Hillel vandalism

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

Thursday, October 21, 2021 • Volume 75, Issue 8

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COVID cases fall, uncertain future ahead, expert says Frankie Rowley & Camilo Fonseca Beacon Staff

A “Yoga with Hillel” poster was vandalized with antisemitic rheotirc in 2 Boylston Place. Hongyu Liu / Beacon Staff

‘We don’t feel safe’:

Emerson Jewish community reels

from yet another antisemitic incident Frankie Rowley Beacon Staff

Emerson’s Jewish community reacted with grief, anger, and mourning after antisemitic graffiti was found scrawled on an event poster for Hillel, the college’s Jewish student organization, on Friday in an elevator lobby in 2 Boylston Place.

The poster, which advertised a “Yoga with Hillel” event, was defaced with language that “mockingly invoked the Holocaust in relation to Jewish individuals or organizations,” according to a community-wide email from Interim President Bill Gilligan condemning the vandalism.

Those responsible for the graffiti have yet to be identified, Gilligan said.

“It made me really sad,” said Jordana Meltzer, a junior theatre education and performance major who serves as president of Hillel. “It sucks because we don’t feel safe as Jews at Emerson and that’s pretty sad. Emerson is definitely like, ‘We’re a very accepting community,’ and we’re not.”

Friday’s incident marks the second time in recent years that antisemitic vandalism has struck Emerson. In January 2020, four swastikas were found in a Piano Row stairwell, prompting a condemnation from the college and the student government association. The college never identified the individual or individuals responsible for the incident.

Shortly after the graffiti was publicized on Monday evening, Hillel announced that it would hold a gathering for Jewish students and allies to meet in solidarity—a safe space for Jews to air their grievances and heal from the trauma of the most recent incident.

“On a campus that doesn’t talk about antisemitism or hasn’t talked about antisemitism in the fourteen years that I’ve been here, I really appreciate your actions—coming together and stepping out of your homes brave and proud every day,” said one professor in attendance at the event, who did not provide her name. “It gives me a lot of hope.”

Though the college issued a public condemnation of Friday’s incident, students highlighted that issues of antisemitism persist on campus.

Graffiti, Pg. 3

COVID-19 cases have plummeted at Emerson in recent weeks, after the return of students to the Boston campus brought about a surge in positive tests at the beginning of the fall semester.

However, college administrators and health professionals alike are still wary of rolling back those pandemic restrictions still in place.

In the seven-day period from Oct. 14 to Oct. 20, Emerson reported only two positive tests and a positivity rate of 0.14 percent—a stark contrast from the first weeks of the semester, when the college saw a marked increase in positive tests despite the community vaccination mandate. Associate Vice President for Campus Life Erik Muurisepp suggested that the relative lull in positives reflects the diligence displayed by community members in following the college’s COVID protocols outlined at the beginning of the academic year.

“What it means is that folks have been following restrictions, following protocols, policies, and all of that, which is huge,” said Muurisepp, who serves as the college’s “COVID Lead.” “That certainly means it’s being followed on campus and off-campus.”

Though Emerson relaxed many of its restrictions over the summer, thanks to the nationwide vaccine rollout, many protocols remain in effect.

The college had previously committed to reviewing its COVID policies on Sep. 17, but ultimately chose to keep a mask mandate and strict no-guest policy in place amid the surge in cases.

A month later, that surge has given way to a period of relative calm. College officials, Muurisepp said, are still open to revisiting their policies.

“We certainly could look at adjusting restrictions, adjusting practices—if we get to a point where we feel that is in the best interest of the community,” he said.

Emerson continues to cooperate with health officials at Tufts Medical Center as well as the mayor’s office, Muurisepp said. He also reiterated that the college will continue to require masks until Boston lifts its own city-wide ordinance.

COVID, Pg. 3

Armed suspect arrested at Rotch Field

INSIDE THIS EDITION SEAL Director set to take position at Harvard Pg. 2 Op-Ed: ‘Pick me’ girls reflect mysoginitc upbringing Pg. 4 Op-Ed: Youtuber Keemstar is a Bogeyman Pg. 5 Eight fun things you should do on Halloween this year Pg. 7 Men’s soccer team player featured in iPhone ad Pg. 8

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positive COVID-19 tests Ernest Fields, 37, was taken into custody after hours of negogiations with police proved unsuccesful. Marcus Cocova / Beacon Correspondent

Camilo Fonseca Beacon Staff Police arrested a male suspect at Emerson’s Rotch Field on Tuesday evening, after an hourslong standoff closed the South End athletic grounds as well as much of the surrounding neighborhood.

The armed suspect, identified as Ernest Fields, 37, arrived at Rotch Field at 9:41 a.m. bran-

dishing a firearm, according to Boston Police Department spokesman Officer Andre Watson.

Police had previously named Fields, sought for two separate incidents of threats and armed robbery, to the city’s Most Wanted list on Sep. 28.

Students received an alert from Emerson at 9:53 a.m., warning of an “armed person with unknown intent” at the college’s South End athletic green. Two hours later, the college sent another message advisingcommunity members to continue avoiding the area, while confirming

that the Boston Police Department was on the scene.

As officers cordoned off the area, hostage negotiators—supported by the crisis-trained clinicians of the Boston Emergency Services Team—opened a dialogue with Fields.

“They spoke through the majority of the day, from around 9:50 a.m. to just before 5:00 p.m.,” Watson said to The Beacon. “The negotiations were not successful.”

Standoff, Pg. 2

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Police take most wanted suspect into custody at Rotch field “The determination was made to end peaceful communications and bring him in,” he added.

After withdrawing the negotiators and BEST clinicians, SWAT personnel deployed a series of “distractionary devices” such as flashbangs, while firing “less-lethal” rounds at the suspect. Fields dropped his loaded firearm and was taken into custody; at 5:12 p.m., Boston police wrote on Twitter that the suspect had been apprehended.

Emerson sent its third and final “all clear” message at 6:03 p.m., while stating that Rotch Field would remain closed while officers processed the scene. Police departed the scene around 7:00 p.m., according to Watson.

“When somebody has a firearm in their hand and nobody gets seriously injured, it’s a win,” said Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long in a press conference on the scene.

No Emerson athletic teams were present at Rotch Field at the beginning of the standoff. The women’s soccer team had practice cancelled as a result of the police presence at the site, according to one team member; the men’s team, having played a match at Regis University on Monday, was not scheduled for practice on Tuesday, according to head coach Daniel Toulson, while Women’s soccer coach David Suvak could not immediately be reached for comment.

However, one student was reported to have been practicing lacrosse on the field when Fields arrived Tuesday

2

SEAL Director Jason Meier to leave college in November Bailey Allen

Cont. from Pg. 1

October 21, 2021

morning—jumping the fence to escape.

Fields was released into the care of medical professionals to be treated for “non-life-threatening injuries,” as well as psychological evaluation.

Watson said Fields would be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on Wednesday. At his arraignment, Fields was ordered held without bail and committed to Bridgewater State Hospital for a competency evaluation. If found competent, he will face a dangerousness hearing, court documents show.

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Fields’ sister said her brother suffers from mental health issues, and has been homeless for several years. camilo_fonseca@emerson.edu

Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Jason Meier will leave Emerson in November to take up a position at Harvard College after nearly a decade at the college.

Meier announced his departure in a Tuesday afternoon email to student organization leaders on campus. He is set to depart Emerson on Nov. 19 and will take up the role of Associate Dean of Student Engagement at Harvard College in January.

“My time at Emerson has challenged and stretched what I believed was possible,” Meier wrote. “It’s without any

In his decade at Emerson, Meier worked closely with student organizations and served as the advisor for the Student Government Association for four semesters, beginning in January 2020.

SEAL will delegate new roles and responsibilities over the coming weeks, according to the email. It remains unclear who will replace Meier as head of the department, as the email does not lay out a clear succession plan. Meier wrote that he will work with Program Coordinators Chelsea Jackson Jones and Jenna Coviello as well as Director of Campus Centers Joshua Hamlin to aid in the transition.

Meier’s announcement marks the latest in a series of high-level departures at

SEAL Director Jason Meier. / Beacon Archives hyperbole that I can say we have truly built something special together. And while I’m grateful for it, it’s time for me to continue my own journey.”

Meier started at the college in 2011 as director of the Student Activities Office, after having held similar positions at Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama Birmingham. Under his tenure, the office was reimagined as SEAL in 2017.

Emerson, after former President M. Lee Pelton left the college to head the Boston Foundation. Since then, other administrators—such as former Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Sylvia Spears and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Michaele Whelan—have either left or announced their intentions to leave the college. bailey_allen@emerson.edu

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October 21, 2021

3

Antisemitic graffiti sparks outcry

nouncing Tuesday night’s community gathering, the Rev. Julie Avis Rogers, Emerson’s director of religious and spiritual life, said that while the community heals, she hopes to see people raise each other up as we move forward.

“As we do this work of mending, particularly from acts of antisemitism, I hope those who are hurting today can be supported through coming together,” wrote Avis Rogers.

The gathering, held in Lit-

tle Building 227, drew over 50 community members on Tuesday night—Jews and non-Jews alike.

Avis-Rogers and Hillel members led the group of attendees through a sober ceremony of songs, candle-lighting, and traditional Jewish songs.

“On days like these, I oftentimes find it very helpful to remind myself that there is absolutely no right way or wrong way to be feeling right now,” Avis-Rogers said during the event. “A gathering like this is exactly a time to check in with ourselves—to not only show our support for our friends and our community, [but also] to honor whatever feelings, whatever fears, whatever numbness might be arriving to you today.”

Hillel members led the group in song as one student strummed her guitar to the melody of a nigun—a wordless religious tune.

With the words “Olam Chesed Yibaneh”—or “We Will Build This World From Love”—reverberating throughout the room, the crowd moved into a candle lighting ceremony, a chance for attendees to pay homage to those victims of antisemitism that came before them.

“I want to put this down for my ancestors and all of our ancestors,” one attendee said. “We’ve been through a ton of shit and I’m so done!”

Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. “The seven-day average [right now] is 79,000; we were at an average of 160,000 [a day] at one point with the peak in the summer.”

Ellerin said that the decline does not necessarily indicate the end of the pandemic.

“It’s declined from its peak, but it’s sort of waffling,” he said in an interview with The Beacon.

“We’re still seeing cases going up and down.”

Even as the national numbers decline, Massachusetts continues to suffer from the fall wave. Since Oct. 14, the Commonwealth has reported 9,130 new cases and 91 deaths. Those numbers—which average out to 1,304 cases per day— are still reaching benchmarks; the 25 deaths reported on Oct. 19 were the most for a single day since April 5.

“Massachusetts has done very well in this wave, but we are still at a seven day average of 1400,” Ellerin said. “We’re down [relative to the worst of the pandemic] but we still have a lot of cases.”

Though colleges like Emerson are experiencing fewer cases among largely-vaccinated community members, Ellerin warned against prematurely rolling back campus restrictions—particularly in light of an approaching winter that promises much uncertainty.

“It’s not clear that this will be the worst COVID winter that we’ve seen—there are a lot of factors,” he said. “I do think this is going to be a very challenging winter overall.”

Even as the pandemic recedes from the public consciousness, Ellerin warned that COVID-19 could—and likely would—become either endemic, like the common cold, or seasonal, like the flu.

“Other coronaviruses have a

Hongyu Liu / Beacon Staff Cont. from Pg. 1 Meltzer said that though she appreciates what the college is doing, the fight against antisemitism needs to be “pushed even more.”

“We asked the college to actually push [the community gathering] so it [wasn’t] just attended

by Jewish students, but by people who need to hear this and need to learn about what’s happening with antisemitism.”

In a campus-wide email an-

Those who took part in the candle-lighting ceremony did not disclose their identities while speaking to the group, with many sharing their experiences being Jewish on campus, and some even saying they were afraid to share their identity. “[I want to be able to] walk around in my Hillel shirt and not look over my shoulder when I’m walking to Walker [Building],” an anonymous first year student said.

“I’m so happy that I found Hillel but there are certain days where I’m so scared.”

A chorus of snaps, claps, and other supportive outbursts followed each candle lighting and brief speech, with some using the opportunity to speak indirectly to Vice President and Dean for Campus Life Jim Hoppe, the only administrator in attendance.

“I’m putting this one forward for hope and action,” one student said while lighting their candle.

“Whether that means allies getting educated or [administration] finally taking notice of the Jewish issues that we’ve been bringing up to them for semester after semester.”

Many brought forth demands for change surrounding the college’s treatment of Jewish students, particularly highlighting its neglect in recognizing Jewish holidays. While the 2021-22 academic year began just a week before the start of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish students were generally provided few opportunities to observe or celebrate.

The lack of recognition for the religious holidays spreads across other Boston schools as well, with Northeastern, Boston University, Berklee College of Music, Suffolk and others not providing students time off.

A similar incident of vandalism occurred at Northeastern University this weekend, when a mezuzah—a small box with a piece of parchment inside containing the words of a traditional jewish prayer—was ripped off of the university’s Hillel House.

Sydney Cohen, Hillel’s multimedia chair, expressed regret that Tuesday night’s gathering had to happen in the first place, apologizing for the fear students were feeling on campus.

“I wish I could have met your faces under different circumstances,” Cohen said. “I’m sorry that you feel unsafe on campus. I’m sorry that this school doesn’t take action, I can’t promise that they’re gonna take action. But when you do things like this... [those in administration] begin to hear you.”

“I’m not saying that it’s going to work, but you keep on pushing there may be a change,” she continued. “I’m really hoping there will be because [it’s very] depressing and sad to go through this stuff. Especially when it’s over and over again.”

Camilo Fonseca contributed reporting. Deputy enterpirse editor Bailey Allen did not edit this story due to a conflict of interest. frankie_rowley@emerson.edu

COVID cases fall as variant threat looms

Cont. from Pg. 1 “It does not seem like the city is going to remove [the mask ordinance] anytime soon,” he said.

“We certainly would not [remove the mandate] too quickly. We know it’s an inconvenience for some, we know some folks are done with masks, but it is important and one of the easiest mechanisms to help keep the community safe.”

The decline in positive tests at Emerson is a trend visible nationwide, with the seven-day average of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reaching under 100,000. Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, stated on an Oct. 3 segment of ABC’s This Week that the country was finally “turning the corner” on the latest surge brought on by the Delta variant.

“It’s dropping significantly in the country, for sure,” said Dr.

Students outside of the Lion’s Den. / Beacon Archives

Beacon Archives

true seasonality, where they’re seen mostly in the winter,” Ellerin said, referring to the broader family of viruses. “That’s not true of COVID-19 yet. But remember, we’ve only been at this for not even two years. We have to see what the background immunity is, when enough people get infected over time.”

“I don’t see this disappearing,” he added. “[COVID] just disappearing like SARS-1 today is very unlikely to me. Number one, it’s easily transmissible. And there are variants generated, obviously.”

Even with high levels of vaccination in Massachusetts, Ellerin said that the winter would be complicated by the presence of constantly-mutating variants, such as Delta and the newly-emerged “Delta Plus.”

However, Ellerin also noted that the inoculation of nearly 10 million Massachusetts residents has widened the gap between case numbers and fatalities; because

of the protection afforded by vaccines, even “breakthrough cases” are resulting in significantly lower mortality rates.

“The most important thing is to vaccinate the unvaccinated—that’s just a fact,” he said. “You get the most bang for your buck in that primary vaccination series; you’re still decreasing cases, even though it’s not a perfect vaccine, by about two thirds.”

For communities like Emerson, which is approximately 96 percent vaccinated, Ellerin said that rolling back restrictions isn’t necessarily inadvisable—given that they are carefully considered.

“I can’t be too critical of [college restrictions], given that winter is coming,” he said. “But I do think I might adjust [them] at some point soon. These are the things that need to be discussed.”

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Opinion

October 21, 2021

4

Fraternities and Colleges perpetuating a culture of abuse Mariyam Quaisar Beacon Staff Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and rape.

On Friday, Oct. 8, a female student at the University of Delaware was kidnapped, strangled to the point of unconsciousness, and assaulted by her ex-boyfriend.

Brandon Freyre, a 20-year-old student at the University, was arrested and charged with kidnapping, assault, and strangling of the victim for the alleged incident. Newark police said in a statement that Freyre allegedly damaged the victim’s property, struck her with blunt objects, sprayed orange paint in her eyes, and threatened to kill her if she contacted the police. Freyre allegedly strangled the victim and threw the victim down a flight of stairs. He was arrested the same day as the assault and later released on bail.

On Oct. 12, university students rallied outside of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity house where Freyre lived and the alleged assault occurred. As protesters chanted “silence is compliance,” members of the fraternity stood on the porch eating their breakfast as if nothing happened.

The fraternity’s only response was two half-assed Instagram posts stating their disapproval of domestic violence and violence against women. Meanwhile, comments are disabled on the post where they claim to make the effort to become advocates for sexual assault victims.

The University of Delaware did not issue a public response until four days later because the alleged incident was not considered an “imminent threat.”

Colleges and universities across the United Statesdo not act with enough conviction, if any, when students are victims of sexual assault and harrassment. Instead of helping the victims seek justice, they hide or undermine the incidents for the sake of maintaining their reputations, or because they simply do not want to deal with it.

Moreover, not only do administrations allow for this abuse to continue with little repercussions, but in many cases, fraternity culture is heavily linked to sexual assaults

University students rally in protest. / Courtesy Aidan Fraser THE REVIEW on campuses nationwide.

Emerson College is also to blame for the mishandling of such cases. In 2012, Emerson administrators told student Sarah Tedesco not to make a big deal about her sexual assault, and took months to begin the actual investigation. The day after her assault, Tedesco reported it to campus police, who did not allow her to speak with a female officer and did not allow a friend to stay with her for support. Even worse, Emerson violated Tedesco’s privacy by calling her parents about the assault without her permission.

Another survivor, Jillian Doherty, sued Emerson in 2014 for the inadequate handling of her rape case. Doherty was raped in her dorm room and Emerson’s attorneys said, “Two students agreed to meet in one student’s room and engaged in consensual sexual intercourse, followed by non-consensual intercourse… There is no duty to supervise adult students in their dorm rooms or prevent them from drinking alcohol.”

Emerson did not interview a key witness, nor did they allow Doherty a lawyer during the initial investigation.According to Emerson’s attorneys, “Inadequacy does not equate to ‘atrocious’ or ‘utterly intolerable conduct,’” thus, apparently, Emerson should not be held accountable.

In 2006, the University of Colorado act-

ed with “deliberate indifference” when students Lisa Simpson and Anne Gilmore were sexually assaulted by football players and high school recruits, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The University not only had an official policy that hosts must show football recruits a “good time,” but also failed to adequately supervise the hosts and players under such a policy, resulting in the misconduct.

Moreso, university officials knew of prior sexual assaults and harassment but did nothing about it. After evidence was put forth, proving the University of Colorado guilty, the University agreed to hire a new victim’s counselor, appoint a Title IX advisor, and pay $2.5 million in damages.

In 2008, Arizona State University argued that they were not responsible under Title IX to act when a campus athlete raped a student. While the rapist was initially expelled from ASU over several sexual harassment complaints, administrators went as far as to readmit him under no supervision.

It was not until Jan. 8, 2009 when a settlement was agreed upon requiring ASU to appoint someone to review and reform policies for sexual harassment and assault cases, and paid the plaintiff $850,000.

In 2015, two Massachusetts Institute of Technology students entered a Boston

University dormitory unescorted and undetected. One of them went into a suite, opened a bedroom door, and sexually assaulted a sleeping student. Boston University’s response: the student had the means to protect herself by locking her bedroom door but chose not to.

More recently, on June 30, 2020, Prisha Sujin Kumar, a Boston University student, posted an open letter on Instagram detailing her assault that occurred in 2019, asking for “serious change in policy.”

This included a 60-day time limit to complete sexual assault cases and ensuring LGBTQ+ student have equal access to care and support. Kumar was forced to write a second letter six months later, on Jan. 10, about her experience, condemning the University’s treatment of survivors like herself.

How many sexual assault and rape cases will it take for colleges to change their policies and help their students? How long until we stop reading about rape culture on campus as if it is a norm? How long until women can feel safe around men?

The issue becomes much deeper when diving into fraternities, and the often ugly realities of Greek Life. Sexual assaults are high on the list of insurance claims of fraternities nationwide. Freyre was a member of Kappa Delta Rho before the alleged assault, and it was all because the victim went to a rival fraternity’s party.

As male students especially continue to expect sexual activity from their peers, and as our generation is so immersed in hookup culture, it affects sexual assault cases on campus.

Our society has grown in tremendous ways in terms of not considering sex as taboo as before, which is great, but with that also comes unhealthy expectations that disproportionately harm female students.

Just because hooking up and having sex is more common now than 20 years ago, it does not give anyone an excuse to assault someone.

Several studies have found that students in fraternities are three times more likely to commit rape, and that one in five women will be sexually assaulted while they are

Phrase ‘pick me’ adds fuel to the fire that is internalized misogyny Sabine Waldeck Beacon Staff If you’re a frequent TikTok user, there’s no doubt you’ve seen the term “pick me” flooding the comment sections of girls’ TikTok accounts.

For those who don’t know, Urban Dictionary (the obvious be all and end all of definitions) defines “pick me” as “a girl who goes out of their way to impress boys and make them seem that they’re ‘not like other girls.’”

These so-called “pick-me’s” are stereotyped as girls who drink beer with the boys, watch sports in their free time, and don’t understand why other girls are into such frivolous things like makeup and shopping. They are girls who feel like they stand out due to the fact that they are not as enthralled with the quintessential girly things and instead lean more towards masculine interests, in order to be “picked” or more appealing to men.

A more severe case of a “pick me” can lead to putting other women down for liking things associated with femininity. They hate on other girls for things that would be considered to be a “basic bitch” thing to do––wearing too much makeup, sleeping with “too many” guys, or being too dramatic, whatever the case may be.

So, to counteract the aggression these pick-me girls have, those who feel attacked will ridicule them back. To belittle these girls and hurt their egos, other girls will flood their comments with the phrase over and over again until it’s all you see while scrolling.

However, this is a fighting fire with fire situation where nobody wins.

“Pick me’s” say and do things to present themselves in a way where some might consider them different and special in comparison to other girls in order to gain male attention. Yes, this is bad, but it stems from a thing most girls have had to overcome at some point in their lifetimes—internalized misogyny.

According to the UMKC Women’s Center, internalized misogyny is “when women subconsciously project sexist ideas onto other women and even onto themselves.” This toxic way of thinking only breeds hatred among women and is completely unnecessary. We already get enough of that from our male counterparts.

“Pick me” girls want attention from men because, as women, we have been told that is what is important. We are taught to appeal to the male gaze, and that being like other women is a bad thing.

Starting as soon as women can understand the dynamics of our society, we are told we need to appeal to men, to fit

in college, and examples of this are far too prevalent.

In 2013, three sexual assault cases were reported within one month at a Univeristy of Texas-Arlington fraternity.

Emerson alum Jackson Davis ‘17 was terminated from NowThis amid sexual misconduct allegations from three other alumni on campus. Former students tweeted about him, calling him “a gross abuser,” “emotionally violent,” and “a known serial assaulter” from their time together on campus. Davis was a member of the Phi Alpha Tau fraternity, which faced backlash because of the accusations against Davis.

In 2014, one of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s fraternities was under investigation as to whether or not its members drugged girls’ drinks at a party.

Also in 2014, a fraternity brother at Georgia Tech sent out an email labeled “Luring your rapebait’’ to his fellow Phi Kappa Tau members, instructing them on how and when to get girls in bed without their consent.

A common refrain used on campuses to shut down the idea of going to Pi Kappa Alpha for parties is “PIKE spikes.” Yes, it has come to the point where people are using a play on words to indicate which fraternities are unsafe in terms of drugging drinks.

As students rush fraternities, and eventually become pledges, their goal becomes to please their seniors. They want to live up to an idealized version of a fraternity brother, and if that means having sex tonight, then they will have sex that night.

Ignoring sexual assault is systemic, whether it’s emdedded within college administrations or fraterntiy boards. Female students are seen as prey, and male students their predators—a concept drilled into the minds of fraternity brothers and ignored by college officials.

It is hard enough being a part of a growing statistic of victims, but it is even harder when the institution that becomes your home turns its back on you when you need their support the most. mariyam_quaisar@emerson.edu fied in their minds. It makes them feel more validated to hate on the other girls calling them names because they have been taught that women are just way too dramatic and sensitive.

Women need to come together. Those who have successfully pulled themselves out of this misogynistic way of thinking should teach other women how to do so, not ridicule them for struggling to. If the people calling girls “pick me’s” had to also unlearn their own internal misogyny, then there should be a layer of understanding to these girls that are still stuck in it. Instead, we have allowed ourselves to fall back into the trap the patriarchy has set up for us for women to hate on other women.

You can not preach a girl gang while also hurting other girls who have yet to break away from what they have been taught––acting like every main character in movies, TV shows, or books, the one who “is not like other girls.” This paradoxical way of acting causes more disdain among women.

This is not an easy task, but if every “pick me” comment was replaced with one of attempting education and not judgment, maybe we could actually embody what it means for women to support women.

ourselves into the misogynistic world we are going to grow up in. Women are told we shouldn’t be “like those other girls,” instead, we should fit this perfect idealized version of feminine but not slutty, conversational but not loud, and unique but not stand out too much.

Therefore being any of the latter is negative and we should hate on women who embody them. The difference between women and “pick me” girls is that this mentality has stuck with the pick me’s.

That mentality is a hard one to unlearn.

If you are repeatedly told that being like other women is bad, then having to retrain your brain to no longer believe that is no small feat.

Illustration Lucia Thorne In a time where “women supporting women” is so popular, how is also calling other women “pick me’s?”

It is almost anti-feminist to ridicule these women for trying to appeal to the male gaze since that is what has been ingrained into them. Why would we as women make it harder for one another to just live when we know how much we already have to deal with in the first place?

Calling these women “pick me’s” only pushes them down and further away. If they feel like they are being attacked by other women then the internalized hate they have towards their own gender will be even more justi-

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The Berkeley Beacon

October 21, 2021

5

Keemstar, The Bogeyman of YouTube Kaitlyn Fehr Beacon Staff

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of racism, homophobia, sexual assault, suicide, and pedophilia.

YouTube drama trending on Twitter can only mean one thing—Keemstar crawling out of the basement he lives in to spew out the worst take anyone’s ever heard.

Whether it be James Charles’ interactions with minors, Tana Mongeau’s racism, or Jake Paul’s overall shittiness, Keemstar takes the cake.

Keemstar has remained relevant solely by commenting on every terrible thing a person can do on the internet, despite his own terrible history online.

The “Keemstar” persona is derived from his actual name, Daniel Keem, but avid YouTube viewers may also know him best as “DramaAlert” or “Killer Keemstar,” one of the hosts of the “Mom’s Basement” podcast. Through these platforms, Keem “reports” on internet and YouTube drama, and often digs a hole for himself in the process.

Keem’s bad takes—and his apparent love for dating women half his age—have gained him name recognition beyond his wildest troll dreams. His recent controversies follow a torrid history that would take hours to describe at-length, as Keem doesn’t know how to remain relevant beyond saying and doing the most offensive things he can think of.

As someone who pays too much attention to YouTube and internet drama, Keem really feels like a bogeyman. Whenever he’s been quiet for too long, he comes slinking out of the shadows to say something that will piss off half of the internet.

Keem thrives on drama, and it’s hard not to feed into his trolling. His takes are so bad that you can’t help but fight back, and then inevitably, you spend too much time arguing with his 13-year-old fanboys. He’s a bogeyman that you throw metaphorical hands at as he lurks, jeering at the end of your bed, glaring up at you from the glow of your phone screen.

Keem’s takes are genuinely scary in the context of how many people believe and support him. His podcast has just over 40,000 followers on Twitter, and clearly, people are interested in his terrible takes.

Keem’s “DramaAlert” channel, which he describes as a “news source” for online entertainment, currently has almost six

million subscribers.

Keem got his start on the internet by bullying, berating, and trolling other players in the game “Halo 3” for a group called the Federation of Asshole Gamers, the acronym for which is a homophobic slur.

Of course, “asshole gamers” would go out of their way to be as offensive as possible.

In the late 2000s, long before Twitch existed, Keem live-streamed on a platform called BlogTV. At the time, another website called BattleCam was popular for ranking users, through which Keem eventually landed a moderator position because of how long he spent ranked at number one. In order to maintain his relevancy, he did what he does best, and started drama.

Keem and another moderator who went by the username AlexXx8 often feuded, which led to Keem telling his viewers on stream to call Alex the n-word with a “hard r.”

At the time, Keem apologized for his use of the word, as reported by The Daily Beast. That apology has now been made moot by Keem’s insistence that he is 9 percent Black, as if that excuses his previous and current racist remarks.

Following this racist incident, Keem managed to keep a (mostly) low profile on the internet for the next few years.

The relative peace couldn’t last forever for a guy like Keem, who is constantly fueling an online dumpster fire to keep his image preserved on the internet. In 2016, he wrongly accused a 62-year-old man of pedophilia. The 62-year-old man livestreams himself playing “Runescape” under the alias “rsgloryandgold” and goes by the name of Tony.

Keem claimed on his YouTube channel that Tony was a convicted pedophile named John Philips—but the real Philips is currently in jail. Tony cried on stream following the allegation, showing proof of his identity before Keem relented and apologized. Keem’s DramaAlert channel, run by a team overseen by him, tried to ruin a 62-year-old man’s life over their own incompetence in research.

Also in 2016, Keem started another controversy when he tweeted that he couldn’t wait to report on YouTuber TotalBiscuit’s death after TotalBiscuit announced he was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer.

Keem using a person’s impending death as content, as if his human life is as unimportant and disposable as his opinions, becomes even more concerning when we

learn he might have led another creator to suicide.

In 2019, gaming YouTuber Desmond Amofah, better known as Etika, died by suicide just days after posting a series of concerning videos and tweets. In the days preceding his death, Amofah had a conversation with Keem on DramaAlert where Amofah claimed that life was only a video game.

In response, Keem replied, “If you really think about it, then why live? Just jump off a cliff? If it’s just a simulation, who cares?”

Days later, Amofah was reported missing, and Keem speculated that it must be a stunt. Unfortunately, police later discovered Amofah’s body, and let the world know that it wasn’t just a stunt.

Encouraging someone who is showing suicidal tendencies to believe that life really is all a simulation is one of the worst things you can do.

Keem has shown over and over again a disregard for mental health issues, having tweeted things like, “The drug companies invent all these illnesses so they could sell drugs to morons. Social anxiety 100% is a fake and invented illness. Stop being weak… Society is literally going to die if you keep this bullshit up.”

When news of Amofah’s untimely death spread with Keem’s name attached, it propelled Keem’s infamy to new heights.

It doesn’t help that Keem is bad at staying in his own lane, and he loves to pick fights with other creators that have nothing to do with him. One of his biggest feuds is with fellow YouTuber Ethan Klein, also known as H3H3.

The full situation between the two would require an entire article to describe, but if you have the time, Klein’s video about Keem is a great watch.

After Klein’s video, Keem went even further off the handle and has attempted to terrorize Klein and his wife ever since.

Keem claims that Klein tried to “ruin YouTube” and that he’s trying to “ruin America” by supporting vaccine passports.

It seems like every week Keem finds a new reason to harass the Kleins on Twitter.

This behavior causes Keem to look more like a jealous troll than a well-established YouTuber.

In more recent years, Keem has also come under fire for his treatment of women, specifically in regards to how he treats victims of sexual assault.

In 2013, Vine-star Jessi “Smiles” Vazquez

accused her ex-boyfriend and former Vine user Curtis Lepore of sexual assault. Lepore pleaded guilty to the assault, but Keem continued to publicly tweet his support of Curtis years later. In 2019, he tweeted admitting that he never believed her story, despite Lepore’s guilty plea.

In 2021, Jake Paul faced sexual assault allegations, which you can read about in a previous Beacon article. Keem took to Twitter, posting a video where he claimed that there’s no way to sexually assault someone in the way the victim described.

Massive trigger warning here, but the victim was orally assaulted, and Keem believes the victim would have had to choose to open her mouth. Keem said, and I quote, “Is there really no way to get away? I just really don’t believe this story at all.”

Keem’s treatment towards these sexual assault victims goes hand-in-hand with his treatment of women in general. In the past few months, it has come to light that Keem has a penchant for dating women in their early 20s, while Keem himself is almost 40 years old.

His most recent girlfriend was only 20 years old, and Keem met her at a fan meetup, though he claims she wasn’t a fan. Do we even need to talk about the gross power imbalance here?

After posting a picture of his girlfriend on his Instagram, Keem’s comments were filled with people questioning and making fun of the age gap. People on the internet expressed their (valid) concerns while Keem made jokes about how young she was for the entirety of their public relationship.

In the beginning of September, Keem felt the need to tweet the Google results for “39 year old women,” implying that the women featured were ugly and that is why he doesn’t date women his own age.

He also added a wonderful statement of, “If you remember where you were on 9/11 I’m not interested.”

All of this becomes even more concerning when you learn that Keem has a young daughter of his own. What kind of an example is he setting for her with this kind of behavior?

Keem has also come under fire recently for allegedly playing a role in getting Twitter user @defnoodles banned. Defnoodles, named Dennis Feitosa, covers drama and controversies in the online sphere, and often covers Keem.

Feitosa has said he believes that Keem is the reason his Twitter account was perma-

Daniel Keem. / Creative Commons nently suspended by the platform.

This would not be the first time Keem got someone banned from a social media platform. In August, Keem whined about Ethan Klein “harassing” him enough that YouTube banned Klein for a week.

Somehow, Keem seems to have powerful enough contacts behind the scenes that he can bend an entire platform to his own bidding.

Regarding Defnoodles, Feitosa believes that Keem played a role because the ban came shortly after Feitosa responded to slanderous claims that Keem had made about him. Keem also tweeted in celebration of Feitosa’s ban just minutes after it happened, before Feitosa himself even realized his account was suspended. All of Feitosa’s evidence is viewable on a highlight saved to his Defnoodles Instagram account.

It’s funny that Keem goes to such an extent to get people banned, considering that he’s been ban-evading for his entire career.

Keem has had three separate channels banned by YouTube, and his current channel is technically operated by his manager.

He exists on YouTube solely because of a loophole.

He’ll also happily harass women, and send his followers to harass women, but can’t take any form of harassment himself.

It only counts as harassment if it’s directed towards him, apparently.

Hypocrisy from this man is not surprising, after everything else he’s done.

My genuine hope is that one day YouTube cracks down on him for ban-evading, just like he has tried to force them to do to other creators. I long for the day I can check Twitter without seeing a tweet from “good guy Keem.”

kaitlyn_fehr@emerson.edu

American exceptionalism explains pandemic response Lucia Thorne Beacon Staff As Americans, we have been taught to believe that the U.S. is the pinnacle of what a nation should be. To question the authority of our nation would be borderline-treasonous, as this is the best the world has to offer.

The only time the general public seems to question America’s actions is when a whistleblower releases graphic footage or recordings of our government committing horrific actions. So, why would they choose to show us the horrors of COVID-19 when they can just show us numbers and statistics?

Seven hundred and twenty-nine thousand people have died of COVID-19 by the time that I write this story.

Over 729,000 people, people just like you and me. They had loved ones they left behind. They had dreams, aspirations, and memories. They had a favorite movie, a favorite song, a favorite food; maybe they had the same favorite food as you do. But why do I expect no one reading this to feel saddened by this knowledge? Because 729,000 has just become a number in our minds, and unless one of those 729,000 was someone you loved, it has only been numbers since the start.

This lack of human connection perpetuated by numerical reporting led to short lived public pressure on the Trump Administration to solve the pandemic, as the exhaustion of lockdown and the abandonment of normalcy persisted.

Nineteen months after the start of the pandemic, has led to little accountability being sought after––the typical response to wrongdoing in the U.S. The U.S. was doomed to face drastic issues in the fight against COVID-19 from the start, all thanks to the pandemic that has infected American minds since

Courtesy Lucia Thorne its beginnings—American exceptionalism.

American exceptionalism, the belief that the United States is superior as a result of inherent and unique differences that set it and its purpose apart from others, has always been at the heart of this country and its ideals (or better put, its entitlement and savior complex).

That superiority stepped foot on North American soil from the very moment that the Mayflower reached the shores of Plymouth, Massachusetts with the intention to “bring civilization” to the Americas. This ideology permeated throughout the founding of our nation and onward, from rallying cries during the Civil War to the preserving the “soul of our nation” in the 2020 presidential election. Most recently, American exceptionalism can be seen by the surplus of misinformation and partisan political conversation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ever since COVID-19 began spreading in Wuhan, the virus became a controversial topic. Instead of showing some sympathy to those becoming infected with a terrifying, new illness we knew nothing about, the blame game began.

On top of blaming China for the worsening of the pandemic, news coverage only showed the numbers increasing but not the tragic spread of a disease. This dehumanized coverage created even less urgency and care in the minds of Americans because as we all know, if it’s not happening in the U.S. or in our immediate circles, it’s not actually a problem.

Then, the circulation of disbelief and misinformation began to spread with the virus as it finally reached the U.S. The campaign of lies surrounding COVID-19, led by former President Donald Trump, infected enough of our population to create divisiveness and the perfect breeding ground for the virus to thrive.

Trump would often make claims about the “superiority” of the American response to COVID-19.Trump would say things like, “America has developed a testing capacity unmatched and unrivaled anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close,” and “We now have the lowest fatality (mortality) rate in the world.”

Trump said he “launched the largest national mobilization since World War II” against COVID-19, and America “developed, from scratch, the largest and most advanced testing system in the world.”

All of these statements were false, and all of them promoted the idea that the U.S. is better than the rest of the world, when in fact, we were failing in ways that a country supposedly as great as ours should never fail in.

This misinformation only served to create an image of success while in reality, we were failing in our response colossally, both in preparedness and public policy.

Based on the pattern of exceptionalism, this seeming disregard for today’s mistakes costing hundreds of thousands of lives will be watered down in the history books. All in the name of keeping

America exceptional tomorrow.

Education in the U.S. has always historically put the U.S. on a pedestal, even painting the U.S. as the champion for the greater good when committing war crimes. In the past decade, the country’s curriculum has been attempting to abandon the “see no evil” approach to education when teaching on America’s wrongdoings, but has been met with successful pushback from conservatives.

In 2015, conservatives were outraged over the Advanced Placement US History course curriculum, leading to the College Board’s revision to include more positive recountings of the nation’s history.

More recently, the debate has revolved around the teaching of critical race theory in classrooms nationwide– which is scrutinized by conservatives for the same reason—it paints the U.S. in “too negative of a light.”

Not only has there been push back from the general conservative public, but the government has also attempted to take action by threatening to cut funding of schools teaching CRT and states outlawing the teachings altogether.

Teaching about race in schools is not the only attempt at truthfully reflecting on America’s past in recent years. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kapernick began a movement amongst athletes after kneeling during the national anthem to protest the continued oppression of Black people and people of color.

Within a few weeks, Kapernick began to receive death threats over his actions, as well as other NFL players participating in this form of protest also receiving backlash. The Miami Dolphins would not be escorted by any police deputies until they stopped kneeling, at the demands of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Clearly, criticism of America is a touchy subject for many. American exceptionalism perpetuates the idea that true patriots love the nation no matter what, even if it means crushing opposition’s criticism of the nation––better known as nationalism.

They want to keep doing what America does best: hide behind propaganda to hide atrocities committed against its own people, especially minority groups and other countries since the establishment of the first colonies.

But what happens when America can’t get away with sweeping something under the rug? Change finally happens.

The Vietnam War is a great example of what overcoming American exceptionalism looks like. After years of protests, the horrors of war in Vietnam were finally broadcast at home and the Pentagon Papers were released, which proved to be enough to rally the general public together to call for an end to the war. It eventually became enough public pressure to withdraw troops and end the war.

This war shows American exceptionalism can be defeated by undeniable evidence of failure and wrongdoing, and maybe if the pandemic was shown in a more human and realistic context rather than overwhelming statistics, it would have been different.

But it can’t be different. Over 729,000 people, people just like you and me, that had loved ones they left behind, that had dreams, aspirations, memories, that had a favorite movie, a favorite song, and a favorite food, and that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough for us to realize just how tragic this pandemic is, how human it is.

It’s time we look within ourselves and how this desensitization and toxic idolization of our nation has poisoned your minds and actions.

TW: sogyny On A death b Neelu public har are dent sh lays in continu

Living Arts

The Berkeley Beacon

October 21, 2021

6

Hannah Nilsson (right), Olivia Bodley (middle), and Clara Livingston (left). Courtesy Craig Bailey / Perspective Photo

Emerson Stage presents play highlighting importance of self-love and individuality Mariyam Quaisar Beacon Staff “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” the latest show in Emerson Stage’s 2021-22 season, a children’s fairytale about three unique sisters embarking on their individual journeys, ran on Paramount’s Richard J. Orchard from Oct. 7 to Oct. 16.

With incredible acting and dialogue, colorful costumes, and eye-catching puppetry, the play emphasized familial bonds and the complexities that lie within an individual. The story follows three sisters—triplets—as they suffer through the death of their mom, their father’s second marriage and divorce, and then their father’s abandonment when he leaves them in the woods.

The sisters—Albienne, Beatrix,

and Carmen, played by Hannah Nilsson ‘24, Olivia Bodley ‘22, and Clara Livingston ‘23 respectively—are left in the forest to find their own way in the world.

One sister goes to find purpose, the second goes to find adventure, and the third stays right where she was left by her father to build her home and life.

Each sister grows on their own accord and experiences, whether that’s Albienne becoming a warrior from a baking enthusiast or Beatrix going from a ball of sunshine to a puddle of emotions.

Their costumes, which change at different points in the play, represent each sisters’ current emotional and physical status as they age.

“We’re each very identifiable with our colors,” Livingston said in an interview w. “Albienne’s pink is very sweet like the cakes,

enne constantly talks about cute boys. The story is real, an aspect that an audience member can definitely appreciate.

A major part of the story is the girls’ relationship with their father. Near the end, Beatrix’s journey is fulfilled when she finds her father after three decades and holds no resentment towards him.

“Forgiveness is an unspoken aspect of the play,” Gionta said.

“Family is the core of the story,” Bodley, a musical theater major, said. “Family is what informs us at the beginning of life, and then also brings us through life. [This play] is a beautiful story of how you can be connected to someone even when you’re not with them.

And when you do find them again, there’s always that bond with your family of certain lived experiences or just growing up together.”

Carmen is also accepting of their father after so many years because of her own personal growth which gives her the strength to forgive him. The realness that is shown through the sisters’ journeys allows serious topics and sit-

uations to surface, something that mainstream fairytales fail to do.

“In the beginning, [Carmen’s] emotional and is concerned about what her father is going through,” Livingston said. “By the end of the play, [she] has found a home, she has recreated that happiness from her childhood in her own environment and has people she loves and loves herself now. She’s able to invite her father back into her world, even though he did such a terrible thing, she’s able to forgive him. That wouldn’t have happened unless she had found peace for herself.”

To effortlessly emphasize the sisters’ path to forgiveness, the narrator says, “And then no one says anything, because no one really has to.”

The play incorporates puppetry, as a manner of storytelling, with both shadow puppetry and handheld puppetry, done with transparent orbs used mainly by the sisters. As the two narrators tell the story, the shadow puppetry behind a lit up screen in the back of the stage, and is often accompanied

Max Connor (right) and Alieyah Brown (right). Courtesy Craig Bailey / Perspective Photo

then she has that red and orange more like blood and more for her fiery side. Beatrix has blue like the ocean and also blue because she cries but mostly that yellow from the sunshine. [For] Carmen, the purple is really that more subdued, emotional, internal life and the green goes back to her living in the woods for her whole life and being one with nature.”

Theater can be very intentional, which is evident in this play.

The costume designer did a marvelous job enforcing the idea that each sister is different and true to themselves.

“The costumes are really reflective of each character,” Annajean Gionta, the female under-

study and sophomore theater and performance major, said. “Every character has their own aesthetic and their own vision board. Each character is so unique and distinct, [and] we were able to be intentional with what colors we put them in.”

Throughout the play, various emotions are portrayed in an extraordinary way. The audience goes from sympathizing with the girls to laughing at their antics in the matter of seconds—a perfect depiction of the reality of daily, changing emotions.

There are many relatable miniplots that draw in audience members, like when the girls meet their new stepmother and when Albi-

Courtesy Craig Bailey / Perspective Photo

by sound effects, giving a unique look to the play.

“It’s such a whimsical story and it’s based in a reality that’s so unlike anything we experience in our day to day life,” Bodley said.

“By using those little tools, we’re experiencing things visually different from how we would in our lives. It’s a play that is so based in creating this vibrant world, and

the props were important to bring everyone to that world that we were trying to build.”

In order to let the audience know that the sisters were ready to embark on separate journeys, the actors not only said it, but also used drum heads—or orbs.

Two orbs were used, for each sister who was leaving the woods, and they flashed a light through

a picture of the world which was pressed against the circular, transparent orbs to create imagery. Another piece of paper in the shape of a human was held up to each orb and moved around it to emphasize the opposite journeys the two sisters were about to take.

“I really ended up loving the way that I had a relationship with the orb, and that we’re able to show emotional life through that,” Bodley said. “It also makes great moments of reveal and makes the world feel so real.”

The sole purpose of the play is not to teach kids what to do, or right from wrong, but rather that they have an abundance of options. Most fairytales emphasize romance and a man being a “knight in shining armor” as the plot, but “This Girl…” focuses on lessons that are necessary for young audiences.

“It is a fairy tale and it’s about sisters, but it resists easy cliches or archetypes,” Livingston said.

“All the characters in the show resist that simplification that you see in fairytales, and that’s a really great thing for young audiences to see in their female characters.

There’s not just one dimension to them, they are fully fleshed out people who change their minds.”

By the end of the play, the triplets find each other again after their individual journeys and several decades, and recite a mantra: “Some things I can change, some I can’t fix, I’m alone, but as well I am part of a mix.”

“This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing” not only shines the spotlight on its talented cast and crew, but also on the beauty of individuality and the importance of one’s journey to self-love. Albienne grasps at an opportunity to reclaim her passion for baking, Beatrix realizes it’s important to find happiness within yourself in order to spread joy to others, and Carmen divulges in self-love to grow as her own person.

“Each and every person can have a unique journey and be themselves and grow themselves, but at the end of the day, we can come together and recognize that we’re in a community,” Gionta said. “These sisters come together and recognize that their family bond is incredibly strong, but they are all unique individuals.” mariyam_quaisar@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

October 21, 2021

7

11 years later, I’m still whipping my hair to WILLOW Karissa Schaefer Beacon Staff

In 2011, I vividly remember using my iPod touch voice memos to record WILLOW’s “21st Century Girl” off YouTube. I’d repeatedly replay it, singing along while on my trampoline. Now, 10 years later, I channeled that same energy, only minus the trampoline, at WILLOW’s concert at the Royale Nightclub last week.

Royale, being smaller than the typical arena size, offered an intimate experience for the show.

Considering rock was the theme throughout the night, a mosh pit was to be expected, pushing the screaming crowd even closer. The doors of the nightclub opened at 7 p.m. but the first opener, Kid Sistr, didn’t come on until 8 p.m.

Kid Sistr plays a mix of alternative rock and bubblegum pop, and had pink stage lights emulating this feeling throughout their set. The female trio consists of vocalist and guitarist Isabella “Sabel” Englert, vocalist and bassist Sara Keden, and drummer Rebecca Webster. Being the first ones to grace the stage, they made me appreciate live music and reminded me how much I really missed it.

Though I’ll admit I didn’t know their songs going into the concert, I left knowing I’ll remember them. Their music reminded me of teenage girl angsty feelings— something I could relate and jump around to. “Dallas,” one of their songs, which is a mix of smooth

vocals and edgy instruments, was immediately added to my “liked” songs. Their performance started the concert off right by making me long for more modern rock music and girl bands.

The hype continued into the second opener, De’Wayne. The singer performed songs from his debut album, STAINS, mixing alternative and punk rap. As the concert went on, the energy heightened, and I edged closer to the stage.

Prior to attending the concert, I listened to STAINS. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but I certainly didn’t anticipate rock music. As each song went on, I realized how much I liked his music style. De’Wayne can’t be molded into one specific genre. He’s trying something not necessarily new with his sound, but different. The audience was feeding off his liveliness, myself included.

The last performer, and certainly not least, was headliner WILLOW, who finally made her appearance around 9:30 p.m. Though the wait was over two-hours, it was well worth it. WILLOW opened with her lead single “transparentsoul,” a song I’ve listened to nonstop since it was released earlier this summer.

Wearing a big black t-shirt with The Craft on the front and fishnet tights, WILLOW’s best accessory was the colorful printed electric guitar she’s been using throughout her tour. She even played the drums during her interlude “F**K You,” emphasizing the angsty rock theme.

Second opening act De’Wayne performing.

Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff First opening act Kid Sistr performing. Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff

Despite the instrumental talent, WILLOW’s excellence lies in her voice. At one point, the band behind her fell silent as she sang a shortened acapella version of one of her older songs from 2015, “Marceline.” A completely different vibe from her most recent album, the song captured her voice in an angelic way, softer yet still with hard-hitting notes.

Following this, WILLOW performed “Time Machine,” another older song from 2019, but one of my favorites from her. Though from a different album, “Time Machine” is similar to the energy of “Marceline.” It is one of many beautiful songs I connect with, as well as much of the audience who cheered her name.

After each song, WILLOW

WILLOW performing at the Royale Nightclub in Boston. Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff

would thank the crowd for their support in a genuine way. During these breaks, she’d also give an authentic speech about loving and caring for yourself. She’d ask us to repeat after her as she said phrases like, “I am loved.”

At one point, a fan threw a hat onto the stage with a note that said WILLOW inspired them. She repeated it back saying the fan inspires her, a notion that felt real and made me feel good, even if she doesn’t know me personally.

Before singing one of her new songs “4ever,” WILLOW explained the meaning of the song being about attachment, and, as the song says, “this can’t last forever.” When singers explain the context behind the creation of their songs, sometimes it can be hard to relate, but this specifically resonated with me.

WILLOW also performed a feel-good song, “G R O W,” and maybe it was wishful thinking, but I was expecting a surprise appearance of Avril Lavigne, the feature on the song. Instead, Tyler Cole, WILLOW’s boyfriend and the other half of their musical duo The Anxiety, made a guest appearance.

The two sang their hit song “Meet Me At Our Spot”—which I pregamed nonstop before the concert—as well as a couple of other songs from The Anxiety album.

The concert came to a close after WILLOW sang some more songs from Lately I Feel Everything. The crowd seeped with enthusiasm as they yelled WILLOW’s name for an encore, me included. Don’t get

WILLOW performing her new album.

Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff

me wrong, I couldn’t ask for anything better than her performance of nearly the entire album and then some, but something was missing.

I made my way to the spacious back, out of the pit, as WILLOW made her way back onstage. It’s like she read my mind as she started up her actual final song, “Wait A Minute!” This time, I had room to properly dance my heart out because although this is my second most listened to song of all time on Spotify, it never gets old. In fact, WILLOW never gets old considering I’m still listening to her 11 years later. karissa_schaefer@emerson.edu

Halloween is back! Here are some ways to celebrate the spooky holiday Lucia Thorne Beacon Staff After missing out on tricks and treats last year, a somewhat normal Halloween is finally here and it’s time to get in the spooky spirit.

Whether you’re dying to spend the night out or you’d rather have a spooky night in, here are a few ways to get back into the haunted holiday spirit.

For a fun Halloween at home…

Decorate your living space Decorating for Halloween has always been my favorite part of October, and it’s always a great way to celebrate in the comfort of your dorm. You can shop online or in-store with friends and make a day trip out of it! Places like Target, Michaels, Party City, and Amazon have great decorations for a decent price––perfect for college students.

Carve a pumpkin Pumpkin carving is a classic Halloween activity and a fun way to get creative!

Pumpkins are available at almost any grocery store, and pumpkin carving kits can be found in stores like Target, Roche Bros, or online. For those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of a mess, you can

always buy a fake, pre-carved one.

Binge horror or Halloween-themed shows and movies What’s Halloween without a little scare (from the comfort of your own couch)? No need to go to a theater to see a movie that will satisfy your festive spirit or send chills up your spine when you can just as easily plop down close to your own bathroom.

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime have plenty of spooky movies that will do the trick, featuring cult classics like Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jennifer’s Body, Hocus Pocus, and countless more horror flicks. Disney Plus has more Halloween-themed films, while the other streaming platforms have horror movies to scare you right out of your socks.

For those who have been longing to go out…

Take a Haunted Tour of Boston Unless you’ve been stuck in a tomb, everyone has seen a “Ghosts and Gravestones” tour roll through the streets of Boston at some point or another. So, what better time to check out this haunted attraction than Halloween?

The hour and a half Ghosts and Gravestones tour takes you through the city by

trolley making stops from ancient burial grounds to the Omni Parker House, telling scary stories of historic Boston led by “undead” tour guides. You can purchase tickets for the tour through the Ghosts and Gravestones website for about $42 per person.

See a movie If you prefer to seek your Halloween thrills on the big screen, you’re in luck!

Throughout the month of October, new horror movies are being released until the big day is finally here. This year’s frightening flicks include Halloween Kills, hitting theaters on Oct. 15, and Antlers and Last Night in Soho on Oct. 29.

In addition to these new releases, AMC Boston Common will be screening some Halloween classics at Surprise Screenings every Wednesday and Friday for $5 per person (plus tax) until the holiday arrives.

Visit Salem Salem is a Massachusetts staple, but on Halloween, the “Witch City” becomes a Halloween enthusiast’s dream. Disclaimer: it does tend to get quite crowded this time of year, especially on the holiday itself.

Salem is the perfect setting to explore this October, with plenty of activities

Illustration Lucia Thorne from candlelight ghost tours, to museums of the Witch trials and Halloween.

Six Flags Fright Fest If you’re anything like me and love a good jump scare or roller coaster, taking a 2-hour road trip to Agawam, MA to visit Six Flags New England for Fright Fest might be the best way to seek the thrills you’ve been missing.

Whether it be riding the Harley Quinn Spinsanity ride or being chased through the park by a guy with a chainsaw, you’ll get plenty of good scares.

Fright Fest will continue every Friday-Sunday until the end of the month, with tickets ranging from $25-40 depending on the date.

For Emersonians, 21 and over…

This October, bar crawls––walking

tours that take individuals to several bars in a single night––return to Boston in a spooky fashion (pun fully intended). For those who are 21 and over, celebrating Halloween this year could include a bar crawl in costume.

There are plenty to choose from–– some crawls like the Zombie Crawl are one night, while others, like Trick or Drink and Halloweekend, last the whole weekend. Ticket prices for these events range based on how many nights you attend.

However you choose to celebrate this year, the Beacon wishes you a very happy (and scary) Halloween! lucia_thorne@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

Sports

October 21, 2021

8

Women’s volleyball team sweeps Colby College

The women’s volleyball team gather for a huddle. Elaina Bolanos / Beacon Staff

Charleston Fallon

Beacon Correspondent The Emerson women’s volleyball team swept a doubleheader against Colby College on Saturday as a part of a doubleheader taking place on Family Weekend—improving the team’s record to 12-6 on the season.

The Lions have had a strong serving presence in the 2021 season, which flourished at the beginning of the match. To start the first set, sophomore libero Caroline Davis had two aces putting the Lions in a 5-1 lead.

As the game progressed, several of Emerson and Colby’s spikes appeared to be easy points, however digs from both star liberos Davis for Emerson, and Julia Hutchings for Colby, allowed them to take broken plays and apply pressure to the opposing team.

Emerson seemed to have Colby’s number leading the entirety

The Lions would go on to give up three straight points to the Mules before closing the set 2520 on two consecutive kills from Kay assisted by junior setter Rebecca Polsky.

Set one was a preview of what the rest of the match had in store: a battle of forced errors, strong kill shots, and big momentum swings.

In the absence of head coach Ben Read, due to a cousin’s wedding, assistant coach Jake Girard stepped into the head coaching position. He stressed his team to adjust, which was made clear by the difference in score between each set.

“We have some really good players that can make adjustments on the fly,” Girard said in an interview after the game. “We really kind of slowed them down.”

Emerson started out set two with another 5-1 lead. Colby battled back to make the score 7-6 as the Lions struggled to gain any

The women’s volleyball team. Sydney Ciardi / Beacon Staff

of the set. The Mules attempted to close the gap multiple times in the first set, but the Lions were able to seize back the momentum every time they got close.

The score was 18-17 when a bad serve from the Mules gave the Lions a little breathing room.

Junior middle blocker Jillian Kay then made a block that would start a four-point rally extending their lead to 23-17.

separation. One three-point run would then be followed by a loss of three points caused by the hustle of the Mules.

After every hard shot Emerson pounded over the net, Colby worked their tail off to get some semblance of a return but weren’t able to generate enough pressure of their own.

Emerson ended up winning 2518 after stellar play from both the

back row and the hitters/blockers.

The game still felt competitive despite Emerson taking back-toback sets, as there was some back and forth play from both teams.

Set three, however, was a complete deviation.

The Lions put together a strong finish to the second set, winning by seven. That hot streak continued into the third set as the Lions dominated both sides of the ball winning 25 to 15, and Colby would scarcely get a point edgewise. Emerson didn’t miss a serve and only had three errors.

Emerson didn’t drop a set in front of their home crowd on family weekend, marking the first time non-Emerson spectators and faculty entered the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym since the start of the pandemic. The larger crowd paid dividends for the Lions, as they built a true home court advantage.

Kay said that it was special to have her family in the stands.

“They haven’t seen me play in Courtesy of Aaron Tyler

Men’s soccer player goes from defending goals to striking a pose Clarissa Calderon

Sydney Ciardi / Beacon Staff

about two to three years,” Kay said in a post game interview. “It was so great to have everybody here.”

Both Kay and first-year Parker Cummings had kill percentages over 50 percent. Kay said the play of her fellow hitters stood out in their win over Colby.

“The pins did a great job of setting up the block and I was just able to get over there and close,” Kay said.

First-year pin hitter Amelia Combs started the season on the bench but found herself in the starting lineup after showcasing enough of her skillset to earn a role as a regular starter. She had a combined 22 kills between both games and even showed her talent in the back row.

Against Colby, she recorded eight kills and five digs and praised her team’s defensive effort.

“They did great at adjusting and adapting,” she said. “Our defenders made a lot of amazing plays.”

Passing was key for the Lions and the team had a total of 38 digs, and kept the number of errors to a minimum recording only nine.

Emerson’s next match up is a home double header against Bowdoin College and Manhattanville College on Saturday where they will look to build their current winning record. charleston_fallon@emerson.edu

Beacon Correspondent Sophomore defender Aaron Tyler’s relatively newfound interest in modeling has led him to an unlikely place— Apple’s official website, promoting the iPhone 13.

Tyler was featured in an ad for Apple’s iPhone 13 online gazing into the camera while wearing a neon pink cowboy hat and a shimmery, black blazer. A portrait shot of him is also posted on the company’s Instagram account.

When Tyler auditioned for a job and got hired, he was unaware it would be modeling for Apple until the day of the shoot.

“They were really secretive about it,” Tyler said. “They named a different company. I didn’t know it was an Apple shoot until the day of.”

The moment Tyler realized he was chosen to be on Apple’s website, he felt ecstatic.

“It’s amazing because Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world,” Tyler said. “I feel incredibly honored to be on this website and to model for Apple.”

The idea of modeling never crossed Tyler’s mind until he spent a day with Alyson Aliano, who photographed him and encouraged him to pursue the field.

He received a list of agencies from her and contacted them.

They soon provided Tyler with a list of auditions.

Throughout his short modeling career, he attended countless auditions with no acting experi-

ence. His older sister, Avery Tyler, received acting training at a performing arts high school and helped him prepare.

“He felt like he didn’t have as much experience and resources that a lot of other people who have been modeling had,” Avery Tyler said. “We had to be creative.”

Tyler has played in 11 games for the Lions this season and in his short time at Rotch Field, has identified transferable skills on the field and behind the camera.

“I’m very confident as a model,” Tyler said. “It’s shown on the field too and I think my coach would think that.”

Tyler’s friend Tomas Griego said he was proud of Tyler after seeing him on Apple’s website and excited for his future.

“I always knew he was going to go into modeling,” Griego said. “He has a very unique look.

He does a good job of composing himself in a way where he’s easily able to fit into different roles.”

Tyler is now a part of Maggie and Otto Models Agency and plans to continue modeling for the time being but wants to pursue other endeavors in the future, especially as a visual and media arts major.

“I’m going to take it [modeling] as far as I want to go with it, ” Tyler said. “I’m not sure if I want to do it the rest of my life or how long even. I want to do a lot of other things in life. I have a lot of plans.”

clarissa_calderon@emerson.edu