Trump’s comments on opioid addiction are problematic

BY OLIVIA MARBLE ’21

President Trump shocked the nation when he suggested using the death penalty against drug dealers as part of his outlined plan to combat the growing opioid crisis in a summit last month. The death penalty is almost exclusively used for homicide in the United States, making his statement incredibly unprecedented. While Trump’s plan to deal with this national emergency does include plans for treatment, they are vague, which is problematic because treatment accessibility is key in preventing more overdoses. 

Letter to the Editor: Frances Perkins Housing

I am writing in response to the recent Op-Ed article, “In Light of New Housing Lottery, Are Frances Perkins Scholars Really Considered Equal to Their Peers?” that was featured in your March 8, 2018 edition. As a current Frances Perkins Scholar (FP), I would like the opportunity to not only respond, but to also help clear up some inaccurate information that was included in this article. 

Letter to the Editor: Director of The FP Program

I am writing in response to the Op-Ed article in the March 8, 2018 edition entitled, “In light of new housing lottery, are Frances Perkins Scholars really considered equal to their peers?” As the director of the FP Program, I am compelled to answer the question and, in so doing, to correct some of the inaccuracies contained in the original article.

Polyamory should be taken seriously on campus

Polyamory should be taken seriously on campus

BY OLIVIA MARBLE ’21

One day, while my friends and I were having dinner, a friend of mine who is in a relationship said, “Oh guys, guess what? I have a crush on this girl in my class!” Even though I already knew he was polyamorous, his simple comment struck me. Throughout my relationships, I have felt a crushing guilt whenever I even recognized that someone other than my partner was attractive. Every time I have developed crushes on people while in a relationship, I pushed that person away because the guilt became too much for me to deal with. 

In light of new housing lottery, are Frances Perkins Scholars really considered equal to their peers?

In light of new housing lottery, are Frances Perkins Scholars really considered equal to their peers?

BY MRINALINI PANDEY FP

Right after I returned to campus from winter break, I learned about major changes announced by the Office of Residential Life to the Frances Perkins (FP) housing situation. It was decided that next year, all FPs will move out of their current house, Dickinson Hall, to non-residential apartments on 57 College Street, 3 Park Street and 17 Morgan Street. These three buildings will have no wi-fi, no laundry and no housekeeping. When I decided to inquire further into this rather alarming development, I learned from Residential Life that the decision is a “purely financial” one, but will supposedly create a community bond for FP students. 

Students should not have to organize their health around the disorganization of the health center

BY RUMI HANDEN ’18

I got a text from my roommate immediately after getting out of my three-hour seminar, warning me, “This line is something else.” I intended, like most of the student body, to go to the Pattie Groves Health Center walk-in hours to get vaccinated for meningitis. The outbreak, as noted in the email from Marcella Runell Hall to all students, was no longer isolated to UMass, having been recently diagnosed at Smith College. We were encouraged in bolded letters “to receive vaccines for both meningitis serotypes.” 

On trip to India, Trudeau wields superficial charisma

On trip to India, Trudeau wields superficial charisma

BY SRISHTI MUKHERJEE ’21

Justin Trudeau is an incredibly difficult guy to dislike: he looks like a movie star, urges all men to call themselves feminists and is everyone’s favorite liberal mascot. However, his recent trip to India has been somewhat damaging to an otherwise faultless image. Along with inviting Jaspal Atwal — an alleged Sikh extremist — to attend an official dinner in Delhi, another takeaway from his visit was his engagement in activities that some would consider to be cultural appropriation.  

Queer sex event strikes heteronormative tone

Queer sex event strikes heteronormative tone

BY MADDY RITTER ’20

 As I walked into Mead’s common room, spotting a tray of cookies and a few of my peers scattered amongst the plush seating, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “Peer Led Queer Ed” doesn’t sound like the kind of event I would usually attend on a Tuesday night — I was already pretty well-versed in the nuances of living as a gay woman. I figured we might cover some things that had been left out of my high school curriculum … maybe gay sex!  Instead, the “queer” sex ed workshop was completely lacking in adequate or accurate representations of the “queer” sex it claimed to teach. What purpose does the word “queer” have in the title of this workshop if not to describe its content and attract an audience who seeks out this information?  

Mount Holyoke History department needs to take meaningful action to diversify academia

BY CHLOE JENSEN ’20

Since Feb. 11, the history department has attempted to address the protests in which students covered the boards of Skinner Hall with flyers demanding more faculty of color in the History Department. Like many responses to protests demanding more faculty of color, the history department claimed they were in support of the students’ demands, yet did not provide plans to implement change in the future. 

Letter to the Editor: Diversity in the History Department

Mary Renda writes to Mount Holyoke News on behalf of the History Department: as reported in these pages last week, a group of students recently initiated a campaign to call attention to the need for a more diverse faculty here at Mount Holyoke, including in the history department.

Mandatory reporting laws silence young victims

BY LILY REAVIS ’21

Mandatory reporting laws exist with the best interests of sexual assault survivors in mind, but they often end up perpetuating trauma, especially for young victims. The government places minimal trust in young adults and complicates their situation without consideration of their personal requests and needs. 

Millennials are the tech-savvy activists Baby Boomers and Generation X have long feared

Millennials are the tech-savvy activists Baby Boomers and Generation X have long feared

BY CHLOE JENSEN ’20

Scrolling through The New York Times website, I frequently see think pieces of a similar style about millennials. Although the specific topic varies, each of these articles seek to achieve one thing: to figure out who millennials are. Baby boomers and Generation X are obsessed with trying to define millennials. Whether it’s telling us we are the coddled and triggered generation, the technologically codependent generation or the generation with the most bizarre sense of humor, we have to be defined as a monolith, and more often than not, a negative one. Baby boomers and people in Generation X are also obsessed with asking what this means for them, and more dramatically, what this means for the planet.

A student weighs in on the Community Center dishroom, where working conditions are worse

A student weighs in on the Community Center dishroom, where working conditions are worse

BY OLIVIA MARBLE ’21

On my first day in the dishroom, I was prepared to be completely destroyed by the work I was about to do. I’d heard people were dropping shifts because the work was non-stop. I’ve worked as a cashier and a dishwasher, so I’m not unfamiliar with fast-paced work environments that can drive someone insane if  unprepared. I filled up my water bottle, put my phone in my back pocket in case I needed to take an emergency “bathroom break” and headed to SuperBlanch. 

Trump’s proposed SNAP bill perpetuates the “irresponsible, lazy and greedy” trope about welfare recipients

BY CHLOE JENSEN ’20

On Feb. 13, President Donald Trump proposed a new bill to enact major change on SNAP, the United States’ Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, otherwise commonly known as food stamps. In addition to a 10 billion dollar budget decrease, this bill will also provide families with pre-selected “Harvest Boxes.” If the bill passes, “Harvest Boxes” will give qualifying families a box of fresh, “100% American grown food” for half of their monthly food assistance, leaving families with only half of their original cash allowance, according to TIME.

Americans have gone numb to mass shootings

BY LILY REAVIS ’21

Following the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, outrage over loose gun control policies has spread over social media. Thousands of people have shared calls for policy changes, pictures of the victims and the personal background of the shooter The online reaction resembles that following the Sandy Hook and Pulse Nightclub shootings — loud and unapologetic. But, this collective fury was missing during the 17 other American school shootings that have happened in 2018 alone, according to CNN. As a nation, we have become numb to gun violence. 

Letter to the Editor: Diversity In Our Community

Mount Holyoke has a diversity problem.  While we score above the national average in terms of racial and ethnic diversity in our student body, students of color do not see this diversity reflected in our classrooms, and rarely see ourselves represented in the faculty that teach our classes. This problem is particularly apparent in the history department, where there is not a single black professor in the faculty of nine.

College administration fails transfer students

College administration fails transfer students

BY EMILY BLOMQUIST ’18

Applying for college is an experience that most wouldn’t care to repeat. The paperwork, exams, self-doubt and uncertainty of the future — all combine to create a memorable, yet by no means desirable, experience. But for some college students this painful process is worth revisiting. 

“Fifty Shades Freed” continues to confuse abuse with BDSM

BY LILY REAVIS ’21

“Fifty Shades Freed” was released in theaters on Friday, Feb. 9 and, according to Forbes Magazine, earned $137 million globally on its opening weekend. The movie is the long-awaited end to the story of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey: a drawn-out, out-of-tricks, thinly-veiled abusive relationship.

Tranquility Room should focus on relaxation

BY CHLOE JENSEN ’20

When the dining expansion was first announced, many students were worried about how community members with sensory processing disorders would find places to sit, eat and cope. Thankfully, the College administration announced that there would be a tranquility room — a room without blaring music, students screaming about their hook-ups and the sound of dining workers yelling over the crashing plates and silverware. A room where students could dine in peace. Although the Tranquility Room in SuperBlanch is quiet, it does not functionally serve its place as a designated peaceful environment.

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