By Emma Quirk, Sarah Grinnell, Kiera McLaughlin, Rachel Adler,
Paige Comeau, Abigail McKeon, Betty Smart, & Cal Smith ‘26
By Emma Quirk ’26
News & Photos Editor
I arrived at Mount Holyoke with no background in working on a newspaper or publication of any kind, but writing for the school newspaper seemed like a classic college experience that I didn’t want to miss out on. I applied shortly after the involvement fair, and was hired as a staff writer for the Features section, a copy editor, and a staff photographer.
At my first section pitch, I realized that I had no idea what I was doing. Luckily for me, my section editor Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25 and fellow first year Melanie Duronio ’26 seemed to know exactly what was going on and thus began my crash course on news writing, interviewing, and editing. Jesse and I co-wrote my first ever article about Glean, a software program that would record and transcribe notes for students instead of relying on a student notetaker, and the rest is history.
At the end of my first year, Ali Meizels ’23 asked (maybe pleaded with) me to be Photos Editor for the next year. I agreed to do it. Zeyu Zhao ’27 eventually joined me, and the two of us have been holding down the photos fort ever since.
The photos section has taken me to many exciting events, on and off campus. One of the most exciting moments of my time on the news was in fall 2023, when Kiera McLaughlin ’26 scored an interview with Rachel Maddow before she gave a book talk at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Kiera was invited to bring a photographer, and she asked me to come along.
Being persuaded to take on various roles has been the theme for me at MHN, and that is how I ended up as Publisher for the spring 2024 semester. I’m pretty positive I received Slack messages, emails, and in person comments from half the EBoard… It was insanely chaotic, as the previous Publisher had to step down from the role and MHN was entirely digital for a variety of reasons that semester. Add on taking charge of a fundraiser that I had not been part of planning, and I was pretty stressed. This is my official apology to my friends, particularly Caroline, who had to listen to me complain about the news all semester, especially every Monday morning of publishing day. With all of that said, I am so grateful to the EBoard of the time, particularly Editor-in-Chief Mariam Keita ’24, interim Business Manager Kate Vavra ’26, Web Editor Michelle Brumley ’24, and Social Media Manager Melanie Duronio ’26 for helping me get things done and assisting me with all of the technological elements of the job.
I’ve been happy to serve as Photos Editor with Zeyu and News Editor with Genevieve Zahner ’26 during my senior year. I am grateful to Zeyu and Genevieve for being such great co-editors, even as all three of us were insanely busy juniors and seniors. I’m also thankful to Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28 for being the most active member in both the news and photos sections, as well as being willing to take up both of my former positions next year (and possibly another eboard position as well!).
To everyone I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with on the news — working in the same section, co-writing a single article, or just slack messaging one another — I am so grateful for you and I know you will all continue to do great things.
MHN is a special publication, and the work that everyone puts into it and the quality of articles, photos, and graphics are outstanding. With that being said, the news has a lot of growth to still do to become a more inclusive organization. There are too many stories of students being pushed out due to overwhelming workloads, interpersonal conflicts, and bias built into the framework of this long-standing organization. I hope MHN continues to exist, to be funded, and that the students taking up the mantle continue to push for the changes that need to be made.
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By Sarah Grinnell ’26
Books Editor
The Mount Holyoke News was the first club that I joined when I arrived on campus my first semester, and it’s an understatement to say it has become one of my most cherished experiences here. Starting out somewhat unexpectedly as a staff writer for Science and Environment, I then took on the role of S&E Editor my sophomore year. As a Humanities girlie, I was quite out of my depth, to say the least. However, I’ve always been passionate about the environment, having led my high school’s environmental club and received the superlative for “most likely to solve climate change” (sadly, I have still yet to live up that—my b, y’all). So I really enjoyed getting to spread awareness about environmental and sustainability issues on campus, as well as spotlight so many of the amazing clubs we have here. That’s one thing I’ve loved the most about writing for MHN: the opportunity to expose myself to so many students, clubs and interdisciplinary spaces here on campus that I never would have otherwise encountered.
I’ll always have a soft-spot for my roots in S&E (even when I was fighting for my life to get people to write), but I eventually spread my wings to Books beginning in the spring of my junior year, and this became the section that has truly felt like home. As a bookworm and English major, I always genuinely looked forward to reading the book reviews and event coverage by our incredible writers, who are just as passionate about literature as I am—as well as working alongside my amazing co-editor, Isabel Dunn ’27! Some of my favorite MHN memories include covering the Glascock competition this year and last year, as well as the launch of “Dear Miss Perkins” by Rebecca Brenner Graham ’15, who very kindly gifted me two signed copies of her book after I interviewed her! Overall, MHN has provided me with so many opportunities like these to find and strengthen my own voice as a writer and meet so many amazing people. And while news writing is not going to be a lifetime career for me, I’m grateful to have had this opportunity to cosplay as a journalist for all four years of my MHC career. Now as I pass the baton, always remember: don’t give up the news!
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BY KIERA MCLAUGHLIN ‘26
BOOKS EDITOR
I came to Mount Holyoke with a simple plan: join the Mount Holyoke News. Four years ago, I could not imagine how this paper would shape my college career. Now, I look back and see all the hard work and collaboration to produce a strong paper for each publication not as something to overcome, but something to look forward to.
Since I joined I have been a part of the global section as a writer then editor. I remember telling the editor-in-chief during my sophomore year that I was unsure if I could handle the responsibility, and she told me she knew I could do it. In addition to learning the ins and outs of AP style, producing articles on a deadline, leading a group of writers each week and strong editing practices, this experience has given me the confidence to report on difficult topics and support fellow student journalists in their work or early careers.
I knew I wanted to be a journalist when I joined the paper, but over the last four years I’ve been able to figure out what that means to me and more specifically what I want to pursue. My experience at MHN gave me confidence to report in the field and get internships that have shaped my journalistic education. Now, as I start my first job as a professional local journalist, I’m sad that my time at MHN is over, but I’m so grateful my experience started here. Thank you for reading!
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By Rachel Adler ’26
Managing Editor of Layout
My journey with the newspaper began all the way back in my first year of high school. Everyone was required to pick an after-school activity, whether that meant playing a sport or acting in the school musical. In the spring season, I picked newspaper simply because it was the only indoor option and wouldn’t aggravate my seasonal allergies. I was quickly recruited to help with the layout and began my journey with InDesign. What I expected to be a boring high school graduation requirement turned out to be the introduction to a community that would help define the next eight years of my life.
When I started Mount Holyoke, I was immediately interested in joining the layout team. I first met with Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25, who quickly got me up to date on Mount Holyoke News’ specific style guide. Even though I was entering a new newspaper at a completely new school, working on layout gave me a sense of familiarity. My detail-oriented nature has always aligned with working on layout. Something about arranging content, placing pictures, and making sure every element lined up just right has always felt natural to me. Despite my frequent tiffs with InDesign, nothing could ever beat the satisfaction of finishing a page, knowing everything was exactly in its place.
By the end of my sophomore year, MHN had moved to online-only publishing and was anxious to get back to print. I was approached by Tara Monastesse ’25, and all but shaken down to be layout editor. I was extremely hesitant at first, worried about the workload, the time commitment, and dedicating myself so fully to a publication I still felt relatively new to. Despite my trepidation, Tara quickly got to work doing everything in her power to make sure I took on the job. I am so thankful for Tara’s determination, passion, and kindness. Thank you for graciously welcoming me into the EBoard and for becoming such a wonderful friend. Without her tireless efforts, I don’t know that I would have been able to take on the position and get MHN back in print.
Joining the EBoard was intimidating at first, entering a group of mostly English majors who all had much more previous experience with the paper than I did, but I was met with nothing but kindness from each and every member. Publishing nights became my domain, and I took the responsibility of having an aesthetically pleasing paper personally. Members of the publishing team worked through the growing pains of learning InDesign with a smile. Soon, we became a well-oiled machine. Now, working in MEWS and with a strict deadline of 10 p.m., we kept the spirit of publishing night alive with jokes, complaints about missing captions, many, many Nerd Clusters, with Taylor Swift serving as my background music. Thank you as well to Emily Tarinelli ’25 for your kindness, humor, and steady presence during those early publishing nights. Working alongside you and Tara made the transition into the EBoard so much easier. No matter how stressful my semesters were, I always knew every other Thursday held a night to take my mind off things and spend time with some truly amazing people.
Although layout has never been the most popular section, I am confident in MHN’s ability to persevere as it always has. Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27, you are truly a wonderful Editor-in-Chief and I know MHN will continue to be in the best of hands. I am so glad for your spirit and friendship. Thank you for your constant commitment to layout, and for basically making half of every publication through your word searches, quizzes, and graphics. To the rest of the current EBoard: Kate Vavra ’26, Abigail McKeon ’26, Paige Comeau ’26, Cal Smith ’26, Gabriella Rodriguez ’27, Karishma Ramkarran ’27, Madeleine Diesl ’28, and Angelina Godinez ’28, thank you for all your hard work this year. Getting the paper published takes a team effort, and it wouldn’t be possible without everyone’s dedication.
As I conclude both my first and last article for the paper, I leave you all with this advice: take the leap, join the thing you weren’t sure you would even like. You never know what you might end up finding. (Also don’t forget to check your apostrophes!)
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Paige Comeau ’26
Managing Editor of Content
Truthfully, when I originally signed up for Mount Holyoke News, I hadn’t wanted to join. I was really struggling with my transition to college, and didn’t want to add more onto my plate. But at the insistence of friends and family that I join some sort of extracurricular to help me integrate into the community, I joined MHN. And I have been grateful ever since that I did.
Originally, I applied to the books section. However, due to staffing issues on the news section, I was placed there — a choice by the then board that I will always be thankful for. In the news section was section editor, and now former Editor-in-Chief, Tara Monastesse. Tara held such a reverence and a passion for the news, it was impossible not to fall in love with it right alongside her. As such, I quickly began writing for the paper weekly, starting with timely pieces on COVID-19 policy and protest, before moving into what would become my semi-permanent role as the senate writer. Each week, I would attend SGA’s senate meetings and I would report on what happened. It was normally rather bureaucratic and repetitive, leading to a repeated joke that we hoped someone would start a fistfight at the next meeting. However, it not only engrained my love for working with MHN and writing about campus politics, it actually endeared me to the workings of SGA, inspiring me to later become a senator for 1837 and Creighton Halls.
At the end of my Sophomore year, I stepped outside of my comfort zone and began to work on stories un-related to the senate. I was particularly well-known amongst the newsroom, and perhaps infamous with several college staff members, for writing investigative and critical stories about the college’s dining. Interviewing past and present students about their experiences, talking to Dining Staff about their food safety protocols, and even responding to hate messages about my critiques on instagram. I had a great time working with students to share their personal stories and beliefs, which is what perhaps led me to my next role, as opinion editor.
My therapist loves to bring up the fact that in my first year, I promised to never become an editor. It seemed like too much work. But, due to a miscommunication between myself and another member of the News, HR reached out to me, stating that they heard I was interested in being a Section Editor. At the time, I didn’t really have anything else going on, so I agreed. I really very quickly fell in love with the role — I enjoyed working directly with writers, getting my hands on every piece the section produced, and formatting the section’s page in the paper. As I became more comfortable with the extra workload, I just fell more and more in love with the News as an organization. So, when someone reached out to me again and asked if I would be willing to run for Managing Editor of Content, it seemed like a no-brainer.
I almost cannot express my gratitude in my ability to have filled this role this year. Working with all the different writers and section editors, personally reading and editing every article before it went out to print, aiding in the finalization of every layout. I personally helped craft every news print, and felt pride in doing so. It is an experience that has shaped me as a person, and will continue to follow me beyond MHC. I am so, so glad that I was able to fill the role, even for a short period of time, and am deeply sad that this is the last issue I will be a part of. I appreciate every single one of you. My writers, my editors, my fellow E-Board members. Even you, the person reading this. I never could have done any of this without you.
Following MHC, I have plans to attend Suffolk Law School in the fall, with the plan to one day become a Public Interest Attorney. Plans I must fulfill, since I have already promised future legal services to MHN. But, for now, I write this letter at One AM, worrying slightly about my thesis defense in two days, and possibly ignoring the signs of a headache (no worries, going to bed right after this). And, for now, I feel incredibly thrilled to still be a part of such an amazing organization and team. Thank you to my friends, my family, and the beautiful people of MHN for supporting me, and allowing me to complete this journey alongside you. I love you all.
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By Abigail McKeon ’26
Human Resources Coordinator & Copy Editor
It’s hard to believe that, though this is my fourth year as a part of Mount Holyoke News, I am only now beginning and ending my arc as a journalistic writer. When I first heard about MHN in my senior year of high school, I was excited to apply to both write and copy edit, as I had done for my middle and high school newspapers. Yet, when I arrived on campus that fall and submitted my overzealous applications — forgetting, as many of our new members do, that MHN accepts all applicants, and essay-length responses to our form questions are not necessary to gain admission — I soon received an email notifying me that I had been hired as a copy editor alone.
Though I now know that this hiring decision must have been due to a miscommunication, I was initially devastated that my writing hadn’t made the cut for MHN. Nevertheless, I resolved to work as a copy editor to get involved on campus, learn about the College, and meet new friends who weren’t my three first-year roommates. In hindsight, I am relieved that the universe directed me away from joining the ranks of MHN’s staff and contributing writers. Although I hugely admire my peers for the work that they do for the paper, I believe that another writing-based extracurricular — in tandem with my English and classical studies majors, as well as my job as a Speaking, Arguing, and Writing peer mentor — may have permanently ruined the activity for me. As it is, I have absolutely loved my experience with MHN and the unexpected roles that I have taken on.
In the fall of my sophomore year, I joined MHN’s board as the human resources coordinator, a position that I have held ever since (excluding my semester abroad in Rome — shoutout to Aoife Paul Healy ’26 for taking over for me!). Though I was initially a bit skeptical about the work of the HRC — why does a college newspaper need one of those, anyway? — I soon realized that the large staff and high volume of applications that MHN maintains needed a devoted handler. My role as human resources coordinator has fostered my great love of spreadsheets, organization, and connecting with MHN’s many members. I love having the ability to float between sections of the news and get to know students involved in every section of the paper; however, my favorite part of being HRC is getting to read and review all of our new applications. Reading about our prospective members’ interests in journalism and the impact that they hope to make on both Mount Holyoke’s campus and our world as a whole is greatly inspiring to me; I am so happy to be the first person to welcome these new members into the news and help to give them the opportunity to make the impact they desire.
Outside of being HRC, I am also one of the longest-serving members of MHN’s copy team (another shoutout to Kate Koenig ’26, my friend and former roommate with whom I share this title). The many perks of copy editing — getting to read articles before their official publication, being handed the opportunity to be a grammar freak, and collaborating with our wonderful writers, to name a few — have made me so glad that I joined MHN’s ranks all those years ago. Watching MHN grow and getting to be a part of that growth myself has truly been an honor.
I especially want to thank all of my editors-in-chief: Sophie Soloway ’23, who first welcomed me to MHN and seemed so intimidatingly powerful to my first-year self; Mariam Keita ’24, who supported me in my transition to the board during a somewhat tumultuous semester and bent the rules to allow me keep copy editing while also acting as HRC; Tara Monastesse ’25, a truly admirable leader whose work ethic and organization never failed to impress me; last but not least, Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27, my wonderful former copy chief who has guided MHN through countless tribulations with grace and kindness. I also want to acknowledge my fellow board members for this academic year — Paige Comeau ’26, Karishma Ramkarran ’27, Madeleine Diesl ’28, Kate Vavra ’26, Rachel Adler ’26, Gabriella Rodriguez ’27, Cal Smith ’26, and Angelina Godinez ’28 — for publishing our paper like a well-oiled machine while also juggling their own classes and extracurricular responsibilities: It’s not an easy job, but you all handle it with incredible poise and skill.
I could not write this article without mentioning my beloved and best friends: Kaylee Demers ’26, Eva Hanson ’26, Margot Hilyard ’26, Alex Ancona ’26, Olivia Curtis ’26, Maya Evans ’26, and Maria McAlexander ’26. Thank you for supporting me through thick and thin, making me laugh uncontrollably, and tolerating my various winding stories and corny jokes. I seriously could not have done any of this without you, and I feel so lucky to be a member of our Hamily.
My experience with MHN, especially building my organizational skills and supporting our writers as they bloom, has partially influenced my decision to pursue my master’s in teaching Latin at the University of Massachusetts Amherst next year. MHN, if you ever need a last-minute fact checker, I’ll be just down the road.
I am so excited to see what the news will have to offer in the years to come, and I wish the best of luck to both our incoming board and our various new and returning members. To any new members: Don’t be scared to get out of your comfort zone and explore roles that are new to you — but also, please just email someone if your MHN application is processed incorrectly. To our current members and readers: Thank you so much for all you have done to support me and the news as a whole. Don’t give up the ship!
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BETTY SMART ’26
GRAPHICS EDITOR
Oh boy…
I honestly don’t know where I should start with this. If I were to try and describe my experience at MHN, it would come out as the written equivalent of a messy and eclectic PhotoShop collage. Which is ironic, given how much fun I’ve discovered those are. My father’s a former newspaperman, and he’s told me that writing an article requires a focal point, even if there’s ten other things attached to it.
When I first came to Mount Holyoke, the first thing I wanted to do was wander around to map the entire place out. I didn’t want to leave a single area unexplored, but that was mostly because I didn’t want to get lost. Hey, if you’d just come from a graduating class of 30, you’d understand why I was bowled over at how HUGE Mount Holyoke seemed. So springtime of freshman year was spent wandering to all the dorms on campus, trying to get out of the confines of my room.
Is it then any surprise that after I joined MHN, my first contribution right out of the gate was my “Dorm-mestic Exploration” series? I went into dorms, took some interviews from residents, and wrote about the architecture. Because we were online that year, I wound up getting to put more and more of my own personal opinions and my own graphics into each article. (My favorite dorm is still Pearsons Annex, by the way. I can’t help it, I like the cozy boardinghouse vibe.)
My tendency to wander went beyond exploration in the present. I’ve been involved with a lot of organizations and activities on campus, and each one is stuffed with potential energy that I wanted to experience in its entirety: WMHC and its hundreds of CDs and records. The Fimbel Lab and the stamps on my ability badge. Every pathway around the lakes and Prospect Hill. All the books in the Hoard. Each floor of the library. The posters and props for previous productions at Rooke Theater. Literally everything in the Archives, to say nothing of MHN’s archived paper editions, and all the history that’s held in them. Although my wish to explore and learn about everything that interested me here is quite impossible, I certainly wouldn’t call any of them wasted time.
I just wish I had more of it. In fact, part of me wishes I’d wandered into MHN sooner, picked a spot and stuck to it from Day 1. I think my tendency to wander is ironic, because I despise change, and would love to have a routine that’ll last more than three months.
But at the same time, while I was at MHN, I wrote for three different sections. I wrote about all the dorms. I made all the graphics for 2024 April Fool’s edition. I became the Graphics Editor. I tried to do some work on the podcast. I wrote my first movie review since middle school. I wrote an opinion piece on clear communication. I discovered how much fun (and how frustrating) layout could be. I wrote about the college’s budget. I wrote an opinion piece on communication. I picked up the newspapers from delivery a few times. I made three fantastic comics, and a ton of graphics. I don’t think I could have done any of that if I’d stayed glued to one spot. MHN was pretty much the best of both worlds for me, and I’m going to miss it here so, so much.
I also was consistently blown away by the quality of artwork that the graphics artists would submit in each edition. MHN has a turbine engine of talent in this department that must not be left unharnessed. My advice to the next graphics editor: Join Layout! You’ll keep the graphics from being cropped weirdly.
I’m going to miss doing layout with Quill and Rachel and Paige and Gabriella and Madeleine, you all were so much fun to work with, and so kind and patient with me as I staggered through layout face-first. The work made me want to bang my head against the wall sometimes, but fighting through it with all of you made it feel meaningful.
Advice to anybody else who’s reading this, it’s really not the worst thing if it takes you a while to find your place. Whether that’s friends, or hobbies, or whatever. It’s good to be a wanderer. We tell better stories.
As I wander off into the sunrise, I feel a lot less scared than I did when I first came here four years ago, and I’m going to attribute that strange bravery to my wandering. I have all sorts of wonderful memories from all the groups and projects and places I’ve wandered to; it makes me feel sort of weathered in the sense that I know I can handle whatever I have to do next. Who knows, maybe I’ll even wander back to campus next year or the year after that.
Don’t give up the news.
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Cal Smith ’26
Managing Editor of Web
Web exclusive!
Physical news is important. Web, do whatever you can to support that. Hopefully faster than I did! Real reporters/writers/artists/news-people/E-board/not E-board, thank you for your hard work, for teaching me about reporting, and for being so patient with me. I hope me providing links to put in job applications was a fair trade.
Don’t give up the news! And don’t forget to renew the Squarespace subscription!