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The Online Beacon

The Student News Site of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

The Student News Site of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

The Online Beacon

The Online Beacon

The Online Beacon

The Beacon and Beacon Web News editors Fallon Maloney, left, Kate Zelkowitz, top center, Ainslie Lafko, bottom center, and Anna Najimy, right, in The Beacon office, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Freel Library.

A Fading Light, Extinguished: A Letter from the Editors

The Beacon May 2, 2025

To our readers, As journalists, it is our duty to keep ourselves out of the stories we write as much as possible. We have done our best work when an article carries no trace of the author beyond their...

A passing woman looks into Berkshire Art Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where Berkshire Immigrant Center is located.

Trump’s 2025 Immigration Agenda: A New Era of Borders and Policy

Mariposa Ribon, Feature Editor April 25, 2025

As President Donald Trump enters the Oval Office for a second term, the future of U.S. immigration policies enters a new period of uncertainty. After four years of forceful border control measures, travel...

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on a bright winter day

MCLA Enrollment Decline: Can the College Reverse the Trend?

Alex Conklin, Staff Writer April 25, 2025

Nestled in the heart of the Berkshires, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly known as North Adams State College) once thrived as a beacon of opportunity for students seeking a personalized liberal...

Images Cinema Launches Look Forward Fundraising Campaign

Images Cinema Launches Look Forward Fundraising Campaign

Kyle Manzolini, Staff Writer April 11, 2025

Williamstown's beloved Images Cinema is one of the few remaining single screen theaters still in operation in America. Throughout it's history, the cinema has left quite the impact on the Williamstown...

A hand-painted cake, featuring the colors of the trans pride flag, displayed in the Gender and Sexuality Center on the 3rd floor of MCLA's Amsler Campus Center.

“Dehumanizing and Dangerous”: MCLA Students React to Executive Orders on Trans Individuals

Alex Conklin, Staff Writer February 24, 2025

Since his return to office in January, President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders rolling back federal protections for transgender Americans. The rollbacks impact areas like military...

A Not-So-Warm Welcome Back: Heating Repairs Leave Students in the Cold 

A Not-So-Warm Welcome Back: Heating Repairs Leave Students in the Cold 

Ainslie Lafko, Editor-in-Chief February 21, 2025

On January 19, residents of MCLA's Flagg Townhouses moving back onto campus after winter break were met with an unwelcome surprise: many units had little to no heat. Heating line failures in multiple apartments...

President Trump signs executive orders on January 22, 2025, to roll back federal diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

A New Era for DEI: MCLA’s Path Forward After Federal Policy Changes

Toni Basil, Staff Writer February 18, 2025

On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, aimed at dismantling what he described as “radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferences.” The order says Americans...

Graphic created by Anna Najimy

Scrolling to a Standstill: The TikTok Ban and Its Impact on College Students

Anna Najimy, Web Editor February 11, 2025

In recent months, the debate over the Chinese-owned, short-form video-sharing app TikTok has intensified, with lawmakers citing national security concerns and users, many of whom are college students,...

Governor Maura Healey visited Bridgewater State University to announce the filing of the BRIGHT Act on January 21st.

Healey Files BRIGHT Act to Modernize Public Higher Education in Massachusetts

Tonimarie Basil, Staff Writer February 9, 2025

In a bold initiative to transform public higher education in Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey has introduced the BRIGHT Act, a comprehensive piece of legislation designed to modernize campuses across...

MCLA's Murdock Hall

MCLA Faces More Instability, Thanks to State Funding Reductions

Kate Zelkowitz, Copy Editor February 7, 2025

In a meeting on December 12th, as students finished their finals and packed up to leave campus for winter break, President James Birge informed the college’s board of trustees that MCLA is facing a loss...

Michael DeMarsico (right), with his family. DeMarsico passed away unexpectedly on November 17.

MCLA Mourns: Remembering Michael DeMarsico

The Beacon November 20, 2024

On November 17th, the MCLA community was rocked by the loss of one of its' own. Michael DeMarsico, a beloved member of MCLA’s facilities department, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday evening, leaving...

Student Financial Services Clerk, Becky Lincoln, processes paperwork at MCLA’s SFS office in Eldridge Hall.

The FAFSA Fiasco: What Happened Last Year?

Kate Zelkowitz, Web Editor November 2, 2024

As college students across the country wind up for the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle, the aftershocks of the ’24-’25 FAFSA are still ringing in their ears. Last year’s FAFSA cycle, or Free Application for...

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