Return to in-person classes

Emerson College’s student newspaper since 1947 • berkeleybeacon.com

Thursday, January 13, 2022 • Volume 75, Issue 15

@berkeleybeacon // @beaconupdate

Professor faces outcry over antisemitism allegations Bailey Allen & Abigail Lee Beacon Staff

Hongyu Liu / Beacon Archives

Emerson returns to in-person learning amid unprecedented COVID surge Vivi Smilgius & Adri Pray Beacon Staff

Less than a week into the spring 2022 semester, Emerson has already reported 193 positive COVID-19 tests, leading to uncertainty regarding the rest of the semester amid rising cases statewide.

Emerson’s case numbers since the start of the spring testing cycle on Jan. 3 have already surpassed the 184 cases reported throughout the entirety of the spring 2021 semester. The inflated case numbers bring the college’s test positivity rate to a record-high 5.33 percent, nearly four times higher than its spring 2021 high of 1.36 percent.

The spike in cases reflects a recent surge of the virus in Massachusetts and across the country, largely due to the Omicron variant.

Boston reported 2,747 new cases on Jan. 11, and has regularly seen case numbers reach well into the thousands since the surge of the

Omicron variant. The state reported 22,184 positive cases on Wednesday, with the seven-day positivity rate sitting at 21.61 percent.

Hospitalizations rose from 2,970 to 3,087, and the death toll rose by 75.

Massachusetts tracks two kinds of COVID-19 positivity rates—one including higher education testing and one without.

Wednesday’s numbers showed a positivity rate excluding higher education institutions of 25.1 percent. The rate including higher education currently sits at 21.7 percent.

Associate Vice President for Campus Life Erik Muurisepp, who serves as the college’s “COVID Lead,” said both Emerson’s and Boston’s numbers have been higher than anticipated.

“I think everything is out the window of what we thought,” he said in an interview with The Beacon. “We certainly never thought we’d see 5 percent on campus. I never thought I’d see a 32 percent rate in the city of Boston.”

He added that the college was working to react accordingly to the unprecedented situation.

“It’s just a new day of the virus,” he continued. “We’re making every effort… to make sure that we are keeping everyone safe.”

To decrease opportunities for on-campus transmission, the college opted to conduct its first week of classes virtually, with grab-andgo dining policies and closures to the library and campus gym. A community-wide email sent Tuesday night announced classes would resume in-person on Jan. 18 as planned, but grab-and-go dining will remain in effect until Jan. 24. The email also urged students to “refrain from gathering in indoor spaces, beyond classroom activity” through Jan. 24.

The college also announced an updated quarantine and isolation plan, reflecting new guidelines from the to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Per CDC In-person, Pg. 3

Mired in controversy, an Emerson professor is facing accusations of antisemitic behavior in the classroom last semester—while acknowledging that his actions could have been “perceived the wrong way.”

Brian McNeil, a visual and media arts professor who has worked at Emerson since 1997, allegedly performed the Nazi salute in his History of Photography class. The incident, publicized on the Instagram account @JewishOnCampus, drew widespread outcry from Emerson students and prompted the college to open an investigation.

McNeil stated in an interview with The Beacon that the behavior was meant to parody antisemitism, not espouse it.

“It was perceived as me making fun of Jews, but I wasn’t,” McNeil said. “I was making fun of Nazis. It was an anti-Nazi, sarcastic moment that I had done.”

The alleged antisemitic behavior stemmed from a quiz review in class, dealing with several mid-20th century German photographers. Firstly, McNeil said he asked the students whether they knew the German translation of a photography term—a question that, according to the social media post, was targeted at a Jewish student.

“Because it’s all about perception, perhaps [a Jewish student] thought that I was singling them out,” he said.

“But I don’t remember doing that.”

The next quiz question, McNeil explained, regarded August Sander’s photo series “Face of Our Time”—a series documenting the German people of the Weimar Republic era.

“This is when I raised my hand and sarcastically imitated a Nazi,” McNeil said.

McNeil said his salute was meant to parody the verboten—”forbidden”—nature of the photo essay during the Nazi regime.

“And then I said, ‘Oh my God, I raised my hand like that,’” he said.

Sadie Swayze, a first-year visual and media arts major, was a student in McNeil’s class when the incident occurred. Swayze, who is Jewish, expressed their discomfort after McNeil’s actions.

“This isn’t the first time that he’s done something that’s questionable,” Swayze said. “But this was the first time that it was kind of shocking.”

“After he did it, the class was audibly like, ‘Oh, that just happened,’” they continued. “It was very uncomfortable.”

Antisemitism, Pg. 3

New York-style deli The Berkeley Beacon conducts to open on-campus first content diversity audit next week Frankie Rowley

INSIDE THIS EDITION 2021 Year in Review Pg. 2 Colleagues remember Pamela White Pg. 3 Letter from the Editor Pg. 4

Beacon Staff

Editorial: COVID response warrants criticism Pg. 4

The long-anticipated reopening of the Backstage Cafe will bring new cuisine to Emerson’s campus, as the college is slated to open its first New York-style sandwich shop to the public on Jan. 17.

Backstage Deli, a revamp of the college’s on-campus eatery in 2 Boylston Place, has been in the works since fall of 2021, when the college decided to shutter Backstage Cafe for good.

Kaytranada House of Blues Boston performance Pg. 6 Yacht Rock Revue Pg. 7

Deli, Pg.3 Beacon Archives

Editorial Board

Courtesy Tivara Tanudjaja

As Emerson prepares to hire a new sustainabSince fall 2020, when The Beacon saw more than a dozen staff resignations as a result of a toxic, racially-insensitive newsroom culture, we have been working to reflect and reexamine The Beacon’s organizational decisions, conduct, and news judgment. Among our initiatives was this content diversity audit.

Last semester, we conducted a content diversity audit of over one thousand stories and photos published from August 2019 through August 2020, identifying racial disparities between the

diversity of our own contributors and that of Emerson’s own student demographics.

Although the completion of this audit took much longer than anticipated, we believe it’s important to release the audit’s findings to the Emerson community for the sake of transparency and for comparison with future audits.

Below is a breakdown of how we completed the audit, a summary of our statistical findings, and the limitations we discovered while completing it.

How we completed the audit The Beacon’s management team read through every story published between Aug. 28 Audit, Pg. 5

Atheltics face uncertainty amid surge Pg. 8

193 positive COVID-19 tests

4.93% positivity rate *Accumulated from Spring 2022 semester

News

The Berkeley Beacon

January 13, 2022

2

2021 year in review: Better than 2020, but not by much Charlie McKenna Beacon Staff

It’s widely accepted by now that 2020 was probably not the start to the “roaring 20s” of this century that we all hoped it would be. And, heading into 2021, there was much hope that this would be the year life got back on track—and well, it kind of did, for a while there.

At Emerson, we finally got back to in-person classes after two COVIDera hybrid semesters chock-full of Zoom classes. Those winter months were marked by strict social distancing measures, biweekly testing, double masking, and capacity limits around campus. But then, with spring came vaccines, and with vaccines came glimmers of hope. This fall, capacity limits were dropped, social distancing was a distant memory (see what I did there?) and double masking gave way to barefaced outdoor interactions.

Here’s a look back at this tumultuous year, told through Beacon stories.

January

to an online format. The ongoing saga of the Marlboro merger continued, with the former college’s Potash Hill campus being resold.

Then, with COVID-19 cases on campus continuing to rise despite declining statewide numbers, administrators blasted students for contributing to “community spread” of the virus and not following safety protocols. Students sent to quarantine and isolation amid that surge described “abysmal” food conditions, and poor communication from administrators.

The college issued a lengthy response to the Emerson Students of Color Week of Action and promised to do more for students of color on campus, who had raised concerns about the lack of equity at Emerson on numerous occasions.

As hybrid learning trudged on, students with learning disabilities said they had difficulty with the new model—and felt the college didn’t do enough to assist them.

With the month coming to a close, Emerson announced that it intended to continue hybrid learning through the fall semester, prompting widespread disappointment from students.

Just before the close of the month, The Beacon magazine chronicled the lives of student sex workers at Emerson.

March

Beacon Archives Our hopes and dreams for 2021 were dashed rather quickly when a proTrump mob stormed the U.S. capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Students from Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas said they were “terrified” watching the events unfold.

A sparkle of hope appeared on the horizon when Massachusetts announced its vaccine rollout plan, enabling some campus police officers and health center staff to get vaccinated.

President Joe Biden was inaugurated, prompting widespread relief amongst Emerson students.

Health experts praised Emerson’s reopening plan—even amid spiking COVID cases. The college also officially launched its presidential search, hiring Storbeck Search to find M. Lee Pelton’s replacement—a process that was initially slated to be completed by the end of the spring semester.

However, we got our first warning of the trouble COVID-19 variants were going to cause, with the Alpha variant beginning to spread rapidly just as cases began to decline. Around the same time, positive COVID-19 tests at Emerson reached levels not seen during the fall semester.

February

Courtesy Lions Baseball Sports at Emerson were cleared to make their (not-so) triumphant return in March, after two straight canceled seasons. With cases declining, administrators hinted that some COVID restrictions might finally be lifted.

The Student Government Association began a push for an alternate spring break as more and more students reported feeling burnt out with the unrelenting pace of hybrid classes, which led to the organization passing legislation. The college compromised—offering “wellness passes” and a “flexibility week.”

And just when the saga of the former Marlboro college campus appeared settled, the sale of the campus fell through.

With the pandemic having dragged on for a year, The Beacon published a 12-page edition examining the toll it had taken on every facet of college life.

Then, Emerson dropped two bombs on students within just minutes of one another—the college would be raising tuition once again, and Emerson’s vaccine partnership with Tufts Medical Center had fallen through. It’s safe to say students were not fans of either announcement. At the end of March, Emerson reversed course on commencement—with former President M. Lee Pelton announcing plans to host an in-person ceremony at Fenway Park.

April

Courtesy Derek Palmer February began much quieter than January, with The Beacon reporting on the GameStop stock surge, the Student Government Association hosting its first meeting of the semester, and the iconic Norman Lear earning the Carol Burnett Award.

Emerson quietly announced that it would be holding its 2021 commencement ceremony virtually—the second straight commencement to be pushed

With virus cases continuing a steady decline, the Emerson Prison Initiative resumed in-person classes at the start of April. The college’s spring break alternatives received less than stellar reviews from students, who said they still felt burnt out. Access: Student Disability Union launched the Access Advocacy Project, which included a list of action items for the college to take to improve campus-wide accessibility.

The first sign of COVID trouble during the spring semester bubbled up at the beginning of April, when college

June

September

Courtesy Department of Corrections officials canceled all weekend sports activities after a surge in cases on campus. That surge quickly ballooned to the highest ever reported at Emerson at the time—and was reportedly a result of spread within the college’s athletic teams.

The college’s theatre community was rocked by the death of Performing Arts Chair Robert Colby—whose students remembered him for his legacy of empathy.

The virus continued to spread out of control, prompting administrators to cancel all in-person activities for a week. Even through the spread, maintenance staff at the college risked their health to keep Emerson humming.

Restrictions were finally lifted a week after they were put in place after positive COVID-19 tests slowed down.

Then, the state’s vaccine rollout expanded to cover all Emerson students and offer tangible hope for the end of the pandemic. Much like they did with commencement, college officials pivoted away from a hybrid model for the fall semester, instead opting for a fully in-person experience—along with mandating vaccination for all students.

At the close of the month, alum Erik Messerschmidt won an Oscar for his work behind the camera on “Mank,” and Emerson finally began offering COVID-19 vaccines to students.

And, just in case you thought the Marlboro saga had come to a close, you were delivered a rude awakening when Democracy Builders co-founder Seth Andrew was arrested on federal wire fraud charges.

May

Beacon Archives The month began with the 40th annual EVVY awards (where The Beacon scored two wins), which were presented through an entirely virtual ceremony that brought together students, alumni, faculty and staff.

With Governor Charlie Baker announcing that Massachusetts would lift all of its COVID-19 restrictions, including the state’s mask mandate, it appeared the pandemic had finally released its grasp on the state. The college mourned the loss of sophomore Austin Lopes, an aspiring filmmaker, who died of cancer on May 8. A string of staff and administrator departures began in May when former vice president of diversity and inclusion Sylvia Spears announced she would depart for College Unbound in Rhode Island.

In a surprising move, Emerson tapped former vice president for IT William Gilligan as interim president, luring the former administrator out of retirement to head the college. Just before the end of May, Emerson revealed a slate of new COVID-19 policies for the month of June—including erased capacity limits for all on-campus spaces.

Beacon Staff The Beacon sat down with former President Pelton days before his departure to head The Boston Foundation.

The college’s first Black president reflected on his legacy and said he felt the best leaders needed to know when their time was up. Two alumni scored Pulitzer Prizes for their investigative reporting with The Boston Globe.

Marine Reservist Samuel London was found guilty of killing former Emerson student Daniel Hollis outside a house party in Allston, and will serve more than five years in prison.

And, with COVID-19 cases falling below 100 for weeks on end, The Beacon ceased daily COVID-19 updates after nine months. (Though that decision might be reversed, keep your eyes peeled).

July

Courtesy Caitlin Healy Emerson’s Pulitzer prize-winning alums said the culture at the college helped prepare them for success in the field. With COVID-19 cases at their nadir, Emerson dropped its mask requirement for those visiting campus facilities, though administrators reinstated the college’s weekly testing requirement for the fall semester. A number of staff and faculty members announced their departures in July—Cheryl Owsley Jackson, Jack Casey, Erika R. Williams, Katerina Gonzalez Seligmann, and Greta Spoering all revealed plans to take positions elsewhere. Students expressed widespread disappointment after Emerson revealed that it would no longer allow them to use Board Bucks at off-campus restaurants. And, Emerson extended the search for a new president—a process that is ongoing more than a year after Pelton first announced his intent to depart. The college’s vaccination requirement was then extended to staff and faculty.

August The Beacon wrote about how Emerson has been a gentrifying force in the downtown Boston area.

Former performing arts professor Jefferson Fietek pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a number of his former students while he worked at Anoka Middle School for the Arts in Minnesota. Acting Title IX Coordinator Ryan Milligan joined the growing number of departures, opting to take a position at Phillips Academy in Andover.

After it was forced to shutter for both the fall and spring semesters, Emerson Los Angeles finally welcomed students back for its inaugural summer program.

Courtesy Jiaxin Xu September once again brought the return of students to campus amid the pandemic—this time, with the promise of in-person classes and vaccinations fueling hopes of a normal semester. An Afghan princess, who graduated Emerson in 2004, reflected on the legacy of her country in the wake of the collapse of the Central Asian nation’s government. Student-athletes were thrilled to get back on the field and compete after a lost 2020 season. With mandates in place, Emerson reported that 96 percent of community members had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

A Holbrook man was found guilty of the hit-and-run death of Emerson student Lucas Flint in 2018. International students expressed relief after a Trump administration policy that would’ve limited their time in the US was reversed. Former provost Michaele Whelan announced her departure for Wheaton College. The Beacon launched a special section focused on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

With virus cases still prevalent on campus, Emerson extended its mask mandate indefinitely. The union representing Emerson staff members continued its push for a return of the benefits they gave up to help the college survive the pandemic.

And, three alums scored Emmy awards for their work across the television industry.

October

Courtesy Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo Emerson Stage brought live theater back to the Boston Campus in October with the debut of their production of “The Late Wedding.” In a sit-down interview with The Beacon, Interim President Gilligan laid out his goals for the college and his tenure in the presidency. Students ventured out into the broader community—volunteering at the St. Francis House. Emerson’s Turning Point USA chapter sparked a Sinophobia controversy after distributing stickers with language that many said reflected harmful stereotypes. As the college continued to rebound from the pandemic, the Bright Lights Film Series held an in-person screening.

The saga of the former Marlboro College campus appeared to come to a close when the property was sold to the Marlboro School of Music just before the end of September. The Boston Marathon made its triumphant return in October—with runners flocking from across the country to take part in the historic event. Antisemitism once again rocked Emerson’s campus when a Hillel poster was vandalized, prompting fear amongst the college’s Jewish community. Another seminal athletic event returned in October, with the Head of the Charles Regat-

The Berkeley Beacon

January 13, 2022

ta once again taking over the Charles River in the middle of the month.

With October coming to a close, Emerson shifted to a pooled testing model in an attempt to streamline the COVID-19 testing process and save money on testing costs. Meanwhile, students were overwhelmed by the return of in-person midterm exams.

November November was a historic month for the city of Boston, with Michelle Wu becoming the first woman and first person of color to be elected to the mayoralty. Wu’s wasn’t the only election The Beacon reported on this month, as senior Richard Fucillo became a town councilor in his hometown of Winthrop, Mass. after launching an unsuccessful campaign for state senate earlier in 2021. Alum Jonathan Graziano and his pug Noodle took over the internet this fall, declaring each day a “bones day” or “no bones day” with the intent of telling viewers on TikTok what kind of day they were going to have. Emerson reported a massive increase to its endowment, though administrators cautioned that the finances would have little impact on students’ lives. Fietek, the former professor, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

With virus cases slowly rising again, students at the college’s Kasteel Well campus said they were unfazed by the lockdown imposed by the Netherlands. Mirroring a statewide trend, positive tests at Emerson began ticking up in November, though administrators said they were not concerned.

Courtesy Jiaxin Xu

December The Associated Press advises against cursing, but being the editor of this paper for a few more hours, I’m making an executive decision to override the stylebook. December was the month where things went to shit.

There were glimmers of light—the Institute of Contemporary Arts debuted two new exhibits that prompted thought and examination. Guy Fieri opened a new restaurant on Boylston Street. It finally snowed.

But mostly, things were bad. Two Emerson students reported being the victims of an armed robbery in the public garden. Downtown Convenience was robbed at gunpoint. The Omicron variant was detected in the Netherlands, then Massachusetts.

Experts said the variant had “global spreader potential.” Amid the fear prompted by the variant, Emerson mandated booster shots ahead of the spring semester.

Then, shit hit the fan. Emerson reported 27 new positive tests in one day—as well as 49 active cases among community members, as COVID-19 tore through the community on a level never-before -een.

As cases continued to spike—both at Emerson and in Massachusetts—college officials moved the first week of spring semester courses online and implemented a slew of new restrictions for the start of the semester.

Eventually, Massachusetts crossed the 1 million case marker.

With all of the ups and downs of 2021, here’s hoping 2022 finally brings the normalcy we all crave. charles_mckenna@emerson.edu

3

‘A truly lovely person,’ colleagues remember Pamela White, former Title IX & Clery Act coordinator Frankie Rowley Beacon Staff

Courtesy Virginia Tech Associate Vice President Pamela White wrote that she had always dreamed of working in public service.

Emerson’s Title IX & Clery Act coordinator, who died on Dec. 29, left behind a legacy of service to students at Emerson and elsewhere.

White began her time at Emerson in 2015, after three years of serving as Virginia Tech’s executive director for equity and access. Working within the Social Justice Center to support those affected by power-based interpersonal violence, she spearheaded several major projects while at the college, most notably the reimagining of training programs for students, faculty, and staff.

“Her expertise and commitment to data-driven, evidence-based best practices in equity in higher education enabled her to center individuals and communities impacted by power-based interpersonal violence,” wrote Ruthanne Madsen, interim supervisor of the SJC and vice president for enrollment management, in the email announcing White’s passing.

Madsen remembered White fondly, saying she had “a smile that could light up a room and a brain that was always working.”

“While a colleague of Pam’s, I had tremendous respect for her talents and her experiences that reached far beyond the legal world,” she wrote in a statement to The Beacon. “She will be missed.”

“Pam was a beloved member of our SJC family, and I will truly miss her sense of humor and the joy she brought to our gatherings,” said Alayne Fiore, the director of operations for SJC. White was passionate about her role in the Title IX office. In her bio for the Social Justice Center’s website, White wrote that she grew up admiring the likes of Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and Yvonne Braithwaure Burke, whose “sheer will to refuse to accept the status quo” motivated her to “keep pressing forward doing this work.”

Sylvia Spears, who oversaw the Title IX office as the college’s former vice president for equity & social justice, remembered White as an “extraordinary woman who was committed to justice and brought that ethic to her work at Emerson.”

“Pam was an extraordinary woman who was committed to justice and brought that ethic to her work at Emerson,” she wrote in a statement by the SJC. “She was a beloved colleague in the SJC who became my good friend.”

Robert Amelio, who served alongside White as the college’s former director of diversity and inclusive excellence at Emerson, called her “kind and gracious.”

“Pam worked hard to listen to everyone and understand their points-ofview in work that was sensitive and challenging,” he said. “Pam had a wonderful laugh and sense of humor which helped her remain calm and objective, and also helped her as she adjusted to life up north. Pam was kind and gracious. A wonderful colleague. A truly lovely person.”

Robert Amelio, former director of diversity and inclusive excellence, did serve as a bias trainer for The Beacon during the 2020-2021 academic year. frankie_rowley@emerson.edu

In-person classes to return despite rise in cases

Antisemitic behavior was ‘sarcastic moment,’ professor says Cont. from Pg. 1 McNeil, for his part, maintained that no one in the class “raised any issue” at the time. He said he was disappointed by the reaction on social media, where the incident quickly garnered attention among Emerson community members.

Jordana Meltzer, a junior theatre education and performance major, who is the president of Hillel—the Jewish organization on campus—expressed her distress over the incident, which was publicized just weeks after a Hillel poster was defaced with antisemitic graffiti.

“I was pretty disgusted and shocked,” Meltzer said. “I hope that [the administration] can actually figure out what happened and go through the whole case without dropping it because putting it in the priority and taking whatever steps further to see what needs to be done [is important].”

Meltzer said the administration’s next step should be to educate students, faculty, and staff through a more comprehensive bias training that highlights antisemitism in great detail.

McNeil stressed that the accusations of antisemitism did not reflect him as a person.

“My father was a bomber pilot in World War II,” he said. “I mean, he was bombing the hell out of the Nazis. So, you know, there’s no antisemitic behavior on my part, I don’t think. I mean, my wife is Jewish.”

Aaron Baseman, another Jewish firstyear visual and media arts major in McNeil’s class, said although the event indeed took place, it was taken out of context.

“What really unnerved me about the situation was the way it was contextualized online,” Baseman said. “It was contextualized in a very different way—one that seems largely discriminatory online, when it was surrounded by a hefty amount of very anti-fascist, anti-Hitler context. He was talking about a photographer who was sort of persecuted by the Nazis.”

Baseman took issue with the instinctive reactions by commenters on Instagram that immediately villanized McNeil.

“There are certain elements of him being out of touch and maybe making some lightly impolite remarks, but I would never call them intentionally hateful or discriminatory,” Baseman continued.

The professor also garnered support from two professors in the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts, who wrote a Letter to the Editor arguing that the college’s reaction to the incident was premature, and rooted in an “appetite for moral outrage” rather than “a higher sense of reasoned deliberation.”

“It created an atmosphere of prejudgment, and I don’t think that that was [In-

terim President Bill Gilligan’s] intention,” said Sam Binkley, one of the authors of the letter, in an interview with The Beacon.

Binkley commended Gilligan for responding promptly to the report of harm and pursuing a full investigation, clarifying that his issue was not with the anonymous student’s use of social media, but the hasty acceptance of the context set forth by the Instagram post.

“This is someone who made a mistake, someone who owes an apology, but he gets it,” Binkley added. “He’s willing to offer that apology.”

McNeil will take a hiatus from teaching for at least the spring 2022 semester, a decision he said was made “with the college” to allow time for the investigation to be conducted.

When asked what he would have done differently, McNeil said he would “avoid that type of humor.”

Peggy Shukur, the deputy regional director of Anti-Defamation League New England, said incidents like this one raised questions of intent versus impact.

“I appreciate that this professor didn’t intend anything offensive to people, but the impact of using a Nazi symbol on Jewish students and probably many more who have been victims, or who have had family members that were victims of the Nazis—that’s really what we should center here,” Shukur said.

“With all due respect to the role of humor in the classroom, this particular area of Nazis, swastikas, and those sorts of symbols are so deeply serious and impactful to so many communities that we really ask that people be thoughtful before making light of them,” she continued.

College spokesperson Michelle Gaseau declined to comment to The Beacon, citing an ongoing investigation into the matter.

Although Swayze said McNeil’s behavior was offensive at times—noting that the professor once used the “r-slur,” referring to people with intellectual disabilities, to jokingly describe his computer—they added that they did not feel McNeil meant harm.

“I don’t think that Brian is a completely malicious, awful person,” Swayze said. “He definitely showed his age and the level of ignorance that comes along with being in the older generation— thinking that you can say things and then get away with it.”

Payton Cavanaugh contributed reporting.

Bailey Allen, deputy enterprise editor of The Beacon and secretary of Hillel did not interview Hillel President Jordana Meltzer for this article due to a conflict of interest. contact@berkeleybeacon.com

New eatery to offer soups, sandwiches in 2B Cont. from Pg. 1

Beacon Archives Cont. from Pg. 1 guidelines, students who have not received their boosters must quarantine in their assigned spaces for five days after exposure to COVID, with the day of exposure serving as day zero.

The city of Boston has also taken further steps to curtail the spread of Omicron. On Dec. 20, Mayor Michelle Wu announced a vaccine requirement for all city workers and patrons of city businesses effective Saturday. The city has also implemented a new app called “B Together” to serve as digital verification of vaccination.

Muurisepp emphasized the importance of a community-wide effort in the transition to in-person life at Emerson, advising students to remain masked, continue social distancing and communicate with faculty if they are feeling under the weather.

“We’re going to have to play it day-by-day,” he said.

contact@berkeleybeacon.com

“At the beginning of the fall [2021] semester, we knew we were going to have it offline,” said Jordan Mackenzie, who serves as the college’s customer experience coordinator. “It’s typical for us, at the end of an academic semester, to consider how the year went and student feedback. Then we make changes to keep things fresh and introduce new ideas and concepts to adjust to the needs of the campus.”

The concept originated with student feedback, with many students saying they missed the “deli” that used to be part of Emerson’s Dining Center. Instead of restoring the deli as a dining hall station, the college opted to commit to the idea of a full establishment.

“We were able to do it in a full capacity style,” Mackenzie said.

“[Instead of] doing grab-and-go sandwiches at the dining center, we can focus on traditional menus with a full deli focus, which is pretty cool for that concept.”

The location will offer a traditional “New York-style” deli menu—submarine sandwiches, sides, soups, desserts—and will accept meal swipes, as well as dining plan payments like Board Bucks, and EC Cash. Students will be able to use meal swipes on select items, such as one traditional sub, a bag of chips, a pickle, a cookie, and a fountain drink.

Other items offered at the deli include bottled beverages, various salads, and daily soup and dessert options.

Like the Lion’s Den, Backstage Deli will be open on weekdays only, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. frankie_rowley@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

Opinion

Letter from the Editor: The Beacon’s shortcomings and how we will improve Lucia Thorne Editor-in-Chief

It’s been a year and a half since The Beacon began a process that had been long overdue: reckoning with the racism within our organization. As our new editor-in-chief, I’m writing to update you on the progress of that reckoning—what we’ve already changed within the institution to address these issues, and, with the dawn of a new semester, what steps come next.

This semester, our main goal is transparency—within our organization and with the Emerson community.

In September 2020, The Beacon saw a mass resignation of over a dozen staffers due to a story published about a white student losing her father’s financial aid after supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. We centered a white ally and her experience rather than focusing the conversation where it should have been: on Black lives and BIPOC voices.

I––and nearly all our staff this semester––joined The Beacon in the aftermath of this incident. Yet while I was not around for this decision, my understanding of the full impact of the incident is inherently limited.

Based on everything I have learned, heard, and observed during my time at Emerson, the repeated hurt our organization has caused marginalized communities is unequivocally evident. I, like my predecessors, extend my deepest apologies to every person— former staffers and community members alike—that The Beacon has hurt.

However, I understand that this apology, like so many others, may not feel sincere without the evidence of the changes we’ve been working toward.

Respect is something that is earned. And as a publication, we have only ourselves to blame for criticism and loss of respect from the entire Emerson community.

What we aim to do now is more fully represent the community we serve and prevent causing the harm it has in the past. This work cannot be completed in a single semester––it is a continuous effort, as we should constantly stride towards the betterment of ourselves as an organization. As long as The Beacon, and Emerson, is a predominantly white institution, this work will always be necessary.

It is not the responsibility of Emersonians of color to teach us

what we’ve done wrong. Had we listened to our staff and students of color in the first place, we could have done the right thing from the beginning without hurting people along the way.

As EIC, I hope to continue the work of my predecessors––Diti Kohli, Katie Redefer, and Charlie McKenna––in repairing our organizational culture, and to start new work of my own.

Over the past year and a half, we have implemented mandatory bias training for all staff and contributors each semester, ethics training reviewing our past mistakes, and created an advisory board composed of journalists of color. Yet, in completing an audit of our past and present coverage for racial bias and shortcomings, we have fallen short.

While we had promised to release the audit’s findings several times prior, we failed to do so until now.

The auditing process completed by our staff took much longer than expected, and I must regretfully admit, was set aside as our organization struggled to keep the pace we’d set for ourselves at the beginning of this endeavor.

Today, The Beacon will finally release the audit’s findings along with the publication of this letter.

Lucia Thorne / Beacon Staff Additionally, since the audit of our 2019-20 coverage was compiled using older data, we will be conducting another audit of our more recent coverage––a few weeks from the Fall 2021 semester, and a few weeks from this one. We plan to release these new findings after spring break. This audit will help us examine new data to share our progress and determine what improvements are still needed.

We believe it is vital that we share more recent data with the Emerson community, to most accurately reflect where The Beacon stands today.

Moving forward, we plan to conduct a more in-depth audit of coverage each semester to ensure that an audit of our coverage will be released in a timely manner. We will also continue with our mandatory bias training and will continue to rely on our advisory board this semester.

Beyond these previous measures,

January 13, 2022

4

we hope to foster a more inclusive and open work environment, one where Emersonians––both involved with The Beacon and students, faculty, and staff across campus––can feel heard and know that their input matters.

To start this work, The Beacon has created an open Google form for community members to air their grievances with our content, reporting, and conduct as an organization for those who feel comfortable with interacting. No one has any obligation to do so; however, we want to keep an option open for those who may decide they want to.

In addition, we will be holding monthly check-ins with staff members and contributors to maintain healthy communication within our organization.

Healing takes time, and I truly hope that anyone hurt by The Beacon is healing well and doing better. Mistakes have been made, unforgivable mistakes. We are continuing to learn from these mistakes, and will keep putting in the work to change ourselves until we become the student newspaper Emerson deserves.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns regarding our content and/or the conduct of our staff, please email contact@ berkeleybeacon.com or use our Google form, which will be available on our Facebook and Twitter.

We will be adding the form to our Instagram and website as soon as possible.

lucia_thorne@emerson.edu

Editorial: Emerson COVID-19 protocols for the Spring semester warrant criticism

five-day quarantine seems more like a pacifier to those who want to “get back to normal” rather than a safety precaution.

Even so, Emerson’s new protocols have restricted access to many of the typical amenities enjoyed last semester, including the dining hall, the library, and the gym. It’s a befuddling contrast, to say the least. We are not permitted to interact with students in other residence halls, yet students are allowed to leave isolation and attend classes knowing they could potentially still be contagious?

These rules seem backward and sideways. Yes, it’s smart and safe to restrict

the number of people in the community spaces—but the same people who put those rules in place also have decided that students who might still have COVID-19 can go into a classroom filled with other students. It doesn’t make sense.

Emerson is looking for the easiest possible way to handle COVID on campus. That was shown especially during the last few weeks of the fall semester. Many students, including several Beacon staff members, tested positive during the fall surge through on-campus testing or right when they got home from campus. Almost all of those who contracted COVID received contact tracing information days later from the college, and many had a hard time getting in contact with college health officials—indicating that the college was simply not prepared for an influx of cases of that magnitude.

The significance of the fall surge could have been avoided had we stuck with individual testing throughout the semester instead of making the switch to pooled testing––a move that was meant to help “mitigate testing costs” according to the FAQ email sent four days before the switch was made.

This decision was made at a time when the pandemic had started to lighten up; but if this pandemic has taught

us anything over the past two years, it’s that life is unpredictable, and the college should have taken that into consideration before cutting corners to save a buck.

We saw the consequence of this as nearly 100 community members contracted COVID at the end of the semester, according to the dashboard.

As many students settle back into their residence halls, the spring surge surpassed this number during the week of move-in, bringing in 167 positive cases from Jan. 3 to Jan. 9. For those who were unfortunate enough to test positive on campus and spend the beginning of their winter break isolating in dorms, Emerson did not maintain much clear communication with those in quarantine.

Several Beacon staff members and their contacts waited days, and some over a week to hear back from contact tracing or other administration. Overall communication between students and the college was not very clear.

Given the college’s past and recent response to surges, how are students supposed to expect any change? There is no telling how this semester will go, but one thing is for certain—students need to stay vigilant on their own.

© 2021 The Berkeley Beacon. All rights reserved.

Editor-in-Chief Lucia Thorne

Tyler Foy (Sports) Kaitlyn Fehr (Copy)

Editorial Board With students already back on campus and in-person classes officially starting on Jan. 18, COVID-19 cases are bound to continue their rise. Given the fumbled response to the surge at the end of the fall semester, how is the college planning on handling the next few weeks any differently?

We should give Emerson credit for learning from their mistakes in the fall—namely dropping the pooled testing process, which was inefficient in slowing the rapid outbreak in December. That said, the effectiveness of the new protocols Emerson has announced is anyone’s guess.

The college has reduced the mandatory isolation and quarantine periods to five days, per guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—after which individuals may be released and attend classes in person.

These protocols were put forth in addition to a return to bi-weekly testing for the foreseeable future, restrictions on in-person gatherings and facility usage, as well as the booster and PCR test requirement to return to campus unless a student has a medical or religious exemption.

Even with the current stay-in-room order, the limited campus access, and classes being held virtually, the college has reported the most positive cases in a testing cycle since testing began in fall 2020––193 cases since Jan. 3, seven less than cases reported from the entirety of last semester ––an unprecedented surge which Gilligan described as “an uptick.”

Beacon Archives Massachusetts’ “uptick” has been regularly recording upwards of 10,000 cases a day, as the Omicron variant overtakes Delta as the dominant strain of coronavirus in the U.S. and in Massachusetts, new data from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard shows.

As the strain is still relatively new, its severity has yet to be determined. However, preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron, which may lead to more hospitalizations.

The new CDC new guidelines have been criticized by several media outlets, alleging that they ignore post-infection antigen testing––a tool crucial to detecting if one is still possibly infectious, even after the recommended quarantine.

Top physicians in the American Medical Association have also slammed the guidelines, making the point that a negative test should be required before people can be cleared to leave isolation.

Emerson’s five-day isolation does follow the updated CDC guidelines.

However, with the Omicron variant being more contagious than the others, this

The Beacon is published weekly.

Anything submitted to the Beacon becomes the sole property of the newspaper. No part of the publication may be reproduced by any means without the express written permission of the editor.

Managing Editors Camilo Fonseca (Content) Shannon Garrido (Content) Marcus Cocova (Multimedia) Campbell Parish (Operations) Section Editors Frankie Rowley (News) Karissa Schaefer (Living Arts)

contact@berkeleybeacon.com

Advisor David Dahl

(617) 824–8687 berkeleybeacon.com contact@berkeleybeacon.com

The Berkeley Beacon

January 13, 2022

5

The Beacon releases first content diversity audit in the organization’s 75-year history Cont. from Pg. 1 2019 to Aug. 31, 2020 and entered its data into the spreadsheet, with the exception of incident journal reports (which are submitted by the Emerson College Police Department, not Beacon staffers.)

Beacon staffers performing the audit reviewed stories in their entirety, taking note of factors like the apparent race and ethnicity of each story’s writer, as well as that of the sources quoted in the story.

They also sought to find the gender of sources quoted in Beacon stories. Additionally, the audit sought to address how frequently persons

Despite the lack of certainty, we feel this information is too valuable to discount. of color were pictured in Beacon photographs. Aside from quantitative analysis, staffers also had the option to voice specific concerns on content, structure, or reporting.

Once all stories were reviewed, we analyzed the combined results to present this audit. We are grateful for the countless Beacon staffers who helped us sift through hundreds of stories since we began this process.

Statistical Findings Nearly 80 percent of the stories audited were written by Beacon staff members, as opposed to correspondents (who are freelance contributors not formally hired by the Beacon.)

Of the 903 stories reviewed by Beacon staff members, 581 were written exclusively by white students—64.5 percent. In this yearlong period, writers of color wrote approximately 20 percent of Beacon stories. Yet only 1.4 percent of Beacon stories—thirteen articles— were written by Black students.

By comparison, Emerson reported that 59 percent of its total undergraduate student population in the fall 2019 semester was white; 4 percent identified as Black or African American, 5 percent Asian, 13 percent Hispanic or Latino, 4 percent two or more races, 13 percent international students, 0.2 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.02 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 3 percent race or ethnicity unknown.

The data derived from the audit shows there was a disproportionate amount of non-POC or white writers for The Beacon from 2019-20— our contributors were 9.3 percent more white than Emerson’s student population. The data also showed a 60 percent discrepancy between The Beacon’s Black contributors

(1.4 percent) and the student population (3.6 percent.)

It is worth noting that we had a large margin of writers whose race/ ethnicity could not be confidently identified (13.8 percent), which likely impacted the accuracy of our findings. The college’s num-

con quoted 31.8 percent more male sources than there were male students.

The examination of Beacon photos, however, revealed that 43.3 percent of photos used in stories featuring people of color while 56.7 percent of photos featured non-

more conclusive patterns and findings.

One of the most glaring dilemmas we ran into is the complexity of identifying someone else’s race, ethnicity, or gender. Much of the audit asks questions about the writer or source’s personal identity. In

profile belonging to that person.

For this reason, we included an option for auditors to mark an individual’s race/ethnicity as “unknown or unsure,” and asked staffers to lean on the side of caution.

There are also other limitations to the data. We don’t account for disabled students for example, nor does the college in its official report on the demographics of students’ disability status.

We recognize that the data reflected in the audit may not be 100 percent accurate in identifying each individual writer or source’s identity. Despite the lack of certainty, we feel this information is too valuable to discount.

Going forward, we strive to find better ways to phrase these questions that will yield more accurate results. We also may seek to analyze other factors, such as gender identity (which this first audit only examined for sources, not writers) and nationality.

Additionally, the length of time it took to complete the audit is a considerable area for improvement.

While we were eager to analyze as much of our content as we could in order to produce a comprehensive report, the inclusion of every single story published in the year-long period took months to complete, even with the help of our staff. Future audits should consider limiting the number of stories audited for the sake of producing a report in a timely manner.

Conclusion While the results of the audit are disappointing, this process was incredibly useful to gauge where The Beacon is today. The results demonstrate many disparities in all aspects of our content creation. Further analysis will help us examine the magnitude of the institutional changes made since fall 2020, when the last audited stories were published.

The results demonstrate many disparities in all aspects of our content creation.

bers also categorize international students as a separate demographic while the audit did not, which might similarly impact our findings.

Insofar as gender diversity, the audit revealed that 51.0 percent of sources quoted were male-identifying, while 40.5 percent were female or non-binary-identifying. The remaining 8.47 percent were listed as alternative sources.

According to the college factbook (which collects data based on legal sex), 61.3 percent of undergrad students at the college in 2019 were women, and 38.7 percent were men.

Thus, the audit found that The Bea-

POC or white individuals––more accurately reflecting the Emerson community.

We recognize there is no guaranteed way to find definitive answers for all questions included in the audit—which leads us into the limitations that are important to note when analyzing the audit’s findings.

Limitations This is the first content audit The Beacon has completed in the almost 75 years since its inception. Our findings have many limitations and areas for improvement, which we will take into consideration while planning future content audits with

many cases, it was easy to identify a source or contributor’s race or gender—especially if staffers were already familiar with the individual—but we acknowledge that this approach is inherently problematic.

In most cases, staffers were able to answer all questions on the audit with relative confidence. However, we found that in some instances, there is not always a definitive way to derive someone’s race or gender without being able to reach the person directly. These identities are often complex and personal, and cannot always be identified just based on a photo in a story or social media

In addition to working as a comparison tool, the errors in the process of this audit will help us formulate more informed questions and processes that will accumulate more accurate results.

This first audit was a learning experience for The Beacon, and the disparities brought to light in this audit will help inform our next one and the changes we will continue to make in our newsroom. The next audit conducted will be of our most recent content, from fall 2021 and the start of this spring, and will be released after spring break.

contact@berkeleybeacon.com

Living Arts

The Berkeley Beacon

January 13, 2022

6

Chvrches closes out year with powered performance at House of Blues Boston Marcus Cocova Beacon Staff

Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches brought an electric performance on Wednesday Dec. 1 to the House of Blues in Boston, a recent stop on a tour to promote their latest album, “Screen Violence.”

The band has been on their current tour, titled after the album, since Nov. 9. “Screen Violence” released on Aug. 27, 2021.

Chvrches’ special guest and opening act Donna Missal was praised by concertgoers with an energy that matched what was offered to the headlining band—a

phenomenon I have found to be uncommon at concerts.

The audience’s hungry excitement for Missal is made particularly inexplicable by the over 4 million listener disparity between the two bands’ monthly Spotify listeners. The surprise of this excitement quickly melts away when witnessing Missal’s ability to cover ground on stage, engage with her audience by fixing her attention to individual crowd members, and her use of call and response.

Chvrches’ lead singer, Lauren Mayberry, flawlessly matched Missal’s lively performance. Mayberry assuredly held the band’s title as the headliner with both her

Chvrches lead singer Lauren Mayberry. Marcus Cocova / Beacon Staff

vocals and flurry of physicality across the stage.

Mayberry entered with attitude and in spite of the silken vocals and poppy synth sounds, the singer performed in a tidal of spins and kicks that would put staples of heavier genres of music to shame.

She maintained a studio quality vocal performance, the best of which included the band’s songs “The Mother We Share” and “Forever.”

Mayberry’s attentiveness to the audience bled through her performance. This attentiveness was proven when Chvrches had to stop their performance to address an audience member in need of emergency care.

While urging security to hurry, the singer went so far as to offer one of her band’s personal, reusable water bottles to the fan in need.

Despite the alarm, the band was able to get the evening back on track with the agenda of charging up the audience with invigorating music. The audience returned to shouting lyrics, and remained fixed on Mayberry’s every move. The synth saturated music dominated a packed venue.

The band’s glittery and voltaic appeal was accented by a colorful stage design. Reminiscent of

Chvrches lead singer Lauren Mayberry. Marcus Cocova / Beacon Staff Nine Inch Nails, some of the concert’s most powerful moments were backlit by massive screens which stretched from floor to ceiling, and flashed between a litany of images, furthering the ideas conjured by the tour’s title, “Screen Violence.”

Whether Chvrches is a band in your regular music shuffle or not,

Dancing the night away, Kaytranada style Karissa Schaefer Beacon Staff

A disco ball, blinding colorful lights, and a non-stop flow of dancing and R&B represent the perfect concoction for DJ Kaytranada’s Dec. 9 set at Boston’s House of Blues.

This concert was my first in the electronic dance music scene, and if you know anything about me—a longtime EDM enthusiast—this probably comes as a shock. However, it was well worth the wait, especially considering I purchased tickets on a whim with my Spotify presale link back in August. Given the many months I had to prepare, I probably should’ve thought to bring my inhaler with the amount of dancing I did that night.

Doors opened at 7 p.m., with DJ Sángo as the show’s opener. The artist had a plethora of music genres mixed into his set, pulling inspiration from hip hop, soul, straightforward dance music, and more. He even played an unreleased song––which now lives on his SoundCloud––leading the crowd into an uproar.

On his website, the music producer describes his songs and remixes as “regular, real beats,” and that’s exactly what they were. Sángo’s style is lowkey and chill, yet I still found myself bopping my head, tapping my foot, and doing whatever other movement I could muster to dance on beat.

The Michigan native was a soft opener to the headlining act that transitioned nicely into the more hard-hitting techno beats Kaytranada has to offer. I thought I was going all out to Sángo’s R&B classics and

Kaytranada performing at House of Blues. Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff originals that captivated the crowd.

Boy, was I wrong.

From the second Kaytranada took the stage, I was entranced. Fog filled the stage and the bright lights that beamed from behind hid him made only his silhouette recognizable against the changing TV screen. Both DJs used the screen as a transitioning visual throughout their respective sets.

In the off moments and slow build ups, I was fully mesmerized by the fun, colorful graphics with phrases like “Be patient,” Kaytranada’s name, and creative short videos. In a tight setting with loud music, this was the perfect way to keep everyone engaged.

Typically, from my past experiences with opening acts, DJs are too busy shredding their equipment to be focused on a whole “song and dance” performance. This is usually fine by me when the music speaks for itself and I’m way too busy dancing. But at this show, everyone could see all the visual details and dedication the artists put in to make every part of the concert interactive. From the coordinated lights to the synched up videos, the music’s timing was everything.

There was one point during one of Kaytranada’s many perfected beat drops when white strobe lights started going off. It felt like I just stepped

into a rave in another dimension, and I fully embraced it. My roommate said I looked like I belonged in a coming-of-age film as the main character. Maybe it was the disco-esque 70s shirt I was wearing, or my occasional glances to the disco ball hanging above, but I felt like I was dancing in a movie.

My roommate and I intended to hang towards the back of the crowd, so we would purposely have room to dance our hearts out. Nevertheless, the spread out crowd rushed from behind once Kaytranada was up, constricting our space. Even so, this didn’t stop me. My arms flailed, fist bumping like I was in a club with the cast of Jersey Shore. I got so into the music that I closed my eyes, causing me to step on other people’s feet from time to time.

I’d say mistakes were made, but I honestly don’t regret a thing. I was quite literally having the time of my life.

Watching other members of the crowd was just as entertaining. Someone to the left of me was going ham on the dance floor, even more than me (and I didn’t think that was possible). When a group of rowdy frat bros squeezed through in between us, my roommate and I made a pact with the girls behind us to not let another man infiltrate our already tight-knit space. In an effort to get the guys to move, and showing our dedication to our pact, someone held up their phone with the text “Anybody LGBTQ+?” displayed to the crowd, which gave us a good laugh. Luckily, the frat bros migrated away towards the center.

Ah, there’s something so meaningful about networking at a concert with fellow fans.

The difference between DJs and

they undoubtedly put on a show that will get anyone to move. They are a fun band that makes fun music, for the people who enjoy it. They perform this music, however, for anyone who is enamored with the art of performance. marcus_cocova@emerson.edu

regular singers performing is the blending between songs. Rather, Kaytranada didn’t hesitate for an hour and a half straight. Though I can pick out individual songs from the set, it felt more like one giant extended version of all his hits. For a concert goer who doesn’t like to stop moving, this was more than ideal for me.

I have almost the entirety of Kaytranada’s discography in my liked songs and playlists, and nearly every one of my favorites were played. From Kaytranada’s remix of Rihanna’s “Kiss It Better,” to “YOU’RE THE ONE” with singer Syd, to the crowd’s favorite “10%,”—there wasn’t a single song that I didn’t immediately perk up and vibe to.

When The Internet’s “Girl” started playing, my roommate and I locked eyes and sang every word at the top of our lungs. We reminisced on listening to their whole discography last spring semester.

My personal favorite song of his is “CHANCES,” and you bet that once it started playing, I started busting down. It brought me back to blasting the song in my car with the wind in my hair, singing and dancing as much as possible in a 2005 Honda Civic.

It’s the perfect summer song to me, but what’s the harm in listening to it in the middle of December?

If there’s a song out there or an artist you love, chances are that Kaytranada has worked with them or created a remix of it. Any work of his deserves all the attention it receives and then some. The DJ knows how to entertain a crowd and keep everyone moving.

From his Boston performance alone, Kaytranada is an artist everyone should listen to and find their own favorite song to dance their heart out to. If you have a chance to see Kaytranada near you, do it. You won’t regret it. karissa_schaefer@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

January 13, 2022

7

Yacht Rock Revue at House of Blues. Charlie McKenna / Beacon Staff

‘Hot Dads in Tight Jeans’ take over the House of Blues Charlie McKenna Beacon Staff

After a nearly two-hour delay, the audience at Yacht Rock Revue’s Jan. 7 concert exploded when the band finally made their way to the stage and the opening notes of “Greatest American Hero” boomed through the House of Blues.

That audience, comprised primarily of boomers and Gen Xers donning captain’s hats, seemed to lose their minds every time the band began a song. After all, the setlist consisted of primarily stone-cold classics. Ever heard of “Africa”? I thought so.

Now, dear reader, you might be unfamiliar with the concept of Yacht Rock. I could provide a definition, but it’s more prudent to provide an image.

You’re standing aboard a yacht. A gentle breeze drifts by as you’re holding a glass of white wine. What music are you to pair with said wine? The answer—yacht rock, essentially soft rock produced by a group of elite studio musicians in the mid-to-late ‘70s and early ‘80s in California.

Yacht Rock Revue’s origin story is a fun one—the band began as Y-O-U, an independent rock band making their way in Atlanta in the aughts. But then, one night, they played a set of yacht rock songs. The rest, as they say, is history. Y-O-U quickly became Yacht Rock Revue, a yacht rock cover band that also released their first album of original music, “Hot Dads in Tight Jeans,” in 2020.

This isn’t your garden variety cover band though. These are professional musicians who have been working steadily for years—the guitar player,

“I’ll be sure to track them down for an afternoon of Hawaiian shirts, captain’s hats, and maybe a couple beers.

After all, I can never turn down an opportunity to channel my inner boomer.”

Mark Dannels, went to Berklee! That brings a level of credibility and quality to the covers that are often lost in your typical cover band.

The Jan. 7 setlist was full of those

classic covers, which the band, helmed by lead singer Nick Niespodziani, handled with aplomb. I’d seen the band once before—in Webster, Mass. in August. At the close of that concert, a fellow audience member gave me a fist bump and proclaimed, “this kid knows all the words.”

The House of Blues show offered a nice variety from the previous concert, with the band playing different songs from the yacht rock catalog, but still performing enough of the hits to satisfy the oddly horny older crowd—and me.

I would be remiss not to mention the heavy emphasis on alcohol at this show—almost everyone on the floor was drinking, and there were three bars adjacent to the performance space.

It made for a rollicking atmosphere, though maybe not a very COVID-safe one.

The show, which was supposed to begin at 6:30, didn’t wind up starting until closer to 8:30—the almost inevitable result of choosing to go see a concert on a day where Boston received more than 11 inches of snow. Thankfully, the band had no opener and got right into the music—delivering banger after banger.

The titular hot dads in tight jeans all donned aviator sunglasses and a wide variety of tight-fitting vaguely Hawaiian shirts. Think Margaritaville, but slightly cooler. The band, which features seven members, offered very well-done renditions of your parents’ favorite songs, if not adventurous.

They added a slight dash of their own original songs—something I would’ve liked to see more of as a big “Hot Dads in Tight Jeans” fan. But, when the boomers are around, you can’t expect much but the classics.

Yacht Rock Revue at House of Blues. Charlie McKenna / Beacon Staff

Yacht Rock Revue at House of Blues. Charlie McKenna / Beacon Staff I was pleasantly surprised to actually not know all the words this time.

Songs like “Still the One” and “Night Fever” were out of left-field choices.

I’m not sure the band stuck strictly to their yacht rock mantra, but with the need to stretch the genre over two nights (they also performed the following night in Boston), so the decision to spice up the catalog makes sense.

Of course, there was plenty of time for excellent renditions of “Baker Street”—with the band’s saxophone player, Dave Freeman, who also dabbled in the flute, melodica, and keys during the show, repeatedly receiving the loudest ovation from the crowd— and “Escape,” better known as the “Piña Colada song.” I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that my beloved Steely Dan appeared on the setlist not once, but twice during

the show.

There’s a fun variety to the acts featured in a yacht rock show—with obscure bands and artists like Robbie Dupree, Ambrosia, and Rupert Holmes all getting shine. Of course, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, and Christopher Cross—the holy trinity of yacht rock—were well represented in the setlist, but the band still made time for all that yacht rock has to offer.

At the close of the show, Niespodziani teased that these hot dads would return to the tour circuit over the summer—and if they do, I’ll be sure to track them down for an afternoon of Hawaiian shirts, captain’s hats, and maybe a couple beers. After all, I can never turn down an opportunity to channel my inner boomer. charles_mckenna@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

Sports

January 13, 2022

8

Men’s basketball team takes down previously undefeated Clark

Athletes face the prsopect of an empty Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym in 2022. Beacon Archives

Winter sports face an uncertain future amid COVID surge Tyler Foy Beacon Staff The 2021-22 season for the Emerson Lions’ winter sports teams started off bright with electrifying performances in front of the home crowd at the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym, but now face a similar uncertainty when their seasons were stripped away a year prior.

With the college weathering an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases fueled by the spread of Omicron, the status of several winter sports has been called into question. As Emerson’s men’s volleyball and basketball teams prepare for their season, college officials are working to navigate an increasingly uncertain landscape— while stressing that teams will have to adapt to state, college, and conference guidelines.

“It hasn’t been any different than what we’ve been dealing with in the last year and a half,” said Athletic Director Patricia Nicol. “We’re pivoting probably a little more just because of the rate of infection. But we’re doing our due diligence, we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, and the coaches and the athletes are following all the protocols.”

In order to ensure the health and safety of players at home games, there are currently no external spectators allowed to attend the game. The same rule had been in force at the beginning of the fall semester, only to be reversed after the men’s soccer Senior Day on Oct. 9.

For many players on these teams, the prospect of playing without fans has made the outlook of another season under COVID even worse. Spectators play a massive role in team sports and can affect how players perform in the game.

“Volleyball is a very energy-based game,” said sophomore Neiko Pittman, a middle/opposite on the men’s volleyball team. “The energy of everyone and energy on your side is critical to how well you perform. Not having people in the gym is going to be very impactful on how successful we are.”

Bill Gould, head coach of the women’s basketball team, said spectators are key motivators for players.

He noted that as the Omicron surge continues, the lack of people in the

stands could potentially result in family members missing the opportunity to witness the final moments of their children’s athletic careers.

“For a lot of upperclassmen, this could be their last year of actually playing organized sports in their entire life,” said Gould. “Parents like to go to those and they’re not allowed to.

It’s different from watching it on a stream. They want to be a part of their kids’ final competitive season and they can’t.”

Other athletes, like senior men’s basketball guard Nate Martin, are focusing less on the ongoing crowd restrictions and more on continuing to display a positive performance on the court.

“Some people get a lot of energy from the fans in the crowd, but personally I’m not really too worried about it,” Martin said in a phone interview.

“We practice every day. You get into the gym and work out by yourself.”

“I’m pretty used to it, but I think some people definitely get energy from the crowd,” he added. “It just kind of depends on who you are.”

The policy, which is slated to be reviewed on Jan. 24, reflects the athletic department’s “day-by-day” reaction to the state of the pandemic, Nicol said.

“We just have to react and respond to the situation that is in front of us every day,” Nicol said. “We are having a season, we have had to have some postponements, whether it’s from Emerson or our opponent, and we’re just gonna look to reschedule when we can.”

The prospect of postponed seasons might also draw comparisons to last season, when winter sports were also shut down due to a previous COVID-19 surge.

“It makes me very nervous,” Pittman said. “I lost my last season as well as most of my senior high school season to COVID.” The recent spike has created a disruption in routine for many players and changed athletes’ ability to keep their bodies in shape over the winter break.

“In a normal year the kids go home with a workout packet,” Gould said.

“They say to lift X number of times, do some cardio X number of times, get into the gym and get shots off because when we come back, we’re going to jump right into it. That’s a normal

year.”

Each player faced a different set of limitations on resources, such as closed gyms or lack of facilities. This made it difficult for coaches and players to create a proper routine during the break.

“We have to start totally from scratch,” he said. “We almost have to just go on the assumption that no one is really going to be able to do anything now.”

Sophomore Luke Roehm, an outside hitter for the men’s volleyball team, tested positive during his time at home. He said he is, in a strange way, appreciative that it occurred when it did.

“I am more fortunate to have it before my season,” Roehm said. “Hopefully I get over the virus and will have antibodies to be more protected when we travel to other schools. I can feel less of a liability for my team.”

Student-athletes have a lot on the line in the case they test positive— which would entail not only a five-day quarantine, but a bar from participating in team activities for an additional five days. Matches can also be postponed due to COVID protocols.

“I definitely think about COVID all the time, because I don’t want to be the reason that we are unable to play,” Pittman said.

As much as COVID has continuously inserted its presence into people’s daily lives, Martin is trying to not let it impact the way he plays basketball. He said he is staying cautious but is only attempting to focus on what he can control.

“I’m trying not to overthink it too much,” Martin said. “I feel like if a game is gonna be canceled, that’s not something that I have control over. I decided to do what I can, be careful outside, and just really appreciate my time that I do get to go out and play.”

The life of the 2021-22 season relies heavily on the way other institutions within the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference react to the virus. Nicol said she wouldn’t be surprised if one institution canceled its season but the NEWMAC continued to play. She also said they have to respond based on the scenarios at Emerson and are staying hopeful for a successful winter and spring sports season.

tyler_foy@emerson.edu

Emerson Lions Nate Martin attempts to defend a shot. Beacon Archives Tyler Foy Beacon Staff Emerson’s men’s basketball team earned their first conference win Wednesday night, putting up a score of 72-59 to defeat Clark University on their home court.

Prior to winter break, the Lions were 7-2 and only faced non-conference opponents. The team returned to the court for its first NEWMAC game away at Babson College on Jan. 5 and lost a close 80-73. Senior center Jarred Houston had a triple-double with 24 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks in the loss.

Not only did Clark University win its last match on Jan. 5 against Massachusetts Institute of Technology—their first NEWMAC match-up—but the Cougars were 12-0 on the season. Both teams were scheduled to play a game against different teams last Saturday, but each game was postponed and rescheduled due to COVID protocols.

Clark was the first to strike at tipoff but only managed a slim seven-point lead. Emerson would be behind in the first half until senior point guard Chad DiCenzo sank a three-pointer to put the Lions up 14-13 with under nine minutes left before halftime.

Emerson extended its lead to 38-22 by the end of the first half,

in part thanks to two consecutive three-pointers by guards James Beckwith and Zach Waterhouse scored within a minute of each other. Senior guard Nate Martin led the team with 10 points in the first half, while Waterhouse and Beckwith followed with eight and seven respectively. Senior center Jarred Houston held down on the defensive side of the ball, securing eight defensive rebounds and three blocks.

While Cougars scored the first points of the second half, the Lions managed a resounding answer; with Martin sinking a jump shot to bring Emerson to a 20 point lead, with just under 15 minutes in the half.

Still trying to find success from the three-point line, Clark managed to close the gap to within 11 of the Lions, though this would be the closest the Cougars would get to reclaim the lead. Pulling further ahead, Emerson handed Clark its first loss of the 2021-22 season.

Martin finished the game with 21 points and Houston added onto his double-double total on the season with his ninth of the year.

The men’s basketball team’s next match-up is against Worcester Polytechnic Institute this Saturday in the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym.

tyler_foy@emerson.edu