BY LIZ LEWIS ’22
The final Senate meeting of the fall semester began with cheerful chatter and cookies, and quickly moved into a discussion with dining staff representatives Mike Helm, Chris Kostek and Richard Perna. Helm is a chef from the Cochary Pub & Kitchen, Kostek is a chef from the Classics section of the Dining Commons and Perna is the Director of Dining Services.
BY ANNA HASSON ’21
Several new courses are being offered at Mount Holyoke in the upcoming spring semester. Many of the new course offerings are interdisciplinary, while others were developed specifically for first-year students. The new classes are being taught both by visiting lecturers and tenured professors. Many professors have adapted their material to fit inside the ever-changing world of academia.
BY ANNA SHORTRIDGE ’19
“Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires everybody to participate,” said Gina McCarthy, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, at a lecture titled “The Future of the Planet: Climate Change, Health Equity & Environmental Justice” on Nov. 8. “So get engaged — be part of the democracy, be bold, be excited. And for crying out loud, be hopeful, this is a time for great hope and great action,” she said.
BY ANNA HASSON ’21
Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Shannon D. Gurek sent the Mount Holyoke student body an update on the safety of the crosswalk on College Street on Oct. 31. Representatives of the Mount Holyoke administration “have met with Town and State officials regarding pedestrian and traffic safety on the section of College Street that runs in proximity to the College,” according to the email. The parties involved have agreed on preventative actions that will ensure the safety of both pedestrians and drivers.
BY MERYL PHAIR ’21
“It’s about time,” said Deyscha Smith ’19 when she heard that a new cafe would be opening its doors in the Williston Library atrium on Thursday, Nov. 8. The space has been vacant since Rao’s Coffee Shop closed on Monday, Sept. 17, and students have felt the absence of a library coffee shop since.
BY MERYL PHAIR ’21
Content warning: this article references suicide.
Beck Gee Cohen, a traveling speaker and licensed counselor for LGBTQ+ and addiction issues, spoke to the Mount Holyoke community on Oct. 26 in Gamble Auditorium about the adverse effects of stigma and discrimination that impact LGBTQ+ lives, recovery and wellbeing. Cohen was brought to the College by the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP), a counseling and information program for students.
BY EMMA RUBIN ’20
Content warning: this article references suicide.
Residential Life staff transformed the vacant basement of Wilder Hall — widely rumored to be haunted — into an eerie haunted house on the night of Monday, Oct. 29. Wilder’s Fright Night welcomed Mount Holyoke students to tour the haunted space, followed by a “Fright Ball” on the building’s first floor.
BY LILY REAVIS ’21
After an anti-Semitic shooter took the lives of 11 people in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, members of Mount Holyoke’s Jewish Student Union (JSU) turned to each other for communal support. The group decided to organize and host a candlelight vigil on the night of the attack, Oct. 27.
BY MELISSA JOHNSON ’20
Senate hosted the second town hall meeting of the year on Tuesday, Oct. 23, attended by Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Jon Western and Associate Dean of Faculty Dorothy Mosby. Following the “Support MHC Survivors” Rally on Skinner Green earlier that day, Western and Mosby responded to several questions about the faculty response to sexual assault allegations against a Mount Holyoke professor.
BY ANNA HASSON ’21
As midterm elections approach, some Mount Holyoke students are eager to endorse their favorite candidates. This is evident from social media posts, decorations and in conversations, both academic and personal, around campus. Recently, a lawn sign endorsing a specific candidate, which was later removed, was placed outside South Rockefeller Hall.
BY MERYL PHAIR ’21
Last month, approximately 170 students worked together to write a list of demands to the administration in hopes of initiating better conditions for student workers on campus. On Oct. 12, Mount Holyoke College responded to each of the demands. They will be addressing each demand in preliminary reports that will be released to student representatives throughout 2019.
BY LILY REAVIS ’21
Content warning: this article references sexual assault.
This is a developing story and the Mount Holyoke News recognizes that the following topic is sensitive. Updates will be available in following print editions and on the Mount Holyoke News website as more information becomes available. — The Mount Holyoke News Executive Board
BY MELISSA JOHNSON ’20
On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Student Government Association’s Senate met for the second time this semester, spending the majority of the meeting collaboratively choosing a focus for the year. Senators split into small groups to discuss their individual ideas, then shared with the whole group. They then voted on each suggestion and settled on a goal for this year: “integration.”
