BY ALLYSON HUNTOON ’19
The role of journalism is tied to “concepts of justice and transparency and equity,” according to award-winning journalist Seth Freed Wessler, who spoke at Mount Holyoke on Monday, April 22. He was introduced by Professor David Hernández, and his visit to campus was hosted by the Weissman Center for Leadership and the Spanish, Latina/o and Latin American studies departments.
BY MELISSA JOHNSON ’20
Senate met for the final time for the 2018-2019 academic year on Tuesday, April 23. The main focus of the meeting was to celebrate the conclusion of the academic year. The meeting also spent time on the Support PVTA Initiative and concluded the All-Campus Elections for this year.
BY ANNA KANE ‘20
Adrienne Arsht ’63, Barbara Smith ’69 and Gary Younge have been named as speakers who will address the Class of 2019 for Mount Holyoke College’s 182nd Commencement. Each speaker will receive an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters after their address in the Kendall Sports and Dance Complex Field House on May 19.
BY MELISSA JOHNSON ’20
On Tuesday, April 16, Senate held their weekly meeting in the Blanchard Great Room. The meeting was mainly focused on voting for the upcoming Student Government Association (SGA) budget and the updated Ways and Means guidelines for the 2019-20 academic year. Senate also announced that the second wave of the all-campus Election poll is out to be voted by the student body. The SGA wants all students to vote in order to reach quorum, and the link for the poll can be found in students’ emails. Polls close on Monday, April 22.
BY LIZ LEWIS ’22
Campus sustainability, particularly when it comes to food, has been a topic of discussion in the Mount Holyoke community for years. In the past few weeks, the topic of food waste has been widely discussed on campus. This recent effort to raise awareness is student-led, and included a film screening of “Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story.”
BY NADIA BABAR ’19
In the wake of concerns from the student body and a number of controversies surrounding his social media presence, newly hired Campus Police Chief Daniel Hect — Chief for both Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges — has been placed on administrative leave.
In an email to the Mount Holyoke community on the evening of April 10, President Sonya Stephens wrote that “Over the past few weeks, members of our community have expressed concerns about the ability of Chief Daniel Hect to develop the level of trust required to engage in community policing.” The email also said that Deputy Chief Ray LaBarre has since been appointed Acting Chief of Campus Police.
Hect, who was announced as the colleges’ new Chief of Police on Feb. 11, has received criticism from the Mount Holyoke and Smith student bodies for demonstrating support for the Trump administration on Twitter through liking a number of tweets that exhibited support for a border wall and the National Rifle Association (NRA). In an email from Hect to the Mount Holyoke community on April 3, Hect wrote, “I am committed to dedicating myself and the entire campus police force to being a positive influence on campus safety, fully integrated into the community.” The email also listed several steps Hect would be taking moving forward.
“We are working closely with Smith College on this issue, and I will continue to keep our campus community informed,” wrote Stephens in her community-wide email.
BY MELISSA JOHNSON ’20
On Tuesday, April 2, Senate met in the Great Room in Blanchard Community Center for in-senate elections and working group mini town halls. Senators also took the time to discuss student feedback and ideas on behalf of their constituents and the specific groups they represent on campus.
BY LIZ LEWIS ’22
The results of the all-campus spring elections were announced on Thursday, March 28, when Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Programs Alicia Erwin sent out an email announcing the newly elected Class Board members. In her email, Erwin wrote, “The intent to run form for those positions not filled during the first election process is also now open! We encourage you to consider running for one of the SGA and Class Board positions that were not filled.” Voting was conducted via online polls, which opened on March 19 at 9 p.m. following that night’s “Meet the Candidates” event and closed on March 25 at 11:59 p.m.
BY MELISSA JOHNSON ’20
This week’s Senate meeting, held the evening of Tuesday, March 5 in the Blanchard Great Room, focused mainly on the data results from the Student Conference Committee (SCC) survey taken by the student body last semester. Student co-chairs of the committee, Jackie Rich ’21 and Lila Oren-Dahan ’20, presented to the senators.
BY EMMA COOPER ’20
In an email sent out to the Mount Holyoke community on Feb. 21, Shannon Da Silva, the College’s Title IX and section 504 Coordinator, provided updates on the steps the College has taken in regards to Title IX and the #MeToo movement since the fall semester of 2018. “As you know, last semester we had many dialogues, forums, rallies and discussions about various events that took place in the fall related to Title IX, sexual misconduct and #MeToo,” the email read. “I am writing to follow up on those events and keep this important conversation going.”
BY LIZ LEWIS ’22
“This is an effort by the Mount Holyoke community to address some of the most pressing political issues in the world today,” said Visiting Lecturer of Politics Adam Hilton as he introduced the faculty panel at the event “A World Unraveling: A Conversation in Politics” on Feb. 26, 2019.
