BY EMMA RUBIN '20
The majority vote of a United Kingdom referendum held in June 2016 called for the state’s secession from the European Union. This division, commonly known as Brexit, began to face additional hurdles on Nov. 3 when the state’s High Court of Justice ruled that Parliament must first approve the procedure.
BY MIESHA MOSS '19
As of Nov. 8, Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States with a projected 279 electoral college votes; following his victory, leaders from around the world immediately responded to the results. His platforms on foreign policy include support for Israel, maintenance of a relationship with Putin, a conclusion to the Iran nuclear deal and the intent for the destruction of ISIS, according to Business Insider.
BY EMMA RUBIN '20
Every Wednesday, the Eliot House for Religious and Spiritual Life hosts an Interfaith Lunch at which students can learn about different religions and their respective traditions. On Oct. 26, participants had a chance to learn about Hindu fall holidays while indulging in potato leek soup, French bread, garden salad and various cookies. “This provides the first door to learning more about [different religions],” Alison Branistky ’18 said.
BY GABBY RAYMOND '20
Over Columbus Day weekend, the Argentine Tango Clubs in the Five College community hosted their monthly Milonga – a tango event where people go to socialize and dance. Professor Daniel Trenner, the Argentine Tango teacher at Smith and Mount Holyoke invited students from both colleges.
BY MARYA JUCEWICZ '17
Students and their families joined Russian Club and the Russian department in making and eating pelmeni, or traditional Russian dumplings, Friday Oct. 21 in the Betty Shabazz House. According to the School of Russian and Asian Studies, the word “pelmeni” may come from a Siberian word meaning “bread-ear,” a reference to the ear-like shape of the dumplings, which are made from boiled, unleavened dough.
BY EMMA RUBIN '20
On Oct. 4, category 4 Hurricane Matthew directly impacted the Caribbean, most notably devastating Haiti. From Haiti, the storm went on to make landfall in Cuba, the Bahamas and the Southeastern U.S. Although Matthew only made landfall in these nations, Jamaica, Curacao, Aruba, Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic (which is on the same island as Haiti) were also affected either through hurricane or tropical storm effects, according to CNN.
BY SARAH LOFSTROM '19
Mount Holyoke College is known for being home to a diverse body of students who embrace many different cultures from around the world. On Sept. 29, the Language Resource Center celebrated these cultures and the languages associated with them at the World Language Festival held in Blanchard Great Room.
BY EMMA RUBIN '20
From mid-September to mid-October, members of the Latinx community across the country celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. The purpose of the month is to celebrate the histories and cultures of American citizens whose ancestors hail from Mexico, Spain, Central and South America and the Caribbean. According to HispanicHeritageMonth.gov, the tradition began as a celebratory week in 1968 started under President Lyndon Johnson. In 1988, it was expanded to encompass a 30-day period from the Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of independence for El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Chile and Mexico celebrate their independence on the Sept. 18 and the Sept. 16, respectively.
BY EMMA RUBIN '20
In celebration of Earth Day, April 22, the Paris Agreement opened for signing. The Paris Agreement is a proposal under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that calls to decrease greenhouse gas emissions so that global average temperature is less than 2°C (ideally 1.5°C) above pre-industrial temperatures. The plan also calls for the UNFCC to reconvene in 2020, and every five years after that, to continue to develop plans to curb climate change. A long-term goal of the agreement is to reach net-zero emissions “in the second half of this century,” as stated by the World Resources Institute.
BY SARAH LOFSTROM '19
On Sept. 20, the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives hosted the International Fair, which aimed to bring together a variety of Mount Holyoke associated study abroad programs and a myriad of study abroad representatives from other countries and schools. Dean Picard, the Dean of International Studies, was there to answer questions relating to scholarships, internships, research opportunities and MHC supported exchange programs. The fair was set up in a style similar to the org and academic fairs. Rows of tables were set up in Chapin Auditorium with representatives along each table.
BY SARAH LOFSTROM '19
This past week, over ten thousand people took to the streets in Guadalajara, Mexico to protest legislation that would allow for same sex marriage in Mexico. The legislation proposed by President Enrique Peña Nieto on May 17, Mexico’s National Day Against Homophobia, would allow for same-sex marriages across all thirty-one states of Mexico, as it is currently only allowed in ten states.
