Leaked Indian unemployment report sparks controversy

BY SAMAN BHAT ’22

The Indian government is currently facing backlash over a leaked employment report released to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The Business Standard, an Indian nancial newspaper, revealed that India’s unemployment rate was at an all-time high of 6.1 percent, the highest it has been since the 1970s. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, according to Quartz India, increased, “[from] 11 million in 2011-12 to 31 million in 2017-18,” a growth of about 60 percent more unemployed youth workers in six years.

Belgians stage walkout to protest inaction on climate change

Belgians stage walkout to protest inaction on climate change

Student climate change activists staged a large protest in the city center of Brussels, Belgium on Thursday, Jan. 31. Tens of thousands of teenage students walked out of their classrooms to call for government action addressing climate change, holding signs with slogans like “no nature, no future,” and “if the climate were a bank, it would have been saved by now.” The 35,000 student protesters joined a mounting number of demonstrations across Europe.

New school, new country: Moloto on the international transfer experience

New school, new country: Moloto on the international transfer experience

As a prestigious liberal arts institution, Mount Holyoke College attracts students from a myriad of places around the globe. In most cases, these students attend Mount Holyoke directly after high school. But the College also attracts a fair number of transfer students, both domestic and international.

Bri Rhodes named new Director of International Student Advising

Bri Rhodes named new Director of International Student Advising

BY VICTORIA WANG ’20

With over ten years of experience working with international college students in the U.S., Bri Rhodes joined Mount Holyoke College this spring as the new Director of International Student Advising at the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives. She will help international students navigate immigration issues and work to improve their experiences on campus.

Singaporean breakfast

BY VICTORIA WANG ’20

There is no better place to look for a good Singaporean breakfast than a hawker center, according to Karisa Poedjirahardjo ’20. Hawker centers are open-air complexes where street food vendors congregate. They are commonly seen in fast-paced, urbanized Asian cities like Singapore.

Tensions escalate at the U.S.-Mexico border

Tensions escalate at the U.S.-Mexico border

BY CASEY ROEPKE ’21

When asylum-seekers reach the U.S.-Mexico border, they have not yet reached the end of their long journey — they are only at the beginning. After traveling for days or weeks with limited resources, migrants still have to go through legal processes of requesting asylum. On Nov. 25, tensions around the border escalated to a visible breaking point at the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry in San Diego, California.

Diwali comes to MHC with light and dance

Diwali comes to MHC with light and dance

BY SAMAN BHAT ’22

Students were greeted by twinkling lights and decorations as they entered Chapin Auditorium and took their seats on Friday, Nov. 30, ready to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Mount Holyoke’s annual Diwali celebration was hosted by the South Asian Student Association (AWAZ) with over 140 people in attendance.

Will Trump ever build a wall? Global impact of U.S. midterm elections

Will Trump ever build a wall? Global impact of U.S. midterm elections

BY LEEN RHAZI ’22

The 2018 U.S. midterm election results have fostered mixed reactions from those interested in world politics. According to NPR, record numbers of Native Americans, Muslims and women of color ran for office in 2018. After the ballots were counted, the winners of these races made notable “firsts,” including Ilhan Omar (DMN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the first Muslim women elected to Congress, and Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KN), the first Native American women elected to Congress.

Asian Student Association presents VariAsians to an excited audience

Asian Student Association presents VariAsians to an excited audience

BY VICTORIA WANG ’20 AND CHRISTINE XIAO ’21

Hosted annually for more than 20 years, VariAsians is an iconic Mount Holyoke event celebrating Pan-Asian culture with a blend of conventional and modern performances by student groups. This year’s VariAsians brought fresh energy to the beloved Mount Holyoke event, with familiar acts joined by new student performances that brought a fresh take on an already popular celebration. Students and community members from across the Pioneer Valley filled Chapin Auditorium on Friday, Nov. 9 for dinner and a performance starting at 7 p.m.

Update: Jair Bolsonaro wins the 2018 Brazilian presidential election

Update: Jair Bolsonaro wins the 2018 Brazilian presidential election

BY CHRISTINE XIAO ’21

After weeks of anticipation following the initial Brazilian presidential runoffs, which culminated in results below the threshold majority for any candidate, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro defeated Fernando Haddad to win the Brazilian presidency on Oct. 28. In his victory speech, Bolsonaro called his win a “celebration of freedom: freedom to come and go, walk on the streets, in all places of this country.” He backed up his rhetoric of “freedom being restored” by stating that he would protect citizens who “follow their duties and respect the laws.” The statement seems incongruent with the rest of his behavior, which has leaned towards authoritarianism.

Trump threatens to take away path to legal birthright citizenship

Trump threatens to take away path to legal birthright citizenship

BY CASEY ROEPKE ’21

President Donald Trump announced plans for an executive order to end birthright citizenship for Americans on Oct. 30. Political pundits and journalists were quick to announce that birthright citizenship is a constitutional guarantee that would take an act of Congress to amend. According to the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

Students say Halal station cuisine misses the cultural mark

Students say Halal station cuisine misses the cultural mark

BY SAMAN BHAT ’22

Within Mount Holyoke’s centralized Dining Commons, there are countless options for students to choose from. From the Grill station to design-your-own sushi rolls, sandwiches and omelets, diners rarely want for choice. But, some students head to a food station meant to cater specifically to their religious identity — and are met with lackluster options.

Students for a Free Tibet raise issue of Tibetan statehood

Students for a Free Tibet raise issue of Tibetan statehood

BY GABBY RAYMOND ’20 AND VICTORIA WANG ’20

Every weekend of her childhood, Tenzin Tseyang, a Tibetan student currently attending UMass Amherst, was packed into her family car to go to the five-hour Sunday school with her Tibetan community in Boston.

“I remember arguing with my dad on the way there and not wanting to go,” Tseyang said. “But now looking back I’m so thankful he made me go because now I can speak Tibetan and I have personal connections [to Tibet] — not just by being Tibetan, but also having a strong sense of a Tibetan identity.”

Himalayan Night informs and dazzles

Himalayan Night informs and dazzles

BY GABBY RAYMOND ’20

Students eagerly sampled steaming hot momos drizzled with spicy chili sauce and tangy paneer curry as they enjoyed performances that painted the stage in Chapin Auditorium with color during Mount Holyoke’s annual Himalayan Night on Oct. 26.

Obama-era policies on Pakistan have lasting impact

Obama-era policies on Pakistan have lasting impact

BY SAMAN BHAT ’22 AND GABBY RAYMOND ’20

The Trump administration announced last month it was cutting more than $300 million in aid to the Pakistani government. The Pentagon claimed the move responded to Pakistan’s failure to act against militant groups in the country. The change has yet to be approved by Congress, but has already struck a huge blow to the fragile U.S.-Pakistan relationship.

Call For Inclusion: Middle Easterners demand racial category in U.S. 2020 Census

Call For Inclusion: Middle Easterners demand racial category in U.S. 2020 Census

BY LEEN RHAZI ’22

As the decennial census date approaches in 2020, Middle Easterners and North Africans in America are urging the U.S. government to widen ethnic categories. The census currently lists “White, Black or AfricanAmerican, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander” as official races in the United States, but does not classify people from the Middle East or North Africa (MENA) region as a separate race.

Cart (0)