Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Illustration by Rachel Choi

I put the ‘virgin’ in Virginian: my first time was more than a social construct

By Meg Richards, Opinion Editor
March 22, 2023

The first thing I said to the man I forever trusted with my “V-Card” was, “I think I just lost my virginity.” And even though he already knew that, I still felt the need to say it out loud. Part...

Wellness Center to host Sexual Health Fair Friday

Wellness Center to host Sexual Health Fair Friday

By Maddie Barron, Magazine Co-Section Editor
March 2, 2023

The Emerson Wellness Center will host the Come as You Are Sexual Health Fair on Friday, March 3, featuring a variety of activities for students to learn more about sexual wellness. The event will take...

Ride or die: whether you embrace the pillow or not, you’re always a princess.

Ride or die: whether you embrace the pillow or not, you’re always a princess.

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
February 23, 2023

Recently, Gen Z has coined a new term that accuses feminine-identifying individuals of doing the deed as those who enjoy doing the deed with minimal exertion. This phrase is one you may have heard before,...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Prioritize aftercare as much as your orgasm

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
December 7, 2022

What do you do after having sex? Cuddle with your partner, turn away and take a nap, or worse, wipe the remnants and just scroll on your phone? The emotional aftercare that takes place after sex dictates...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

The ideal birth control: No Nut November

By Maddie Barron, Magazine Co-Section Editor
November 16, 2022

Despite the magic in the air this holiday season, there won't be many sleigh bells jingling in anyone’s chimneys this winter.  With the current array of contraceptive options available in a post-Roe...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Dracula on the streets, Frankenstein’s monster in the sheets

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
October 26, 2022

Halloween brings out an aspect of peoples’ creative side that can be easily transferred to a steamy bedroom. Oct. 31 is the day to dress up in scary, sexy, funny, and thought-provoking costumes—but...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Sex is an asset in or out of a relationship

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
September 28, 2022

Sex comes in a variety of forms—we all know that—but we can all agree that there’s a difference between making love to a significant other versus doing the deed with a rando. Either path to shag...

It’s OK to get attached after sex

It’s OK to get attached after sex

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
November 18, 2021

Losing one’s virginity is usually a powerful moment in one’s life, and it often results in feeling a strong connection to whomever they lost it to. I’m here to tell you that such a feeling is normal,...

Stop kink shaming: all types of sex are valid

Stop kink shaming: all types of sex are valid

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
November 11, 2021

People have sex. That is a concept that society has come a long way in wrapping its head around, which is great. Now, society needs to wrap its head around kinks and the wide array of fetishes that people...

Hes Got Spunk: He texts me, he texts me not

He’s Got Spunk: He texts me, he texts me not

By Gary Sowder, Columnist
December 15, 2020

Much like everyone in my generation, I use dating apps. Tinder, Grindr, and Hinge are currently downloaded on my phone. And despite the desperation that list gives off, I don’t particularly like dating...

Hes Got Spunk- The Ick

He’s Got Spunk- ‘The Ick’

By Gary Sowder, Columnist
October 22, 2020

Temperatures have started to dip below the sixties. The leaves in the Common are fluttering off the trees. The pumpkin spice latte is back. It’s official: fall is here. Yet there is a much more sinister...

A poster within Little Building asking students to practice safe sex.

Go solo or go home: The only way to have sex during a pandemic

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
October 8, 2020

“If you’re not going to wear a mask, at least wear a condom,” posters around Emerson dorm buildings read. However, safe sex means a lot more than just wearing a condom.  Just because there’s...

Gary Sowder writes about love and sex.

‘On the DL’: The sexual politics of sleeping with closeted guys

By Gary Sowder, Columnist
October 1, 2020

My mom lives in Westchester County, New York, a place that is most known for being the home of the Clintons', and the last place Robert Durst’s wife was seen alive. After COVID-19 touched down in America,...

Gary Sowder - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

It’s okay to have bad sex (and tell all your friends about it)

By Gary Sowder, Columnist
November 10, 2019

“Alright,” I said, hurling my tacos into a garbage can. “I’m going to go have sex with him.”  “What?” my friend Nicole asked.  It was around 1 a.m. and we were crossfaded, slowly...

Gary Sowder - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Don’t call me by my body count

By Gary Sowder, Columnist
October 25, 2019

My evening started like any other Thursday night—meaning it started at the Tam. It was early September, and I wore my nicest H&M button-up—okay, my roommate’s nicest button up—and I had one...

Senior Abbrianna MacGregor, and juniors Alison Michalak, Kamryn Leoncavallo created SHEETS this semester. Photo by Erin Nolan / Beacon Staff

SHEETS magazine pulls back the covers on sex and relationships

By Melanie Curry
October 11, 2018

Juniors Alison Michalak, Kamryn Leoncavallo, and senior Abbrianna MacGregor always discuss their sex and love lives together. So, it's unsurprising the trio started SHEETS Magazine—Emerson’s sex...

Times Up for abusers, but accused men need to do more than spend time away

Time’s Up for abusers, but accused men need to do more than spend time away

By Allison Hagan
September 13, 2018

Two weeks ago, and 10 months after he admitted to masturbating nonconsensually in front of five women, Louis C.K. took the stage for a surprise set at a comedy club in New York City. C.K., who made a joke...

Load More Stories

Comments (0)

The Berkeley Beacon intends for this area to be used to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and must be approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards. The Berkeley Beacon requires a valid email address. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comments.
All The Berkeley Beacon Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest