Wu elected

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

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 • Volume 75, Issue 10

@berkeleybeacon // @beaconupdate

Staff union decries turnover, low funding Bailey Allen & Vivi Smilgius Beacon Staff

Members of Emerson’s staff union took to the streets this week amid contract negotiations with the college, demanding the college increase hiring in several areas that they say are already severely understaffed. on Monday, which urged students to follow the staff union on social media and support its efforts to unfreeze the college’s hiring practices. Many Emerson departments have been operating at a quarter or, in some cases, even one-

Mayor-elect Michelle Wu waves to a crowd of supporters at a victory party Tuesday night. Jiaxin Xu / Beacon Correspondent

WU MAKES HISTORY

Former city councilor is first woman, person of color elected mayor Bailey Allen & Frankie Rowley Beacon Sttaff

Michelle Wu secured victory in Boston’s mayoral election Tuesday night, defeating her opponent, City Councilor at Large Annissa Essaibi George, by nearly 30 points in a historic race to become the

year history.

“One of my sons asked me the other night if boys could be elected mayor of Boston,” Wu said in her victory speech at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Cyclorama Building. “They have been, and they will again someday, but not tonight.”

Wu and Essaibi George emerged as the top two vote getters from Sept. 15’s preliminary elections. On election night, Wu garnered 91,239 votes, or roughly 64 percent of the total. Essaibi George fell short with just over 35 percent.

Essaibi George conceded the race just hours after polls closed, voicing her support for Wu in the spirit of cooperation.

“Boston is a city of scrappy,

hard-working people,” she said. “When we come together, we can accomplish anything. It’s going to take all of us to move this city forward. This race may technically be over, but the work is not done. Our work is not done.”

Wu, a progressive, held dominant leads in polls leading up to election day.

Her platform seeks to build a “resilient, healthy and fair Boston,” by bolstering creasing jobs, according to her campaign website. On the contrary, Essaibi George sought to “prioritize building an economy” and make Boston more affordable for all its residents.

Wu, Pg. 2

to suffer, forced to take on tasks on top of their own jobs.

“We haven’t, from what we know, gotten a whole lot of response from administration,” Levine said. “We’ve gotten a whole lot of response from students. We’ve gotten a lot more followers on our Instagram and Facebook page. We’ve had students approach us directly; some of them actually want to do class projects on this stuff.”

This is the union’s second call for increased support from college administrators, after many negotilay is not only harmful to workers, but also to the effectiveness of the college as a whole.

“When a department is already buckling because it’s understaffed, it’s only a matter of time before people are like, ‘Why am I working so hard and being underpaid? I’m going to leave,’” said llona Yukha2 Boylston Place alleyway. “People are not going to

cash that faculty are asked to fundraise for assistance they require on the job, Yukhayev said, meaning that already-crumbling departments are losing even more members who can’t get the help they need to do their jobs.

Levine brought attention to delays in certain understaffed departments such as information technology, attributing the delay in service to outstanding vacancies.

“What a lot of people don’t realize is that the school itself has lost lots of people over the last couple of and whatever else [the administration is] coming up with, they haven’t been replacing these staff members.” population and dwindling staff population are causing remaining staffers to be overworked, saying the staff populations have stayed around the same level.

The mass departures from the college for higher paying jobs aren’t surprising to Levine, who blamed the pressure many staff members are under. Levine added that the stress is one he understands.

Union, Pg. 3

Jonathan Graziano ‘13 and his 13-year-old pug Noodle. Courtesy Jonathan Graziano

‘Bones day’ or ‘No Bones day’: Emerson alum, pug achieve TikTok fame Campbell Parrish Beacon Staff

Forget horoscopes or weather foreout what kind of day you’re going to have—Noodle, a 13-year-old pug.

Thanks to Jonathon Graziano ‘13, a former marketing communications major, Noodle has gone viral as millions of users, including Emerson students,

rush to open TikTok at 11 a.m. to see what the world has in store for them by means of the adorable pug.

The premise of each video is to see if Graziano’s 13-year-old pug wakes up with “bones” or “no bones,” which can up, or according to Graziano, “gets mushy.”

“Noodle has done [bones or no bones] ever since I’ve adopted him,”

Graziano said in an interview with The Beacon. “Noodle has always done this, in the morning, he’ll just be really mushy and won’t want to go on a walk.”

Each morning, Graziano’s bright and cheery face greets millions of people on TikTok, with each of his daily videos receiving an average of three million views.

Pug, Pg. 6

INSIDE THIS EDITION

Emerson senior wins town council seat Pg. 2 SEAL Director reflects on decade at EmersonPg. 3 Editorial: Emerson needs to address anti-semitism Pg. 4 Alums direct, star in new film Pg. 7 Women’s soccer loses on questionable call in playoffs Pg. 8

65

positive COVID-19 tests

.13 %

positivity rate

49,000+ tests completed

News

The Berkeley Beacon

2

Testing center forced to close twice in as many days

Wu secures 64% of vote

Cont. from Pg. 1 “Wu always seemed to do a good ery time I look at things she’s done, actions she’s taken or has proposed doing, [I see] she has a track record of working for and with the city of Boston.”

Wu became the first woman and first person of color to ever be elected into the role of mayor on Tuesday. She replaced Acting Mayor Kim Janey, who became the city’s first female and first person of color to serve as mayor when Martin J. Walsh took up the post of Secretary of Labor in February.

This election marks the first time since 1930 that the office has not been contested by a member of either of Boston’s powerful Irish-American and Italian-American constituencies.

“It’s a historic election,” voter cited that we have not only a person of color but a woman taking on the mantle of mayor here in Boston.”

The importance of the election was not lost on Boston voters.

“It’s very important for the city of Boston, for each individual, to vote and be involved in the voting process,” voter Ingrid Nevins said.

“It makes a difference in how we live and function.”

Emerson alumna Janice Seidman served as a poll worker for the first time this year at the Boston Public Library’s central branch, and said she was pleased with the voter turnout.

“I worked in the primaries for the first time and now I’m working this,” she said. “I can say that there’s a more steady flow of people this time, compared to the last time, which is good. A lot of interest and a lot of young people.”

Nevins, who voted for Wu, said she hopes Wu will “clean up” the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard.

The area, now a sprawling tent city, has become the epicenter of the city’s addiction crisis.

“It’s very important that these individuals are looked at as human beings and that they’re given proper mental health care and physical care and medical care,” Nevins said. “[We’re ready] for every Bos-

November 4, 2021

mental health, substance use at Mass. Ave and Melnea Cass Boulevard and across our city and beyond to have dignity, treatment, and housing,” Wu said in her victory speech.

For Jacobs and other proponents of climate action, Wu represents a new approach to environmentally-friendly policies on the municipal level.

“Michelle had a much more bold vision for how to tackle climate resiliency for the city and would keep it safe for generations to come to protect our beautiful city,” Jacobs said.

“Boston is ready to become a her speech, a plan that she has vehemently promoted since the conception of her campaign. seek to catalyze the city’s transition to renewable energy by decarboniztry. This shift to cleaner energy will create jobs and continue Boston’s push for environmental justice.

Eager Wu supporters showed up to the polls decked in purple and pins, spreading support for their candidate.

“I have voted in every single election since I was old enough to vote, both primaries and general [elections],” voter Susan Collings said. “I had a very clear choice in this election.”

For some, the reason to vote was more than what the candidates could do for the city, but a measure of keeping some from holding the power.

“I came in to vote against someone,” said Peter Yarr, another Wu voter. “I don’t think property developers should be in charge of the city. I absolutely voted against George.”

Though Essaibi George generated staunch opposition—in part due to her developer husband’s flouting of municipal and state building codes—her supporters remained enthusiastic.

“She understands Boston from derstands the city’s needs. I think she, out of the two candidates, was probably the perfect choice.”

“I’m never going to stop fighting

Elaina Bolanos / Beacon Staff for this city that I love. I’m never going to stop fighting for the people that I love,” Essaibi George said in her speech.

In addition to the mayoral race, Michael Flaherty, Julia Mejia and Ruthzee Louijeune became Boston city councilors at-large while Lydia Marie Edwards, Edward Flynn and Frank Baker were voted councilors for districts one, two and three, respectively. Brian Worrell, Ricardo Arroyo and Kendra Hicks became councilors for districts four, five cilla Bok and Liz Breadon were voted councilors for districts seven, eight and nine.

Voters were also faced with three ballot questions on Tuesday night, the first of which asked residents to approve or disapprove a change in Boston’s city charter that would allow city council members to propose and revise city budgets.

Question 2 regarded Bostonians’ views on Eversource’s plans to install an electric substation in Chelsea Creek, while question 3 asked whether the current appointed school committee structure should be changed to a school committee elected by Boston residents.

Questions 1 and 3 garnered 68 and 79 percent approval, respectively, while Question 2 received 83 percent disapproval.

Justin Chen, Payton Cavanaugh, and Abigail Lee contributed reporting. contact@berkeleybeacon.com

Zhuoli Zhang / Beacon Correspondent

Frankie Rowley, Gabriel Borges, & Henrique Rocha Beacon Staff & Beacon Correspondent

Two separate incidents in as many days abruptly shuttered Emerson’s testing center, including a potential hazmat situation that forced the evacuation of the surrounding Tufts Medical Center complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters were sent to Tufts’ Biomedical Research and Public Health Building at 136 Harrison Ave. at 3:32 p.m. on Tuesday, after an “unknown haze” was reported on the building’s seventh floor, the Boston Fire Department wrote on Twitter.

Responders treated the event as a potential Level 2 hazmat situation, indicating the potential of “irritating, corrosive or flammable vapors.”

Officials later determined that the haze was caused by a fire in a walk-in refrigerator.

No illnesses or injuries were immediately reported due to the fire, the department said.

Firefighters sealed the refrigerator and, after running tests on the air quality, confirmed that no dangerous chemicals were present, the department said. As of 4:53 p.m Tuesday, a hazmat specialist was awaiting an environmental cleanup crew at the scene.

Maria Brouard, a first-year Ph.D. student at Tufts School of Medicine, said she was in a lab on the seventh floor preparing for an electrophysiology experiment when she was

alarmed by a strong smell.

“It smelled wrong,” Brouard said.

An email from Tufts’ Office of Emergency Management warned Tufts community members to avoid the area due to “a chemical hazard.”

At 3:57 p.m., Emerson’s Associate Vice President for Campus Life and “COVID Lead” Erik Muurisepp sent an email stating that the emergency would close the testing center for the rest of the day.

The testing center was again briefly shuttered on Wednesday morning, after another fire alarm prompted the evacuation of the building at 8:35 a.m.

“We have just been notified that unfortunately the test center has had to close again due to another alarm sounding in the 116 Harrison Ave building,” he wrote. “Please don’t go test until we have received the all clear.”

Firefighters cleared the building by 8:58 a.m., allowing the testing center to resume normal operations, Muurisepp said.

Muurisepp explained that testing compliance would be adjusted due to the “unforeseen closures,” and that students’ campus access would not be impacted Wednesday or Thursday.

The causes of the fires were unclear Wednesday evening. Brian Alkins, a public information officer for the Boston Fire Department, said that Tufts contractors handled the cleanup. contact@berkeleybeacon.com

Emerson senior elected as Winthrop town councilor

Camilo Fonseca Beacon Staff

dent candidate in the district.

Residents of Winthrop, Mass. elected Richard Fucillo Jr. to their town council in Tuesday’s municipal elections, the first victory in the Emerson senior’s burgeoning political career.

Fucillo, a communications major, ran unopposed for the town’s first precinct after making headlines in March while campaigning for the town’s open seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

He claimed victory with 411 ballots cast in his name, or 74 percent of the vote.

“There’s nothing I love more than my town and the people in it,” Fucillo said in an interview with The Beacon. “To be able to make decisions on things that are going to make Winthrop a better place to live—in my opinion, there’s nothing better.”

Fucillo’s bid for the State House ended with a second

helped lay the foundation for his town council run, he said.

“I didn’t win that election, but I was able to put out a positive message and get my name out there,” Fucillo said. “A lot of people resonated with that [message], and they liked what they had to hear.”

Though he had “always planned” to run for the local office, he said he was spurred on by the positive reaction to his campaign earlier this year.

“It was just dependent on when,” he said. “A number of people asked me to run, and I said, ‘alright, maybe I should.’

So I got the papers, filled them out, and here I am now.”

Fucillo said he was looking forward to tackling the various priorities facing his 20,000 constituents. Chief among these priorities, he said, are the redevelopment of a former middle school, the reinvigoration of the town’s business district and the hiring of a permanent town manager.

Jeffrey Turco—though a remarkable one for an indepen-

town has an operating budget of $69 million for the current fiscal year; its annual revenue per capita of $3,685 makes up only five percent of this number, according to the Massachu“We have to find ways of getting more revenue without payers of the town—because

Zhuoli Zhang / Beacon Correspondent

He also stated that he would continue to advocate for many of the issues he highlighted during his State House run, including broadband internet access—which he once described as a “Comcast monopoly”— and inflated prices for utilities like water.

The biggest challenge facing Winthrop, Fucillo said, was collecting enough revenue to be able to fund the planned redevelopment. The North Shore

in,” he said. “I’m going to have to work closely with the other members [of the council] to figure out how we’re going to do that.”

Fucillo suggested that redevelopment could spur more individuals to move to Winthrop, though he conceded that there was “a larger conversation to chanics.

The 23-year-old’s election was welcomed by many in the town like longtime incumbent councilor Jim Letterie, who was elected council president on Tuesday.

“I’ve had the opportunity to talk to him, and he has some really positive ideas for Win-

throp,” Letterie said. “I’m very much looking forward to working with him.”

Letterie, like many in the small community, has known Fucillo for many years. Fucillo, he said, once played hockey with his daughter and baseball with his son.

This relationship only magnifies the contrast between Fucillo, still an undergraduate, and Letterie, who has served on Winthrop’s Town Council for 16 years. However, Letterie said the incoming councilor’s age was not a detriment in politics, but a benefit.

“At that young age, he’s gonna bring a new perspective to the council that we haven’t had in a long time,” he said. two years on the council would provide ample time for the Emerson student to find his political footing.

“He’s a young man with a bright future, whatever he chooses to be,” he said. camilo_fonseca@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

November 4, 2021

3

Union demands higher pay, more staff Cont. from Pg. 1 “Most of our low- and middle-tiered staff are having difficulties with everything that’s going on, being able to pay the rent, being able to pay for utilities, being able to do the things that they should be able to do,” he said.

Yukhayev said she and other union members are calling on the administration to pay workers better and adequately staff departments to prevent hiring droughts like the one the college is currently facing.

“We wanted to get the message out to everybody,” Levine said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, there’s a problem.’ Everybody needs to be aware of it. People need to start putting some pressure onto the administration to start raising pay to retain these people, because we’re losing a lot.”

While the union needs to reach a wide audience, Levine said the Emerson community—particularly students—will be the deciding factor in the success of the negotiations.

“If you stop and think about it, the students are the ones who are paying the tuition and the room and board,” Levine said.

“You’re paying an awful lot of money, but your services are starting to lag,” he added. “To get the service up to where it really needs to be, we need to hire more people. We need to retain people. And students need to understand that your money is being spent somewhere. Where’s it going?”

Union members are also seeking to address what they see as a hiring bias against women and people of color at Emerson.

“It’s just hard for minorities and for people of color and women to move up,” Levine said. “We’ve had some very qualified candidates who were looking to move into manager positions and they were overlooked, for reasons we don’t quite understand.”

Yukhayev called on Emerson students and staff to get educated, raise awareness, and pressure administrators to consider the union’s proposal

and make much-needed changes. She added that community involvement can make or break agreements like the one the union seeks.

“We need our community to know that there’s a problem so they can support us when we’re trying to resolve this issue,” Yukhayev said. “We saw in our first contract negotiation that when we got the community involved and we were able to apply pressure, [administration] changed their minds.

It wasn’t through the strength of our arguments. It was through the pressure of the community.”

However, Union Treasurer Elbert Lee conceded that, despite success connecting with the student body, the leafleting may have fallen on deaf ears in the administration.

“As someone who works on campus five times a week, I want to say a lot of administration is actually working from home,” Lee said. “They may not even know what’s happening, what flyers are being passed out, what kind of protests or actions are happening on campus.”

Nevertheless, Levine said the contract negotiations, still in their early stages, were progressing “okay.”

“We’ve had three meetings, we’ve got another meeting [Thursday], and we are in active negotiations,” Levine said. “Proposals are going back and forth across the table. We’re trying to hash out some serious concerns and issues on both sides. We’ll see how it goes.”

Levine added that the Emerson community— from staff members to tuition-paying students— deserve better, higher-functioning departments.

“The people who are still left at the school, they’re staying because they love what they do,” Levine said.

“They love the people that they work with, they like what Emerson stands for, but it’s getting harder and harder for those people to stay. Because economically, it doesn’t make sense.” contact@berkeleybeacon.com

From provost to president: Michaele Whelan departs Emerson to lead Wheaton College Frankie Rowley Beacon Staff

The 14th floor office designated for the Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs will soon be transferred to a new tenant as Michaele Whelan prepares to depart the college, saying goodbye to friends made along the way and leaving a lasting legacy on the college through her advancements in academics.

Whelan, who will depart Emerson next week to take on the presidency at Wheaton College, began her career at the college in 2013, working to expand academic programs and create more study abroad opportunities, among other initiatives to broaden Emerson’s academic prowess.

Of her achievements at the college, Whelan said one she was most excited about was transforming the voting pool for the college’s teaching awards. Prior to her arrival, students were left out of the voting pool, despite being the “primary voice” on faculty performance.

“Getting students excited and sending out the messages [about nominations] was something I really enjoyed doing,” she said. “Faculty were so excited to be nominated, that’s really important and incredibly important for students to be able to say ‘here are the teachers we think are amazing.’”

Whelan helped increase the college’s faculty, hiring over 100 full-time faculty members since 2013.

“I’ve really enjoyed working on those initiatives with her,” Finn said. “She’s been wonderful to work with. She’s such an integral part of the academic side of the institution. Her tenacity and academic rigor has brought Emerson to a whole new level academically.”

Along with faculty hiring, Whelan oversaw the creation of majors and minors alongside Vice President of Enrollment Ruthanne Madsen, who also serves as interim supervisor of the Social Justice Center. The two managed the creation of the business of creative enterprises, sports communication, and comedic arts majors. Whelan credited these new innovations to faculty members approaching her with the idea.

“They would always come to me and say ‘I got this idea,’” she said. “It’s about listening and helping to make it a reality.

The faculty create the curriculum and faculty are the originators of the ideas.”

Whelan said the idea for the business of creative enterprises major was influenced by conversations with Emerson alumni who wished they could have learned more about business to act as a “creative liaison” between creatives and the industry.

“We had a lot of discussions with alums who said ‘I really loved my time at Emerson, but I wish I learned more about some of the business elements,’” she said.

Whelan also oversaw the creation and implementation of the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts in 2020, a direct result of Emerson’s merger with Marlboro College.

“I remember when Lee called me about it,” she said. “I had just come back from a trip abroad working with one of our partners... and it seemed like an amazing opportunity for Emerson. The fact that we could bring such talented faculty, provide a home for students, and continue the legacy of Marlboro, [was] an important moment historically.”

Since joining the college, Whelan has sat on the president’s council, an experience Vice President of Campus Life Jim Hoppe credits for strengthening their connection.

“She’s one of the members of the President’s Council I’ve probably had the closest connection with,” Hoppe said.

“I’ve appreciated her kindness and her compassion. She leads with her heart [and] she’s open to new ideas—that there are those people that can give you critical feedback, but you know that comes from a place of them wanting you to do better and knowing that you can do better. That skill is going to make Michaele a fantastic president.”

Along with Hoppe, “COVID Lead” and Associate Vice President for Campus Life Erik Muurisepp said his connection to Whelan was strengthened through their collaborations throughout the pandemic as Whelan helped design the One Emerson Flex Learning plan implemented for

the 2020-21 school year.

“I got to work much closer with Michaele during the pandemic and it has just been a joy to be able to partner with her and have time with her and her team of keeping the academic initiative at the forefront as we tackle the pandemic,” he said in an interview with The Beacon.

“She’s just been a great partner… [A] brilliant mind and [she] really just gives back to the college and listens as well.”

Muurisepp went on to say he really got to know Whelan through their daily check-ins, emails, and general “bouncing ideas off each other.”

“There were times where we’d have a late-night meeting randomly and my kids would be running around as I tried to get dinner set for them or working with my family at home and she would be right there with us on Zoom,” he said.

In her new role, Whelan will serve as Wheaton’s ninth president, succeeding current president Dennis Hanno. With Pelton serving as a role model, Whelan hopes to help the college progress as a whole. She added that she is excited to meet her colleagues.

“It’s about creating a vision and plan to really move the whole college forward,” she said.

Despite her anticipation, Whelan said she is going to miss Emerson’s creative energy.

“Emerson is an incredibly dynamic place so it’s really been fun to be here,” she said. “When I left Brandeis, which was a Research 1 institution, there were some people like, ‘Why are you going to Emerson?’”

“It was because of that innovation, energy, and willingness to experiment that was so exciting about being here,” she said.

The position will soon be occupied on an interim basis by Jan Roberts-Breslin, current dean of graduate and professional studies. Roberts-Breslin will take over the office on Nov. 13, a day after Whelan’s departure.

frankie_rowley@emerson.edu

Colleagues praise Meier for work with student organizations Frankie Rowley Beacon Staff

Responsible for remaking the college’s relationship to student organizations, keeping his colleagues up-to-date with pop culture, and advising the Student Government Association, Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Jason Meier is set to move across the Charles in January.

Meier came to Emerson in 2011 as director of the Student Activities Office— which he would eventually revitalize into the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. He said the decision to leave to take on Associate Dean of Student Engagement at Harvard College was not an easy one, but one he made in order to progress in his career.

“At some point in everyone’s personal and professional journey, you have to figure out the time when you have to jump, to take the next risk,” Meier, who is set to depart the college on Nov. 19, said in an interview with The Beacon.

“When I really reflect on my time at Emerson and what I’ve been able to accomplish, I feel really proud of what I’ve done,” he continued. “I’m at that place where I can walk away and feel positive...

I’m not sure what else I could do at this stage in this position.”

In his ten years at Emerson, Meier played an influential role in shaping the college’s student engagement office. Alongside figures like Vice President for Campus Life Jim Hoppe and Associate Vice President for Campus Life Erik Muurisepp, Meier helped shape the structure and missions of SEAL. “Ultimately, the philosophy was, ‘we’re here to help,’” Meier said. “There are always rules and policy [regarding student organizations], but [we] educated them in a way that wasn’t pandering, that was done with kindness, that was done in a fun way.”

During his tenure, Meier oversaw the

response of student organizations to various external pressures—most memorably, in his eyes, the response to the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

“While those were really heavy, tough, painful days, I’m so proud of the way we all came together to support people,” he said.

In order to establish an effective working relationship with students, Meier and former Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Andrew Donahue attended several trainings on how to manage a student organization, the legal implications of running an organization, and even a training on Campus Labs Engage; the platform used to create Emconnect.

Meier also helped improve the virtual accessibility of student organizations via EmConnect—a process that would become invaluable after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic suspended in-person org meetings.

Meier joked about the office’s origins, saying he pushed back on the original name for SEAL. “The original name was ‘Student Leadership and Engagements,’” he said.

“In my brain, I was just like, ‘No, we have an acronym right there!”

Now, four years after its creation, the SEAL office has grown to include Meier, Director of Campus Centers Joshua Hamlin, and Program Coordinators Jenna Coviello and Chelsea Jackson Jones.

Coviello, who came to the college a year ago, said Meier had helped foster her professional development by giving her confidence in her new role.

“I was nervous to start in this position,” she said. “There’s a lot of impostor syndrome, especially when you start a new position…he has always made me feel capable, confident and trusted.”

Hamlin said Meier has worked tirelessly to improve the office and the college as a whole.

“Jason’s been a great colleague and ally

in terms of not just working with students, but pushing us all to be better, to do more to look at new perspectives,” he said.

“That’s something that I’ve always been very appreciative of.”

Aside from his role at SEAL, Meier has also advised the Student Government Association since spring 2020, guiding the organization through the pandemic and a shift in its operating structure.

“It was such an exciting and invigorating thing because that spring is when we were laser-focused on reimagining what SGA could be and thinking about, ‘How do we legislate? How do we better advocate for the student experience?’” he said. “Getting all of that done was a huge accomplishment… SGA has been a joy.”

Meier said he tried to be aware of the “fine line between advising and supervising”—acknowledging that the organization’s decisions were not his, but its own.

It is this philosophy that Meier says will help SGA thrive even without its advisor.

“I truly feel those students are self-supportive and have the ability to do great things with or without me,” he said.

Hoppe, who collaborated with Meier on the creation of SEAL and other on-campus initiatives, said Meier’s move is “a very natural next step in his career.”

“He’s very ready to take on this kind of leadership position and to lead a larger team,” Hoppe said.

Muurisepp, when asked about his favorite memories of Meier, quipped “the ones that can be printed?”

“Jason has been a wonderful colleague, a wonderful staff person to work alongside with and it’s just really been a privilege to be able to work with him,” he said. “I always enjoy our weekly conversations.

I always leave those meetings learning something, which I appreciate.”

He said their working relationship is one where they can critique and encourage each other in the work they do.

“We have a good ability to challenge each

Tivara Tanudjaja/ Beacon Correspondent other,” he said. “To both make each other grow and develop and think about things differently.”

In his new role, Meier said he would continue to work the way he does at Emerson, overseeing a new group of students and organizations. He will be working with student organizations, orientation programming, and college leadership, noting that he is excited to get to work with the Student Organization Center on campus.

Meier added that he is most looking forward to working with his new team at Harvard.

“They’ve got such a good group of professionals,” he said. “I’m really excited to get to know them and work with them and figure out how to continue to grow and expand their work in their program.”

Muurisepp said he wanted to avoid rushing the search process for Meier’s successor as SEAL director. No plans for replacing Meier have been announced.

“We’re going to follow the process, include students in that process, and search for the next director of Student Engagement and Leadership that can help us continue to grow on the foundation

that [Meier] has provided us,” he said.

Meier said he hopes his successor becomes immersed in Emerson, wanting whoever fills his shoes to get involved in everything they can.

“I would want the new director to walk into this experience at Emerson with an open mind, to attend as many student org events as possible, to get to know people on a one-on-one basis, and create those meaningful personal relationships,” Meier said. “That’s how you can get the work done.”

Meier said he’ll miss his co-workers in the college’s office of campus life, acknowledging that he has felt nothing but support during his time at the college.

“The Campus Life team in particular has been so great over the years and I think about all that we’ve been able to accomplish in the last 18 months with COVID,” he continued. “It really, truly was a strong team effort. I’m real grateful for that and I also know that those relationships don’t end just because they go across the river.” frankie_rowley@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

November 4, 2021

4

Opinion

Anti-semitism on campus should be addressed with more than empty words from administrators Editorial

In the wake of yet another attack on Emerson’s jewish community, it has become clear that the college needs to do more to combat antisemitism on campus. found on an event poster for Hillel, the College’s Jewish student organization, in an elevator lobby of 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.

This incident marks the second time in recent years that anti-Semitic vandalism has appeared on Emerson grounds.

In January 2020, four swastikas were found in a Piano Row stairwell, prompting condemnation from the college but no real action.

“At a time when anti-Semitism and other ugly forms of bias are on the rise around the world, the Emerson community needs to hold all the more strongly to our values, and to be united in our condemnation of it,” former president M. Lee Pelton wrote in the email announcing the vandalism.

Once again, the party responsible was

Monday evening, Hillel held a gathering for Jewish students and allies to meet in

that the college has not done enough to change the treatment of Jewish students. pus, Jewish Emersonians need to be properly represented in administration, and a safe space for reporting such attacks must be established.

The fact that antisemitism reared its ugly head on Emerson’s campus after the 2020 incident means the college hasn’t been aggressive enough in stamping out hate on campus. After all, it readministrators’ meetings with Jewish leaders in the wake of the swastika inciic played a role in delaying this important work but it should be a priority for Emerson.

Students made it clear though that antisemitism at Emerson goes far beyond just those two events. “[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 freshman told The Beacon. “I’m so happy that I found Hillel but there are certain days where I’m so scared.”

This is devastating yet unsurprising, since one-third of Jewish college stusome form of antisemitic hate in the last academic year, according to a survey -

tion League. Not to mention that most activity on campus don’t report it, suggesting the true number is likely higher, the survey said.

To combat this, Emerson’s administration should encourage students to use some sort of centralized anonymous sysorg, to report future attacks.

As a Jewish student, it’s hard to believe that Emerson truly cares about your needs when no Jewish holidays are recognized as days off. Jewish students were faced with a dilemma — take the day off to recognize a critical holiday to their religion and use up one of three allotted absences most classes allow; or not celebrate at all.

Programs such as the Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative (CCI), a year-long program that helps assess the campus climate for Jewish students, found that making sure Jewish students are represented is important to combat antisemitism. That work takes on many forms, including offering kosher food in Emerson actually does.

Moreover, Emerson should put some effort in offering courses and training on antisemitism to students, faculty, staff, and administration. Hillel and the address the history of antisemitism but understand how and why it manifests on campuses today.

Emerson’s handling of the recent

/ Beacon Staff events with Turning Point on campus has made clear in the past that they don’t their interactions with social media personality Bryan Sharpe.

Sharpe has famously made anti-semitic remarks, including claims that the term “holocaust-denier” was “created to hide the truth.” He has also previously said that Jewish people are responsible for destroying the Black community.

Point, and Charlie Kirk, continued to have a working relationship with Sharpe. In 2018, they did ban him from that it was only because of the optics in the media, and that no one at the actual organization had a problem with him.

Emerson allowing Turning Point to operate on campus despite its apparent

anti-semitism is another slap in the face to Jewish students.

With the work the college is doing to address other inequities on campus such as racism and accessibility; doing more to support Jewish students should be a priority too.

The Berkeley Beacon Editorial Board is the voice of the student newspaper that looks to serve the Emerson College community with thoughtful insight into ongoings and occurrences affecting their everyday lives. The board’s positions are determined by its members. The board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editors, and opinion editors. The opinions expressed by the Editorial Board do not impact the paper’s coverage.

You can respond to a position brought forward by The Beacon Editorial Board in the form of a Letter to The Editor by email: Letters@BerkeleyBeacon.com.

Democrats need to find unity, or else they could lose electoral power

respect you owe to the voters who elected you. Staying silent at a crucial moment such as this one will only damage the reputation of her own party and her political future as a senator.

Remember the bathroom incident where two individuals chased Sinema to the bathroom during a visit

Justin Chen Beacon Staff

“The honeymoon is over,” according to CNN political commentator Van Jones. That is indeed the case as democrats are heading towards ugly midterm elections. Less than a year from the midterm elections, the pass Biden’s agenda or risk losing their political power in Washington.

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. ‘s administration and Washington democrats are facing major problems on many national and international issues. From infrastructure, struggling to pass the infrastructure bill that Biden promised. Since August, Biden’s approval rating has continued to plummet. According to an NBC News Poll, only 42 percent of respondents approve of the president’s performance.

The democratic party, as a whole, is too divided and it’s making them lose elections.

Take the Virginia governor’s race man Glenn Youngkin won by a thin margin against democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe, the state’s former governor. The loss in a state that has been reliably blue since 2008 marks a huge blow to the party. So, where did McAuliffe go wrong?

Instead of campaigning to address important issues, McAuliffe and opponents heavily. McAuliffe spent much of his campaign comparing ald Trump, while Youngkin was promoting dog-whistle racism to voters against critical race theory—those are the issues voters care about.

Virginia voters were focused on day-to-day issues as opposed to whether or not Youngkin is Trump

Illustration Lucia Thorne bill as part of Biden’s “Build Back 33 percent of Virginia voters think the most important issues the state is facing are the economy and jobs, while 24 percent of them say it’s education. The McAuliffe campaign did not address enough of these concerns from constituents.

Another reason why the party is divided on many issues is that progressive and centrist democrats cannot agree on how much money they want the government to spend. members such as Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT.) want a 6 trillion dollar spending package, moderates would only agree to sit down and talk about it if they lower it to 1.5 trillion dollars.

The moderates in the Senate know they are powerful––with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as a tie breaking vote for an evenly divided senate, every vote counts for democrats.

After weeks and weeks of delaying the passage of the infrastructure

dence in democrats on whether they can actually pass bills to rebuild the country’s economy and infrastructure better than before.

Primarily, Senators Joe Manchin against the bill passing.

Manchin has been releasing strongly-worded statements stating his opposition to these bills, calling them “shell games” and a “recipe

latures, the process has been drawn out much longer than necessary, and the main reason for that being Manchin won’t compromise with the democrats.

Sinema on the other hand left many people around the country confused about where her allegiance is. Her ambiguity is hurting the party.

The ambiguity from Senator Kyrsten Sinema must stop. It is not

Arizona confronted and threatened to choose a more progressive person to replace her in 2022. This will happen, and based on the demographic in Arizona, a more progressive senator seems unreachable for democrats to hold this particular senate seat.

In addition, Joe Manchin must stop playing the power game.

Progressives have already compromised on many issues with the senator by lowering the price tag of their spending, and it is time for Senator Manchin to match the progressives’ proposed spending. Manchin, though powerful, needs to keep in mind that the President is the leader of the party, and he should not put the Biden presidency in peril.

It’s not too late for democrats playing politics is far from it. The signs from the voters. Otherwise, they are on the track of losing their control of the House and Senate in 2022, and even the White House in 2024.

that he has been working with Pelosi and Schumer on these legis-

won their seat with a thin margin to play politics right now. Telling the public what you believe is the basic

© 2021 The Berkeley Beacon. All rights reserved.

Editor-in-Chief Charlie McKenna

Tyler Foy (Sports) Kaitlyn Fehr (Copy)

Managing Editors Lucia Thorne (Content) Hongyu Liu (Multimedia) Campbell Parrish (Operations)

Advisor Jerry Lanson

Section Editors Camilo Fonseca (News) Mariyam Quaisar (Living Arts) Shannon Garrido (Opinion)

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

The Beacon is published weekly.

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justin_chen@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

November 4, 2021

5

We can’t continue to ignore the toxicity of fraternities generate group solidarity, tests the loyalty of new members, and prove one’s manhood, similar to “gang initiation” tactics.

I don’t understand why fraternities are so important to the American college social scene.

I constantly joke about this with my friends back home but it just seems like students are stuck in time. There is no reason to force yourself to have a good time in a

Shannon Garrido Beacon Staff

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and rape.

Since moving to this country and dipping my toes into what is considered the “American college still can’t wrap my mind around— Greek life.

Although the idea of a sorority is hilarious to me due to how they are portrayed on social media, fraternities are where my mind really works overtime trying to understand them. They seem like the kind of thing that, in any other scenario other than white guys with money, would be considered illegal, or at the very least something we should move on from.

On paper, fraternities, or Greek Letter Organizations, are defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigroups on college campuses that focus on promoting leadership, brotherhood, and philanthropy.

They are likely to include membership fees, a residence that members can live in, and self-governance.

Basically, it’s a group of men living together with as much autonomy as possible. What could possibly go wrong?

Frats are built on inequality. Barring to mention how heteronormative, and weird, it is to promote a group like this only for men, frats are inequal in so many playing versity, one of the few universities with demographic data on its own Greek system, shows that white students are disproportionately represented in the Greek system, with 73 percent of all fraternity members being white.

Currently though, Princeton doesn’t have actual frats; they have things called “eating clubs,” which are social houses independently run by graduate boards and un-

Illustration Abigail Shenker dergraduates. The school does not allow frats on campus because “in general, they do not add in positive ways to the overall residential Furthermore, with undergraduate tuition averaging well over forty thousand dollars, it is unsurprising that most students come from privileged backgrounds, with 25 percent of members being from the top one percent of Princeton’s student body.

So a group of white, upper-class men operating with as much autonomy as possible, what could possibly go wrong? Well, everything.

Fraternities have often been compared to gangs due to the violent and misogynistic culture that encompass them. Yet, unlike “street gangs,” frats are not met with nearly as many arrests. lent crime, then the fraternity of today may be committing as many violent crimes as the gang of the 1990s that spooked fearful Americans into tough-on-crime policies,” Ibram X. Kendi, the director of center, wrote in The Atlantic.

According to research from The nity and gang members are likely

to perpetuate gang rape, normally at social events and parties, and during some initiation processes.

For fraternities, this overstimulated emphasis on masculinity and dominance amongst fellow members creates an environment that breeds violence against women.

According to a 2005 study by Bleecker & Murnen, men involved in greek life are more likely to believe in rape myths and engage in an attitude of male dominance of assaults in party settings, men in greek life, more often than not, use women’s bodies as a way to cement their bonds and brotherhood with each other.

Recently protests have been going on across the country because colleges and universities across enough conviction, if any, when assault and harrassment. Recently, kidnapped, strangled to the point of unconsciousness, and assaulted This is just part of the violence that ensues within frat culture.

TIME Magazine wrote that frater-

nities often have an initiation process in which pledges are made to ‘serve’ their superiors and engage in degrading behaviours. They may be made to go without proper sleep or be forced to drink copious, and dangerous, amounts of alcohol. In many cases these hazing rituals lead to grievous injuries, numerous lawsuits, and dozens of fatalities.

In 2017, Tim Piazza, a Beta Theta Pi pledge at Penn State, was alcohol in an alleged hazing ritual known as “the gauntlet.” He suffered traumatic injuries to his brain and spleen, that would prove to be fatal. Similarly in 2014, Tucker Hipps died in 2014 after falling from a bridge during a predawn Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

Although the federal government does not track hazing incidents, Hank Nuwer, a professor of journalism at Franklin College, has documented 33 hazing deaths involving fraternities nationwide in the past decade.

Frats encourage the kind of behavior that if the police report read “street gang,” it would easily put them in the hands of the law. The hazing that fraternities make their “brothers” go through is made to

ridden house that looks like a prop for “The Conjuring.” Especially when these parties are hosted by mostly white rich guys who can’t find a beat to save their life, we can do better. Not to mention when you know that these events are propelled by such violence, it seems difficult to enjoy oneself.

So why do groups like these, with such a terrifying reputation, continue to be a very popular part of college campuses across the country? Because those who join, after four years of what is clearly gold star behavior, go out to become the people running this country.

Research by the Century Foundation shows that 80 percent of men, 85 percent of Supreme Court justices, and all but two presidents since 1825 have been fraternity men.

These factors indicate socioeconomic and racial disparities within student organizations that have enough political pull to push their members into positions of power.

Even with more and more university campuses promising diversity, Greek institutions are still run through a segregated system that prioritizes privilege and power within colleges based on race and socioeconomic thresholds. Thus, it’s insane to me that colleges still allow these organizations to be such a pivotal part of student activities on campus. shannon_garrido@emerson.edu

Super stoked to get super soaked: We should all buy a vibrator Mariyam Quaisar Beacon Staff

cent less likely to develop heart disease. Could vibrators get any more valuable?

Now, let’s talk more science: according to Knight, regularly using a vibrator helps maintain the walls of the vagina—keeping our private areas healthier. When women are aroused, the linings of our vaginas secrete and keep the area moist. Being aroused can also prevent infec-

Sept. 26. That’s the day my life changed, the day I met the best friend any girl could ever ask for.

Gavin has been by my side through thick and thin, through good times and bad. Anytime I need him, he is there for me in ways no one else has ever been before. He comforts me, he gives me strength, he inspires a better version of myself. He helps me break my old habits, and encourmasculinity for good. He made me a more independent, more empowered, and more euphoric woman.

Let me formally introduce you to my friend—the Trojan Vibrations sager.

Every woman needs a purple, ribbed best friend that sits in their bedside drawer—I’m not kidding.

So many women rely too heavily on men to be pleasured. Men who often end up using us and then dropping us. But who says we need them? We don’t.

Picture this: you have a glass of little tingly—BAM—use your vibrator. It’s way better than sitting there, wine drunk, wishing a man would come make you feel good, because you can make you feel

also have better bladder control because when a woman orgasms, her

good.

Every time someone in my suite sponse is, “Where’s your vibrator?”

Vibrators aren’t just good for ing, both physically and mentally.

Orgasms before bed help you sleep better because they produce prolactin, the sleep-inducing hor-

Courtesy Mariyam Quaisar mental health and happiness behormones that are produced, contributing to feelings of de-stressing and positivity.

Those endorphins also prevent health problems. Women who orgasm two times a week are 30 per-

Oh, and orgasms can help you beat pain. You heard me.

According to Knight, many women have reported that regular orgasms help relieve period pains and cramps. Say bye bye to heating pads and hello to vibrators.

They can even help with headaches, because the area of the brain involved in reducing pain is highly activated when a woman is aroused and endorphins are released, allowing nerve impulses to soothe. understanding within a woman that can allow for self actualization. Basically, learning about your vagina other person better.

vaginismus––which can cause pain cording to Knight.

Having a vibrator can give you independence from a man, but can also teach you where and how you to get to know your body and your pleasures so you can take control in bed and get the results you want, rather than having to watch a man repeatedly miss your seemingly “elusive” clit.

Vibrators aren’t just good for single women, or women who don’t need (or want) a man, though.

They’re equally effective when you’re in a relationship, whether that means letting your partner use “v” in vibrators might as well be short for versatility.

Personally, the thought of using vibrators scared me until my friend convinced me to get one and just try. And that’s truly all it is. There’s no binding contract or commitment with your vibrator. There’s no pressure (unless you want there to be).

It’ll be there for you when you need it, and sitting quietly in a drawer when you don’t.

Thus, my advice: get a vibrator You don’t need a man to feel good. mariyam_quaisar@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

November 4, 2021

6

Living Arts

Modern ‘Macbeth’ comments of ambition, love and power through lens of contemporary Black woman

Cast of “Macbeth in Stride” performing the musical. / Courtesy Lauren Miller

Mariyam Quaisar Beacon Staff

A new musical from Obie Award winner Whitney White running in Bosambitious, contemporary Black woman using the themes and characters of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, Macbeth.

“Macbeth in Stride” opened on Oct. until Nov. 14. The musical, which is Magar, stars White as Lady Macbeth and Charlie Thurston as Macbeth. The show lifts up contemporary Black female power, femininity, and desire as tropes.

White’s Lady Macbeth is accompanied by three witches who act as backbut also as friends who challenge and comment on her actions throughout the show. They empower and question “Lady M” to get her thinking about what she wants, who she is, and how she will accomplish her desires.

“Whitney brilliantly has composed and created an entire musical, not necessarily inspired by Macbeth, but inter-

how do people [in general] see themselves in Shakespeare, especially given there’s so much mythology about Shakespeare’s queerness.”

Whitney White is the front woman of a four-person rock rhythm and blues band, which includes Steven Cuevas ‘08. Cuevas, who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre, was also the musical director and co-orchestrator of the show.

“There’s just so many layers that we get to address in this show,” Cuevas said. “We use the Shakespearean language and also contemporary language, and we also use music of today and so many references that Whitney had grown up around and was inspired by all these powerful female artists.”

“Macbeth in Stride” has a completely original score, composed by Whitney White and Cuevas, paired with scenes from the original “Macbeth.” The music ranges from heavy metal rock to hip hop to “Tina Turner music,” as Cuevas described it. It is a beautiful and truthful take on Shakespeare, paired with awe-inspiring vocals and passion.

“The best musicals use composition as dramaturgy so as soon as the song starts you already feel something and then if the song can also take you, the listener, on a journey that’s really fruitful, and every song takes you on a journey,”

asking, how does a black woman see said. “How do black queer people and

and satisfying to listen to, it’s so much fun to sing, it’s a real delight.”

Courtesy Lauren Miller

Courtesy Lauren Miller

Courtesy Lauren Miller

Lady Macbeth dons a shimmering black jumpsuit at the beginning of the show, while Macbeth is costumed in simple, unnoticeable attire to further emphasize the point of the play—Lady Macbeth’s struggles with being a woman of color in a white-dominated, patriarchal society.

Thurston, a white man, clearly understood his role was one of a side character.

Lady Macbeth was the central character, with all eyes on her, while Macbeth was

so held back by society by the men who run it and by white supremacy.”

“Macbeth” is the only Shakespearean

me, why is my gut telling me to reject

the theme of women in power.

“Casting represents a whole lot of things,” Cuevas said. “It represents white supremacy, it represents how, a lot of times, white men just get away with murder, and it’s the women who pay for it. It also shows that white men can be an ally and can be on all of our sides, so we need to lift each other up.”

At the beginning of the show, Whitney White drew the audience in by addressing those sitting in front of her stage and asking daunting questions about independence and femininity. Not only does she blatantly challenge Shakespeare and society, but she asks the audience to do so as well.

“It addresses a lot of things from [“Macbeth”], and taking a look at that play and how it relates to us now, and how women, especially black women, are viewed and treated in society,” Cuevas said. “It’s really powerful and drives home a point, that, even today, women are so limited and women of color are

point of view, because it is the only play of his that gives a woman an identity beyond their involvement with the male protagonist. Even then, “Macbeth” ends up belittling women, which Whitney White not only addresses, but addresses with power.

“Everyone is told that Lady Macbeth is the role for a fem identifying actor to play because she’s smart and she’s ambitious, but in the end, she still goes mad like everybody else, at the end they still imagine women in this very narrow spectrum, and that’s not even taking in said.

“Macbeth in Stride” was eye-opening, goose-bump inducing, and soul-chilling. Whitney White’s take on only does it challenge white men, but also white women.

“I want power, a voice, a choice… happiness…don’t get the white lady on my case,” Lady Macbeth sings at one point in the show.

Themes of ambition, love, and power embody the play. Whitney White questions love and ambition in the same lifewomen in power.

“What’s so rich is Whitney’s interrogation about, ‘why have I been told that

to lean into that and say well in a larger sense what are these western narratives doing to women, to queer people, to people of color, and to trust her own point of view to say something and believe what that thesis is is also rich and meaningful, and in this case, it is.”

Whitney White poured her heart out in her music and acting, declaring to the world that Black women struggle, Black women have desires, and that Shakespeare’s plays are one of many things that played into female inferiority.

“Just seeing someone, or seeing people on stage, tell you their perspective and their point of view is something really powerful,” Cuevas said. “It’s to hear and see people’s point of view about being Black in America, but it’s also been so joyful. It’s been wonderful to be part of this group and to be an ally in this kind of storytelling.” emotions that created an atmosphere of trust in Whitney White for sharing her feelings, and it was a play that held immense weight.

“It’s so powerful that the poster and artwork for this show is simply just Whitney,” Cuevas said. “You already know what you’re getting into walking into this show—it’s led by a powerful black woman.” mariyam_quaisar@emerson.edu

Pug predicts kind of day viewers will have Cont. from Pg. 1 His own account has racked up 4.3 million followers and over 46.4 million total likes.

Andy Ambrose said they look forward to seeing Graziano’s videos each day.

The roommates in Little Building report whether it’s a bones or no bones day on their door’s whiteboard.

They said they have been following Noodle’s journey since the beginning—September 2020. “[Graziano] probably doesn’t even a.m after we already had our 8 a.m.’s and we’ll go ‘I knew it was going to be a bones day, today is going so well.’” checking in on Graziano and Noodle has become a ritual—and were often going well, was, in fact, a “No Bones” day.

“Everyone looks forward to seeing Tergo said.

Sometimes, it’s possible to feel Noodle’s vibe before he greets your

social media thanks to Twitter account cumulated over 290,000 followers and reports the bones forecast for the day.

The brain behind the fan page is versity’s school of Human Medicine.

With her busy schedule, she looks forward to Graziano’s videos and shares the news with thousands of fellow fans.

“I’m a huge advocate for protecting one’s mental health and I think it’s a fun way to relate to taking care of yourself and doing what’s right for you depending on how you feel and your moods,” Carbayo said.

Graziano’s relationship with Nooa woman he worked with showed him a picture of Noodle. She shared that she was fostering an older dog who needed a good home, and two weeks later, Noodle was his.

Before starting his workday, Graziano shares his morning routine with Noodle for the internet, but Noodle can be a stubborn dog and sometimes just won’t get up.

“He would just go totally limp if he didn’t want to do something and since the pandemic, TikTok is my favorite place to be,” Graziano said. “[Videos of noodle] are something that the old pug community will relate to, and lo and behold, it’s the whole world.”

Carbayo is an older pug parent as well, to a pug named Stella, who she said behaves much like Noodle. She said the videos are relatable for those who struggle with chronic medical conditions and employ ‘Spoon Theory;’ a common way to identify how much energy they have that day to complete certain tasks. With each task taking a ‘spoon,’ it’s a metaphor to share how people who struggle with disabilities or chronic illnesses plan out their day.

“I’m a huge advocate for protecting one’s mental health and I think it’s a fun way to relate to taking care of yourself and doing what’s right for you depending on how you feel and your moods,” Carbayo said. “It’s cool to have people without chronic conditions to now have something to relate to and practice empathy to others on ‘no bones’ days.”

On “no bones days,” Graziano en-

selves and be kind to themselves. On “bones days,” he promotes getting things done and being proactive.

“No bones days are my favorite, I will be transparent about that.” Graziano said. “On a bones day my favorite thing to do is to call my mom, dad, and aunt.”

Graziano said taking time out of his day to call his family makes him feel better, and how a “bones day” is all about doing what’s best for you.

Carbayo said “bones days” are time to herself, especially when she’s busy with school. “No bones days” are ones where she takes a break, maybe sleeps in a little, and tries not to read “In med school, I don’t always get to pick and choose which days will be bones or no bones days,” Carbayo said. “But, there are little things I think we can do in those instances of yourself after a long day on a no on a bones day.”

The student body lit up with the news that Noodle’s owner was an

Emerson alumni; proud that a creator that gives so much joy to others have walked the same halls as them. Graziano said he loved his time at Emerson.

“The people you meet [at Emerson] are nuts, they’re crazy, but they are the best,” Graziano said.

Noodle is our constant reminder to check in, be kinder to ourselves, and to slow down when necessary, Carbayo said.

“I’m all about checking in with no bones day,” Carbayo said. “Has it been too many bones days in a row in reality? Okay, time to slow down and take a break or I’m going to burnout.”

Graziano gave some advice for “bones day.”

“Go to Maria’s Taqueria, bring your burrito into the Tam and have Lyn make you a Manhattan,” he said.

“She knows what she’s doing behind the bar.”

“Bark bark woof,” Noodle said of his accomplishments. campbell_parish@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

November 4, 2021

7

Alums co-direct and co-star in upcoming film ‘The Beta Test’ Sophia Pargas Beacon Staff

then he never gets another letter, and it drives him crazy. He goes down

Twelve years after they graduated in the same class, two Emerson alumni and self-proclaimed “college drinking buddies” directed and

of the letter which leads him to this weird world of data scraping, digital data, and a weird conspiracy going around Hollywood.”

Together, Cummings and McCabe wrote, directed, and starred

Beta Test,” which premieres on Nov. 5 in select theaters and streaming platforms.

PJ McCabe ‘09, a theater major, jor, met in Little Building during ed their four years together in college.

“We became friends freshman year and stayed good buddies all through school,” McCabe said.

“After college, we formed more of a creative bond and started making stuff together, and slowly formed this writing partnership over the years that has escalated to what it is today.”

years to make. “The Beta Test” was funded by a crowd equity campaign, edited by Cummings in his garage.

The two have very different opinions on the process of playing so many roles in the creation of the “It was every challenge,” Cummings said. “It was every possible challenge. You’re pretending to be Jackie Chan and writing and directing and choreographing and doing everything. You get no sleep, and you’re sprinting all the time to get everything done.”

McCabe begged to differ about

“Honestly, no challenges really,” McCabe said. “It was great. It was kind of just like being on set with your buddy making a movie like in It went suspiciously well. There were never really any problems.” views so far, with a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and having

release on Friday, McCabe says he is grateful for the response so far and moving forward.

“It’s a really fun, cool story that I think a lot of audiences will like and connect with,” McCabe said.

“I’m looking forward to getting a response, but luckily we’ve been getting an overwhelmingly positive review from critics which is incredible.”

As two alumni who started out

Lucia Thorne / Beacon Staff

Lucia Thorne Beacon Staff

Tricks and dog treats took over

in 2018, Cummings approached McCabe with a bizarre scenario that ended up becoming the plot for “The Beta Test.”

“It started when Jim called me one day with this weird thought about, ‘What if you got a letter in the mail inviting you to a no strings attached

didn’t have it this year. So I tried to This Halloween parade proved to be a great way to celebrate the holvide his last name to The Beacon,

Costume Parade made its triumphant return to Summer Street between Washington and Hawley Streets on Sunday. seventh year––was held outside of Macy’s from 1 to 3 p.m., garnering attention from hundreds of spectators passing through and participating in the contest.

The parade setup was decked out with Halloween-themed decorations, including orange and black balloons and a photo-op area with pumpkins and hay bales. Through the pedestrian walkway, booths presented and sold dog treats with products for their owners to look at while the dogs jumped with happiness.

Free dog treats were given to any dog in attendance, as well as prizes

“And I said, ‘That’s insane. I would never do it. What a weird question.’

But when I really thought about it and decided, wait, that’s interesting.

Let’s talk about that.’”

From the one question Cummings posed to his friend, a movie plot slowly began to unfold before the pairs’ eyes. Over time, the two wrote what would eventually become “The romance, and comedy.

“The movie is about a Hollywood talent agent who gets a letter in the mail inviting him to a no strings atin a hotel room,” McCabe said. “It’s

‘Annual Doggone Halloween Costume Parade’ brings spooky festivities Downtown

Alums Jim Cummings (left) and PJ McCabe (right). / Courtesy Jim Cummings

Owner and dog dressed as a nurse-doctor duo. Lucia Thorne / Beacon Staff

our very same halls, the pair hopes

dressed as a bumblebee.

“I’m not a big Halloween fan,

about the importance of utilizing the tools available to them and producing work they are proud of.

year as a pumpkin, and we won the second year as an inmate. This is our third year.”

Santry said the event was a festive tend with her dog as the intensity of the pandemic wanes.

can do it on their own, and they don’t need to listen to ‘the powers that be’ who tell them they can’t make a movie,” Cummings said.

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just thought it was a fun outdoor activity and I like socializing with fellow dog owners,” Santry said.

While the contest gained many new participants, past contestants

impress your heroes and not your teacher or classmates. Impress yourself. Try to make something that is undeniable.”

McCabe, on the other hand, hopes and encourages everyone to see the likelihood of working with current friends or classmates in the future.

His friendship and partnership with Cummings is living proof of this sentiment.

“It’s your fellow students that are the most important thing you’re ever going to get out of Emerson,” he said. “These are the people you’re going to make lasting relationships with, learn to work with, and grow afraid to make weird projects and try different things with different people because they are the ones you could be working with for the rest of your life.” sophia_pargas@emerson.edu

(left) and Blitz (right) in their group costume. Lucia Thorne / Beacon Staff

for the dogs who won in various categories and their owners. Categories varied from best dog and human duo to cutest, scariest, and best costume.

Prizes included a one-night stay at pet-friendly hotels Hyatt Regency Boston and Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall, a special dinner, and shopping sprees.

Street had a wide variety of costumes, ranging from astronauts to spiders. Jen Santry and her pug Charlie, who she dressed as Batman, but they are not new to events like these.

“I’ve done previous dog events on the Esplanade, they have a doggy parade,” Santry said. “But they

Havoc and Blitz made their return to the event in a group costume—New-

holiday and dresses up with her dogs, and being in the parade this Halloween brought back a sense of normalcy. was sad to miss it last year, so it’s great to be back.”

Newcomer Kim Neal and her dogs Bruin, a mastiff shepherd, and their joy about the return of the parade.

“It feels great to see everybody out here and enjoying life again,” Neal said. lucia_thorne@emerson.edu

Sports

The Berkeley Beacon

November 4, 2021

8

Women’s volleyball falls to Springfield College in first round of playoffs Vivi Smilgius Beacon Staff

The women’s volleyball team lost England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference playoffs, ending its season 17-8.

NEWMAC standings, with one of its few losses being Emerson’s sweep on Sept. 25.

The Lions were ranked as the number four seed in the standings, awarding them the chance to host the match at the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym, where Emerson typically dominates. The Lions entered Tuesday with a record of 11-2 at home.

“Being in a place we know, where we practice every day, it’s just comla Chu said. “Everybody comes. It’s very fun.”

The game got off to a rocky start dle hitters Camryn Bancroft and Kyslides. The Pride’s pin hitter Jamie a double block that gave the Lions’ pin hitters trouble throughout the night.

The Lions couldn’t seem to develop a rhythm, struggling to stop game. The team that started Tuesday night’s match looked entirely different from the one who swept SpringHead coach Ben Read recognized this difference in his team’s performance. we played error-free volleyball,” Read said in a post-game interview.

“We knew they could come out and

see the Lions lose in an uncharacteristic 25-10, but the Lions came back “We just stopped overthinking it

and started having a dance party,” said. “Just having fun, playing with our heart on the court rather than our heads.”

Set two brought small lineup changes, better defense, and more consistent swinging on the Lions’ side of the court. Emerson junior middle hitter Logan Steenbergen started running slides to compete with Bancroft’s, and the Lions steadily closed the block. The team improved coverage and upped hitside hitter Parker Cummings accumulating four of her 10 kills in the second game. ing a 2-to-3 point lead for most of the game. The Lions fell just short, losing 25-22 after a series of errors. day, Emerson entered the third set ready to compete, which carried of the night. didn’t give up the lead for the rest of rors and two blocks by middle Logan Steenbergen put the Lions up 10-2— Energy surged through the student section and throughout the bench, oozing into players’ performances. The Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym started to feel like the Lions’ home court again. The Lions plosive kills from Steenbergen and Combs.

Emerson carried its energy into the fourth game, prolonging rallies and making plays. The Lions took advantage of an unclosed block on the outside, racking up several kills via tool. The team also continued to improve its defense, digging the troublesome hard cross shots SpringBut at the end of the day, hardfought points were negated with attacking and service errors. After a series of kills from Pride middle and pin hitters, the Lions came up

Brooke Maynez (#10) & Jessica Braunstein (#25) during the volleyball game on Nov. 2, 2021. Sydney Ciardi / Beacon Staff

short. The set ended 25-22 after a serve from Steenbergen didn’t make it over the net, concluding the team’s 2021 season.

Though the season ended sooner

would alleviate the pressure of winning the conference to obtain a national tournament bid.

After reminiscing on the end of a -

gratitude for his players’ growth and

improvement in upcoming years.

She noted the team’s cohesion as an asset for seasons to come.

performance after a year of hiatus. and host a playoff game in the NEWRead said. “We did that with a young team.”

He also said he looked forward to adding that he hoped to play more competitively with ranked teams like Bowdoin College and Amherst College. Wins against ranked teams

we grow from here,” Combs said.

“We’re going to go great places.

We’re a young team. We’re just going to keep building.”

Chu seconded Combs’ opinion, maraderie and closeness throughout the season.

“I thought we played really well and we played really well together as

a team,” Chu said. “Emerson really values team culture. This team and this program are very cohesive.”

Read said this team’s positivity makes it unique—and will give it an edge for seasons to come.

For now, though, the Lions will look towards 2022, hoping to capitalize on another chance to conquer MAC division.

“This team has shown that they’re one of the best teams in the region and they can compete with anyone,” Read said. “I’m proud of all the changes they made and I’m proud of on and off the court.”

Vivi_Smilgius@emerson.edu

Women’s soccer team loses NEWMAC quarter finals Tyler Foy

Beacon Staff The women’s soccer team’s season came to a crushing close with a 1-0 loss to Wheaton College Lyons in the New England Women’s and Men’s The Lions capped off the regular season with a four game winning streak that propelled them to the number two seed in the NEWMAC playhot Lions would be paired up with Wheaton, a team they beat 2-1 just weeks before. took the previous match into account preparing for the playoffs, but were faced with a new challenge at game time.

“We looked at their players and we looked at what they were capable of doing,” Suvak said. “They changed their formation tonight and we had to deal with a new formation, but I felt comfortable sticking with our game plan.”

After defeating Wheaton earlier in the season, it might have been easy to assume this game would be a breeze for the Lions but the coaches and players knew otherwise.

year goalkeeper Amara Schaub said after the game. “They prepared us for this game and we knew that it wasn’t just going to be an easy game.”

Wheaton entered the match havand tying the other. All this negativity would be put aside at kickoff as the Lyons looked aggressive early in the shot. Suvak said that he felt his team’s defense handled the offense well.

“We dealt with some initial pressure right at the very beginning of the half and we dealt with that pretty well,” Suvak said.

The two teams possessed the ball match, with the ball frequently bethe Lions had the ball, they typically played down the right wing and crossed into the middle. of the game until 10 minutes of play had passed.

Wheaton forward McKenzie Paulo took a long shot and found the bottom left corner of the goal––scoring in the 26th minute.

In the Lions’ last match against

Wheaton, they found themselves in a similar situation, down 1-0 at halftime.

Suvak said he had an identical midgame speech. same,” Suvak said. “We didn’t feel like we had to change the tactics from game one and I didn’t feel like we had to change the tactics in this game. Just tighten up the details.”

The start of the second half showed the Lions weren’t going to go down The Lions had a chance to equalize in the 65th minute when sophomore was one-on-one with the keeper, but her shot missed wide right.

Wheaton would have an opportunity to score themselves even with the Lions strong offensive pressure.

Schaub made a crucial save just barely getting a leg on the ball to send it out of play and keeping the Lions within striking distance.

In the 81st minute, Emerson found themselves in another one-on-one with the keeper, this time with the ball at the Khaw. She would try to put the ball over the head of the Wheaton keeper, but miss high.

game, Emerson was awarded a corner kick. After Khaw swung the ball into fender Yoshiko Slater. The goal would then get taken away after a foul was called on Slater for knocking over the goalkeeper. The home crowd quickly became enraged and the Lions felt stripped of an equalizer.

“We should have been tied but the ref was, no offense, but she was ass,” Schaub said.

The Lions continued to press on until the very last minute, and with 10 seconds left, they took their last shot of the season, which just went wide sounded, it was lights out for Emerson.

“We didn’t stop,” Schaub said.

“We did everything we could and we amazing team chemistry, worked well together, and we’ve beat the team before, just unfortunate with the outcome.”

The disappointment was clear from both the Emerson fans in attendance felt they were robbed at a chance for overtime. Suvak said the call is a tough pill to swallow.

“It’s a hard one for me to digest,”

called it and he is [about] 45 yards away. I would have appreciated that the center ref made the call and not the side. But the game’s over. We lost the game and the call is what it is.”

Suvak said the team, which has just two seniors on the roster, has an ample amount of potential to grow and perform in 2022.

“I am already looking forward to for the players that they get to play a competitive season and the joy that I felt around this team was amazing.

They’re just very talented in the way they play the game. The style, the play, the possession, there’s so much to their game.” mores on the team, the core of this era of women’s soccer is going to stick around for a couple more years.

Schaub said she can’t wait to do it all over again in the 2022 season.

“I’m always just trying to have a positive mindset,” Schaub said. “I and I think we’re gonna do amazing we have amazing team chemistry and great coaches who are here to support us.” tyler_foy@emerson.edu