Rachel Maddow discusses Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism

Rachel Maddow discusses Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism

American television program host and political commentator Rachel Maddow opened the Nov. 15 discussion of her #1 New York Times Bestseller “Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism” by reading a section of her book to the audience gathered at the Academy of Music in Northampton.

Letter to the Editors: Highlighting the history of Palestinian liberatory art and its censorship

Letter to the Editors: Highlighting the history of Palestinian liberatory art and its censorship

In a time when Palestinians are dehumanized to justify their deaths en masse, art is an outlet for Palestinians to assert their culture, identity and existence.

Odyssey Bookshop hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder

Odyssey Bookshop hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder visited the Odyssey Bookshop on April 18 to speak on his newest book “Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell’s Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People,” published in Jan. 2023 by Random House. The novel details Dr. O’Connell’s life’s work: creating a healthcare program for the homeless community in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ayu Suryawan '23 and Olive Rowell '24 awarded prizes at the annual Five College Film Festival

Ayu Suryawan '23 and Olive Rowell '24 awarded prizes at the annual Five College Film Festival

The Five College Film Festival returned for the first time in person since 2019, featuring screenings of films made by students and recent graduates of the Five Colleges on April 1, 2023, at Amherst College. An awards ceremony was subsequently held, in which two Mount Holyoke students were awarded prizes. Ayu Suryawan ’23 won Best Documentary Prize for their film “Loving, Moving Boy” and Olive Rowell ’24 won Best in College for Mount Holyoke with their film “Photo Album.”

Mei Lum ’12 discusses gentrification in New York City’s Chinatown

Mei Lum ’12 discusses gentrification in New York City’s Chinatown

On Friday, April 7, students, faculty and staff gathered in Hooker Auditorium to listen to Mei Lum ’12, the keynote speaker for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. While AANHPI Heritage Month is usually celebrated in May, Mount Holyoke celebrates it in April while students are still on campus. This year’s theme is “Rewriting the Narrative.” The goal is to fight against Asian hate and emphasize the achievements, resilience and joy of the AANHPI community.

Pratt senior Portlyn Houghton-Harjo and Dartmouth senior Tom Bosworth win the 100th annual Glascock poetry contest

Pratt senior Portlyn Houghton-Harjo and Dartmouth senior Tom Bosworth win the 100th annual Glascock poetry contest

Over the last 100 years, the Mount Holyoke College English department has invited college-aged poets and professional poet judges to the College to participate in the Glascock poetry contest. This year the judges — poets Hoa Ngyuen, Eileen Myles and Evie Shockley — split the prize and awarded it to Dartmouth College senior Tom Bosworth and Pratt Institute senior Portlyn Houghton-Harjo.

Glascock contestant Jordan Trice discusses his writing career and inspirations

Amherst junior Jordan Trice will compete in the 100th annual Glascock poetry contest. Photo courtesy of Shana Hansell.

By Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25

Managing Editor of Layout & Features Editor

Jordan Trice, a junior at Amherst College, can’t remember a time when he “didn’t do lots of bad writing.” Since starting the practice in childhood, he has worked on his craft more and more, recently gaining a spot as a contestant in the 100th Glascock poetry contest.

As described on the website, the “Kathryn Irene Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Contest is the oldest continuously-running poetry contest for undergraduate students in the United States.” Mount Holyoke College hosts the contest every year, and since the second year of the competition, the Glascock committee has invited other colleges to join.

This year, Amherst College is one of the invited schools with Trice chosen as their representative. A creative writing professor that Trice had taken a class with during his first semester at college emailed him and asked if he would like to do it. “I was like, ‘Yes, of course.’ And then they put me in contact with y’alls people,” Trice said. “And here we are.”

Trice described later researching the contest and seeing that Robert Frost had been a judge and Slyvia Plath had won; this was when he started to become both excited and nervous about the competition.

One moment in particular stood out to Trice in regard to his interest in writing. When he was in sixth grade, a class required everyone to create a presentation about what job they wanted to have when they were older. “I put, kind of as a cop-out because I didn’t really prepare, [that] I wanted to be a writer,” Trice said. “They want[ed] you to have how much money you’d make, so I said ‘it varies’ and then had a picture of books.”

Trice, a double major in English and sexuality, women’s and gender studies, tends to write shorter poems and submitted a number of poems within the time limit. The first two are inspired by his first summer at Amherst when he had a research fellowship looking at “reimaginings of the stories of the women of the Odyssey in contemporary literature.” He was “obsessed” with Penelope, Odysseus’ wife who remains faithful to her husband while he is away on his 20-year-long journey, and was inspired to write.

“I ended up writing a couple of poems, Penelope-inspired poems, I call them my Penelope poems, but those are the opening ones,” Trice said.

In general, Trice draws inspiration from art, whether it be literature, paintings or music. He describes small moments of inspiration and credits Toni Morrison for “[bringing] out a lot of those moments.” 

Additionally, he has a habit of writing poetry on planes. His family lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, and every time he gets on a plane to fly home, he ends up writing. “I’ve been trying to tease out why that is but I think it’s partly because I’m listening to music and I have nothing else to do to distract me, no [cell] service or anything,” Trice said. “It’s just whatever music I’ve downloaded on my phone and then I’ll be listening to something and then it’ll just come.”

 Trice explained that some of his favorite writers are Toni Morrison, Allen Ginsberg, Maya Phillips — whose poetry collection “Erou,” Trice described as “possibly my favorite poetry collection at the moment” — and Evie Shockley, who is one of the 2023 Glascock judges and who Trice saw read at Amherst during the fall of 2022. 

“I’ve been moving in between excited and nervous,” Trice said. “But I think right now I’m feeling excited for [the contest]. I’m excited to meet the other people [and] to meet Evie Shockley again. It seems like a great time and it’s the 100-year anniversary so it sounds like it’s gonna be a very, very fun time.”

Mark Auslander discusses family history, antisemitism and racism

Dan Pagis’ poem entitled “Written in pencil in the sealed freight car,” which he wrote when he was 11 years old, is displayed in English, Hebrew, and Polish at the Belzec Victims Memorial. Photo courtesy of Mark Auslander.

By Emma Quirk ’26 

Staff Writer

Content warning: This article discusses the Holocaust.

Dr. Mark Auslander gave a lecture entitled “Here in this Train Car: Holocaust Family Memory, Art-Making and Struggles for Justice” on Feb. 15, 2023. During the event — held virtually — he discussed his family’s history and the connectivity between marginalized communities. He also explored the impact and importance of the arts when it comes to culture and tragedy.

Auslander is a sociocultural and historical anthropologist, award-winning author of “The Accidental Slaveowner: Revisiting a Myth of Race and Finding an American Family” and visiting lecturer in anthropology at Mount Holyoke College. 

This event is one of MHC’s antisemitism teach-ins that were launched in January of 2021. In her introduction to Dr. Auslander’s event, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Kijua Sanders-McMurtry said that the College community has been “engaged in deep dialogues and interrogation of our own everyday work to disrupt and resist antisemitism,” for several years. 

Auslander’s talk, held during Black History Month, touched on the similarities and linkages between antisemitism and anti-Black racism. Auslander also discussed the way white supremacist ideology harms both of these communities as well as the intersections between them. 

The lecture began with Auslander speaking about his own family, particularly their experiences in the Holocaust. “Here in this Train Car” is a reference to “a terrifying moment in my family’s history,” where thousands of Romanian Jewish people, including his relatives, were forced onto cattle cars during a mass deportation to Transnistria concentration camps in the 1940s, Auslander explained. His father’s first cousin, Dan Pagis, was 11 years old at the time. 

Pagis wrote a now famous poem about the car, called “Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar.” The poem goes as follows: “Here in this carload / I, Eve / with my son Abel. / If you see my older boy, / Cain, the son of man, / tell him that I” — Auslander explained that it can provide different messages for readers. 

“The text I’d like to suggest can be read in part as a powerful testimony of what it means to be Jewish in a post-Holocaust world. … Even in places of relative sanctuary, the possibilities of mass violence never seen entirely removed or off the table. … But at the same time, the poem … emphasizes the universality of the story of brothers,” Auslander said. 

Auslander explained that neither Pagis nor his grandparents “[ever] discussed with anyone what transpired on board those terrible unheated trains … the poem is the only trace we have whatsoever.”

He is inspired by the way his cousin has fought for peace and justice and wishes to do the same. Art is a way to share, connect people and remember historical moments, both benevolent and malevolent. Auslander explained that it is vital in both “helping us reflect on unspeakable acts and struggles for tolerance and justice even or especially with the darkest walls of the sealed railway car,” but it can also remind us of “this world before the Holocaust.” The people, places and things that existed before are still important memories and aspects of culture. 

Another notion that Auslander emphasized was the close tie between the fight against antisemitism and anti-Black racism, and that one of the ways to combat this struggle is through partnership. He shared an anecdote of his connection to Black poet, storyteller and essayist André Le Mont Wilson who gave his own book talk to MHC on Feb. 20, 2023. Auslander explained that the two found connections between their own family histories, and have since been “working together collaboratively, documenting [their] respective family narratives to a writing project that [they] hope to be a book.”

While there is a lot of tragedy in the history of the Jewish people, there is good that can be pulled out of it in the ability to empathize with and support others who are fighting for their own liberation, especially those who have experienced a similar nature of historical oppression. 

“The very essence of our beings is not entirely grim or hopeless, which may seem paradoxical, but it’s the paradox that is life-sustaining. Because this experience can yield the most remarkable gifts, as is the case, for example, with my new friendship with André Wilson,” Auslander said.

Throughout his talk, Auslander spoke with candor about his privilege as a white man, and how he is working to better understand communities of color, particularly Black communities. 

“I’m not joking when I’m speaking [of] myself as a recovering white guy, because I mean, I grew up in Washington, D.C., but I grew up in white Washington, D.C., and I knew very little of the Black majority city, even though my parents [and] grandparents and so forth, had been actively involved in the civil rights movement,” Auslander said. “I didn’t think of the centrality of race or anything like structural racism in other words, and so that was a process.” 

In living in Central Africa for some years, connecting with his Black family members and with people like Wilson, he is working to combat his personal biases. He stressed that he believes this type of work is “a continuous process of learning.”

Toward the end of the talk, Sanders-McMurtry highlighted the work that the Jewish Student Union, the Association of Pan-African Unity and the Office of Community and Belonging have been doing to foster dialogue on campus. They then asked Auslander to discuss a bit more about the “importance of these ongoing efforts to bring groups together.” 

He replied that interpersonal work is vital, but it is only the start. “It has to be sustainable, there really has to be groups working together, and everybody knowing that there’s gonna be a space when these groups come together for frank disagreements and discovery,” Auslander continued. “It’s very hard work to do this type of collaborative work because we are all exposing our most fundamental vulnerabilities. And it doesn’t seem fair to each party that we’re being asked to account for things that we don’t feel personally held [responsible] for. But we can’t make progress if all we do is go into a defensive crouch.” 

One student who attended the talk appreciated this appeal for intergroup collaboration and the candor about inevitable obstacles. “I am a prospective history major so I think it is so important to, as Dr. Auslander discussed, push through the friction that arises when two very different groups work together and have conversations that deepen compassion and spark change,” Caroline Lamb ’26 said. “It is vital to future generations, and current ones, to work together and learn from our past mistakes so that we can all better understand that we share one world and can make it a better place.” 

Auslander believes that students, faculty and staff must all put in consistent effort to do their parts to make change. “We’re extremely lucky that at a place like Mount Holyoke, there are so many people committed to making this happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy here, it just means that we have the freedom and the space to do some of the really hard work,” Auslander said.

Students attend the College's annual PossePlus Retreat

Students, faculty, and staff at the PossePlus Retreat explored the theme ‘Truth or Consequences?’ and got the change to meet and talk to new people. Photo by Emma Quirk ‘26.

By Emma Quirk ’26 

Staff Writer

On Feb. 3, 2023, Mount Holyoke students and staff braved the cold weather to board buses for the first in-person PossePlus Retreat in three years. The one-night trip was held at the Hotel UMass at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, consisting of Posse Miami Scholars, faculty and staff, as well as other invited students from the College. The theme of the retreat was “Truth or Consequences?”

The Posse Foundation, according to their website, “identifies, recruits and trains individuals with extraordinary leadership potential,” and a PPR is meant to be a place to “explore an important social issue identified by Scholars.” For Scholars and mentors at the College, this program is far more than that. 

Posse provides its Scholars with full-tuition scholarships to attend partner colleges and universities. The College works with Posse Miami, and about eight to ten Scholars who live in Miami, Florida, are welcomed to the College each year. 

“Posse means everything to me, it’s what allowed me to go to college, it’s an organization that believed in me and saw my potential and gave me such a huge encouragement to follow that potential to the fullest,” Manuela Ribas ’26 said. 

Gabriella Cordero ’26 stated that Posse is “life-changing” for Scholars. “I never thought I would be able to attend school outside of the state I live in, however, Posse gave me that opportunity.” 

Students and mentors agreed that the PPR experience is not only a place to build community, but a place to be bold. PossePlus means that, in addition to Scholars and mentors being present, students and staff who are not directly connected to Posse are invited to join. These added voices are referred to as “plussers.” 

“This retreat means an opportunity to come together and to have our voices, as students, be heard. It is also a chance for the wider Mount Holyoke College community to experience some of the benefits of Posse and get to know each other better,” Catherine Di Mare ’24 said. 

While on campus, Scholars meet regularly with their mentor, a faculty or staff member who helps the students adjust and manage campus life. Each Posse cohort has their own assigned mentor. Mentors are trusted advisors who work to support their Posse. 

Some of the faculty and staff who make up the PPR attendees are current Posse mentors. “This retreat is something magical, it reminds the scholars that they are part of [something. They are] one piece of a larger puzzle. They have a greater community not only within Mount Holyoke, but also through the network that is built by other Posse scholars around the country,” Jonencia Wood, a Posse mentor and assistant vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion  said. “Additionally, this retreat gives the community a space to have difficult conversations in a brave space, without fear or hesitation.”

PPR is a place to gather to have honest conversations about what is occurring on the College’s campus as well as in the broader community. “It feels like one big family reunion where several extended families and family friends come together to have courageous conversations … What’s more, it is a space where students, staff and faculty can be their authentic selves without shame or judgment,” Roshonda Degraffenreid, a Posse mentor and senior associate director of external relations, explained.  

An overarching theme of bravery and little moments of connection are what made this weekend special. “These students are powerful and on more than one occasion, I felt that if we all just listened to what was being said that they could change the world, starting at Mount Holyoke,” Wood said. 

Cheryl Flynn, Medical Director of the College’s Health Services, said that she was “both touched and honored” to listen to “the authenticity of the experiences, stories and perspectives students shared.” She was invited as a “plus” to PPR and felt the retreat allowed her to connect with students in a different way than she normally does. 

The space invited a unique blend of people that would not necessarily interact with each other on a regular basis to converse and share their ideas. On both Friday night and all day Saturday, the activities and discussions prompted attendees to seek out those who they did not previously know. 

“I really enjoyed seeing so many staff, students and faculty, who may not have interacted if it were not for the retreat, conversing with each other. I love seeing people step outside of their comfort zone to volunteer and engage in the space. … And most of all, I loved building memorable moments with my Posse,” Degraffenreid, who is the mentor for Posse 12, said. 

As students were given the opportunity to share their on-campus experiences, they brought up issues regarding the treatment of students with marginalized identities. In particular, the treatment of students living in the Shirley Chisholm and Mi Gente LLCs in the North Rockies was discussed. “Hearing the perspectives of students who live in the Black LLC in the Rockies really opened my eyes to some of the discrimination and mistreatment that students are actively experiencing,” Di Mare stated. 

“[I learned that] the POC floors are getting unfair treatment and I think Mount Holyoke needs to address this problem at hand,” Cordero said. Now that this particular problem is on the radar of more students and staff, there could be a change in the action taken to fix any future issues. 

Another topic that was discussed was healthcare and access to healthcare. “Many students, especially those with various marginalized identities … have had negative, sometimes traumatizing experiences with the U.S. healthcare system. Those truths result in many negative consequences … to individuals and community wellness. I want us to build a better system, to foster trust and build relationships that help heal past trauma and support health and well-being. What I’m bringing back to [the] MHC campus is renewed energy for this goal, inspired by students’ stories, fruitful dialogue and awesome voice of advocacy,” Flynn said. 

Despite the deep and serious topics discussed at the retreat, attendees felt revitalized and motivated, and want to bring this energy back to campus. Participants felt that the goal of connectivity was certainly achieved. 

Throughout the retreat, participants could write each other “Warm and Fuzzies,” which are small sticky notes that participants could leave anonymously, or sign, praising their peer’s ideas, applauding their bravery or even complimenting their outfit. Cordero said that she appreciates them because “in today’s society we are so caught up in the future that we never appreciate the present.” Warm and Fuzzies are a way to reach out and connect in a stress-free way. 

The retreat concluded with a fan favorite, the “no-talent-talent show.” It was the last event before the buses returned attendees to the College, and the audience was largely PPR students. Everyone was encouraged to sign up, whether they had a specific talent or not. Performers sang, danced, shared their multilingual talents and more. 

“We had so many incredible discussions throughout the weekend that I am so grateful for, but being able to laugh together at the end and just be happy with my fellow classmates was really sweet,” Di Mare said.  

On reflection, this retreat was a reminder of the importance of coming together as a campus. “After this retreat, I feel like my energies have been recharged. Connecting with other Scholars and the MHC community at large helped me see that no matter what I’m going through, I have a whole network of people wanting to support me,” Ribas said. 

For faculty and staff, it was also a reminder about the power and intellect of students. “It’s an indescribable experience that connects us with students in a way that you can’t through day-to-day interactions or passing through the halls. I would encourage everyone to come learn about Posse, but more so [to] listen to and really hear what the students are saying,” Wood said.

Odyssey Bookshop hosts reading with author and mountain climber Michael Wejchert

Michael Wejchert discussed his book “Hidden Mountains” at the Odyssey Bookshop on Jan. 26. Photo by Lucy Isaacs ‘25.

By Lucy Isaacs ’25
Staff Writer

On Jan. 26, the Odyssey Bookshop hosted Michael Wejchert, author of “Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong,” published in January 2023 by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing. Wejchert opened the event by sharing an excerpt from the book, described by his website as “the story of a climbing adventure gone wrong in a remote Alaskan mountain range, the impossible rescue attempt that followed and the fraught cost of survival.” After the reading, he fielded questions from the audience, many of whom identified themselves as recreational climbers, and went on to explore ideas relating to faithfully capturing true tales of survival. 

Although Wejchert was not involved in the accident that his book recounts, he is a climber himself, having traversed mountains from Alaska to Peru, and is currently serving as a climbing guide with Cathedral Mountain Guides, based in New Hampshire. “Hidden Mountains” is Wejchert’s first book, but he is hardly a stranger to writing and publishing about adventure, having had articles featured in publications like The New York Times, Alpinist and Ascent.

His recent book recounts the true and harrowing story of four climbers who experienced tragedy while making their way through the Hidden Mountains of Alaska when a potentially fatal accident prompted a rescue mission that would last nine hours. Though he only read a few pages aloud, the atmosphere in the room was palpably tense as Wejchert described the conditions under which Emmett Lyman became severely injured, falling out of the view of the three other climbers with whom he had embarked on this journey.

After reading the passage, Wejchert was quick to reassure the audience that Lyman had survived the ordeal, though stated that he could not resume climbing as a result of injuries to his brain and spinal cord. Wejchert reported that Lyman stated that he would still climb if he were physically able to, and the other three people involved in the incident remain recreational climbers today, undeterred by the traumatic event.

Wejchert retold the story faithfully, choosing not to shy away from the more horrifying details of the accident. He chose to share that the other climbers had admitted to him that they were initially determined to make their way to Lyman, not to save his life, but to be with him when he died. Wejchert spoke about the difficulty associated with interviewing the survivors of such a traumatic event, stating that one of the four climbers had requested their name be changed in the book for the purpose of anonymity.

Wejchert gave immense credit to the satellite messenger device used by one of the climbers, which allowed the group to communicate a distress signal to rescuers. Wejchert extended further praise to the rescue team, who made their way to Lyman despite perilous conditions. They recalled a conversation with the pilot in which they were told that the fog was so thick that he had almost no visibility as he attempted to lower down a pararescueman. 

When describing what he believes to be his primary responsibility as the author of another person’s story, Wejchet stated that his paramount concern was honesty. However, he admitted that despite his dedicated and detailed reporting, he can never know with absolute certainty what details of the event his book omits or mischaracterizes.

“It could have been more exciting, like a traditional thriller, but I appreciate the way he wrote it. It was clearly more important for Wejchert as an author to stay true to the story instead of throwing in a little extra flair as a means of engaging the reader,” Katharine Kurdziel ’25, who attended the event, said.

Towards the end of the evening, Wejchert expressed a desire for his book to initiate conversations concerning wilderness rescue resources and how they might be updated. Characterizing the outdoors as “trending,” Wejchert argued that an increased number of climbers necessitates a more modern approach to search and rescue, while also urging all climbers to be thoroughly prepared before attempting potentially dangerous excursions. Describing his own experience with search and rescue, he admitted that there's only so much small groups like his can do for injured hikers and climbers. 

“It was definitely a little aggressive, but I think it’s also a necessary and effective commentary about how little funding goes into these projects,” Kurdziel added in reference to Wejchert’s stark honesty.

After the event concluded, Wejchert conversed with members of the audience and signed physical copies of his book, which are currently for sale at Odyssey Bookshop.

Mount Holyoke becomes Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Center, plans to create racial healing opportunities

Mount Holyoke was recently selected as a Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center due to its demonstrated commitment to anti-racist work and addressing systemic racism in the community. This will allow the DEI Committee to develop a long-term vision to create racial healing opportunities on campus, which includes restorative justice, collaborating with nearby communities and student feedback. 

SGA holds a chest binder drive for the student community

Graphic by Sunny Wei ‘23.

By Rebecca Gagnon ’23

Staff Writer

As its second major move in the 2022-23 academic year, the first being free menstrual products in the bathrooms around campus, the Student Government Association has introduced a chest binder drive for the students of Mount Holyoke.

On Jan. 26, the SGA president, Maille Romulus ’24, sent an email announcing the binder drive that would take place the following day. 

The email stated, “Tomorrow at 5 p.m., SGA will be releasing a pre-order form for chest binders which will be first come first serve, because we have a limited amount of spots.”

With this message, a link to the website gc2b was attached where students could browse the variety of sizes and colors available to prepare to place an order for a binder when the form opened. 

Historically, chest binders have been used by transmasculine and nonbinary individuals to make their physical body reflect their gender identity. In addition, binders were used for fashion, cultural dress and even religious purposes. The concept of binders has been around for centuries, starting with tight corsets used to accomplish a desired figure. They also have taken the form of simple fabric strips wound around the chest to flatten one’s breasts. 

Today, instead of fabric strips, there are many companies that produce chest binders for purchase. However, they are not always affordable. This is the problem the SGA at Mount Holyoke wanted to tackle to meet the needs of the College community.

“[SGA] wanted to get binders to people that wanted them on campus,” Romulus explained. “The Lavender Committee was in charge of doing it last year and this year they were not able to and so we wanted to keep the tradition going … we just had to find the funding for it and get people chest binders.”

The Lavender Committee is a division within the SGA with the mission “to celebrate and support the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans/Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic and other identities community on the Mount Holyoke Campus.” However, because the committee isn’t as prominent on campus this year and is unable to hold the chest binder drive, Romulus concluded that the general SGA would present it since she had previously had students reach out and request it. 

In addition, there was a specific group of students that Romulus was hoping to provide for. “We really wanted to center first-gen[eration] low-income students that wanted binders and wouldn’t have been able to get them otherwise because … they’re $40,” Romulus stated. “That’s an expense … and not everyone has $40 to spend, so we really wanted to center that group of people so they can have the care that they need.”

It has been Romulus’s goal throughout her presidency to create an environment where everyone on campus feels like they belong. Her approach has been to listen to all the needs of other students and assist them when able.

With this in mind, Romulus began searching for a company to partner with. Romulus asked around and received a unanimous recommendation from friends to use the website gc2b.

We really wanted to center first-gen[eration] low-income students that wanted binders and wouldn’t have been able to get them otherwise because … they’re $40. …We really wanted to center that group of people so they can have the care that they need.
— Maille Romulus

gc2b’s mission statement states, “Over the past three years, we have sponsored 100+ LGBT organizations and donated over 6000+ chest binders to be distributed to people in need. We’ve attended numerous conferences and Pride events, and we’ve collaborated with local and global organizations committed to positive change. Our core mission has evolved: we’re not only a brand providing gender-affirming apparel, but an active part of a movement.”

However, at 8:00 a.m. on Jan. 27, nine hours before the form was supposed to open for people to order chest binders, another email was sent by Romulus. In this, she stated, “There are some concerns about the safety of GC2B binders, so we will be purchasing binder[s] from another company, FYTIST.”

“I got feedback from people telling me that [gc2b] is not the best, and here’s some other [companies] that we should work with,” Romulus stated. “Most of the research that I’ve seen shows that the quality has gotten worse over time and so I think last year … we didn’t get any complaints from it, but this year, people that have purchased binders from the company have complained about it, and so it … was safe last year, but this year, not so much.”

“Some people already use [gc2b], and they said that the binders hurt,” Ellie Do ’25, the vice president of the SGA, added. “So we … switch[ed] to another binder company that they would recommend [because] … it’s better for you. I don’t know if there’s a difference in price, but [there] is definitely a difference in quality.”

The FYTIST website states that “Binding should not be categorized, it is an essential and fundamental need for some. However, we have learnt that this basic need is significantly undervalued.” 

Therefore, this company has been formed to provide this basic need to society. In addition, the website mentions concerns about safety, such as the risks and side effects of wearing a binder, if one can exercise while binding and how to establish a plan for wearing one.

Unfortunately, changing the company the SGA would order from on such short notice provided some challenges. Romulus explained that gc2b has all their products in stock, which would mean students would obtain the chest binders fairly quickly. However, many of the new company’s items were out of stock. Romulus swiftly concluded that she would rather wait longer to get more durable and safer binders than purchase ones that would bring discomfort and more risks. Although the company was out of stock, Romulus and the rest of the SGA E-Board members were determined to get the orders as quickly as possible. They continued with the drive as planned and monitored the website to see if the company restocked.

At 5 p.m. on Jan. 27, the SGA released the order form and students were allowed to order a chest binder from the website.

“After 30 minutes of opening the forms, I think we’re already at our limit,” Do stated. “That is why … they have to send an email out a day before to say ‘oh, this is happening. Here’s a form. This is a time that is happening. So you guys should be … prepare[ed] for it’ and once we open[ed] the form, only thirty minutes later it was out.”

Romulus immediately closed the form when they hit their maximum number of 70 orders so the SGA would not have to tell students “no.” In the following few days, she and the other board members continued to monitor the FYTIST website. 

“Tahin Osborne [‘23], the DEI officer, created a spreadsheet and … went on the website to see what was in stock and what wasn’t in stock,” Romulus explained. “So with 70 orders, they have this color-coded [spreadsheet] of ‘okay, this is in stock and this is added to the cart.’”

Through this method, the SGA was able to purchase 30 binders in the first batch which will be arriving around Feb. 15. The following 40 orders were purchased shortly after when they noticed the company had restocked. 

“We [Romulus and Osborne] were in [a] seminar and we had a 10-minute break and during the 10-minute break … I was like, ‘Oh, I wonder if … the binders are in stock,’” Romulus recalled. When she went on the website, Romulus saw that almost all the products were restocked and up for purchase. 

“And so [Osborne] stepped out [and] they called the company,” Romulus continued. “They spent the whole 10 minutes of the break from our three-hour seminar ordering the last 40-something binders.”

The new batch of binders will be arriving toward the end of February, with a hope of distribution sometime next month. Although it depends on the following SGA presidents, Romulus foresees the chest binder drive being held annually. 

“A binder [is] such a special thing,” Romulus finished. She stated how, in her friends who wear chest binders, she noticed a major difference once they started using them. “[It’s] just a confidence. How they think about things and something that … cisgender people have the privilege of not thinking about. Trans people, or just people that wear binders and nonbinary individuals, just are always thinking about [these feelings] and so I can just see how essential … a binder is.”

Deconstructing and Decolonizing Wellness Fair shows cultural and religious practices

Photo courtesy of Nafeesah Ahmed-Adedoja '23. The Muslim Student Association's booth, pictured above, featured dates, a prayer mat, and more.

By Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25

Managing Editor of Layout & Features Editor

Numerous colorful flags from countries around the world hung from the balconies in the Great Room in the Blanchard Community Center on Sunday, Nov. 13, during Mount Holyoke’s first-ever Deconstructing and Decolonizing Wellness Fair. Mount Holyoke Peer Health Educators hosted the fair in collaboration with some of the campus’ cultural and religious organizations. Peer Health Educator and Wellness Chair Nafeesah Ahmed-Adedoja ’23 led the event planning along with the other two members of the Wellness Team, Raven Joseph ’25 and Sean Fabrega ’23, as well as Be Well Area Coordinator Sarah Garijo-Garde.

Ahmed-Adedoja explained that Joseph had read an article about decolonizing wellness and shared the idea with the team. From there, they came up with the idea for the fair. “We felt it was important to highlight practices that may not appear in the mainstream and bring awareness to [them] in our community,” Ahmed-Adedoja said.

The team had been working on planning this event since September. They wanted to make sure that they were presenting authentic cultural traditions and wellness practices. In early October, they reached out to the following groups and organizations: Mount Holyoke African and Caribbean Student Association, La Unidad, Jewish Student Union, Muslim Student Association, Origami Club, Students of Hinduism Reaching Inwards, Asian Center for Empowerment, Counseling Service, Health Services, Daughters of Zion and FAMILIA.

“Firstly, we wanted to ensure that we were accurately representing cultures and spiritual [and] religious practices from around the world and decided to get organizations on campus involved to reach our goals,” Ahmed-Adedoja said. “We also had to do a lot of research on food, drinks and other items to make our event come to life.” Seven restaurants catered the event: Priya Indian Cuisine, Jamaica Spice Paradise, El Comalito, Oriental Flavor, IYA Sushi and Noodle Kitchen South Hadley, Bernardino’s Bakery and LimeRed Teahouse.

The Wellness Team wanted to publicize the event early on and tabled in Blanch for two weeks prior to the fair. They raised money for the Crisis Text Line and The Trevor Project by selling “flowers and tea” goodie bags. The team anticipated a 40-person turn out and were happily surprised to see over 100 people attend the fair and, as Ahmed-Adedoja stated, “learn about cultural and religious wellness traditions, make stress balls, spin the wheel and get a bite to eat.”

Joseph was also surprised to see how many people showed up and was “relieved” to see that students were having a good time and engaging with the booths. “This event was necessary because it acknowledged the disconnect we have with the origins of wellness practices seen in mainstream media today,” Joseph said. “Notably, the portrayal of wellness often reflects how it has been stripped of its history to become inaccessible and more profitable.”

Ahmed-Adedoja hopes that the Peer Health Educators host more wellness fairs in the future, especially because the team received positive feedback from students regarding the fair. “During and after the event people were hoping it would become a long-standing tradition which excited [Fabrega], [Joseph] and I,” Ahmed-Adedoja said.

Ahmed-Adedoja serves as the secretary and Five College representative for the Muslim Student Association board and enjoyed running the MSA’s booth at the fair. “Our booth included dates, prayer beads, sweets, quran, henna, prayer mat and zam zam water. As Muslims, we have many ways which we connect to Wellness through our faith and items that are of huge significance in Islamic history and our everyday lives,” Ahmed-Adedoja said. “We hoped to share and enlighten others of what some of these practices were and also provide other Muslims with a sense of empowerment and recognition.”

Joseph enjoyed getting to work with other student organizations on campus. “I’m glad we collaborated with them because we couldn’t have done this without their hard work,” Joseph said.

Ahmed-Adedoja enjoyed getting to work with Joseph and Fabrega and is excited to plan similar events with them in the future. “Working with [Fabrega] and [Joseph] has honestly been the highlight of my semester and I am excited to see what we do next semester as we work toward part two of the Deconstructing and Decolonizing Wellness Fair, [which will include] a speaker and more.”

The ‘You’re Welcome to Sit with Me’ campaign begins in the Dining Commons

The ‘You’re Welcome to Sit with Me’ campaign begins in the Dining Commons

Rushing against the crowd of the Dining Commons during the busy lunch hour, the search for a familiar face or simply a place to sit causes anxiety to slowly build in the pit of your stomach. Then, you see your holy grail: one student in the dining hall has a colorful sign stating “You’re Welcome to Sit with Me.” You build up your nerve and take up their offer, resulting in a new friend and a relaxing lunch period before your next class.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault speaks on ‘My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives’

Charlayne Hunter-Gault speaks on ‘My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives’

On Oct. 27, 2022, Mount Holyoke College welcomed Charlayne Hunter-Gault to speak with Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum about her new book “My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives.”

President Tatum reinstates College Yom Kippur tradition

President Tatum reinstates College Yom Kippur tradition

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, students, faculty members and their families walked the path to Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum’s house to break the Yom Kippur fast. As people trickled in, Tatum personally introduced herself to each person in attendance. Guests were then treated to a dinner that featured bagels with lox, apple cider in wine glasses and fresh fruit. During the meal, people sat at dining room tables, lounged on couches and perched on folding chairs.

Facilities and dining workers reach contract agreement with the College

Facilities and dining workers reach contract agreement with the College

Following months of negotiations with the Mount Holyoke College administration, and a lapse in contracted work, Facilities Management and Dining Services workers on campus have come to a consensus with the College. These recent agreements have resulted in across the board incremental wage increases during this fiscal year and over the rest of the three-year contractual period, according to a press release from the 32BJ chapter of the Service Employees International Union. 

AccessAbility Services changes name to Disability Services

Photo by Tzav Harrel ’24.
Disability Services’ office is in Mary Lyon Hall.

By Arianna Peña ’25

Staff Writer

Content warning: This article mentions ableism.

What is the best way to serve and affirm disabled students on campus? This question has been posed by students, fellows and staff at the newly-named Disability Services office, some of whom hope that this name change alters the perspective of students across campus regarding the use of the word disability.

 On Sept. 1, 2022, the Disability Services team sent an email to students across campus with updates regarding office and staff email communication, staffing, drop-in hours, making appointments, note-taking and accommodations for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. The first part of the email announced the recent name change of the office from AccessAbility Services to Disability Services. 

In the email, team members C. Ross, Emily Dean and Zemora Tevah addressed that “over the years, the office staff, students, staff and faculty raised questions about the office’s previous name, AccessAbility Services.” They continued by explaining that in Spring 2022, the office staff partnered with Dean of the College and Vice President for Student Success Amber Douglas and “engaged in conversations with students and campus partners about alternative names that reflected the work of the office and communicated [its] commitment to support students with disabilities on campus.”

As described on their website, “Disability Services works with students to provide reasonable accommodations for those that have documented disability, and/or disability-related needs.”

While the Disability Services office provides accommodations, assistive technology and support to students with documented disabilities or disability-related needs, as stated on their website, it also works to provide those who need accommodations for religious purposes.

Earl Wren ’24, a Disability Services fellow for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, was part of the name change process that began last year. “The name change was proposed by the 2021-2022 disability fellows and I believe I was actually the first fellow to mention it. We were able to fit the name change in at the second semester I believe, and focus groups were held in the same semester open to all students registered with the office … to express student opinions on what the new name should be,” Wren said.

Karis Knoll ’25 attended these focus groups. As someone who has used Disability Services since their first semester, they were very interested in the name change process. “We talked through why ‘AccessAbility’ as a phrase wasn’t a good phrase, because it insinuates … that a student who uses ‘AccessAbility’ services needed to access ability, that there was something inherently inferior about the student that they needed help accessing something,” Knoll said.

“They — wider society, not just MHC — are trying to say that disabled people can do just as much as non-disabled people, which [is] a statement that, on a surface level, sounds progressive but when you dig deep, it is rooted in ableism and disability erasure,” Wren said.

Knoll and Wren, who both identify as disabled, agree that ‘disabled’ should not be viewed as a bad word. “My many debilitating disabilities do limit what activities I can do and what kind of life I can live in, and that’s okay. Some people believe admitting disability equals admitting the disabled person is lesser, but that is not true — it only reflects the person and society’s attitude towards disability, not the inherent worth of the disabled person,” Wren said.

While some students have mentioned that the change in name may further isolate students who are disabled from students who are not, Grace MacIntyre ’25, a fellow for Disability Services, added that “words and phrases like ‘AccessAbility,’ ‘differently abled,’ ‘special,’ etc. further reinforce in people’s minds that disability is a bad word that should be avoided and, by extension, disabled people too. This is primarily for the comfort of abled people, who don’t want to actively interact with the complexity of disability,” MacIntyre said.

Wren and MacIntyre also explained that while the change to Disability Services reflects how the office staff seek to affirm disabled students, it was also changed for clarity and ease. Students seeking accommodations or support from the Disability Services will now have an easier time searching for the offices as the purposeful misspelling of “AccessAbility” often made it harder to find the office online, a sentiment shared by Wren, Knoll and MacIntyre. Wren added that when they were a newly accepted Mount Holyoke student, the title “AccessAbility Services” made them nervous and hesitant to reach out.

“I personally feel like Disability Services correctly communicates what the actual services are and helps students know where to go to get their disability needs met,” Knoll said.

Overall, Wren, Knoll and MacIntyre are happy with the name change, citing that they hope it sparks conversation among nondisabled students and the Mount Holyoke community at large about why disabled is not a negative word. MacIntyre adds that they “hope with this name change, disabled students feel more supported and understood and nondisabled students will start to learn more about the Disability Justice Movement.”

For any student who may feel like they need the services provided, Disability Services can currently be reached by email at disability-services@mtholyoke.edu or in their office on the third floor of Mary Lyon Hall, which their website states is wheelchair accessible through the entrance on the ground floor. Open hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 1-2 p.m. while the College is in session.