Emerson College’s student newspaper since 1947 • berkeleybeacon.com
Thursday, April 14, 2022 • Volume 75, Issue 27
@berkeleybeacon // @beaconupdate
Laundry backlogs cause stress, confusion; college to renovate in 2024 Jonathan Yao Beacon Correspondent
Emerson students have long complained of dysfunctional laundry machines, but the college does not plan to renovate its systems any time soon. “I’ve had times where I had to run the dryer three times, and [my clothes] just don’t dry,” said Jenna Goz, a junior communications sciences and disorders major living in Piano Row. “The floor is always flooded, and there’s never any machines open.” Each residence hall has designated laundry rooms—either a singular room or multiple rooms on varying floors. The Piano Row residence hall has one laundry room to serve its 11 residential floors, equipped with 32 machines—16 washers and 16 dryers. However, according to students, it’s not uncommon for these machines to be in use or broken from overuse. “We’re paying a lot of money to be in this housing situation,” said Ben Yeiser, a sophomore visual and media arts major who also resides in Piano Row. “Emerson should be able to look after their own washing machines.” With room and board increasing by two percent next year—to an average of $23,000 for most students—some students are hopeful for a laundry room revamp. “I would like a renovation,” said Lida Everhart, a sophomore visual media arts major and Piano Row resident. “The college has enough money [to replace] machines that have constant problems.” College officials, on the other hand, do not believe they are responsible for these recurring issues. Thomas Doyle, the college’s assistant director of business services, said some of the issues may lie with student misuse. “If [students] don’t follow the proper instructions or overload their laundry, that may affect the efficiency of the machines,” Doyle said. Laundry machines, Pg. 3
Emerson Counseling and Pyschological Services offices. / Maddie Khaw Beacon Correspondent
ECAPS and CHW continue merging process, seek suggestions for naming new department Maddie Khaw
Beacon Correspondent When Brendan Walker reached out to Emerson’s Counseling and Psychological Services as a first-year student, he was connected with a counselor within just five days of contacting the department. Last year, as a sophomore, the business of creative enterprises major tried reaching out to ECAPS again. This time, two and a half months passed before he received the psychological services he needed. “I understand they’ve had really big issues with request volume, which has made it incredibly hard to actually get in touch and get the resources that students are looking for,” Walker said. Walker’s trouble receiving care isn’t an isolated occurrence. Other students who spoke with The Beacon have also reported difficulties scheduling appoint-
ments, accessing resources, and getting in contact with counselors through ECAPS. For first-year communications major Sophia Jreij, booking an ECAPS appointment online proved to be impossible, as the website alerted her that no counselors had availability within the month. “It’ll say that for every single month,” Jreij said. “I think you need to call if you ever want to make an actual appointment.” Jreij never ended up calling, which she said seems more complicated than scheduling online. This complication makes counseling services less accessible, she said — especially since “just to accept that you want to get help is a hard thing to do.” Since February of last year, the college has been working on merging ECAPS with the Center for Health and Wellness in an effort to combine services for students’ mental and physical well-being into one department. This integration aims to enact a more holistic approach to
Photo Practicum class to hold upcoming exhibition Karissa Schaefer Beacon Staff
First-year infielder Briggs Loveland. / Courtesy Bryan Simmons-Hayes
Baseball team gets last laugh against WPI Tyler Foy Beacon Staff With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, first-year infielder Briggs Loveland delivered the final blow necessary for the Emerson Lions to complete an eight-run comeback against Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The baseball team took a 40 minute bus ride to their midweek NEWMAC match-up at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass. Emerson entered the game coming off four straight losses—the first of which was an 11-10 loss to WPI concluded by a three-run ninth inning from the Engineers. The Lions looked for—and found—redemption in their second meeting, but the game was far from smooth sailing.
Starting the game for the Lions was first-year right-hand pitcher Ezra Charles, who sat the Engineers in the top of the inning. Emerson capitalized in the bottom of the first with a double from junior first baseman Matt Nachamie to deliver the first of many runs in the ballgame. The tide turned in favor of the Engineers in the second. Charles hit one batter and walked another to open the inning, and the next at-bat was a hard line drive fielded quickly to hold the runner at third. Bases loaded, WPI’s Michael Fraser got a pitch he liked and sent it over the fence for a grand slam. Charles got out of the second, but the long ball would haunt him again in the third. A bloop and a blast extended the Engineers’ lead to 6-1 which led to a pitching change for the Lions; sophomore Baseball, Pg. 8
Professor Lauren Shaw’s Photo Practicum class will showcase their exhibit “Metamorphosis” from April 19-27, featuring diverse individual projects that a small group of students has been dedicated to all semester. Made up of students working on photography BFAs and non-visual media arts majors, the class operates as an ongoing workshop, with critiques given from Shaw and their fellow peers. Everyone’s projects are slowly seamed together in an ongoing transformation, reflecting each individual and their perspective through various mediums. “The name of the show ‘Metamorphosis,’ it’s really about this class,” Shaw said. “It’s great to say their personalities transformed somewhat, but it’s ultimately all about the work. They bond together, they help each other, and they do find their voices.” While most of the exhibit consists of printed photographs, senior VMA Hannah Baynes is showcasing a 16mm film called “Sleepwalk.” Done in the essence of a performance, the film explores her experience with insomnia through dance, which is also Baynes’ first time showing her true self in front of the camera. She connects it to this semester’s theme by evolving away from hiding her weaknesses to gradually becoming more comfortable with presenting herself during her time at Emerson. “The process itself with creating the film had a massive change on my own perspective of self,” Baynes said. “I had to put myself in the position where I’m incredibly vulnerable and I can’t have as much control as I would like. The whole process of creating this film has definitely transformed my view of myself as an artist.” Senior creative writing student Grace Mitzen’s Photo showcase, Pg. 7
on-campus healthcare. College officials invited students to help name the new department through a Google Form. The original deadline for name suggestions was April 1, but the form is now being kept open “in case others feel inclined to add,” said Associate Dean and Director of Counseling, Health, and Wellness, Brandin Dear, who was hired in 2021 to spearhead the merging project. “We thought inviting student suggestions would be a fun way to announce that we are at this exciting stage,” Dear said. “We thank those students who took the time to make a suggestion.” Dear said he received over 20 responses from students with name suggestions, a few of which mirrored the department’s own ideas. The new name will likely be decided by the beginning of summer, Dear added, with an update on the overall status of the ECAPS/CHW, Pg. 2
INSIDE THIS EDITION Federal union complaint against college Pg. 2 COVID Update Pg. 3 Teaching innovation alumni award Pg. 3 Opinion: Wendy Williams needs our support Pg. 4 Berk n’ E Cartoon debut Pg. 5 Sidney Gish concert Pg. 6 ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ review Pg. 7 100 point club men’s lacrosse Pg. 8
711
positive COVID-19 tests
1.25% positivity rate
56,000+ tests completed
*Accumulated from Spring 2022 Semester
News
The Berkeley Beacon
April 14, 2022
2
Emerson Staff Union hopes for ‘more of a voice’ in second contract Adri Pray
Beacon Staff Representatives of Emerson’s staff union held a virtual town hall Tuesday night to discuss the negotiation of its second contract with the student body. “Our overarching goal is to bring more equity to how staff are treated at Emerson and to ensure that the staff have more of a voice in decisions that are directly affecting our working conditions,” said Assistant Registrar Amanda Wade, who serves as the union’s vice-chair. The union ratified its first four-year contract in 2018, which was extended after its expiration earlier this year. According to Wade, the second contract will hopefully be ratified later
this year and will include diversity, equity, and inclusion benefits—a point that is “important to the world.” Wade said the staff union’s proposals concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion will directly affect staff’s working conditions, as it is an important issue in all sectors of the college. “I don’t have power everywhere,” she said. “I have power at Emerson as a union member. It’s a problem that the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion is a problem pretty much everywhere, but this is what we can do.” The union also hopes to gain clear and transparent hiring criteria, a minimum education requirement to join Emerson’s staff, easier paths to promotion, the implementation of staff-wide bias training, and a general attitude of “commitment, not demonstration” from the college.
Emerson Staff Union logo. / Credit Emerson Staff Union
Addressing the “chronic understaffing” at the college and adding a staff member as a representative to the Board of Trustees are also goals of the staff union, according to union representative Ilona Yukhayev. Between 2018 and 2020, student enrollment in both the graduate and undergraduate programs grew by 13 percent. The number of staff working at the college dropped by two percent, according to calculations derived from the college’s Factbook. Adding a staff representative to the Board of Trustees, Wade continued, would further diversify the voices that contribute to the college’s decisions. She pointed out that faculty and students are both represented in Emerson’s Board of Trustees, but staff is not. “We don’t expect to have ultimate decision-making power, we don’t expect that it’s going to be a huge shift, but staff should have a voice in how Emerson is run because we’re the ones who make those things happen,” Wade said. That shift will only occur with help from students, Wade said. The union decided to co-sponsor its town hall with Emerson’s chapter of Democratic Socialists of America to foster student relationships, according to Wade, but the union has also developed relationships with students and student-run organizations during its campaigns. Wade and Yukhayev hope to ignite a relationship with more students as negotiations continue. adrianna_pray@emerson.edu
Staff union files federal complaint against college Camilo Fonseca Beacon Staff
Emerson’s staff union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board last month, charging the college with unfair labor practices. The case was filed on March 16 by SEIU Local 888, which represents Emerson’s 140 staff members as well as thousands of other Boston-area workers. It alleges that Emerson sought to hire non-union workers without union approval—a violation of existing federal labor laws. The issue emerged last fall, when the college indicated it was looking into the possibility of hiring employees to perform bargaining unit work (i.e. work performed by union members) outside of Massachusetts. According to documents obtained by The Beacon, the college felt such employees, by virtue of working out-of-state, did not have to be included in the staff union. Allegedly, the college said it would only include them if the union agreed to “certain changes” to the collective bargaining agreement that governs employer-employee relations. The complaint goes on to state that the college went on to hire non-union workers earlier this year, on the grounds that they were “out-of-state.” The case is currently under investigation by NLRB officials. The college’s bargaining unit
The National Labor Relations Board headquarters in Washington, D.C.. / Courtesy Creative Commons
excludes individuals in supervisor or managerial roles as well as “temporary” employees, according to the college’s website. The page goes on to note that the college and the union may disagree on bargaining unit status. “If there is a disagreement on a position, ultimately, the NLRB determines whether you are a member of the proposed bargaining unit and eligible to vote in the election,” the website states. It is unclear how the dispute will affect the ongoing CBA negotiations between the union and the college. The previous agreement expired in September 2021— around the same time the union was notified of the out-of-state hiring—but has been extended several times. Staff Union President Dennis Levine declined to comment on the case; he cited a desire not to “jeopardize the progress” made in negotiations.
“We are currently in negotiations to settle the issue and hope to have an amicable resolution to the issue,” he said. The case has the potential to be used as leverage in the negotiation process. “The college is working diligently with the SEIU on this issue, which involves rather technical issues of labor law and contract interpretation,” said college spokesperson Michelle Gaseau. “We are hopeful that we can address it cooperatively.” The complaint is not the first to be levied against the college in recent years. In March 2018, the staff union filed a federal suit accusing the college of bad faith bargaining, as well as unapproved changes in terms of employment. That case was withdrawn two months later, without an official NLRB decision. camilo_fonseca@emerson.edu
Flyer requesting student assistance to rename wellness centers. / Maddie Khaw Beacon Correspondent
ECAPS/CHW requests student feedback on naming merged wellness center Cont. from Pg. 1 start of the Fall 2022 semester. As of now, ECAPS and CHW have combined their staff scheduling systems and hold weekly meetings across departments. “By having all of our providers on one team, we increase our knowledge base, communication, collaboration, and resources,” Dear said. The department is working to hire more staff, combine its websites and social media accounts, consolidate policies and procedures, and prepare programming and increased services for the fall academic term in addition to the name change, Dear said. While junior writing, literature, and publishing major Caroline Helms did not submit any suggestions to the name survey, she said she would propose removing the term “wellness” from the name. “I feel like ‘wellness’ is a really coded word when talking about health issues,” Helms said. “If you look up the Center for Health and Wellness as it is on the website, one of the things they talk about is helping students with weight loss. Health is not contingent on weight, and ‘wellness’ is a word that’s kind of being used right now to replace diet and the dieting industry.” Jreij hopes that the integration of the two offices will lead to increased resources, which could help eliminate access barriers. “I hope that this means that they’ll have more staff,” Jreij said. “Because I think the reason as to why there aren’t any meetings available online is because they’re short in staff… So maybe the bigger the department is, the more staff they’ll have, and it’ll make it easier.” According to calculations derived by Emerson’s staff union based on figures given in the college’s Factbook, in 2018-2020 both undergraduate and graduate programs grew by around 13 percent while the number of staff working at the college dropped by two percent. First-year business of creative enterprises major Leo Lukaszevicz said that while he hopes the integrated department will offer a “variety of solutions” to students seeking mental health support, he thinks the offices would be more effective if kept separate. “I feel like mental health should be its own separate thing,” Lukaszevicz said. “If it’s already a
“Ultimately, we want to be a welcoming place where students can get the resources they need to attend to their overall health.” -Brandin Dear hard process now, why would you mix it in with physical health?” Dear hopes the merger will positively impact students in how they view and engage with their health in both the physical and mental sense. “We want to help students better understand that factors such as sleep, movement, and diet have a significant impact on the mind and body,” he said. “Ultimately, we want to be a welcoming place where students can get the resources they need to attend to their overall health.” madeline_khaw@emerson.edu
The Berkeley Beacon
April 14, 2022
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Spring semester hits 700-plus case count as Emerson updates COVID-19 protocol for summer Frankie Rowley, Bailey Allen, & Adri Pray Beacon Staff
Emerson will instate relaxed COVID-19 policies during the summer term, according to a community-wide email from college officials sent Wednesday. Citing guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Boston Health Officials, the college will rescind its masking and contract tracing efforts in addition to altering its testing and isolation policy starting May 16. Masks will become optional in all indoor campus spaces, including academic spaces and excluding the Center for Health and Wellness and Counseling and Psychological Services. State guidance requires medical facilities to remain masked. Testing will be available for students only, as employees of the college are expected to “consult with their primary care providers about testing if they develop symptoms or have concerns that they may have COVID-19.” Additionally, testing will only be necessary for symptomatic community members, but asymptomatic community members are recommended to self-test with rapid antigen tests, according to the guidance sent out by “COVID Lead” and Assistant Vice President of Campus Life, Erik Müürisepp. “[We’re] moving from surveillance testing to the symptomatic testing model that a lot of places have been using and going to start using to really focus on those that might be symptomatic,” he said. COVID responsibilities such as “treating acute symptoms” and handling positive tests—which students are expected to self-report—will be taken over by the Center for Health and Wellness. The college’s partnership with Tufts Medical Center, where Emerson’s COVID-19 testing center is located, will be terminated on May 31 as well. “We will continue to work in collaboration with our partners at TMC regarding COVID-19 virus testing as needed in the future,” wrote Muurisepp. The college will also shift to an “isolate in place” model, taking away reserved on-campus quarantine and isolation spaces. Students who test positive will now isolate in their respective dorms and receive guidance from the college on how to isolate safely. Isolated students must stay in their dorms for the first five days of isolation, but will be able to
leave their residences to get food from the dining hall, seek medical assistance, and “other limited activities.” Masks—which will be provided by the college—must be worn at all times when out of living space during the 10-day isolation period. According to Müürisepp, the college feels the success other places have seen proves it is the “right time” for Emerson to test this model, and is “less of an infraction to students in terms of having to move and relocate.” “It’s similar to existing protocols, when your roommates are sick with flu or strep or other illnesses, they remain where they are,” he said. “Certainly we know that vaccines and boosters, the risk for severe illness, and all of that is minimized and so that’s where this model, we believe, is the best next step in this process.” Vaccination requirements will remain in place, and community members are still asked to keep up-to-date with boosters to remain “fully vaccinated.” “We expect everyone to have the vaccine and one booster, and we strongly encourage folks to remain up to date with all other booster recommendations,” Müürisepp said. With the updated protocol coming into effect in the next few months, Müürisepp recognizes the college has seen a rise in cases in the past few days. “We’ve seen more positives and, of course, we don’t want to,” he said. “At the same time, we know that overall positives in the city and the region are going up, so I think all in all, I’m still really proud to see people wearing their masks.” On Wednesday, Emerson reported 13 COVID-19 positives of the 905 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 1.44 percent. The college reported 23 community members in on-campus isolation. Zero were reported to be in on-campus quarantine. Those in quarantine may have been exposed to COVID-19 but aren’t experiencing symptoms. Those in isolation are symptomatic, have produced a positive test, or are “reasonably known to be infected,” according to the college. Off-campus students are not counted in the quarantine and isolation numbers. For the week of April 4 to April 10, Emerson reported 33 positive COVID-19 cases and administered 3,708 tests; the weekly positivity rate sits at 0.89 percent. As of Jan. 3, Emerson has reported 711 positive cases and administered 56,696 tests. The
cumulative positivity rate sits at 1.25 percent. Mirroring Emerson’s recent rise in COVID-19 cases, the state’s upward tick of COVID-19 cases continued on Wednesday as Massachusetts reported 1,969 positive cases for Tuesday, with a seven-day positivity rate of 3.48 percent. The death toll rose by one. An average of 1,582 cases were reported per day between April 7 to April 13, with the average daily death toll set at four. The state updated the guidelines to qualify a COVID-related death. The new definition decreases the death toll by 3,770 and includes 355 deaths and probable deaths not previously recorded. All newly reported deaths occurred prior to April 2021. Hospitalizations went up as reported on Wednesday as the state reported 286, with 164 of these hospitalizations occurring in those who are fully vaccinated. An average of 174 hospitalizations were reported per day between April 7 and April 13. The state of Massachusetts also tracks two kinds of COVID-19 positivity rates—one including higher education testing and one without. The seven-day positive rate without higher education sits at 3.94 percent as of April 6. Including higher education, the rate sits at 3.48 percent as of April 12. Massachusetts reported 16,030 new vaccinations—including boosters—from Tuesday to Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 14,278,743 doses. Wednesday’s daily vaccination update reported that 5,340,627 Mass. residents—according to Mass. Department of Health data, approximately 77 percent of the state’s population—are fully vaccinated, meaning that they have received both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. An average of 14,454 vaccinations were reported per day between April 7 and April 13. As of April 4, the BA.2 “stealth” omicron variant makes up 72 percent of all COVID-19 cases. There is no data available regarding which strains make up the majority of Emerson’s caseload. “The majority of the cases in New England seem to be [BA.2],” Muurisepp said. “It is a concern, but it also does not seem to be as jarring as a new variant or something that would cause us to have to change operations.” More information on the COVID protocols will be issued online by the college before May 16. contact@berkeleybeacon.com
Sticky note on laundry machine in Paramount Building. / Jonathan Yao Beacon Correspondent
Broken, malfunctioning laundry machines cause student frustration Cont. from Pg. 1 Doyle believes the biggest reason laundry machines are breaking down around campus is simply user error. He said he walks through every laundry room every time he is on campus, and that he has never seen an unreasonable amount of non-functional machines. “We have a formula we use for the number of machines needed per student population,” he said. This formula, although not explicitly stated by Doyle, is used for every dormitory on campus, but does not account for broken machines. Nevertheless, he said he does not feel the discrepancy is a problem. Doyle mentioned the college’s LaundryView website as a place for students to check which laundry machines were being used and which had reported and unfixed issues. “You just have to be patient and wait until something is available,” he said. “There’s never a time when I’m on campus where all the machines in a building are full.” Around campus, there are posters asking students to report broken machines on the Emerson App and use LaundryView to view available and broken machines. Students who visit the site and select the dormitory they are in will see a list of all the machines, as well as their status and occupancy. However, while some students notice the posters, there is a notable general apathy towards reporting broken machines or using the website to check for available ones. “Honestly, I haven’t done that,” said Everhart. “I’ve thought about doing it, and I probably should, it just seems like something you sort of expect someone else to do.” Others say the onus should not be on the student body to be constantly reporting stoppages. “I’ve never done that,” said Destefano, referring to the report function on the website. “It doesn’t feel like it’s my job to be fixing that.” Others still have not been feeling the laundry strain. Diego Jimenez, a
freshman marketing major and Little Building resident, said his Emerson laundry experience has been “good, for the most part.” Jimenez recalled that machines were broken a few times but agreed that it was likely student carelessness causing the machines to break. “I think some people can be inconsiderate when it’s not their machines,” he said. The machines in the Little Building, along with 2 Boylston Place, are Speed Clean models, introduced in recent renovations. Meanwhile, Piano Row, Paramount, and Colonial are using the older Maytag models. “I was in Little Building last year and we didn’t have any of these problems,” said Yeiser. When asked if he believed students were responsible for the problems with the machines, Yeiser replied that “It would make sense,” noting that he often saw the dryers in Piano Row with full lint filters—suggesting that some students do not know how to clean them and end up breaking the heating element in the machines. However, Yeiser said he never realized the college wanted students to use the LaundryView app to make reports. “That part wasn’t at all made clear to me [by the college],” he said. “I had no idea that students reported machines.” While Yeiser agreed that students should help report laundry incidents, he also said they should not be entirely held responsible for the issues cropping up. The college plans to replace its older machines with newer models in 2024. There are no other plans for renovation, nor plans to hire new technicians to work on the machines. As it currently stands, Emerson works with the vendor CSC ServiceWorks, who provides one technician to help work on the broken machines on campus. “No need to have any more,” said Doyle. “We take care of issues on a weekly basis.” jonathan_yao@emerson.edu
Dr. Joanne Lasker awarded Alumni Award for Teaching Innovation Adri Pray
Beacon Staff The college honored Communication Sciences and Disorders professor Joanne Lasker with its Alumni Award for Teaching Innovation at last week’s ERA Awards. With Friday’s honor, the speech pathologist was elevated alongside colleagues Maria Agui Carter and Amelia Broome, the 2020 and 2021 recipients of the award, respectively, as Emerson’s latest distinguished professor in her field. Lasker graduated from Wesleyan University in 1984, and went on
to secure postgraduate degrees from Wesleyan University and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Afterward, she served as a professor of speech pathology at Western Michigan University, and later, at Florida State University. Impressed with the strength of the CSD program at Emerson, Lasker decided to relocate to Boston in 2012. “I have benefited greatly from smart, caring colleagues in the department of CSD,” she said. “[There are] people who have ideas to run by others, to share the joys and the sorrows of teaching, and people who are committed to creating and supporting speech language pathologists.” Lasker was the founding director
of the graduate program Speech@ Emerson—an online master’s program—and served as on-campus graduate program director for several years. She then moved on to serve as the CSD department chair from 2018 to 2020. “She’s very deserving of the award. She’s a very dedicated professor,” said School of Communications Dean Raul Reis. “She’s an expert in her field of communication disorders. She is really always looking for different innovative ways to teach her classes.” Reis serves on the Dean’s Council—a sextet made up of the college’s four deans, the provost, and the assistant provost—that nominated Lasker
for the award. He stressed the important role Lasker plays within the master’s program, saying her “embrace of technology” within her field made her an asset in the classroom. “The Speech@Emerson program is a very innovative master’s program that we have here in the college, where almost all of the teaching is done remotely,” he said. “Joanne Lasker was really instrumental in bringing that program to life. She was quick to understand the importance of having that program and to make that program work.” Lauren Nehilla, a hybrid clinical instructor in the CSD department, echoed Reis’ sentiments. Her experience with Lasker has been
“wide-ranging,” Nehilla said. “I am privileged to have worked under her when she was chair and founding graduate program director of Speech@Emerson,” Nehilla said. “I consider her a close colleague and a mentor and a friend in the field and in the department.” According to Nehilla, the award is a “recognition of excellence in teaching and a recognition of an educator who goes above and beyond to really push forward.” “I can think of no better recipient, no more deserving recipient, than Joanne,” Nehilla said. adrianna_pray@emerson.edu
Opinion
The Berkeley Beacon
The LaBrant Fam just sunk its career—and we got a front-row seat Adri Pray
Beacon Staff On behalf of all women, Cole and Savannah LaBrant can go to hell. On Saturday, “The LaBrant Fam” released a 40-minute documentary-style YouTube video outlining their views on abortion. The couple’s anti-abortion views are adamantly shown, as they talked with healthcare experts, members of their church, and people who have experiences with abortion. It’s worth noting that the family channel has over 13 million subscribers, and this video immediately follows a “baby number four” update in which Savannah has an ultrasound. The clear image of the baby’s face in the ultrasound and other footage from that video is used in the abortion documentary just a week later. The video opens with a look at how a fetus grows inside the womb as narration plays over footage of anti-abortion and pro-choice protests. The narrator asks The LaBrant Fam’s audience to consider being “pro-love,” a term that’s loosely defined twenty minutes after it’s first stated as choosing to love the child no matter what. They don’t define this term well, so I don’t understand why they chose to include it in the video and make it one of their main points. Here’s my main issue with this “documentary”: why is this family channel, that’s continually marketed as “wholesome family content,” trying to add harmful rhetoric to an already crowded conversation? Why are they using religion, especially the church, as a vessel to demonize of women that choose abor-
tions?
Not only do the interviews the LaBrants conduct with medical professionals forget to include any medical jargon, they completely overstep their positions as medical advisors as well. Telling someone not to do something because it doesn’t align with their morals as people rather than as doctors is unethical in the highest regard. The one thing they could’ve done right, they did wrong. I can see this documentary becoming the next anti-abortion power tool in excusing abortion as murder, and I implore the audience of this piece and theirs to consider thinking for themselves. If you’re going to be so easily brainwashed into believing absolute garbage about abortion––from a man, no less––please disconnect your WiFi and go touch some grass. Following the opening narration, Cole and Savannah LaBrant compare the number of abortions in the United States to different genocides around the world, including the Holocaust. This is not only wildly inappropriate, but it obscures the impact the Holocaust had on the Jewish community and the experiences of Jewish people thereafter. I wouldn’t expect “YouTube’s favorite Christian family,” as they’re marketed, to give a shit about their Jewish following, but nothing excuses comparing abortions to a genocide. Following the numbers plastered on the screen, the LaBrants sit down with two doctors, Dr. Anthony Levatino, MD, and Dr. Kathi Aultman, MD. The two discuss their “professional” views on abortion as a method of healthcare. Following their introductions, the doctors give terribly graphic descriptions of
the multiple ways one can have an abortion. Dr. Aultman outlines how she was taught to perform abortions in medical school and the other methods of abortion she sought to learn about outside of her education. In an article written in 2020 by Dr. Aultman for Focus on the Family––an online publication devoted to pro-life and faith––she outlines the different moral experiences she had with women who requested abortions and why she ultimately stopped doing them. All it took for Aultman, according to her written statement, was comparing abortions to the Holocaust. “But it wasn’t until a Christian friend gave me an article comparing abortion to the Holocaust that I changed my opinion completely,” she wrote. “Just as I did not consider the humanity of fetuses, the Nazis did not consider the Jews to be human beings. I realized that I was no better than they were.” If the LaBrants were expecting to scare their audience, they’ve done it just nine minutes into the video. Dr. Levatino’s attitude towards abortion was what I took the most issue with. As a man, there already isn’t any room for him in this conversation, and there shouldn’t be. As a medical professional and ex-abortionist, it is his duty to advise his patients and perform the abortion at a pregnant woman’s request. It is not his place to tell a patient to “never, ever get an abortion because of convenience.” I’m happy to say that the other sources the LaBrants chose actually understood the importance of making that choice. They talked to a number of women who had considered abortion but decided to keep the child by a choice of their own.
Cover of book “Cole and Sav: Our Surprising Love Story.” / Courtesy Wikicommons They also talked to Embrace Grace, a Christian-based church support group that supports women in their decision to keep or terminate a pregnancy. The Embrace Grace company was, in my opinion, the best part about this documentary. I’m just ashamed of the way I learned about it. The first testimony the LaBrants introduced was Cole’s grandmother’s, who Cole said “chose” life for his mother. Cole’s great-grandmother was pregnant with his grandmother at age eighteen, chose life, kept her for four months, then gave her up for adoption. Yes, because deciding to keep a child only to raise it in a parentless world in the name of “morals” makes choosing life so much better. Considering there are around 400,000 children in foster care ranging from newborns to adults, and using the LaBrants’ logic, they should consider adopting or fostering children rather than continuing to get pregnant.
April 14, 2022
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But of course, Cole LaBrant couldn’t end the video without stating that fathers should have a say. I was really waiting for this line. As we all know, it isn’t anti-abortion propaganda without mansplaining women’s healthcare. It’s not that fathers shouldn’t have a say in whether or not a pregnancy should be terminated—it’s all of mankind that shouldn’t. Being “pro-love”—the watered down anti-abortion stance—that Cole and Savannah share is bad enough, but “considering the feelings of the father,” is somehow worse. Savannah LaBrant used the word “choice” a few times when talking about her pregnancies. If she’s going to be so strongly anti-abortion, why would she constantly call it a choice? Imagine being a loyal subscriber to The LaBrant Fam and expecting weekly wholesome family content, but one Saturday morning, they drop a 40-minute anti-abortion documentary on you. I don’t think any of their subscribers signed up for anti-abortion propaganda, especially when the median age group of their subscribers is between eight and twelve years old. I don’t want to hear more from The LaBrant Fam on this topic as they’ve already proven their idiocracy. It is not up to the church to decide what is best for a pregnant woman, it is not up to the LaBrant family to determine what is best for a pregnant woman, it is up to the pregnant woman to decide. Overall, this documentary reiterated the reason why no church, no person, and especially no man, can make the choice to keep a child on behalf of any woman. With that said, I hope Cole and Savannah LaBrant find acceptance through God, because I know they won’t find it online. adrianna_pray@emerson.edu
What the hell happened to Wendy’s money? Hadera McKay
Beacon Correspondent
“How you doin’?!” When I was 9 years old, my grandmother used to make me repeat talk show host Wendy Williams’ famous catchphrase. She assessed my voice for my ability to parrot the pure diva and the unhinged, shit-talking confidence of Ms. Williams herself—as she presided over the gossip-hungry audience of her award-winning daytime talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. As a result, Wendy Williams has always served as a weird kind of role model for me; a successful Black woman in the entertainment industry, famous for her shameless skills in saying all the outrageous things everyone’s thinking. Since its original premiere in 2008, The Wendy Williams Show has amassed millions of viewers at its daytime slot on Fox operated stations, regularly competing with The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Williams compelled viewers with her daily “Hot Topics,” where she dished on current celebrity gossip with her infamous mug of piping hot tea in hand, and broke the internet with her invasive celebrity interviews. Imagine viewers’ surprise when news came out at the beginning of production for season 13 that Williams would no longer be hosting the show. More than that, Willliams posted a video on Instagram, clearly distressed as she told her fans, “All I want to know is where is my money? This is not right and certainly, this is not fair.” So, what the hell happened to Wendy’s money? In the wake of recent efforts by hypervisible celebrity women like Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes to hold
the forces accountable who deny their ability to command responsibility over their assets and lives, I hope Wendy Williams lovers, haters, and meme-ers, can unite to #FreeWendy’sMoney. It’s no secret that, despite all of Williams’s success, she has said and done more than a few morally questionable things, from her days on radio, where she prodded Whitney Houston on the effects of her drug addiction on her family, to saying Beyoncé speaks like she has a fifth grade education, or making fun of actor Joaquin Phoenix’s cleft-like scar. One particularly harrowing incident was Williams’s critique of the #MeToo movement and her support of R. Kelly, who was convicted of sexual abuse. Williams later condemned his actions, calling him a “sick man.” Williams has said and done it all, and probably should have been canceled five times over for her offensive commentary. Yet, she found a loyal fanbase in middle-aged women, and an even more enthusiastic marketing scheme as Gen-Zers constantly memeify and create viral TikTok audios using her chaotic brand. We’ve all seen the embarrassingly funny video of her fainting dressed as Lady Liberty and probably used it to supplement our own wildly unhealthy humor.And of course we all know the classic quote, “She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment.” Williams’s face and body are blown up in memes across social media, with her dramatic facial expressions enhanced with editing and altered to keep up the joke. Though entertaining, it distantly calls to question what it means when such a visible and outwardly spoken Black woman becomes a caricature so easily manipulated by the public sphere.
Illustration Lucia Thorne Perhaps the most alluring quality of Wendy Williams is her transparency with her fans. Williams has been open about struggles with her ex-husband, her former issues with substance abuse, and her chronic health conditions. Among these health conditions is Graves’ disease—an autoimmune condition which affects the thyroid— which Williams says is the main cause behind her leaving her beloved show
in the fall of 2021. In a video posted to her Instagram account on Feb. 16, 2022, Williams stressed that she was getting better and planned to come back to the show stronger. In her absence, Sherri Shepherd, along with guest hosts, are commanding the show. It was announced four days later that Shepherd would take Williams’s show slot for good and replace it with her own talk show, Sherri. On March 23, Williams released
© 2022 The Berkeley Beacon. All rights reserved.
Editor-in-Chief Lucia Thorne
The Beacon is published weekly. Anything submitted to the Beacon becomes the sole property of the newspaper. No part of the publication may be reproduced by any means without the express written permission of the editor.
Managing Editors Shannon Garrido (Content) Camilo Fonseca (Content) Marcus Cocova (Multimedia) Campbell Parish (Operations) Section Editors Frankie Rowley (News) Hadera McKay (Opinion)
another video on her Instagram, where she alleged that Wells Fargo has frozen all of her assets. According to an interview done with Williams’ lawyer for Entertainment Tonight, Williams’ formal financial advisor seeks to prove that Williams is incapacitated and therefore in need of a legal guardianship over her assets. Wells Fargo has opted not to honor her Power of Attorney, which would give her son the right to command her assets. We have made her a character, a villain and an icon, but now it’s time to give her the true attention she deserves. Wendy Williams serves as a vital pillar in the talk-show and Black entertainment industry. Though she has devoted nearly 20 years to the art of confidently talking shit, maintaining an audience, and producing her own content, she is still receiving the least amount of attention about a legal issue that could rob her of her assets and agency in the same way white celebrities like Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes were. While they got trending tags on Twitter, there’s very little upheaval over Williams’s situation. It’s the end of an era for Wendy Williams, and as people who found something to love in Wendy, from gossip to memes, we should want to take the ride all the way down to support her. Free Wendy’s money, bitch. hadera_mckay@emerson.edu Karissa Schaefer (Living Arts) Tyler Foy (Sports) Kaitlyn Fehr (Copy) Advisor David Dahl (617) 824–8687 berkeleybeacon.com contact@berkeleybeacon.com
The Berkeley Beacon
April 14, 2022
5
Living Arts
Meryl Prendergast: The artist behind the new exhibit ‘Stitching Earthly Scars’ Hadera McKay Beacon Staff
English indie-pop singer-songwriter Dodie is seen wearing Northeastern University student Meryl Prendergast’s clothing collection, “Stitching Earthly Scars,” on a late night of February this year. Dodie took to the stage for another performance on her Build a Problem tour, this time in Silver Springs, Maryland. The singer sported flowy wide leg pants made from sustainable fabric, printed with photos of an Arizona tree burnt by a forest fire with a dark green overlay. The ensemble was part of 23-yearold Prendergast’s sustainably made clothing collection and multimedia exhibition. A cropped green blazer paired with the pants, with the bagginess on Dodie creating the perfect blend of style and comfort. The outfit had been designed nearly two years earlier, made from sustainable pieces that blend cuteness, color, and references from American landscapes. Prendergast’s “Stitching Earthly Scars” works to tell the story of climate change through clothing. The collection is at the Distillery Gallery at 516 E 2nd St in South Boston from now until April 29. The project began with Prendergast’s deep passion for cute, affordable, and sustainable clothing. “I was really frustrated that when I went to buy clothes, they were very bad for the environment,” Prendergast said. “All the sustainable clothing was ugly and expensive. I wanted to figure out how to make sustainable clothing that was potentially not that expensive, but was also cool.” After teaching herself how to sew during the initial March 2020 COVID-19 quarantine, Prendergast set out to do just that. “I knew the best way for me to do this, if I was going to undertake this, would be to go and actually look at these places,” she said. In November 2020, Prendergast renovated a pink RV she fondly named Mable, and began a road trip across the U.S. from her home in Canton, Massachusetts. In her safe and secluded RV, she traveled during the first year of the pandemic. Prendergast took photos and collected data from the many diverse landscapes of the U.S., which she eventually used
to create the print patterns for her collection and current exhibition. Growing up, Prendergast never wanted to be just one thing, and that is reflected in her art. “When you’re younger, there’s not a lot of opportunities for unconventional art,” Prendergast said. “You have art class and that’s about it. Unless you dance, which I never did, there’s very few avenues for art.” As Prendergast matured, she recognized the limited avenues for alternative forms of art and creativity in her early schooling, causing her to lean into performance theater as a form of creation. Both Prendergast and her younger sister, Lydia, took up performance theater, which later became the birthplace for their sewing education for theater costuming. “My mom has been sewing and doing costumes for our whole lives,” Lydia said. “We kind of saw that from a young age. I guess in that way, she was kind of a role model for us. She showed us all of the amazing ways you could create something out of nothing.” Now a fifth-year theater major with minors in global fashion studies and photojournalism, Prendergast has found a way to unite this passion for unconventional art, sewing, and clothing in her studies and “Stitching Earthly Scars.” Along with selling clothing and custom decorative resin records on her shop to invest in the project, Prendergrast applied for a plethora of creative grants offered by Northeastern. All of this helped her fund her months-long trip documenting the various effects of climate change. Prendergast opted not to design pieces while she was on the road, but to give herself time to observe and process these environments. “I took my time going across the country and visited all these places,” she said. “I talked to local people about where they lived and how they felt about it.” When Prendergast returned home, she was expected to submit a progress report under stipulation of the grant money she had received. Using inspiration from the photos and ideas that had been brewing in her head from the trip, Prendergast designed the clothing collection for submission in four days. “I designed four mini collections
Courtesy Meryl Prendergast that kind of flow into each other based on the ocean, the forests, the grasslands, and the desert,” she said. However, the traveling, documenting, and art-making process was not all butterflies and rainbows. “It was rough,” she said. “Art-making is rough, sometimes. Traveling in an old RV is rough. I broke down so many times.” Prendergast also occasionally went without water in an effort to not burst frozen pipes and waste her RV septic tank. This, paired with the struggles of designing the collection, had her ready to call it quits. The encouragement of a university seminar for these outside, university-funded projects had Prendergast getting back on the horse and ultimately hand-crafting all of the clothing. Prendergast used deadstock fabric, which is slated to be thrown away in landfill, from a Massachusetts based fabric company called Sewphisticated. She also used her own sustainably printed photos on textile from the company Contrado—which uses plant-based material, less water for its dying processes, and pays its garment workers living wages. Prendergast sewed from 6 a.m. to midnight every day for four weeks, even going so far as to sew on the road during her second road trip, where she invited friends to model the clothes in locations that ranged
from the desert to the Colorado Mountains. Prendergast’s family witnessed the hard work that went into her project and supported her through it all. “[Meryl] was stressed a lot of the time, especially as it got closer to her going on her road trip and taking photographs of the outfits,” Lydia said. “A lot of her fabrics got delayed because they were from ethical companies, so she couldn’t do a lot of that stuff until those things arrived. I just remember feeling so bad for her because she had so much going on, but at the same time, I was still really proud of her for being able to handle it well.” Prendergast finished the pieces in the summer of last year, then got to work finding an exhibition space for the collection, an endeavor made more difficult by COVID-19 and the daunting expense of exhibition spaces. Nevertheless, Prendergast persevered. She spent a month searching for affordable exhibition spaces while selling pieces in her small business to fund the space itself. In early February, Prendergast finally found a space at the Distillery Gallery, and continued to work and create art for funding. In the midst of all of this, Dodie opened a contest for local designers to submit their pieces for her to
wear in each city on her upcoming tour. Prendergast’s designs were selected for the Boston show, but due to double-booking, her designs were rescheduled for the Washington, D.C. show. Prendergast accepted and flew out to dress Dodie for the show at the end of this past February. Prendergast described the experience as almost surreal. “It was crazy because I had been listening to her for 10 years, so it was so strange to be like, you are right there,” she said. Prendergast valued the experience of dressing the singer, and took it as an opportunity to learn. “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of artists in the last couple of years,” Prendergast said. “It’s definitely opened my eyes to the opportunity to just contact tour managers and say ‘Oh, I have this garment, would your artist like to wear it?’” Prendergast has taken much of the experience of funding, designing, and exhibiting the process of “Stitching Earthly Scars” as a method of working through her frustrations and education. In terms of audience reception, Prendergast hopes to be a mouthpiece for the larger issues and activism of climate change. “There’s a lot of organizations doing amazing work, doing more than what I’m doing,” Prendergast said. “I mainly just want to be a messenger in that I get people’s attention to these issues and then direct them to places where they can actually help.” She will have QR-codes next to every piece in her gallery, directing audience members to helpful organizations to donate and gather information on climate change inequity. This summer, Prendergast has plans to travel to Europe and Asia, and give herself time to think about what she wants out of life. “I went into college knowing exactly what I wanted, but then the world went to shit, and everything is different now,” she said. “For the first time, I’m going to be restful and make art for me, and hopefully meet other artists living in unique ways.” Meryl Prendergast’s exhibition is now open at the Distillery Gallery until April 29. You can find more information at the exhibition’s Instagram account @stitchingearthlyscars or her Instagram @merylprendergast. hadera_mckay@emerson.edu
Comic by Lily Ogden, Kyle Beebe, Derek DiTomasso, and Cody Dunne contact@berkeleybeacon.com
The Berkeley Beacon
April 14, 2022
6
Living Arts
Sidney Gish Performs at Emerson College with openers Jobie and Jo & The Average
Sidney Gish at the Paramount Theater April 6. Photo by Grace Yewon Lee.
Sidney Gish at the Paramount Theater April 6. Photo by Grace Yewon Lee.
Payton Cavanaugh Beacon Staff
An enthusiastic crowd of Emerson students gathered at The Paramount Theater this past Wednesday to enjoy a free concert put on by WECB. Emerson musicians JOBIE and Jo & The Average opened for the headliner and Northeastern alumni Sidney Gish. JOBIE has been a longtime fan of Gish, and felt as though she has been an inspiration through her music career. “I was surprised to be asked, mostly because I had just been talking to my friends about how much I love Sidney Gish the night before,” JOBIE said. “I was honored to be considered.” JOBIE also noted her gratitude toward Emerson and WECB for
“Her voice has such a vulnerable quality to it that makes a live performance feel so intimate.” -Brooke Huffman
giving her this opportunity. “I loved seeing an artist I’m not familiar with and I enjoyed her music a lot,” first-year visual media arts student Caroline Whitaker said. “I thought their pieces were super relatable, and I enjoyed her singing voice as well. She has a great sound.” JOBIE’s music––much like Gish’s––holds a certain relatability factor with college students as they both write of their experiences in a raw and beautiful way. Following JOBIE’s set was Jo & The Average. The band is composed of four members from both Berklee and Emerson. Jo Malicdem (on guitar and lead vocals), Gabe Perez (on drums), Kale Townshend (on bass), and Tony Batey (on guitar) brought together a lively stage presence. Though technical issues were encountered
“As soon as the concert was over, I went looking to add their songs on Spotify. I love listening to local bands, and Jo & The Average blew all of my expectations out of the water.” -Sophia Mullins
during their set, they were soon resolved and the band continued to bring good energy throughout their performance.
First-year creative writing major Sophia Mullins was blown away by their set. “I had never heard of them before and so I was absolutely starstruck when they were on stage,” Mullins said. “As soon as the concert was over, I went looking to add their songs on Spotify. I love listening to local bands, and Jo & The Average blew all of my expectations out of the water.” Bringing phenomenal vocals, a guitar, and a looping pedal, Gish took to the stage to perform an intimate set complete with some of her most beloved songs. Gish created a warm and intimate environment with the audience as she frequently engaged with them between songs. “It was so fun to hear her cover a song, something we haven’t really heard from her before,” Mullins said. “She played many of her well-known songs and I had a great time singing along. I also loved her inclusion of ‘Gone Fishing’ since it is unreleased and she has not released anything in a while, so it was fun to hear something new from her.” As the crowd sang Gish’s “Sin Triangle” in unison, leaping to their feet to dance, it was clear there was a true connectedness between Gish and the audience. “I am a really big fan of Sidney’s music,” first-year journalism major Brooke Huffman said. “She popped up on my Spotify during my sophomore year of high school, and I’ve been an obsessive listener ever since. Her voice has such a vulnerable quality to it that makes a live performance feel so intimate.” payton_cavanaugh@emerson.edu
The Emerson Dance Company show this weekend made audiences want to start dancing Campbell Parish Beacon Staff
Emerson Dance Company left audience members impressed yet again last weekend. EDC held a showcase titled Revival on April 9 and 10 in the Semel Theater. The Semel’s round stage allows everyone in the audience to see performanc-
es—this weekend, performances included 14 student-choreographed dances, ranging from contemporary numbers, tap dancing, and hip-hop numbers. EDC President Lauren Bjella and Vice President Caroline Elliot greeted the audience at the beginning of the show, sharing how the theme of Revival is all about transformation. Each contemporary number
showed incredible emotion, and hip-hop dances captured the attention of the audience. The Semel was filled with loud cheers as audience members voiced their approval of what was happening onstage. One of my personal favorite dances was the “Cell Block Tango” from the Broadway musical “Chicago” which was choreographed by Sam Guida. This
dance was incredible and sexy and the energy of the dancers was unmatched. In addition to the high-energy moments in the “Cell Block Tango,” James Brooks choreographed a dance to “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow. Overall, all of the hard work these Emerson students put in was obvious. All of the numbers were well thought out and
executed. If you didn’t have the chance to see EDC perform, make sure to come to see them next semester, you won’t regret it. Living Arts Editor Karissa Schaefer did not edit this story as she is also a participant of Emerson Dance Company. campbell_parish@emerson.edu
The Berkeley Beacon
April 14, 2022
7
‘It’s just a melting pot of creativity’: Photo Practicum students to showcase work Cont. from Pg. 1 project consists of black and white portraits of family, friends, and hopefully herself, capturing their natural naked bodies. The class provides its students the freedom to examine topics that pique their interest, with Mitzen’s own attitude towards her project changing throughout the semester based on photographing her different subjects. “I started school actually as a bio major, and this is me combining my human bio with my art skills,” Mitzen said. “For me, my project is about perception and the way our bodies serve as our identifying features. People look at my body and say ‘Oh that’s Grace,’ but at the same time, it’s a personal thing, but also once removed from who you are on a soul level.” Other projects Baynes and Mitzen mentioned include Jack Isacke’s piece on the future of a family-owned Massachusetts farm, and Max Collins’ portrait of American brutalism captured on a road trip, described by the girls as “unbelievable.” “It’s just a melting pot of creativity,” Mitzen said. “We get to see our visions come to life in the gallery exhibition.” From inkjet, digital, and darkroom prints to shooting on 35mm film, 120mm film, and 4x5s, the class is dedicated to presenting their work in a unique medium. “A lot of the work varies, and that’s one of the most beautiful things about this exhibition,” Baynes said. “One thing I also really admire is that everyone has such a deep admiration and respect for one another.” Shaw’s favorite parts about teaching are the interactions between her passionate students and their current and ever-changing interests. As her best accomplishment, teaching allows Shaw to connect with the varying identi-
critiques are honest, and she’s someone they highly admire. “This whole article can be a love letter to Lauren,” Mitzen
Upcoming “Metamorphosis” photo exhibition promotional poster. / Courtesy Lauren Shaw ties of students that come through her classes. “My practicum class now, I’m already mourning,” Shaw said. “I don’t care about liability, I care about who they are as human beings, so I will go to the mat. It has enriched me so much. I’ve gotten so much from my students and
that’s why I continue to teach.” Both students praised the class environment professor Shaw creates, in which she grants her students the ability to express themselves by encouraging them and all their ideas. Always willing to work or talk with her students, the photographer and filmmaker’s
“The name of the show ‘Metamorphosis,’ it’s really about this class. It’s great to say their personalities transformed somewhat, but it’s ultimately all about the work. They bond together, they help each other, and they do find their voices.”
said. “She allows you such freedom to really just embrace your own creative process and to see what you can make out of it. It’s amazing.” Baynes credited Shaw for making the classroom feel like family. Though the class is more loosely structured, the standards are still high to push for more artist discipline, which works because of the mutual groundwork of respect. “She always feels wrong being like ‘I’m a teacher’ because she creates an environment where she learns from us just like we learn from her,” Baynes said. “At the end of the semester when everyone shows their work, the amount of growth that people have from the beginning of the semester to the end is remarkable, and that’s all because of Lauren.” Though her soul lies with creating her own art, Shaw calls teaching her “bread and butter.” Photo Practicum, a senior course she got to design, is her ideal dream class. “Teaching is like performance, it’s like theater, and if you know your craft and you like being in front of a community or students, then it just happens,” Shaw said. “It was really called Finding Your Voice, and that to me is the beauty in being a senior and evolving, from leaving your parents and coming to Emerson. Emerson’s so unique because of the identity that students find.” The no-cost event will take place in Tufte’s sixth-floor gallery space with free food, and those who attend are encouraged to bring their friends. “Come to the exhibition,” Mitzen said. “We’ve worked so hard. Everyone has put in so much time and energy, and it’s really going to be so amazing.”
-Lauren Shaw
karissa_schaefer@emerson.edu
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ shows its audience how to fight with love Marcus Cocova Beacon Staff
Everything Everywhere All at Once is undoubtedly a masterpiece. Writers and directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert have leaped from the simple silliness and musings on confused love in Swiss Army Man to make viewers feel for everyone’s lovability. Though splendid in all departments, it is the director and actor relationship that drives the meaning behind this film. While the written word is certainly powerful, and this trait can be the key to successful drama, the beauty of this film is in its most silent moments of observation. Kwan and Scheinert, alongside Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and James Hong, bring together a perfect example of the practice of showing versus telling the audience. Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, an overworked head-of-household whose bitterness is inspired by her self-perception of being composed of her failures. She is just on the horizon of meeting her greatest failures yet, both financially and familially.
This impending failure is interrupted by a multiverse traveling Quan, who plays Evelyn’s husband Waymond Wang. Yeoh and Quan complement each other as opposites with Quan being the silly father figure, countering Yeoh’s brashness. Stephanie Hsu plays Joy Wang, the couple’s daughter. Hsu doubles as the story’s main antagonist, Jobu Tupaki. Joy and her grandfather, Gong Gong, work on opposite ends of Evelyn’s desire to maintain a relationship with both of them, to further burst her life into splinters. The film ultimately resolves with the mending of fractured relationships between Evelyn, her father, and her daughter. The emotional payoff is sweetest, however, with characters who, for the sake of the main story arc, are intended to be more tertiary like Waymond and Jamie Lee Curtis’ Deirdre Beaubeirdra. Much of Evelyn’s demeanor towards Waymond is spiteful, even before she is presented with Waymond’s desire to end their marriage, leaving the viewer with questions about the couple’s relationship that are answered later. The center of the film strikes and Waymond, in a few words,
begs for his wife and her adversaries to cease their newly discovered knack for violence. He assures the combatants that he understands their confusion and fear, but he is certain of one thing: they may find a grounding resolve through their trust in kindness. Rather than further a soliloquy dedicated to his passion for his wife and faith in the effects of love, the film slows down as its actors go silent and the audience is presented with images of Waymond as Evelyn reflects on their marriage, transpiring throughout multiple realities. This lack of exposition makes it so the audience cannot help but project the faces of their loved ones. They are coaxed into seeing their sunny memories of fondness with the ones they love over those of flashing fiction on the silver screen. It is the subtle building of Yeoh and Quan’s tone, expressions, and overall delivery that provides the power of this punch. Silence is broken when the couple are movie star versions of themselves, with Waymond telling Evelyn he would have been satisfied if they lived a life where they did laundry and taxes
“While the written word is certainly powerful, and this trait can be the key to successful drama, the beauty of this film is in its most silent moments of observation.”
together, a reference to the main universe the film inhabits. Evelyn sets down her arms, calmly turns to her husband, and says, “I’m learning to fight like you.” She moves forward in a fight scene, where she disarms her enemies by bringing them their greatest joy across the multiverse. Moments like this are not exclusive to the married couple. Evelyn takes her lesson and extends her love. Evelyn confronts her father with her acceptance of her daughter being a lesbian, tells Beaubeirdra that she is worthy of love, and assures Joy that of all the universes she could choose from, she wants to inhabit the one where they are together. As the film finds its close, the audience is shown a woman whose heart has changed. She has learned to fight with love. She has learned that everyone, everywhere, is dealing with everything all at once, and the best thing people can do is put forth love and kindness.
marcus_cocova@emerson.edu
Sports
The Berkeley Beacon
April 14, 2022
8
Men’s lacrosse adds to 100-point club, breaks records Vivi Smilgius Beacon Staff
March proved to be a milestone month for the Emerson men’s lacrosse team as two players joined the Lions’ 100-point club, and another broke the single-season scoring record. Graduate attacker Austin Franklin and senior midfielder Skyler Celotto became the fourth and fifth players to join the Lions’ 100-point club, while sophomore attacker Birk Swan broke the single-season scoring record of 59 points. Franklin and Celotto have amassed 108 and 115 career points, respectively, and Swan currently sits at 69 points on the season with three games remaining. Franklin said joining the 100-point club meant a lot to him, especially since he got to share the moment with Celotto—a teammate and close friend. He said he and his teammates are more focused on group success than individual achievements. “I don’t think either of us really keep track of our stats too close-
ly—if that’s what we were concerned with, we would have played golf or tennis or something,” Franklin said. “But it was exciting to find out we got to 100 points in the same game.” Head Coach Matt Colombini said the players’ individual successes contributed heavily to the team’s performance as a whole. Colombini noted a “dramatic jump” in the team’s record between previous seasons and this one—shifting from 4-68 overall at the beginning of the year to 11-3 this season. “A lot of the success pieces that have come this year have been just delayed because we haven’t been able to play the past few years,” Colombini said. “I’m just really happy for those guys… All the hard work they’ve put in is really paying off.” For Franklin, joining the 100-point club resulted from a “culmination of a full career” of hard work. “I owe a lot of my success to the extra time that I put in, whether it be getting extra shots in the offseason, getting on a wall and doing stick skills or getting in the weight
Senior midfielder Skyler Celotto was one of two players to join Emerson’s 100-point club this weekend. / Kayla Buck Beacon Staff room,” Franklin said. Franklin isn’t the only player who puts in work for his team. Swan, for one, holds even more assists than points scored. The day Swan broke the scoring record, Colombini said, the team saved the
game ball for him and presented it to him in the post-game huddle. “He said thank you to everybody else,” Colombini said. “He acknowledged that everybody else contributed to the record he was able to break.”
With games against Babson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Coast Guard Academy remaining in the season, Colombini said he and the team are looking to finish strong and continue their upward trajectory. “We’ve already scored more goals than any other team,” Colombini said. “We’ve won more games, we’ve won our second conference game ever… [it’s] the payoff of all the hard work those guys have put in.” As his last year of college lacrosse comes to a close, Franklin said he’s focused on enjoying the final moments with teammates and friends. “I’m a nose to the grindstone kind of guy,” Franklin said. “I try to live in the moment and pick my head up when it’s all said and done. We’ve got three weeks. At the very least, we’ll make the playoffs and then we’ll make some noise.” Neither Celotto nor Swan could be reached for comment.
vivi_smilgius@emerson.edu
Lions take 11-10 win over Worcester Polytechnic Institute Cont. from Pg. 1
right-handed pitcher Chris Lowe entered the game and pitched two scoreless innings. Once the Lions appeared to have stopped the bleeding, WPI struck again. Lowe got the first batter out to start the fifth but back-to-back walks and a single loaded the bases with Fraser at the plate again. He delivered another key hit—a single into center field, scoring two. A hit by pitch loaded the bases again, resulting in another pitching change. Junior right-hander Joshua Caltabiano stood in to mitigate the damage—a task he did successfully, getting out of the jam with only one additional run allowed in the inning. Staring at a 9-1 deficit, the Lions had their work cut out for them if they wanted to get back into the ballgame. Loveland said the older players kept team spirits high. “It just seemed like we weren’t gonna pull through,” he said after the game. “We were down 9-1 in the fifth inning, but our captain Calvin Jacey and senior Joseph Colucci pulled us together and said ‘hey, there’s no quit in us, we can chip away.’” Emerson started the bottom of the fifth with two base runners who moved into scoring position after a bunt. Junior infielder Thai Morgan laced a double into right field, scoring the Lions’ first run since the first inning. A fielder’s choice from Nachamie brought in the runner from third and Emerson moved from eight runs behind to six. A pivotal shutdown inning from Caltabiano allowed the Lions to return to offense, and a single and a wild pitch put the Lions in scoring position. Senior infielder Calvin Jacey scorched a double into the gap to score the runner, cutting the Lions’ deficit to five. The Lions were gaining momentum and first-year two-way player Lucas Simms was slotted in to pitch. He kept the ball rolling for
the Lions, sitting the Engineers down in order. Loveland led off the bottom of the seventh with a double. An error allowed Morgan to reach base as well. Nachamie, who had already driven in two runs at this point, stood in the right-handed batter’s box looking to continue his dominance. A couple of pitches later, he cranked one to the opposite field fence for a three-run homer to close the gap to two. WPI reliever Carter Bach walked the next batter, and a double off the lefty bat of senior outfielder Lou Davolio put runners on second and third with one out. Junior infielder Jake Hatch sent a ball deep enough to score the runner on third and a strikeout ended the inning with WPI clinging to its 9-8 lead. The Lions’ progress seemed to slip away as a lead-off triple, a hitby-pitch, and a walk loaded the bases for the Engineers. In came sophomore right-handed pitcher Benny Guevera in a tough spot and three outs to get. His work began with a groundout to second base, scoring one. The next batter sent one to second, but Loveland threw the ball home to secure the out. Guevara escaped the jam with a strikeout, only allowing one runner to score. Guevara said he thrives in high-pressure situations like these. “It’s amazing,” Guevara said after the game. “It’s a lot of pressure, but it speaks a lot to the coaches and having faith in me. I’m just going to do my absolute best to provide for the team. I really want the ball in those situations.” The Engineers held off the Lions in the eighth—a challenge Emerson returned in the top of the ninth. The Lions entered the bottom of the ninth down 10-8—a scenario WPI knew all too well. Just one week prior, in the teams’ meeting on April 5, WPI scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Lions 11-10. Now, the Lions had a chance to return the favor. Senior infielder Joe Colucci hit a single after a line out to start the
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Benny Guevara notched hus second win of the season against WPI. Photo Bryan Simmons-Hayes inning. A walk and a Jacey single loaded the bases for sophomore catcher Jake Okamoto. The Californian placed a sacrifice fly deep enough to score the runner from third, closing the deficit to 10-9. Down by one, the Lions didn’t have any more outs to work with. But a failed fielder’s choice allowed senior outfielder Quinton Copeland to reach home and tie the game at 10. Loveland walked to the plate to face WPI sophomore pitcher Noah Pins. Loveland, who had struck out swinging in a pinch-hitting appearance against Pins on April 5, now found himself a shot at redemption. He slapped Pins’ second pitch back where it came from, taking two hops before reaching the outfield grass. Jacey was waved home, but the center fielder threw a dime to the catcher’s glove. The ball landed after a hop and Jacey slid headfirst behind the tag. By the time the um-
pire could make a call, the Lions knew they won. Loveland said he had manifested the appearance. “I just had that feeling,” Loveland said. “I [knew I was] going to be up this inning and as the inning went on, it just seemed like it was becoming reality. I went to our first baseman Matt [Nachamie] and one of our sophomores Blake Benway and said ‘We’re winning this game.’ They both went ‘Whoa, whoa, don’t jinx it.’ And I kind of just walked away. I had that confident feeling of ‘this is coming to me.’” As Loveland’s teammates rushed towards him when he rounded first base, he said he felt the greatest adrenaline rush of his career. He reflected on the moment and his previous failures in late game situations. “That’s a terrible feeling,” he said of past walk-off losses. “Some of those nightmares loomed over me for so long. To have the one fi-
nally go my way was so awesome.” Emerson baseball battled back from an eight-run deficit to win an unlikely ballgame, returning the favor against WPI and moving to 2-4 in conference play. Guevara said the team’s determination has been a part of their mentality since day one. “We preach that if we stick together…we’re gonna win a lot of games,” he said. “Sometimes we get in those moments where we were down 9-1 and the dugout goes a little silent for a couple innings. But we stuck through it. We didn’t hang our heads.” The Lions will continue their season on April 15 against Babson College. Vivi Smilgius contributed to reporting.
tyler_foy@emerson.edu