BY EMMA RUBIN ’20
In early January, 11 students from various cities in Argentina arrived at Mount. Holyoke College as part of the Friends of Fulbright program. The exchange grants Argentinian students the opportunity to study at various institutions in the United States for 6 to 8 weeks. For the 2017 program, 121 scholars were accepted into the program and are studying in various states throughout the U.S.
BY EMMA RUBIN '20
The University of Massachusetts, Amherst Chinese Music Association and Mount Holyoke students came together in Chapin Auditorium on Dec. 1 to celebrate Chinese folk music. The event was sponsored by Love Across the Coast, a Mount Holyoke org that seeks to promote equal educational opportunities in rural China.
BY GABBY RAYMOND '20
On Nov. 25, 2016 Fidel Castro died. He was best known as the leader of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Castro was regarded as a national savior and icon by his supporters, and a dictator who disregarded human rights by his critics. The nine days of state mourning that began with the announcement of his passing concluded with his ashes being buried at Santa Ifigenia Cemetery on Sunday morning.
BY SARAH LOFSTROM '19
Following the devastation of last month’s Hurricane Matthew, Haiti is facing its worst food crisis since 2001. According to the BBC, he United Nations World Food Program is spearheading a $120 million appeal in order to help curb the high levels of malnutrition and fund the restoration of valuable crop acreage and agriculture in Haiti. Hurricane Matthew was the strongest hurricane to hit the Caribbean in a decade and has affected 2.1 million people, 1.5 million of whom are in need of immediate aid. The country is now in need of substantial international aid, without which the food shortages will inevitably worsen.
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.
