Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Hailey Akau

Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor

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 enjoys writing personal essays or prose and considers herself an em dash enthusiast.

Latest from Hailey Akau
Illustration by Rachel Choi.

The poison of polarization: extreme political leaning undermines education

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
November 29, 2023

Disagreement is inevitable—especially at college. Discourse on politics, religion, sociology, and other issues inform opposing opinions. The state of American politics currently seems to sit at two...

Photo: Hailey Akau

Colonization’s toll on Hawaiʻi: Lahaina’s devastation and the fight for Indigenous resilience

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
November 8, 2023

  On August 8, 2023, my family and I huddled in front of the television watching the local news as wildfires ravaged the historic Lahaina town on Maui. As we watched Front Street ablaze, my mother...

Photo: Bryan Liu

Rising Tides: The oyster industry faces climate change challenges and solutions

By Shannon Garrido, Hailey Akau, and Bryan Liu
November 8, 2023

  The world is your oyster, until it isn’t.  ​​On Sept. 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory about recent reports of severe Vibrio vulnificus infections,...

UFC 293 winner Sean Strickland.

[Photo] Crooke’s Cage: The Summer Break UFC Recap

October 20, 2023

UFC 293 winner Sean Strickland.

Should we have school spirit?

Should we have school spirit?

By Shannon Garrido, Hadera McKay, Sasha Zirin, and Hailey Akau
September 20, 2023

After the events of orientation, where eager Emerson freshmen were welcomed by shrill undergrads serenading them in their cars, it's natural for incoming students to wonder whether this experience is truly...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

It’s time to retire the term AAPI

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
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 the rest of the world. Once a thriving, independent...

Illustration by Hailey Akau

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

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
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 has been adopted and embodied by my peers at Emerson...

First place winner Lucy Ellis.

[Photo] Emerson Poetry Project hosts ‘Box of Doom’

April 12, 2023

First place winner Lucy Ellis.

UConn captured the NCAA DI Championship against San Diego State

[Photo] March Madness: Finals recap and future NBA prospects

April 5, 2023

UConn captured the NCAA DI Championship against San Diego State

Hailey Akau and her family.

Hugs and Honis for my ʻOhana

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
April 3, 2023

My first year of college, I realized just how little my Hawaiian identity existed in Boston. I remember a distinct feeling of isolation as I came to terms with the fact that barely any of my peers understood...

Illustration by Hailey Akau

Honorary degrees are honorary bullshit

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
March 8, 2023

Anyone who has worked toward a degree from a higher-education institution can attest to the blood, sweat, and tears—on top of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition fees—that go into earning...

Starting Feb. 1, Dumpling Daughter will operate from the grill in the Lions Den.

[Photo] ‘Comforting, simple, and delicious’: Dumpling Daughter to be served on campus next month

January 25, 2023

Starting Feb. 1, Dumpling Daughter will operate from the grill in the Lion's Den.

Illustration by Hailey Akau

[Photo] Is it worth jumping ship from Twitter?

December 7, 2022

Illustration by Hailey Akau

Illustration by Hailey Akau

[Photo] The original ‘Gossip Girl’ ate up Thanksgiving episodes

November 16, 2022

Illustration by Hailey Akau

Publishing workers pledge to continue their strike until their demands of higher pay and codifying diversity are met.

[Photo] HarperCollins strike reminds students of the power of unions

November 16, 2022

Publishing workers pledge to continue their strike until their demands of higher pay and codifying diversity are met.

IIlustration by Hailey Akau

Food fights will not save the planet

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
November 2, 2022

Real-life food fights are rare––for good reason. In addition to wasting a perfectly good meal, throwing food in any context creates unnecessary and disgusting cleanup work and ultimately achieves...

Hurricane Fiona hit the Caribbean as a category one tropical storm on Sept. 18.

[Photo] Hurricane Fiona exacerbates Puerto Rico’s electricity crisis

October 5, 2022

Hurricane Fiona hit the Caribbean as a category one tropical storm on Sept. 18.

Illustration of text bubble

Stop airing out your beef on missed connections and grow up

By Hailey Akau, Assistant Multimedia Editor and Magazine Section Editor
September 28, 2022

Since the beginning of my time at Emerson College, I have come to despise the numerous Instagram accounts known among my peers as “missed connections.” Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept of providing...

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