SPORTS
LIVING ARTS
Soccer teams earn NEWMAC honors Pub Club to publish student books
OPINION
Reciprocating respect in the classroom
The Berkeley Beacon
Emerson College’s student newspaper since 1947 • berkeleybeacon.com
Thursday November 29, 2018 • Volume 72, Issue 12
Whisky Saigon could end 10 year lease in 2022 Belen Dumont, Beacon Staff
Take paws at Residence Directors and meet your building’s dog By Ziqi Wang • p. 7 Colonial Residence Director Michael Barcelo lies with his 9-year-old dog Plott hound mix, Benson. • Stephanie Shih / Beacon Staff
Theyta creates non-binary community on campus
Elevator entrapments continue to rise Cynthia Tu, Beacon Correspondent
Taina Millsap, Beacon Correspondent Per request of the students, last names have been adjusted or not included due to privacy reasons. Non-binary students met at the Cultural Center for Theyta’s first official meeting on Nov. 17. Born from a desire for an inclusive space on campus, Co-President Ray Geo created the organization for gender non-binary students. Geo, a sophomore, describes Theyta as a social, professional, and volunteer organization open to all gender non-binary, non-conforming, and questioning students at Emerson. Geo runs Theyta with co-president sophomore Lin Vega. The organization focuses on fostering a sense of community and a commitment to educating people on how to address non-binary people. As the first non-binary organization, they want their meetings to be a place where students can feel comfortable, talk to each other, and relate on struggles. Geo says Theyta is a safe space for non-binary students to make friends. Geo set up the room, filled with candy and beads for the first meeting, making the students feel welcome as soon as they walked in and sat around the table talking about their days and making bracelets. Theyta’s first meeting drew three students, and all had visions for what they wanted from the club and for its future.
Boylston sidewalk project awaits city approval
See Theyta, page 6
The Beacon online
Whisky Saigon, an upscale nightclub on Boylston Street, will weigh the decision to renew or rescind its lease with the college in 2022 for the first time. The club’s contract with Emerson gives the owner of Whisky Saigon the right to extend the lease by another 10 years if the owner chooses to stay. Emerson could legally deny renewal for the first time in 2032, according to Senior Associate Vice President for Real Estate Arthur Mombourquette. The college bought the building on 116 Boylston St. in conjunction with the Walker Building in 1998. The college leased the space to Whisky Saigon in 2013 after the owner of another former nightclub transferred ownership. Mombourquette said Emerson permitted the owner of the previous nightclub to transfer over a lease or find a new tenant when in a financial bind. Mombourquette said his usual meetings with the on-site manager at Whisky Saigon ensure both parties meet the lease agreement terms. The meetings occur more frequently when needed, such as when the Dining Center went under construction last year and impacted the Whisky Saigon space. The owner of Whisky Saigon, Kevin Troy, did not give a firm indication as to whether or not the club will vacate at the end of their lease, Mombourquette said. See Whisky, page 2
/berkeleybeacon
By Anissa Gardizy • p. 3 Students and passersby walk amid current construction. • Anissa Gardizy / Beacon Staff
@BeaconUpdate
berkeleybeacon
The number of reported elevator entrapments doubled since last semester, according to incident reports documented by the Emerson College Police Department. Not all entrapments are reported to the ECPD. ECPD received nine elevator entrapment reports this semester, according to the incident journals— five in September, two in October, and two in November. Over the course of the three months, one report occurred in 2 Boylston Place residence hall, one in Ansin Building, two in Walker Building, two in Tufte Performance and Production Center, and three in Paramount Center. No passengers were injured. ECPD received a total of four entrapment reports last semester with no injuries. According to ECPD Chief Robert Smith, if a student who reported an incident to his department extricated themselves from the elevator before the ECPD officer arrives on scene, the student’s name will not appear in their electronic record system. However, Smith said an ECPD officer will still write an incident report about the elevator entrapment call. “The only reason an incident would not be in our records system would be if the incident was not reported to the ECPD,” Smith said. Director of Facilities Management Joseph Knoll said he and his team conducted a daylong repair on one of the two elevators at the 18-floor 2 Boylston Place residence hall, on Nov. 4. See Elevator, page 3
TheBerkeleyBeacon