BY ANNA KANE ’20
The longest partial government shutdown in the history of the United States is now over. President Donald Trump signed a short-term spending bill on Jan. 25, funding the government through Feb. 15 without the $5.7 billion he had originally demanded for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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 EMMA RUBIN ’20
On Nov. 13, in the John Quincy Adams Residence Hall at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), a student’s door was defaced with homophobic and transphobic slurs as well as a swastika. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst Police Department (UMPD) investigated the event and the school sent out an email denouncing the act.
BY MERYL PHAIR ’21
“I feel like so often we’re supposed to have everything figured out,” said Leah Penniman, a black Kreyol educator, farmer, author and food justice activist to the audience gathered in Hooker Auditorium on Thursday, Nov. 29. “But the first step in healing and making change is to admit that we don’t know everything.”
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 ALLYSON HUNTOON ’19
As of Wednesday evening, midterm election results from around the country were still coming in. In Massachusetts, Democrats won all of the Congressional races on the ballot, including the state’s nine seats in the House of Representatives and one Senate seat, to which Senator Elizabeth Warren was re-elected. At the state level, Republican governor Charlie Baker was re-elected, defeating Democrat Jay Gonzalez.
