Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Latest from Jess Ferguson
Everything has changed—except my love for Taylor Swift

Everything has changed—except my love for Taylor Swift

By Jess Ferguson
February 26, 2020

It was 2007, and I distinctly remember opening up my seventh birthday present: a black SanDisk MP3 player. At the time, I thought I was the coolest first-grader in the world. I blew out my candles and...

In-person conversations are essential for conflict resolution

In-person conversations are essential for conflict resolution

By Jess Ferguson
February 17, 2020

Texts are an ineffective means of resolving conflict. I was frustrated by one of my friends’ actions. She said mean things about me behind my back, and I needed to confront her about it. I spent 15...

Stop using addiction-related language for comedic effect

Stop using addiction-related language for comedic effect

By Jess Ferguson
January 20, 2020

Last January, Devour Foods, a subdivision of the Kraft Heinz Company, aired a Super Bowl commercial to promote their frozen foods. The commercial focuses on a wife who reveals that her husband suffers...

I’ve learned that my decision to stay somewhat local—in, might I add, one of the best college cities in the U.S.—does not make me immature or overly dependent. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Home sweet home: Why going to college nearby can be beneficial

By Jess Ferguson
November 18, 2019

Throughout the college application process, I felt pressured to attend school somewhere far away from my home in southeastern Massachusetts. Everyone said college was supposed to be about new experiences...

Making fun of these girls is a lot easier than acknowledging what is really going on here: tearing down a group of teens for having fun. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

VSCO Girls: Why we need to stop belittling teenage girls’ interests

By Jess Ferguson
November 4, 2019

With all of the hate and prejudice in the world, who knew teenage girls wearing oversized T-shirts and scrunchies would be the bane of our society’s existence? It seems that whatever teen girls do, they...

Often times, we are too caught up in our own lives—rushing to class or to work, for instance—to acknowledge others. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Smiles, greetings, and eye contact: How interaction humanizes the homeless

By Jess Ferguson
October 28, 2019

When I left class a few weeks ago, I noticed a homeless person on the street corner asking for money. No one did anything—they kept walking without even looking at the man. He angrily said, “A ‘sorry,...

Acne has trickled its way back into my life, and I do not feel it stopping any time soon. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Coping with acne insecurities in college

By Jess Ferguson
October 13, 2019

Part of me thought that when I first came to college, acne would be a thing of the past. Though I have struggled with it for years, I always assumed it was some juvenile thing I would grow out of. Four...

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