“Brazilian Trump” gains popularity after being stabbed at rally

“Brazilian Trump” gains popularity after being stabbed at rally

BY CASEY ROEPKE ’21

With upcoming presidential elections in October, Brazilian politics are boiling over. Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right front-runner, was stabbed at an election rally on Sept. 6. His fiercest opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is currently in jail for the infamous “Operation Cash War” corruption scandal, was barred from running as a presidential candidate by the Brazilian Superior Electoral Tribunal. His hand-picked successor, Fernando Haddad, also faces charges of corruption.

Indian Supreme Court rules ban on gay sex “irrational”

Indian Supreme Court rules ban on gay sex “irrational”

BY EMMA COOPER ’20

The Indian Supreme Court decriminalized the act of consensual gay sex on Sept. 6. They did so by declaring they would eliminate Section 377 of the Penal Code, which was introduced during British colonization in 1861, and has been used to criminalize sexual activities “against the order of nature,” such as sex with minors, non-consensual sexual acts and bestiality, as reported by the BBC.

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ represents with all-Asian cast

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ represents with all-Asian cast

BY CHRISTINE XIAO ’21

“Crazy Rich Asians” has been making waves in Hollywood thanks to its historically significant all-Asian cast and its strong box-office performance, but perhaps the most important result of this film has been its impact on the Asian-American community. 

Hampshire Library Lawn turns into rainbow at Holi

Hampshire Library Lawn turns into rainbow at Holi

BY CASEY ROEPKE '21

On Saturday, April 21, students from  the Five Colleges gathered on the Hampshire College Library Lawn to celebrate Holi. Students threw colored powder at one another, soaking their clothing  with blue and green and filling the sky with bright plumes of pink and orange. The water gun fights and hoses sprayed festival-goers with plenty of water, ensuring the rainbow of powdered colors saturated the skin of the students themselves. 

MHCASU holds Queer Arab Narratives event to foster dialogue

MHCASU holds Queer Arab Narratives event to foster dialogue

BY MAYA HOFFMAN ’20

The Mount Holyoke College Arab Student Union (MHCASU) hosted “Queer Arab Narratives -‑ Past and Present” in the Mead Common Room on Wednesday, April 18. The event was meant to “explore stories, organizations, works and personalities that have dominant, explicit or implicit, queer associations throughout history in Arabic culture, literature and music,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

African Opera Ìrìn Àjò debuts at the College with diverse student cast

African Opera Ìrìn Àjò debuts at the College with diverse student cast

EMMA COOPER ’20

Ìrìn Àjò, an opera composed, written and directed by Five College music professor Bode Omojola, debuted on April 12 and 13 in Chapin Auditorium. The title of the opera is a Yoruba phrase meaning “life’s journey,” which is fitting as the opera details the story of Káyòdé, a Nigerian engineer who leaves his fiancée Ìyábò to immigrate to the United States in search of a better life.

Friends of the Congo NGO co-founder speaks on peace efforts in DRC

Friends of the Congo NGO co-founder speaks on peace efforts in DRC

BY MAYA HOFFMAN ’20

On Wednesday, April 11, Maurice Carney gave a lecture titled, “Conflict in the DR Congo: What Hinders Peace?” which addressed the relatively unrecognized conflict currently happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The departments of politics and  international relations, as well as the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives, sponsored Carney, the co-founder and current executive director of Friends of the Congo. The nonprofit organization was formed in 2004 “to work together to bring about peaceful and lasting change in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” according  to the organization's website. 

UN Deputy Director of News and Media Division discusses her work

EMMA COOPER ’20

Mita Hosali gave a presentation on her position as the deputy director at the United Nations News and Media Division on Thursday, April 5 in Gamble Auditorium. Hosali began with a quote from Dag Hammarskjöld, who served as the United Nation’s second security-general: “The United Nations was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.” 

Tit for Tat: Russia retaliates to diplomat expulsion, expels 60 US diplomats and closes US consulate

BY EMMA COOPER ’20

On March 29, Russia announced it would expel 60 United States diplomats in response to the expulsion of over 100 Russian diplomats by more than 20 countries, including the United States, Canada and countries in the European Union, three days earlier.

Highlights of cultural events: From Puerto Rico to the Russian Yeti

BY MAYA HOFFMAN ’20

La Unidad MHC hosted “Noche Latina” on March 24 as a fundraiser to help Puerto Rico deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, on Mar. 24. The event, which included dinner and after party, aimed to “educate the public about Latinx culture and the natural disasters that affected Puerto Rico,” according to the event page.

Trump imposes tariffs on China for “intellectual property theft”

BY EMMA COOPER ’20

President Trump announced that the United States will impose trade restrictions on China in a speech last Thursday, according to The New York Times. The decision came after the conclusion of a seven-month governmental investigation, which concluded that Chinese companies have engaged in intellectual property theft of American technology and trade secrets.  

Putin announces new “invincible” nuclear weapons program leading up to 2018 Russian president election

Putin announces new “invincible” nuclear weapons program leading up to 2018 Russian president election

BY EMILY BLOMQUIST ’18

Last Thursday, in an annual address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed a new “invincible” nuclear weapons program that can supposedly strike any target worldwide, according to The New York Times. 

Preventing “fake news” becomes relevant international policy

Preventing “fake news” becomes relevant international policy

BY CASEY ROEPKE ’21

The phenomenon of fake news, spotlighted recently in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, is not a new occurrence. Russia’s alleged interference during the campaign, via Facebook and other social media sites, was not the first time news was fabricated to alter the results of an election. In an episode of “Backstory,” a weekly history podcast, historian Mark Summers discussed the practices of “Gilded Age-era elections” and argued that past politicians consistently published lies about their opponents in newspapers in order to sway public opinion. However, before examining the effects of fake news in the U.S. and around the world, it is important to precisely define “fake news.”

Stephen Biddle tackles US involvement in Syria

BY MAYA HOFFMAN ’20

Stephen Biddle, professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University (GWU), gave a talk on “U.S. Policy and Strategy for Syria and ISIS” on Feb. 23. Biddle’s areas of expertise are “U.S. National security policy, military strategy and the conduct of war, technology in modern warfare [and] recent operations in the war on terror,” according to the GWU website. He has a Ph.D. from Harvard University and has been on the GWU faculty since 2012.

Poland outlaws references to their complicity in Holocaust

BY EMMA COOPER ’20

The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, signed a bill that will make it illegal to call Holocaust death camps “Polish” on Feb. 6, 2018. According to The New York Times, failure to comply with the legislation will result in a fine or imprisonment for up to three years. 

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