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

Little Building and Walker Building in snow.

College rescinds collective vandalism charges after student pressure

March 2, 2023

The college has dropped its plan to collectively charge Little Building residents a $16,000 vandalism fee in the face of staunch opposition from its student...

The Little Building residence hall.

First years share first impressions of Emerson

September 8, 2022

No masks, no Zoom, no COVID-19 restrictions—the class of 2026’s first semester doesn’t look all that different from the beginning of high school.  While...

Writer Karenna Umscheid sits on her dorm bed, looking at the posters on her wall.

A sophomore’s guide to surviving your first semester at Emerson

August 30, 2022

Taking good notes, going to office hours and turning your assignments in on time are all tips you’ll see when you search for general college advice....

Courtesy Katya Veber.

First-year releases debut music video

February 10, 2022

First-year visual media arts major Katya Veber used to believe she would never create music. After a high school teacher told her she has potential, she...

Boarded up entrances to the Paramount Theatre.

Paramount first-year students face mandatory move-out

September 23, 2021

Four weeks into the fall semester, some students housed in the Paramount Center are being asked to move to new residences in the Little Building—despite...

The Little Building residence hall.

First-year class settles in after year of upheaval

September 2, 2021

After a year of canceled proms, delayed graduations, and remote learning, the road to Emerson has been anything but normal for most first year students.  With...

Art by Lucia Thorne

The 10 songs that got me through my first year at Emerson

May 24, 2021

One of my favorite ways to connect with people is through music. During my first year at Emerson, I discovered so many great new songs that are part of...

The Little Building on a rainy day.

Emerson enforces sanctions for COVID violations in line with nearby colleges

October 22, 2020

It was the first night out of college-mandated quarantine at the beginning of the fall semester. A group of half a dozen friends, all first-years living...

Far fetched as my expectations were, none of us pictured freshman year this way, with me logging onto Zoom to attend classes, professors office hours, and student organizations’ meetings.

We were never getting the college experience we expected

September 23, 2020

For those of you who spent too much of your childhood obsessing over Legally Blonde and Beverly Hills, 90210, like me, you probably had an inflated image...

Freshman William Blackwell Kinney (left), Derek Delson (second from left) and Maxwell Reid created an activity for incoming freshman to participate in during orientation week: a 24 hour screenplay competition.

In lieu of first-year orientation, three students create DIY screenplay competition

September 23, 2020

After the pandemic pushed traditional freshman orientation into Zoom, new students Maxwell Reid, Derek Delson, and William Blackwell Kinney decided to...

National Broadcast Society members work on a set.

College reverses course, will temporarily continue non-tuition credits for first-year students

September 18, 2020

College officials temporarily rolled back a decision Tuesday that would have prevented first-year students from earning non-tuition credits for their participation...

An altered semester begins as first-year students move into Little Building

An altered semester begins as first-year students move into Little Building

August 21, 2020

First-year students began to move into Little Building Friday, while adhering to COVID-19 safety regulations. Unlike previous years, the new student...

This college’s housing system completely disregards the money my family actively pays to Emerson and the fact that the college does not offer me enough financial aid to continue living on campus. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Residency requirement blocks avenue for students to save money

March 14, 2019

I represent the inaugural class of students the college will require to live on campus for three years. Soon to be facing a future of financial insecurity...