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

Illustration Rachel Choi

Hold social media platforms accountable for their continuous damage

February 21, 2024

Opinion editors are not responsible for agreeing or disagreeing with their writers but rather elevate each individual’s specific voice. Trigger Warning:...

Beacon Archives

Mental illnesses are not a trend

February 23, 2023

Constructive conversations about mental health seemed unattainable to me as a naïve twelve-year-old. Any mention of mental health was quickly silenced...

Illustration of text bubble

Stop airing out your beef on missed connections and grow up

September 28, 2022

Since the beginning of my time at Emerson College, I have come to despise the numerous Instagram accounts known among my peers as “missed connections.”...

Classroom 633 of the Walker Building.

Emerson to investigate alleged antisemitic behavior in classroom

December 21, 2021

Emerson is investigating a report of antisemitic behavior in a classroom that originated in social media, college officials said Tuesday evening.  The...

Jonathon Graziano 13 and his pug, Noodle.

‘Bones day’ or ‘No Bones day’: Emerson alum, pug achieve TikTok fame

November 4, 2021

Forget horoscopes or weather forecasts, there’s a new way to figure out what kind of day you’re going to have—Noodle, a 13-year-old pug.  Thanks...

When relationships inevitably did disintegrate pre-social media, they were more easily forgettable. Now, even if someone is no longer in my life, they are still just a few clicks away.

Social media forces us to relive our relationships over and over

April 22, 2021

With a simple Google search, I can find out the employer of my middle school crush, know that my high school boyfriend is pledging to a fraternity, and...

Instead of creating self-confidence by erasing long standing insecurities, these procedures sometimes transfer those insecurities onto other people.

Social media normalizes plastic surgery in a dangerous way

January 17, 2021

When a friend in middle school told me she couldn’t wait to spend her Bat Mitzvah money on a nose job, I told her to “go for it.” I remember thinking...

Shawna Konieczny is a junior IDIP major from Medford, Wisconsin.

Why I am one of the voters that helped Wisconsin go blue

November 10, 2020

Four years ago, I had just turned seventeen. I was balancing the stress of school at Medford Area Senior High in Wisconsin, a social life, and the mental...

Like Eicher, I also believe in the power of conversation and communication. However, since social media has the ability to reach millions of people almost instantaneously, it can become a dangerous rabbit hole for drama and social exile.

We can cancel online orders, not human beings

October 20, 2020

English poet Alexander Pope, once said “To err is human,” alluding to the fact that all people make mistakes. Some of these mistakes are more serious...

Jilly Towson is one of hundreds of Emerson students taking to social media to promote Black Lives Matter.

How social media fueled a renewed outlook on activism at Emerson

August 30, 2020

Jilly Towson never questioned whether or not she should post online about the Black Lives Matter movement. “It’s my life, so it is impossible for...

Meeting people online brings with it a whole new world of anxiety-inducing expectations I do not enjoy. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Relationships: Virtual versus reality

September 18, 2019

In an age where technology cannot be avoided and social anxiety is at an all-time high, the once-taboo idea of forming relationships with people online...

Instead of solving problems and misunderstandings, people now tend to default to an extreme and biased opinion more than ever before. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Is social media creating connection or ruining it?

September 11, 2019

In the early 2010s, an Egyptian man named Khaled Said was tortured to death after being held in police custody. The photo of his death quickly went viral...

While developing a personal brand will not guarantee a job after graduation, it can certainly help with the search. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Using personal branding as a means to landing a job

March 23, 2019

“Please write about your personal brand story.” That was the final question on my summer internship application. Luckily, I had done my research and...

Any bing from my phone induces dread because it may be yet another addition to my never-ending to-do list. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Defying the temptation of notifications

October 14, 2018

Recently I’ve had the urge to throw my phone in the trash. It started toward the end of the summer, when breaking news alerts constantly reminded me...

We hope to see the section grow into a place to discuss issues that impact the Emerson community in a thoughtful way. Photo Illustration by Cassandra Martinez / Beacon Staff

Op-ed: So long, farewell, and keep on writing

April 19, 2018

Emerson students love using social media to voice their complaints and opinions on campus issues, such as tuition increase, new building purchases, or...

Logging on to feel less alone

Logging on to feel less alone

April 18, 2018

As a confused, gay teenager, lacking any support from family or peers, I did what any other young member of the LGBTQ community would—I logged onto...

Cathleen DaCosta debuted Heroin Is Not Chic at New York Fashion Week. Photo courtesy of Cathleen DaCosta.

Alum combats ‘heroin chic’ trend with style

March 22, 2018

In the late '90s, supermodel Kate Moss popularized “heroin chic,” a fashion style based around grunge. Today, Cathleen DaCosta ‘10 has repurposed...

Lydia Albonesi is bringing Survivor Love Letter, a campaign inspired by the #MeToo movement, to Emerson. Photo: Brooke Northup / Beacon Correspondent

Freshman brings viral valentine campaign to campus

February 14, 2018

Propelled by the #MeToo movement, Lydia Albonesi brought Survivor Love Letter—a social media campaign where participants write love letters to survivors...

Love Column: An online dating recipe for disaster

October 12, 2017

I don’t do online dating. I wish I did, but I just don’t. I would rather ruin a relationship with someone I know in real life, you know? I’m into...

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