Climate change is detrimental for people living in poverty

April 21, 2021

A few days ago it was raining, and for the first time in a while, it wasn’t too cold for me to enjoy the drizzle. Whenever I see rain, my mind immediately travels back home to the Dominican Republic, where

We Are Here: college theatre programs need to create more inclusivity for students of color

April 14, 2021

If someone asks me to sing “Breath” from In The Heights one more time, I think I might actually escort myself back to Puerto Rico. When I auditioned for Emerson’s musical theatre program, I remember sitting in the Paramount dance

Femicide in India defines the country’s patriarchy

April 14, 2021

TW: This op-ed contains graphic mentions of misogyny, sexual assault, domestic abuse, and murder. On April 10, a 26-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her husband in Delhi, India. The woman, Neelu Mehta, was repeatedly stabbed 25 times in

The Minnesota assault overturn shows that the justice system is going backward

April 8, 2021

Through recent Instagram posts, I found out the state of Minnesota does not fairly investigate a sexual assault case if the victim was voluntarily intoxicated. I was repulsed by this fact.  The Minnesota Supreme Court overturned Francios Momolu Khalil’s conviction

Fear-mongering in the media has spiraled out of control

April 7, 2021

On March 25, NPR published “Few Facts, Millions Of Clicks: Fear Mongering Vaccine Stories Go Viral Online.” In the story, NPR analysts point out that while the odds of dying after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine are virtually nonexistent, articles connecting

Yearly tuition increases should not become the norm

March 31, 2021

On March 15, Emerson announced a “flexibility week” meant to tackle the steady decline of students’ mental health. That same week, it was announced that not only will Emerson students not receive a vaccine from the college before the end

Internship for credit: gaining experience or getting scammed?

March 31, 2021

During my first-year student orientation, I was excited to see that Emerson offered academic internship opportunities, including one located in Washington D.C. I eagerly put my name down for their email list and started imagining myself working on Capitol Hill.

There is no excuse for hate crimes against Asian Americans

March 25, 2021

The recent murder of eight people, including six of Asian descent at three different locations—a massage parlor in Acworth, GA and two spas in Atlanta, GA—calls for an addressing of hate crimes against Asian Americans in the United States.  Since

David Dobrik’s kingdom of bullying

March 25, 2021

Trigger Warning: This column contains mentions of racism, homophobia, ableism, and sexual assault. Over the past couple of years, the YouTube community has seen the rise and fall of many internet giants on the platform. From Shane Dawson, Jeffree Star,

Private corporations must be held accountable for climate change, not the American public

March 25, 2021

For as long as I can remember it has been ingrained in me that helping the planet is my individual responsibility. Posters in the hallways of my middle school urged me to “go green” and television ads told me to

When will I get the vaccine?

March 19, 2021

Amid seven new variants of the already malicious novel coronavirus reaching the United States, my fellow Emerson students and I wonder: when will we get the vaccine?  Emerson students have received email after email regarding COVID-19 vaccine updates, all with

Adapting to hybrid learning is a privilege

March 17, 2021

Trigger warning: This op-ed discusses topics related to mental illness. After a year of experimenting with new forms of learning in an attempt to simulate an in-person experience, it is quite evident that nothing compares to traditional in-person learning.  Even

Traversing grief in a pandemic

March 17, 2021

While scrolling through Twitter—a passive and frequent pandemic pastime—I’ll see tweets along the lines of “We survived 2020; that’s something to celebrate.” While of course, that is something worth celebrating, I can’t help but think of the grand scale of

A year of loss and disappointment: what the pandemic has taken from us

March 17, 2021

I remember my last day of normalcy perfectly. I met my friend Natalie for morning coffee at The Thinking Cup, went back to my dorm to say a quick goodbye to my roommate, and took the blue line to Boston

Pandemic highlights education inequities in the Dominican Republic

March 11, 2021

On Feb. 14, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Education, Roberto Fulcar, affirmed that there is still no set date for the return of students to the classrooms. He said that decision will depend on the spread of coronavirus across the

Texas, please stop embarrassing me

March 9, 2021

As proud as I am to be a Texan, attending school in Boston has forced me to reflect on the state that I love—and it’s become apparent just how flawed my home state’s local government and elected officials can be. 

The need for digital knowledge is more important than ever

March 6, 2021

We’ve all heard the short explanation for how computers work: ones and zeroes. There is electricity involved, algorithms, and some processing units that allow us to carry more technology in our backpacks than our grandparents saw in their entire lives.

Confronting my loneliness was a double-edged sword

March 1, 2021

I first moved to Boston in the fall of 2017 from Westminster, Massachusetts; a small, rural town. It was a move that filled me to the brim with anxiety and excitement—emotions at the opposite ends of intensity, caused by the

Trump should have been convicted. Here’s why.

February 24, 2021

Most of us can agree that the Senate’s vote on Feb. 13 to acquit Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 Capital attack was more than disappointing. Not just because we want to put ‘Trump talk’ to rest, but because the

Creating art is not limited to just artists

February 23, 2021

When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a painter. But I became discouraged after my mom told me I didn’t have the talent to be a painter, and that the term ‘artist’ could never apply to me. Ever

The Pandemic made loungewear exclusive for elites

February 17, 2021

Since the pandemic began in March of last year, our time has been consumed by WiFi and computer screens due to the nature of remote living. Suddenly, people who worked nine to five corporate jobs are rolling out of bed

To All the Books I’ve Loved Before: What Happened to Netflix’s Top Teen Franchise

February 17, 2021

For Valentine’s Day, Netflix gifted its subscribers with the third and final installment of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie series based on the book trilogy of the same name by Jenny Han.  The movies featured Lana

America’s opioid epidemic lies in the health care system

February 16, 2021

On Feb, 4, NPR released a segment of their morning edition broadcast, where they discussed the current legal state of consulting giant McKinsey and Company. Recently, the company reached a total of $573 million in lawsuit settlements with nearly 50

Superbowl traditions this year just weren’t the same

February 13, 2021

The general sentiment of last Sunday’s Super Bowl seems to be ‘disappointment.’ Many viewers felt the game itself was boring for the standards of a Super Bowl, with a lackluster game and a referee that some see as biased against

Why you should care about Trump’s second impeachment

February 10, 2021

It’s been one month since the House of Representatives introduced articles of impeachment against former President Donald J. Trump for incitement of insurrection. The argument against him? The role he played in encouraging a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol

As a journalist, I still deserve to have an opinion

February 10, 2021

As journalists, we are taught that objectivity is the key to good reporting. We’re taught we must not allow our biases to seep into our reporting and writing. We either must keep our opinions to ourselves or drop them off

Climate justice must include Indigenous sovereignty

February 10, 2021

When I think of the year 2016, it seems like eons have passed. In the past four years, time has moved awry, with one headline after another bringing waves of turmoil caused by the Trump administration. Empathy and compassion are

New legislation in India causes farmer protests over corporate privatization

February 10, 2021

Since Aug. 2020, farmers in India are protesting new laws passed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that significantly lessen government regulation around sale, pricing and storage of produce. Three bills were passed on Sep. 14, 2020 by the Bharatiya Janata

How good is Rudy Giuliani at establishing law and order?

February 6, 2021

In February of last year, the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, hired Rudy Giuliani as a consultant for national security services. Today, the former New York City mayor is being sued for more than $1.3 billion by Dominion

The missing half: The reality of Mexico’s femicide crisis

February 3, 2021

Content warning: This Op-ed discusses topics of domestic violence, murder, sexual assault, and gender-based violence.  On Mar. 9 of last year, millions of women carried out one of the largest protests in Mexican history. We did not leave our homes—we

The GameStop surge shows Wall Street’s contempt for the “free” in free market

February 3, 2021

The stock market uproar over the past two weeks has enthralled financial institutions and social media platforms alike. It threatens to prove, if nothing else, that the “free” in “free market” exists only in the eye of the beholder—that is

Unity in America is a far-off dream

February 3, 2021

On Jan. 20, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stood in front of the Capitol Building and gave his inaugural address. His words had a resounding theme, one that I wasn’t surprised by but was still startled to hear. He spoke

Could the pandemic get rid of fast fashion for good?

January 26, 2021

COVID-19 has heavily impacted the fashion world, which has led to more than a one-third drop in revenue within the fashion industry. Even though the world is forced to adapt to the pandemic, the fashion world may never be the

Starting college during the pandemic takes a toll on mental health

January 24, 2021

Moving onto campus for the first time as a freshman is daunting. Stepping out of your comfort zone while meeting new people from different backgrounds is one of the building blocks of the college experience. During a pandemic, the freshman

Video games are the modern form of storytelling

January 20, 2021

Video games have been around since the 1950s, bringing forth old-school classic computer games like “Tennis for Two” and “Spacewar.” Since then, video games are continuously proving to be the newest technology on the market and the increased demand for

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 that plastic surgery was a positive thing; that it

Why are so many people hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine?

January 15, 2021

Amid a pandemic that has taken 1.96 million lives and is set to infect many more, the world anxiously awaited a vaccine. Vaccines typically require years of development before reaching the clinic, but the events of 2020 forced scientists to

The Capitol attack that could have been prevented

January 9, 2021

On the day Congress met to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over incumbent President Donald Trump, a violent mob of pro-Trump insurrectionists attempted to overrun the Capitol building.  Trump supporters stormed the typically peaceful Rotunda, touting confederate flags and shattering

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

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 apps. I think they’re superficial, placing the

How to avoid the hostile political talk at the dinner table this holiday season

November 23, 2020

As the fall semester slowly comes to its end, many students across the country are preparing to return home for Thanksgiving. This year has been a whirlwind, and let’s face it: we all need and deserve a big fat break.

What Biden’s win means for key industries in the Caribbean countries

November 23, 2020

As inauguration day approaches, leaders of Caribbean countries are coming together to congratulate the newly elected president, Joe Biden. As we move from an administration that strained international relations these past four years, I wonder what the inauguration will mean

Emo Never Dies: How Joe Biden helped kickstart the emo music genre

November 18, 2020

When I think of emo music, I used to think of Gerard Way, Patrick Stump, Brendon Urie, or Hayley Williams. After the 2020 presidential election, I now know the truth—President-elect Joe Biden is the undisputed King of Emo. Dear readers,

How I managed my ADHD diagnosis during COVID-19

November 18, 2020

Back in March, it was easy to chalk up the changes in my mental state and my struggles with online classes to the fact that every CNN notification felt like it came straight out of Stephen King’s The Stand. Following

Take a moment and appreciate the DH food

November 14, 2020

Why are the doors to the dining hall so heavy? My noodle arms absolutely cannot handle so much weight. Why does it always smell so funky in the dining hall? Where is the normal food? Talking through a mask is

The next step for pandemic-ridden pro sports after election

November 10, 2020

Embed from Getty Images Saturday became a record-breaking day as Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump in the election—the first time a sitting leader only lasted one term since George H.W Bush was just known as George Bush back

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 toll from losing three grandfathers within the year. But all those emotions

Don’t tell athletes to “shut up and dribble”

November 10, 2020

Embed from Getty Images Basketball superstar LeBron James’ nonprofit voting organization More Than A Vote played an integral role in last week’s election by helping drive the record turnout of Black voters—a move that boosted former Vice President Joe Biden

Biden’s win is defined by his personal losses

November 9, 2020

On Election Day, before Joe Biden’s final stops on the campaign trail, he paid a stop to Greenville, Delaware. He attended Mass at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church. After the service, he visited his son, Beau, at

Biden’s victory is the beginning of an America people can be proud of

November 9, 2020

Around four years ago, I became a citizen of these “United” States. I was reluctant to become a citizen because of the reputation Americans had cultivated to outsiders—selfish people who did what they wanted and did everything gluttonously. With that,

Optimism of uncertainty: What the Biden-Harris victory means for international students

November 9, 2020

The whole world has been waiting for this victory — for four years.  As soon as The Associated Press called that Democratic nominee Joe Biden won the electoral vote of his native Pennsylvania, pushing him over the 270 electoral-vote threshold

Emo Never Dies: The Black Parade keeps marching on

November 4, 2020

This October, I celebrated the birthday of an emo icon. My Chemical Romance’s third album,  The Black Parade, officially turned 14 years old in October 2020, meaning the album beloved by angsty teenagers everywhere is old enough to be an

As an international student, watching this election sparks fear

November 4, 2020

Tags related to America have only trended once a while on the Chinese Twitter-like social media platform Weibo since the pandemic began. I remember seeing trending terms like “U.S. COVID-19 cases climb,” “Trump blamed China for coronavirus outbreak,” “Trump tested

Opinion: How will we cope with another Trump win?

November 3, 2020

My stomach has been in knots all day. I have already gotten into multiple arguments with my family members and peers regarding the presidential election. The sheer thought of another four years of this administration makes me feel as though

Peering into the U.S. election from the Dominican Republic

November 3, 2020

Tension is in the air on Election Day. Even across the world, people are anxious to know what lies ahead for the United States and how it will affect them for the next four years.  Here in the Dominican Republic,

Opinion: Will there be mass violence on Election Day?

November 3, 2020

While I am cautiously optimistic about the outcome of this year’s election, I am not optimistic about the potential fallout. No matter what the results are, a lot of heavily-armed people may be really angry, and anger plus ammunition is

International destinations at risk: How to be considerate travelers during COVID-19

October 28, 2020

Several countries around the world are highly reliant on tourism for generating foreign exchange, attracting international investments, increasing tax revenue, and providing job opportunities. Many have had to slow down or completely shut down these sectors in order to control

Bring the online push for democracy to the polls

October 28, 2020

Many people highly anticipate Election Day. Each and every voter sits staring at their TV screen, hoping they did enough for their candidate to win. This election is no different, and it carries even more weight and importance than previous

Twenty three hours inside the college’s quarantine residence

October 22, 2020

I’d give the Paramount Hotel three stars following my brief stay in the college’s on-campus quarantine residence hall.  After showing symptoms of COVID-19 but receiving a negative test last week, I was advised by the college’s Center for Health and

He’s Got Spunk- ‘The Ick’

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 season creeping up on

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 than others, like knocking over the coffee mug onto your expensive computer or accidentally

Being OK with not feeling OK

October 14, 2020

As a Latina woman, I’ve always been surrounded by happiness and the mindset that everything is fine. Even my grandma, who fought depression all her life, always put up a positive front. My mom—a single mother—never showed signs of weakness.

Secure the remote control, not your luggage. The “new” way to travel during pandemic

October 14, 2020

Although my luggage now collects dust and remains hidden in the depths of my closet, I often think back to the days when I traveled around Spain with my family.   My parents are originally from Spain, but I was born

2020 is not 2016. Here’s why that matters

October 13, 2020

Donald Trump supporters and Democrats have one similar perception of this year’s election: that it will follow in the steps of 2016.  Though it appears America is heavily divided on almost every important issue on the ballot, there is similar

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

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 a pandemic happening doesn’t mean people

Navigating the U.S. election season as an international student

October 6, 2020

“How’s the U.S. election vibe? Who do you think will win? Does any candidate pose policies that hurt China or international students?” I received this list of questions from family and close friends back home during the first presidential debate

Three students on navigating a college social life during a pandemic

October 6, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly transformed our college’s culture and the way we interact with others. After classes resumed in the fall, students adapted to their altered social lives — on and off-campus or remotely. We asked students to tell

My birthday present this year? Stories.

October 1, 2020

Almost nothing about my 21st birthday will be how I imagined. It won’t take place in a crowded bar. My friends won’t buy me frozen margaritas and toast to another year in the books. I won’t celebrate in a nice

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

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, I was forced

Emerson made me fight for the mental health care I needed. But I shouldn’t have had to

September 29, 2020

*Content Warning: This article heavily references suicide and depression.  The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illness as a medical condition, just like heart disease or diabetes. From my experience, however, it is usually treated as something else altogether. Earlier this September,

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s fight for women’s rights lives on

September 28, 2020

When I first heard the news of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, I was in disbelief. I was aware that Ginsburg had been battling pancreatic cancer, but contemplating the possibility of her passing was too scary

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 of what college life would be like when you got here. I imagined

Mail-in voting is still not accessible for everyone

September 19, 2020

This election season, a vast majority of the American population is likely going to vote by mail. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended just about everything in our American way of life, including the way we vote.  Like anything else, voting

Mail-in voting is easy. Here’s why you should do it.

September 15, 2020

What does it mean to vote? When anyone casts their ballot in a normal year, they are fulfilling their civic responsibility as an American citizen. But this November, for the first time in a long time, there is a pandemic

My love letter to The Max that is no more

September 10, 2020

Obviously, a lot has changed on campus because of the pandemic. But what bothers me the most is not the online classes, nor is it the frequent testing, social distancing, or mask-wearing.  What I miss most is The Max. “But

Don’t ignore our “invisible” community as classes resume this fall

September 2, 2020

Billy Brodeur is a senior studying comedic arts. On a walk to Paramount my sophomore year, I turned a corner and saw my friend Paul slumped on the ground. Paul is a homeless man in his late 60s who sports

In quarantine, I revisited my taste in books—and it changed for the better

September 2, 2020

Throughout my entire childhood, I always loved books. I forced my grandma to take me to the bookstore after my Friday classes every week, so that I could spend hours upon hours browsing the shelfs. In my literary journey, I’ve

Time to look at the silver lining

September 1, 2020

In a room full of pessimists, I am the first to say that the world is going to hell. Nowadays, I cannot believe I am alone in that assertion, especially among my Gen Z peers who also attend Emerson College.

There’s a new opponent this year: COVID-19

August 24, 2020

Jillian Kay is a middle blocker for the Emerson women’s volleyball team. Kay is a rising sophomore studying broadcast journalism. When COVID-19 cases first surged in March, I had no idea how much the virus would challenge my athletic identity.

Caught in the middle of the U.S. and China conflict as a journalist

August 4, 2020

When I first landed in the U.S. during high school, the customs officer asked me what I wanted to pursue as a career. When I told him journalism, his immediate reaction was to ask me, “So you want to work

Don’t be the reason someone gets COVID-19

July 25, 2020

Around this time each year since I officially entered Emerson, I’ve always found myself coming to campus with a certain worry.  As an incoming first-year student two years ago, my biggest concern was if students and faculty thought I was

Difficult conversations are one step toward racial equity

July 24, 2020

Sophia Speciale is a rising senior studying visual and media arts. Like many young couples these days, my ex-boyfriend and I met on the dating app Bumble. We connected quickly while text messaging and clicked on our first date. We

The U.S. I wanted to study in no longer exists

July 9, 2020

My boyfriend texted me right after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Monday that international students would need to leave the U.S. if their university transitions to online-only learning this fall. My first thought was, “Maybe this is a

I shouldn’t have to prove my sports knowledge to men

July 8, 2020

Ever since I first became invested in sports, especially football, I have experienced situations where I wasn’t taken seriously due to my gender. As a young woman, I don’t look like someone who could easily name every Super Bowl champion

Black at Emerson: Confronting racism through social media

July 6, 2020

Maxx Carr created the Instagram account @blackatemerson, which presents Black students at Emerson with a platform to anonymously discuss the injustices they’ve experienced on campus. Carr is a second-year student majoring in creative writing. I grew up in New York

POC Column: Dear White People

July 3, 2020

I once had a small, insignificant, ten-minute conversation with my high school friend Kelis that my mind will never let me forget.  One day, Kelis walked into a Georgian Nordstrom to window shop, and a white sales associate approached and

Stop going on mission trips

June 29, 2020

When I was a sophomore in high school, one of my classmates asked for donations through a GoFundMe link on her Facebook page. When I clicked on the link, I expected her fundraiser to cover the cost of family medical

Safety trumps socialization: stop putting servers at risk

June 22, 2020

When I am slated to waitress my restaurant’s closing shift, suggesting new appetizers and giving wine recommendations is something I usually look forward to. Dining at a restaurant is meant to be a relaxing night without the responsibility of cooking.

Emerson should work for a more affordable hybrid experience

June 16, 2020

Claire Rodenbush is the Student Government Association Executive President for the 2020–21 academic year. Rodenbush is a third-year student studying creative writing.  The following is a message to the Emerson Board of Trustees: You have a moral obligation to significantly

Regaining control during quarantine

May 28, 2020

I didn’t even notice the heavy blanket that formed on my body at first. I didn’t even notice my depression and anxiety were triggered.  I never thought I would have to leave campus without emotional preparation, I thought I had

Head Over Feels: The story doesn’t end here

May 11, 2020

I started writing love columns by accident.  One Wednesday during the first semester of my sophomore year, my boyfriend at the time broke up with me at approximately 5:30 p.m. I had a Beacon production meeting at 6 p.m. So,

Right person, wrong time is a myth

May 7, 2020

Last semester posed an interesting dilemma for my love life. I had just emerged from a serious, long-term relationship in October 2019, and I planned on studying abroad at Kasteel Well the following semester. I approached my dating life very

Us versus Them: Reaching across the aisle to our administrators

May 5, 2020

Kaitlyn Bryson is a senior at Emerson College and serves as a student representative on the Title IX working group created by President M. Lee Pelton in the summer of 2019. She is also a contributing Op-Ed writer.  Last spring,

Munchies smoked my eating disorder

April 20, 2020

After multiple rips from a bong and eating a whole package of cookies, I found myself sprawled on the floor of my freshman year dorm, full. I had just made my way through four episodes of Face/Off and one package

How Animal Crossing reconnected me with my friends during COVID-19

April 15, 2020

Today, I did something I hadn’t done in a while. I went outside to meet up with some friends—except, I didn’t leave my sofa. My friends and I went fishing, visited a few shops, and even took a trip to the

Isolated castle or populous city: I felt safer at Kasteel Well

April 8, 2020

On March 6, all 81 Kasteel Well students were brought back to Boston by the college due to rising concerns about the spread of COVID-19. We were told this decision was made out of the best interest for our safety—yet

Maintaining normalcy in spite of drastic changes

April 7, 2020

Recently, my dad told me on the phone that after 70 days of home quarantine, he was finally able to go out following China’s ease on their lockdown. I almost screamed when hearing this good news. COVID-19 had forced him

Seniors are robbed of a milestone by not walking in person

March 31, 2020

In an email to the Class of 2020, President M. Lee Pelton announced that Commencement on May 9 and 10 will be postponed.  “No doubt, this news comes to you already anticipated,” he said. Maybe I’m an unwavering optimist, but