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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

Sasha Zirin

Sasha Zirin, Assistant Living Arts Editor

Sasha Zirin is a journalism major and Assistant Living Arts Editor with a passion for art criticism. They love to cover film and take photos. They started on the Beacon as a correspondent in fall 2022 and have been around since. They’ve been on the editorial team for EM Magazine since fall 2022 as well. Outside of writing and taking photos, you’ll often find them drawing/painting, listening to music, and watching a lot of movies.

Latest from Sasha Zirin
Emerson College men’s lacrosse team members and affiliates are surprised when they realize they have scored and are on the verge of winning during the third quarter of the game against Springfield College on Saturday, March 25, 2024. (Sasha Zirin/ Beacon Staff)

[Photo] Photos: Emerson men’s lacrosse secures rain-soaked NEWMAC victory against Springfield

By Feixu Chen and Sasha Zirin / March 29, 2024

Emerson College men’s lacrosse team members and affiliates are surprised when they realize they have scored and are on the verge of winning during the...

‘Drive-Away Dolls’: Blending crime, comedy, and refreshing queer representation

‘Drive-Away Dolls’: Blending crime, comedy, and refreshing queer representation

By Sasha Zirin / March 8, 2024
“Drive-Away Dolls,” filmmaker Ethan Coen’s first movie made without his brother, Joel, is currently in theaters.
Emerson student film: A taste of what's to come this year

Emerson student film: A taste of what’s to come this year

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / February 8, 2024

The spring semester is well underway, and Emerson College’s student filmmakers are working hard to produce, film, and release films and TV shows in 2024.  With...

Matthew Wong’s “River at Night” at the MFA

Matthew Wong at the MFA: using external and internal inspirations to make artwork that’s utterly his own

By Sasha Zirin / January 24, 2024

Artist Matthew Wong’s profound work, known for its distinctiveness and the ability Wong had to bare his soul on the canvas, is now on display for a limited...

“Napoleon” obscures history in an unobscure fashion

“Napoleon” obscures history in an unobscure fashion

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / November 29, 2023

Spoiler Warning “Napoleon,” Ridley Scott’s latest film, aims to depict the adult life of French emperor and military commander Napoleon Bonaparte....

Sofia gives “Priscilla” an important spotlight to share her story

Sofia gives “Priscilla” an important spotlight to share her story

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / November 1, 2023

The opening of Sofia Coppola's new film “Priscilla” features a young woman applying her makeup, immediately giving the audience the impression that...

‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ offers fans the rare opportunity to simulate her concert in the theater

‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ offers fans the rare opportunity to simulate her concert in the theater

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / October 29, 2023

A rare moviegoing experience has hit theaters: pop icon Taylor Swift’s new concert film, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” has been hosting sold-out...

‘The Exorcist: Believer’ kicks off the horror movie season

‘The Exorcist: Believer’ kicks off the horror movie season

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / October 5, 2023

As Halloween season begins, the sixth installment of the “Exorcist” movie franchise has arrived: “The Exorcist: Believer.” Directed by David Gordon...

Innovative, Dramatic, Heartfelt: “Strange Way of Life” hits theaters

Innovative, Dramatic, Heartfelt: “Strange Way of Life” hits theaters

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / October 5, 2023

A fresh take on Westerns, “Strange Way of Life,” is hitting theaters this week with just a 32-minute runtime. The film wrapped me up in a fast drama-romance,...

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...

Illustration: Molly Boyke

‘The Nun II’: A sequel that might, hopefully, maybe could haunt your nightmares

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / September 20, 2023

A bottle of wine explodes for seemingly no reason in a church in Tarascon, France—and it only gets more horrifying from there. Little can stop a cryptic...

Illustration by Sasha Zirin

Emerson Independent Video hits the ground running as academic year starts

By Sasha Zirin, Sasha Zirin / September 14, 2023

Emerson’s Independent Video is starting the semester with a brand new collection of productions including short films, TV shows, and more. The productions...

After the first week of classes, the class of 2027 has begun to settle in and acclimate to their new college life.

‘I’ve definitely gotten more comfortable’: first-year students settle in and share their perspectives

By Sasha Zirin, Assistant Living Arts Editor / September 13, 2023

With two weeks of classes and time as a Boston college student under their belts, hundreds of first-years have moved into Emerson. They bring ample perspectives,...

Stage before ComEx!

ComEx: A Comedy Extravaganza Shines a Spotlight on the Comedic Arts Department

By Sasha Zirin / April 20, 2023

Bouts of laughter filled the Semel Theater last weekend thanks to the hard work of Emerson’s Comedic Arts Department, who hosted the college’s third...

Fear and Loathing in Spiderland: freshman band makes an impact on the music world of Emerson

Fear and Loathing in Spiderland: freshman band makes an impact on the music world of Emerson

By Sasha Zirin / March 29, 2023

You just woke up for your 8 a.m. class. You’re exhausted, and you think some music will help. You scroll through the songs saved on your phone and realize,...

The set of "Mary, Sweet Mary"

‘Mary, Sweet Mary…’ brings modern queer themes to the Elizabethan era

By Sasha Zirin / March 9, 2023

“Mary, Sweet Mary, or The Final Tragedy of Christopher Marlowe” entered the hearts and minds of the public last weekend, lighting up the stage with...

Conveyor belt at Emerson's Waste Management facility.

Emerson’s Waste Management facility highlights campus sustainability efforts

By Sasha Zirin / February 22, 2023

Equipped with policy-mandated hard hats, neon vests, and glasses, a group of Emerson students toured the Waste Management facility in Billerica, Massachusetts,...

Timothée Chalamet as Lee (left) and Taylor Russell as Marin Yearly (right) from Guadagnino’s Bones and All

‘Bones and All’: the coming-of-age horror

By Sasha Zirin, Staff Writer / January 13, 2023

This review contains spoilers. “Bones and All” is a heartbreaking film that rattles the viewer to their core through its unique use of cannibalism...

Cantab Lounge keeps Boston poetry scene alive

Cantab Lounge keeps Boston poetry scene alive

By Sasha Zirin, Staff Writer / December 7, 2022

Performance poetry is a social art form that can involve encouraging community.  At the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, Emerson alum Myles Taylor ‘19...

The previous semester’s book campaign.

On the Same Page Boston benefits Emerson students and Boston Public Schools

By Sasha Zirin / November 16, 2022

For the seventh semester, Emerson students help to bring inclusive children's literature to Boston Public Schools through On the Same Page Boston—an...

$28 million to fund Boston Common renovation

By Sasha Zirin / November 9, 2022

With plans being finalized, renovations to the Boston Common’s entrances and borders, upgraded amenities for visitors, and improved recreational areas...

‘It's the only way we can progress in society’: students reflect on “fall back”

‘It’s the only way we can progress in society’: students reflect on “fall back”

By Sasha Zirin / November 9, 2022

Last March, the Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act, a federal law that concretes daylight saving time as the standard year-round time...

Street vendors in Salem.

Salem residents share perspectives on tourist crowds

By Anastasia Petridis and Sasha Zirin / October 26, 2022

Over half a million tourists visited Salem, MA this October according to NBC Boston—an increase of 15 percent compared to last year—leaving residents...