Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Katie Redefer

Katie Redefer, Staff Writer

Katie Redefer graduated in 2022. She served as the former editor-in-chief of The Berkeley Beacon. She currently works as a metro reporter for The Boston Globe, and formerly served as a staff reporter for her home state's newspaper, Delaware State News.

Latest from Katie Redefer
Katie Redefer is a senior journalism major and the Editor-in-Chief of The Berkeley Beacon / Beacon archives

Farewell column: An ode to the student paper that made me love journalism

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
April 21, 2022

I remember my first Monday Beacon meeting like it was yesterday. Dozens of students bustled around the Bill Bordy Theater in the Fall of 2018, chatting with one another about news around the world and...

Junior setter Jackson Gordan in the You Can Play games on March 19, 2022.

[Photo] Men’s volleyball splits record in annual Pride-themed games

March 23, 2022

Junior setter Jackson Gordan in the "You Can Play" games on March 19, 2022.

Internet trolls rejoice, Trisha Paytas is pregnant

Internet trolls rejoice, Trisha Paytas is pregnant

By Kaitlyn Fehr, Campbell Parish, and Katie Redefer
February 28, 2022

Social media exploded with the news of the YouTube star’s pregnancy on Monday, and opinions could not be more divided. In the aftermath of the announcement, one consensus rings true: we all need to live...

Katie Redefer is a senior journalism major and the Editor-in-Chief of The Berkeley Beacon.

Letter from the Editor: Reflecting on a year of the pandemic

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
March 19, 2021

The past 12 months may have been the most unprecedented year of our lifetime. The first pandemic of the 21st century transformed life as we knew it in more ways than I can name, forcing us to confront...

Presidential Working Group sends final report to Pelton

Presidential Working Group sends final report to Pelton

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
February 25, 2021

President M. Lee Pelton accepted the Presidential Working Group’s final draft of recommendations for Emerson’s Title IX processes on Tuesday—a draft that is notably similar to earlier versions that...

Katie Redefer is a senior journalism major and the Editor-in-Chief of The Berkeley Beacon.

Letter from the Editor: The case for a fair and equitable Beacon

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
January 21, 2021

Last semester, after The Beacon drew a wave of public criticisms and staff resignations, it made me question everything I know about journalism. Prior to this fall, I looked back on my years at The Beacon...

Title IX working group takes questions before finalizing recommendations

Title IX working group takes questions before finalizing recommendations

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
December 9, 2020

The Presidential Working Group addressed questions from the Emerson community about its revised draft of findings about the college’s Title IX processes and additional sexual misconduct policy concerns...

The outside of the Title IX office in the Massachusetts Transportation Building.

Title IX working group presents minimal changes in second draft of recommendations

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
December 2, 2020

The Presidential Working Group that is responsible for reviewing Emerson’s sexual misconduct policy made minimal changes to its initial suggestions in a second draft of findings released ahead of Thanksgiving...

Donald Trump in Nashua, New Hampshire

The social division and emotional trauma fostered by Trump’s America

By Katie Redefer and Shawna Konieczny
October 14, 2020

Four years ago, Americans introduced themselves to President Donald J. Trump by marching onto the streets in defiance, huddled shoulder-to-shoulder sharing hand-knit hats, protesting across all 50 states...

Grace Talusan is the 2020 winner of One City One Story with her short story “The Book of Life and Death”

Boston Book Festival announces virtual lineup, a first for the annual literature festival

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
September 30, 2020

The Boston Book Festival will host a virtual month-long festival — complete with 55 virtual events and several in-person activities spread across the city — for the first time in the nonprofit organization's...

Breonna Taylor march 9/25

Photos: Thousands demand justice for Breonna Taylor in streets of Boston

By Lizzie Heintz and Katie Redefer
September 26, 2020

Protestors marched by Nubian Square, Boston Police headquarters, and the Theater District Friday evening before landing at Boston City Hall. The demonstration was held to commemorate and demand justice...

A student navigates the canvas website.

College will now allow community members to choose pronouns on Canvas

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
September 17, 2020

A recent college update to Canvas, Emerson’s online learning platform, now allows for users to change and display pronouns on their profile. Users can now choose from six different pronoun options—she/her,...

Senior Max Tedford said the Los Angeles program was 60 percent of the reason he decided to attend Emerson in the first place.

ELA students mourn missed opportunities as program shifts online

By Katie Redefer, Domenic Conte, and Diti Kohli
September 10, 2020

Pasadena native Max Tedford felt enamored by the ELA campus as a high school senior. He loved the futuristic-looking building, set in the middle of a beloved city he visited regularly in his youth. In...

For some spots, like Maria’s, college campuses reopening could boost their chances of turning a profit in a year otherwise marred by financial ruin.

Nearby restaurants ‘excited’ by return of college-aged patrons

By Taina Millsap, Shruti Rajkumar, and Katie Redefer
September 2, 2020

Businesses neighboring the bustling Emerson campus usually overflow with students, tourists, and commuters in early September. But this year, several nearby restaurants and bars remain eerily empty inside—void...

The Title IX office has been located within the Social Justice Center since 2014 after an external group of lawyers examined the colleges Title IX policies and practices.

Everything you need to know about the updated Title IX policy

By Diti Kohli, Katie Redefer, and Parker Purifoy
August 31, 2020

A college committee of administrators, faculty, and students released an updated Title IX policy establishing the college’s altered process for handling allegations of sexual misconduct and violence,...

President M. Lee Pelton speaking to students who were forced to evacuate the Netherlands during the Spring 2020 semester after COVID-19 spread rapidly around the world. Pelton expressed support for the Defund the Police initiative Tuesday, saying that the police are overly militarized and the system needs overhauled, in a virtual panel with Commonwealth Magazine.

Kasteel Well students return amid Coronavirus concerns

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
March 7, 2020

Kasteel Well students trudged bleary-eyed through the rain at 4:00 a.m Central European Time on Friday to board a bus to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, beginning a 14-hour travel day that would return them...

The college gathered all Kasteel Well students in the dining hall Monday evening to announce the cancellation of the program.

Kasteel Well students to return to Boston after outbreak of Coronavirus

By Lara Hill and Katie Redefer
March 2, 2020

WELL, NETHERLANDS—The college will send Kasteel Well students back to the Boston campus later this week due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, commonly known as Coronavirus, throughout Europe,...

The exterior of the Kasteel Well castle

Expanded reporting from the Castle with new Kasteel Well vertical

By Katie Redefer and Lara Hill
February 24, 2020
Editors Katie Redefer and Lara Hill introduce their reasoning for establishing a new Kasteel Well vertical focused on student reporting at the castle program.
The VMA department will debut a new 400-level course open to undergraduates and graduates to create gun violence prevention media for Massachusetts General Hospital. Katie Redefer / Beacon Staff

VMA Department set to offer gun violence prevention video class

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
November 20, 2019

The Visual and Media Arts Department at Emerson plans to work in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital through a new class centered around the creation of gun violence prevention videos.  This...

Katie Redefer - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Boomers 1, Gen Z 0

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
November 13, 2019

As an elementary school student, I was that kid who got yelled at by the teacher for reading in the back of the classroom. With my nose tucked into The Lightning Thief or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s...

Cho Yin Rachel Lo / Beacon Staff

Students rally for state legislation to end period poverty

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
October 21, 2019

Impassioned speakers and protesters demanded accessibility to free menstrual products and an end to period stigmatization on Saturday at the Massachusetts National Period Day Rally. “I want to...

Katie Redefer - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Read it and weep: LGBTQ kids deserve queer-friendly books

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
August 31, 2019

During high school, my school district in southern Delaware removed The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth from their summer reading list for incoming freshmen. They cited  “inappropriate...

Captain Jack’s 15-minute short film “Junk Town” started as a high school competition entry and outraged school and government officials. - Photo by Madison Goldberg / Beacon Correspondent

“Captain Jack” exposes dangers of trash and pollution in China

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
February 14, 2019

In a small village outside of Chongqing, China, freshman Jack Liu stood surrounded by garbage. The trash polluted a river in the village, and Liu decided to create the documentary short film "Junk Town"...

Katie Redefer - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Read It and Weep: Writing fan fiction shaped my adolescence

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
January 29, 2019

At 12 years old, I spent most school nights in my room writing new tensions, romances, and plot twists for my Harry Potter fanfiction that I shared with fellow Hogwarts fans online. My years as a teenage...

Keith Habersberger,Ned Fulmer, Eugene Lee Yang and Zach Kornfeld ‘12 of The Try Guys have garnered over 5 million subscribers in six months. • Courtesy of Zach Kornfeld

“Try Guy” Kornfeld ‘12 turns hobby into viral success

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
January 17, 2019

At the Buzzfeed office in Los Angeles, four men took turns trying on teensy, lace-embellished thongs in front of a thin curtain. What they didn’t know then is this light-hearted video would turn them...

Sophomore David Potashnik and junior Benjamin Zieper created The Big Ugly Show in their dorms and now holds performances at Democracy Brewery.
Photo by Greyson Acquaviva / Beacon Staff

Student comedians bring stand-up from dorm to bar

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
January 16, 2019

During the first week of last semester, junior Benjamin Zieper and sophomore David Potashnik crammed student comedians into a small dorm room to practice their routines on an audience of peers. After...

Katie Redefer - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Read It and Weep: How Milk and Honey rebranded poetry

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
December 6, 2018

The resurgence of poetry seemed to happen all at once. A few years ago, I could only find poetry in classroom settings or in small online communities like Tumblr and Wattpad. However, within the past year...

Iwasaki Library experiences high turnover rates

Iwasaki Library experiences high turnover rates

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
December 6, 2018

Five resignations by Iwasaki Library staff over the past six months has resulted in two vacant positions and three positions filled by new employees, according to a college official.   The resignations...

Department of Communication Studies Chair Gregory Payne said the proposed polling minor was inspired by the school’s strong reputation as a pollster. Photo Courtesy of Beacon Archives.

New public relations major to debut in fall 2019

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
November 18, 2018

The Department of Communication Studies will offer public relations as a major for undergraduate students starting fall 2019. The public relations major is designed to aid “successful careers and...

I’m lucky that my family is able to make the trip to visit me, but for many students, this isn’t an option. / Photo illustration by Cullen Granzen

Op-ed: Realizing the bittersweet nature of Family Weekend

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
October 21, 2018

I felt isolated and overwhelmed during my first night in Piano Row residence hall. Once my parents left, the distance between my dorm room and my Delaware home sank in. Throughout high school, I grew jaded...

Evening Operations Manager Jake Nadeau works at the EDC distributing equipment to students. Cullen Granzen / Beacon Staff

Journalism Department introduces new prerequisites for EDC

By Katie Redefer, Staff Writer
October 4, 2018

The journalism department created a new series of quizzes journalism students must pass before checking out equipment from the Equipment Distribution Center. The department designed the quizzes, also...

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