38 minute read
Op-Ed: Youtuber Keemstar is a Bogeyman
e Berkeley Beacon October 21, 2021 5
Keemstar, The Bogeyman of YouTube
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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 fght 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 profle 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 fre 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 fghts 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 fnds 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 fre for his treatment of women, specifcally 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 flled 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 fre 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 frst 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
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 horrifc 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 fght 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 Mayfower 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 fnally 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 refecting 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 Offce.
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 frst colonies. But what happens when America can’t get away with sweeping something under the rug? Change fnally 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 fnally 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.
Living Arts
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,
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 understudy 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 Albienne 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 situations 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
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
e 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.
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
First opening act Kid Sistr performing. Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff
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 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.
Second opening act De’Wayne performing. Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff
WILLOW performing her new album. Karissa Schaefer / Beacon Staff
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 fnally 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 Netfix, 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 ficks. Disney Plus has more Halloween-themed flms, 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 fnally here. This year’s frightening ficks 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!
Sports
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
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.
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 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
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.
Sydney Ciardi / Beacon Staff Courtesy of Aaron Tyler
Men’s soccer player goes from defending goals to striking a pose
Clarissa Calderon
Beacon Correspondent
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
Sophomore defender Aaron much experience and resources Tyler’s relatively newfound in- that a lot of other people who terest in modeling has led him have been modeling had,” Avery to an unlikely place— Apple’s Tyler said. “We had to be creofficial website, promoting the ative.” iPhone 13. Tyler has played in 11 games
Tyler was featured in an ad for for the Lions this season and in Apple’s iPhone 13 online gazing his short time at Rotch Field, has into the camera while wearing a identified transferable skills on neon pink cowboy hat and a shim- the field and behind the camera. mery, black blazer. A portrait shot “I’m very confident as a modof him is also posted on the com- el,” Tyler said. “It’s shown on the pany’s Instagram account. field too and I think my coach
When Tyler auditioned for a would think that.” job and got hired, he was unaware Tyler’s friend Tomas Griego it would be modeling for Apple said he was proud of Tyler after until the day of the shoot. seeing him on Apple’s website
“They were really secretive and excited for his future. about it,” Tyler said. “They “I always knew he was going named a different company. I to go into modeling,” Griego didn’t know it was an Apple said. “He has a very unique look. shoot until the day of.” He does a good job of composing
The moment Tyler realized he himself in a way where he’s easiwas chosen to be on Apple’s web- ly able to fit into different roles.” site, he felt ecstatic. Tyler is now a part of Mag-
“It’s amazing because Apple gie and Otto Models Agency and is one of the biggest companies plans to continue modeling for in the world,” Tyler said. “I feel the time being but wants to purincredibly honored to be on this sue other endeavors in the future, website and to model for Apple.” especially as a visual and media
The idea of modeling nev- arts major. er crossed Tyler’s mind until he “I’m going to take it [modelspent a day with Alyson Aliano, ing] as far as I want to go with who photographed him and en- it, ” Tyler said. “I’m not sure if I couraged him to pursue the field. want to do it the rest of my life or He received a list of agencies how long even. I want to do a lot from her and contacted them. of other things in life. I have a lot They soon provided Tyler with a of plans.” list of auditions.
Throughout his short modeling career, he attended countless auditions with no acting experi- clarissa_calderon@emerson.edu
