Skip to Main Content
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

Tim Riley, advisor of The Independent (Merritt Hughes / Beacon Staff)

The Independent: the magazine for filmgoers, by filmgoers

By Andriani Maria Lamprinou, Beacon Correspondent / September 26, 2024
Since the ‘70s, Emerson’s magazine, the Independent, has strived to surface underground autonomous filmmakers who were overshadowed by big-budget productions.
'The Longest Day in Havana'

‘The Longest Day in Havana’

By Sophia Pargas / April 3, 2023

As ten-year-old Mercedes Jacobs sat in the Havana airport in 1962, the wait was long and her clothes were heavy. Already classified as an adult, she was...

Maddie Khaw's family.

Asian enough

By Maddie Khaw / April 3, 2023

I’ve felt like an imposter from a young age in both parts of my biracial identity—my whiteness and my Asianness. I’ve never felt “Asian enough,”...

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

By Bryan Liu / April 3, 2023

Radiohead’s 1995 alternative chart topper, “Fake Plastic Trees,” is about my Christmas tree. The eponymous fake Chinese rubber plant lives rent-free...

Hailey Akau and her family.

Hugs and Honis for my ʻOhana

By Hailey Akau / 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...

Anastasia Petridis dancing.

A Love Letter to Greek Dance

By Anastasia Petridis / April 3, 2023

The hat looks heavier than it feels. Colorful flowers cover the right side of my head, while thin chains dangle on the left attached to metal medallions....

Safta Rachel in her garden.

Behind the Name

By Rachel Hackam / April 3, 2023

When meeting someone new, the first thing you learn about them is their name. A name serves as an identifier, signaling who someone is. A person’s name...

A Nomad’s Cookbook for People Who Always Miss Home

A Nomad’s Cookbook for People Who Always Miss Home

By Rachel Choi / April 3, 2023

Food is necessary for the body, but it’s also necessary for the soul—and I don’t mean that in a metaphorical way. So many of my most cherished memories...

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

By Karenna Umscheid / 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....

Jan. Letter From the Editor

Jan. Letter From the Editor

By Campbell Parish, Operations Managing editor and Magazine Editor / February 4, 2022

After a long year filled with jaw-dropping events and unforgettable memories, it’s now time to ring in 2022. In honor of New Year’s, the theme of our...

The Independent magazine was established in 1976 and turned into its own non-profit organization in 2007.

New courses to revitalize The Independent Magazine

By Emily Cardona / May 1, 2020

Five Emerson departments are collaborating to offer two courses in fall 2020 that will take over the production of The Independent, an indie online film...

Juniors Emilie Krone (left) and Liza Rogulina (right) started their own zine over winter break. Thomas Bloxham / Beacon Correspondent

Juniors feature creative artwork in self-produced zine

By Juliet Norman / April 11, 2019

Juniors Emilie Krone and Liza Rogulina toyed with the idea of producing their own publication since meeting freshman year during an Introduction to College...

AutonomoUs artist collective to highlight resilience

AutonomoUs artist collective to highlight resilience

By Ian Sloan / September 6, 2018

Cindy Luu ‘17 realized what it meant to be a survivor from a young age. The writing, literature and publishing major wrote her senior thesis, How Do...

Ben Schifano created Without Collegiate Approval so artists wouldn't have to fear rejection. Photo by Rida Ashraf / Beacon Correspondent.

Rejected art finds home in Without Collegiate Approval

By Isabel Sami / April 22, 2018

After witnessing student artwork get rejected by organizations and faculty on campus, junior Ben Schifano created a solution: Without Collegiate Approval,...

Natalie Harper, the vice president of SheCult, is helping lead the charge to publish a magazine.
BETHANY HAMLIN / BEACON STAFF

SheCult collective plans to publish magazine

By Emily Mason / October 12, 2017

In fall 2016, SheCult was founded to create a network for queer artists. This year, the collective is publishing its first full-length magazine, to be...