuesday

By Adri Pray / February 15, 2022

On Tuesday, Emerson reported four positive COVID-19 tests on Monday of the 875 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.69 percent. The...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports one COVID-19 tests for the weekend

By Adri Pray / February 14, 2022

On Monday, Emerson reported one positive COVID-19 test on Saturday of the twenty tests administered and no information was readily available for Sunday. The...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports two positive COVID-19 cases for Friday

By Adri Pray / February 12, 2022

On Friday, Emerson reported two positive COVID-19 tests of the 647 administered Thursday, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.31 percent. The college...

The exterior of the COVID testing site.

Emerson partners with COVID-19 contact tracing company

By Adri Pray / February 10, 2022

Emerson announced its partnership with TalentBoost, a COVID-19 contact tracing service, on Feb. 4, just hours after updating COVID-19 protocol within college...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports one COVID-19 case for Thursday

By Adri Pray / February 10, 2022

On Thursday, Emerson reported one positive COVID-19 test of the 682 administered Wednesday, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.15 percent. The college...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson’s COVID-19 cases continue decline entering sixth week of semester

By Adri Pray / February 10, 2022

On Wednesday, the college reported a singular COVID-19 case of the 879 tests administered Tuesday, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.11 percent and...

FIRE's "Truck of Shame" advertising its 2022 "Top Ten Worst Colleges for Free Expression" list around Emerson's campus.

Emerson placed on FIRE’s ‘Top Ten Worst Colleges for Free Expression’ 2022 list

By Adri Pray and Frankie Rowley / February 10, 2022

An educational advocacy group named Emerson as one of the “worst colleges for free expression,” rooted in its accusation that the college “censored”...

The exterior of the COVID testing site.

Emerson reports two positive COVID-19 cases on Tuesday

By Adri Pray / February 8, 2022

On Tuesday, Emerson reported two positive COVID-19 tests of the 993 administered Monday, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.20 percent. The college...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Monday reports a singular COVID-19 case

By Adri Pray / February 8, 2022

On Monday, Emerson reported one positive COVID-19 test for Friday of the 495 administered, setting the positivity rate at 0.20 percent. Zero cases were...

Access: Student Disability Union call for reevaluation of Emerson's return to in-person instruction plan

Access: Student Disability Union call for reevaluation of Emerson’s return to in-person instruction plan

By Adri Pray / February 6, 2022

Emerson’s Access: Student Disability Union proposed a revision to the college’s plan to return to in-person instruction on Jan. 15. The proposal includes...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Two positive COVID-19 cases reported Friday by Emerson

By Adri Pray / February 4, 2022

Emerson saw two positive tests on Friday of the 1,064 administered. The positivity rate was reported at 0.19 percent. The college also reported two...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson’s COVID-19 dashboard continues decline, Thursday sees two positives

By Adri Pray / February 3, 2022

Emerson reported two positive tests on Thursday out of the 1,122 administered Wednesday. The positivity rate sat at 0.18 percent. The college also reported...

Courtesy: @ECGreekCouncil

Fraternity and sorority life organizations overcome challenges amid hybrid-style recruitment

By Adri Pray / February 3, 2022

Emerson’s Spring 2022 Fraternity and Sorority Life recruitment operated through a hybrid integration of events that began Jan. 24. Junior visual and...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports seven positive COVID-19 tests

By Adri Pray / February 2, 2022

Emerson reported seven positive COVID-19 cases Wednesday of the 1,163 tests administered Tuesday, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.60 percent. Four...

Emerson's testing site at Tufts Medical Center.

Emerson reports six positive COVID-19 tests

By Adri Pray / February 1, 2022

As of Tuesday, Emerson reported six positive COVID-19 cases of the 1,685 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.36 percent. Tuesday...

The exterior of the COVID testing site.

Emerson finished January with a 0.60 weekly percent positivity rate, lowest seen since fall 2021 semester

By Adri Pray / February 1, 2022

On Monday, Emerson reported five positive COVID-19 cases of the 689 administered over Friday and Sunday, no information was readily available for Saturday. From...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Friday’s 0.50 percent daily COVID-19 positivity rate marks fourth consecutive day below 1 percent

By Adri Pray / January 29, 2022

Emerson reported 5 positive COVID-19 cases on Friday of the 1,006 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.50 percent, the fourth consecutive...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson breaks 400 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, positivity rate at 2.35 percent

By Adri Pray / January 27, 2022

Emerson has seen 404 positive COVID-19 tests since the spring testing cycle began on Jan. 3, breaking a threshold not seen through the entire pandemic. The...

Emerson's Office of International Student Affairs.

Global rise in COVID-19 cases poses difficulty for international students

By Adri Pray and Gabriel Borges / January 27, 2022

Kevin Wang hasn’t visited his family in China since August. If he wants to return, he’ll have to first endure three weeks in quarantine before spending...

FIRE, working with Emerson's chapter of TPUSA, hired a truck with the phrase "Emerson Kinda Sus" to circle Emerson's Boston campus.

Turning Point USA responds to suspension with ‘Kinda Sus’ ad campaign

By Vivi Smilgius and Adri Pray / January 27, 2022

Months after being accused of propagating anti-Chinese rhetoric, Emerson’s chapter of Turning Point USA has mounted an advertising campaign targeting...

Emerson's testing site at Tufts Medical Center.

Emerson reports 11 positive COVID-19 tests, lowest single-day total this semester

By Adri Pray / January 25, 2022

Emerson reported 11 positive COVID-19 tests on Tuesday out to the 1,841 administered on Monday. Tuesday’s dashboard update also reported that eight...

Emerson's COVID-19 testing center at the corner of Kneeland Street and Harrison Ave.

Friday sees 11 new COVID-19 cases, lowest single-day this week

By Adri Pray / January 21, 2022

Emerson reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the lowest single-day number this week, and set the daily positivity rate at 1.11 percent. Friday’s...

Erik Muurisepp sits at his desk on the fourth floor of the Walker Building.

‘Learning to live with the virus’: Emerson reports 31 positive COVID-19 cases Tuesday

By Adri Pray / January 21, 2022

Emerson College has reported 332 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the spring semester—the highest numbers since the beginning of the pandemic—and...

Some of Emerson's first-get students have bonded over shared experiences. From left to right: Priscilla Beltran, Maria Vu, Ashley Blanco, Kelly Moreno and Carolina Alcantara.
Courtesy / Ashley Blanco

‘Almost hidden diversity’: Emerson’s first-generation students share their stories

By Payton Cavanaugh and Adri Pray / January 21, 2022

First-generation students, without guidance from older family members or friends, and limited access to resources, face a far more challenging acclimation...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Emerson surpasses 350 COVID cases nearly three weeks into semester

By Adri Pray / January 21, 2022

On Thursday, Emerson’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 12 positive tests of the 972 tests administered on Wednesday, setting the daily positivity rate at...

Emerson's testing site at Tufts Medical Center.

Emerson reports 301 positives two weeks into spring semester

By Adri Pray / January 18, 2022

In just two weeks since the onset of the spring 2022 semester, Emerson has reported a cumulative 301 positive COVID-19 cases. The college has administered...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Emerson reports 228 positive cases within 10 day period

By Adri Pray / January 13, 2022

An unprecedented 228 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported at Emerson in the ten days since the commencement of the spring 2022 semester. Cumulatively,...

Emerson students having classes.

‘Everything is out the window’: College returns to in-person learning amid unprecedented COVID surge

By Vivi Smilgius and Adri Pray / January 12, 2022

Less than a week into the spring 2022 semester, Emerson has already reported 228 positive COVID-19 tests, leading to uncertainty regarding the rest of...

Gov. Charlie Baker provides a COVID-19 update while touring the first responder vaccination site at the Worcester Senior Center on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

Massachusetts reports 17,802 new coronavirus cases

By Adri Pray / January 11, 2022

Massachusetts reported 17,802 positive cases on Tuesday, down from the 60,986 reported Monday. The death toll rose by 116, the highest single-day total...

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker

Massachusetts reports 60,986 new coronavirus cases

By Adri Pray / January 10, 2022

Massachusetts reported 60,986 new coronavirus cases Monday, the first COVID-19 report given by the state since Friday. The death toll rose by 53.  Massachusetts...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Emerson issues five-day isolation and quarantine protocols amid surge

By Adri Pray / January 7, 2022

Emerson will decrease its isolation and quarantine time to five days per guidance changes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced...

Emerson's testing site at Tufts Medical Center.

Massachusetts surpasses 1 million total COVID-19 cases

By Adri Pray / December 28, 2021

Massachusetts surpassed one million total COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, reporting 9,228 new cases amid an unprecedented statewide surge largely fueled by...

Emerson's COVID-19 testing center at the corner of Kneeland Street and Harrison Ave.

Unprecedented end-of-semester COVID surge brings highest case levels since onset of pandemic

By Adri Pray and Gabriel Borges / December 23, 2021

Emerson has undergone an unprecedented surge in positive COVID-19 tests over the course of the past two weeks, racking up nearly 100 positives as statewide...

Take-home rapid test provided by Emerson College.

Emerson students frustrated by mandated at-home rapid tests

By Frankie Rowley and Adri Pray / December 2, 2021

Emerson students reported experiencing difficulties after taking their college-mandated and provided at-home rapid COVID-19 tests in order to return to...

One of the recording spaces in The Record Company.

The Record Company, an affordable and accessible space for student musicians

By Adri Pray / December 1, 2021

The Record Company, a non-profit, Boston-based studio, offers a vast selection of rehearsal and recording studios to Emerson students and the people of...

Runners cross the Boston Marathon's finish line at Copley Square.

‘It’s just a party’: Boston Marathon returns after 910 day absence

By Adri Pray, Correspondent / October 16, 2021

Family, friends, and spectators alike lined the twenty-six mile route of the Boston Marathon on Monday, yet another glimpse of normalcy as the city continues...