Joy and friendship: Swive reflects on first half of 2025-26 season

Photo courtesy of MHC Athletics
Several members of Mount Holyoke’s swimming and diving team spoke with MHN about the sport.

By Bei Jia Viggiano ’28

Sports Editor

As courses conclude and finals approach, the Mount Holyoke College swimming and diving team has completed its first half of the 2025-26 season. December only held a weekend event in New York, allowing the student-athletes to focus on final assignments and exams. Members of the swimming and diving team had quite a bit to say regarding their team’s successes, challenges and the environment.

On the first day of November, the Lyons met with the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. For the first meet of the 2025-26 season, though Mount Holyoke lost 155-106, the Lyons still had cause to celebrate individual achievements. Evelyn Rousseau ’29 placed first in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 12:20.81, and Maya Oakes ’29 emerged victorious with a time of 1:06.76 for the 100-yard backstroke. Isabel Dunn ’27 placed first in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:06.34 and took second place in the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 29.61.

“[Our coaches’] attention in every practice since the beginning of the season to each of our strengths to design a competitive lineup absolutely contributed to the success,” Rousseau said in an email to Mount Holyoke News.

Two weeks later on Nov. 15, Mount Holyoke attended a meet against Westfield State University at the Mount Holyoke College Natatorium in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The Lyons emerged victorious 166-114.

“During our meet against Westfield State, we were a lot more loose and relaxed,” Naomi Long ’29 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “We had two weeks of uninterrupted training after our first meet, and I think we all felt more confident going into this meet. It was also so nice to compete at our home pool!”

“Westfield State was a great meet — it was the first time this season the team swam 100s and 200s (instead of the 50s and 100s we had swum), so it was exciting to see how all the training had been paying off!” Katherine Upton ’28 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News.

“For the Westfield meet, I think our mindsets and energy on deck contributed to a positive attitude across the team, which helped us become more competitive,” Kaylee Barnett ’26 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “We were all cheering for one another at the ends of lanes or on the side of the pool. We also were at our home pool, which is always helpful!”

“We had a super strong 200 [yard] medley relay that out-touched Westfield State by 0.35 seconds and clenched first place,” Katie Thomason ’29 explained in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “We had a lot of first-place finishes, but we were also able to fill a lot of lanes in almost every event to gain even more points, which is essential in swimming. We were also lucky to have our amazing diver, Katherine [Upton]. We were really good at cheering for everyone on the team, and it was great to have so much support in the stands.”

“I believe the hard work we’ve been putting in at practices every day, including both pool time and dry land workouts (with [Head Sports Performance Coach] Jay [Mendoza]) have helped us greatly,” Zoey Zhu ’27 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “We’ve been working hard in practice, splitting off into groups to train for our specific events (distance/sprint/IM) and doing our best to keep giving our best every day.”

“I think there are many reasons why we can perform well,” Carol Fang ’29 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “Everyone on the team loves swimming and works very hard in training. We also try to stay positive even when the training load is heavy. Another very important reason is that we have an amazing coaching team. Our coaches are extremely knowledgeable, give professional feedback, and care about each swimmer’s health. They support us when we feel confused, stressed, or discouraged.”

“Overall, I think that the support that the team has for one another, alongside our hard work in practice leading up to the meet, led to our win over Westfield!” Ellie Lewis ’29 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News.

A week following their victory against Westfield State, the Lyons faced Wellesley College, once again in the Mount Holyoke College Natatorium. Mount Holyoke lost 188-64, though Dunn notably placed first in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:33.79 and took second place in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:05.37.

“As challenges come up like losing a meet or having a hard practice, the team shifts focus to the end-of-season meet, NEWMACs,” Rousseau said. “Every race we swim, every yard at practice, every early morning lift is all building up to that point. So, remaining positive and focusing on growth for the future.”

“We communicate [when challenges arise],” Zhu explained. “We regularly update our coaches and do our best to work through any challenges step by step.”

“In response to the challenges that we have faced, each team member has remained dedicated to the team and our performance, at both the team and the individual level,” Lewis said. “We also have stayed committed to supporting one another, and in the face of challenge, we make sure we are there for our teammates!”

“In facing challenging meets or teams, we’re good at being willing to go outside of our comfort zone and try events that we may not typically compete in,” Thomason said. “[Coach] Dave [Allen] often talks about the importance of ‘grit,’ and I think that’s been a big focus this season.”

“Our coaches have specified the importance of having grit,” Long said. “No matter the obstacle, we have focused on doing whatever we can to overcome any challenges. It has been helpful for me to focus on what I can control and not dwell on outside factors.”

The swimming and diving team began preparing for the Rochester Institute of Technology Invitational held in Rochester, New York, at 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5-6.

“We’re all getting really excited!” Thomason said. “[The] RIT Invitational is a two-day meet with three sessions total, which is much longer than a dual meet. We’re already planning all the fun things we’ll do to entertain ourselves on the long bus ride! The events we swim at this meet are usually used to test out potential NEWMAC events, so we’re starting to shift into that competitive mindset. It’s difficult having had the Thanksgiving break right before this big meet, but we’ve been doing a lot of hard training to prepare us for a great meet.”

“To prepare for RIT, we have been doing a lot of pace and sprint work at practice,” Long remarked.

“For RIT, we’ve just been trying to do our usual,” Upton commented. “Nothing super crazy, just taking everything one day at a time, swimming the races we’re in and doing the dives we’re doing at that moment.”

“The team has been putting in a lot of work, both in … and out of the pool to prepare for RIT!” Lewis said. “From hard workouts leading up to November break, to weight lifting during the week, our team has been gearing up to swim well.”

“We’ve been doing more specialized workouts for our particular events,” Rousseau said. “In my case, I’ve been doing a lot of practice holding pace for long-distance events like the 1650. The group that plans to swim the 400 IM event is also putting in a lot of work with our assistant coach, Bill Tyler, on technique.”

“We’ve all been putting in a lot of work in the pool and weight room,” Barnett explained. “We practice five to six times a week, as well as lift two to three times a week. On the swim side, the team splits itself into sprint, stroke and distance practices every day depending on what each athlete’s strengths are.”

“We’ve also been working with a mental performance coach this season to help better prepare mentally for competitions and practices,” she continued. “Our coach [Dave Allen] is big on emphasizing that we should focus on controlling what we can control. After a hard practice or a disappointing meet, it’s not beneficial to spend a lot of time beating ourselves up about it. We can acknowledge that it wasn’t our best, think about what we can do better and move forward towards the next one.”

“For me, I like to think about what technique changes I can implement for the next practice or meet and really focus on that,” Barnett added.

Lewis, Rousseau, Long, Zhu, Thomason, Barnett, Fang and Upton have nothing but love for their team and its environment, both athletically and socially. The collective and individual growth paired with the abundance of support and enthusiasm throughout this semester has poised the Lyons for an exciting and competitive spring semester.

“Personally, I have had such a great experience with this team so far!” Lewis said. “I am so excited for where this season is headed, and I cannot wait to spend more time with the team!”

“My experience with the team so far has been extremely positive,” Rousseau said. “The culture of support and growth has been so beneficial not only to my swimming but to my college experience. We win some meets, lose others, but no matter what, we return to practice more dedicated.”

“Our team has grown close throughout the semester!” Long said. “I have been having fun getting to know everyone more and having my teammates push me in practice! I am very excited for the rest of the season and seeing what everyone accomplishes!”

“I have had a fantastic experience with the team since the beginning of the season,” Zhu said. “This is my third year now, and I have really enjoyed getting to know our first years—they bring such a great spirit to the team!”

“[The semester has] been amazing! The team is so inclusive and welcoming,” Thomason said, “it feels like one big family. As a team, we’re really good at supporting everyone both on deck and outside of athletics … it’s a great way to explore events and activities happening on campus.”

“We’ve always been a really close team, and I don’t think that’s changed this season,” Barnett said. “We all take care of each other and lift each other up, both in and out of the water. I love going to practice and talking with my teammates about their days, their classes and what they’re looking forward to. I also really love encouraging my teammates during practices and meets — more often than not, I’m telling the people in lanes around me that they’re killing it at practice, or cheering loudly for those who are racing.”

“I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve gotten to be both a participant and a leader on this team,” she concluded. “And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“I think the [team] is a very warm and welcoming group,” Fang said, “and I have always felt included and supported. The coaches care a lot about every athlete’s physical and mental well-being, and everyone on the team is very friendly. We take part in many team-bonding activities and often eat and chat together after practice, which helps us get to know each other better.”

“Our team also has many traditions,” Fang added. “My favorite one is that before every meet, we draw lots to choose a teammate to make a psych-up poster for, and then cheer for her during the competition. Making the poster helps us learn more about each other, and receiving a poster is always a happy surprise that motivates me to do my best.”

“A special moment for me happened on the day we competed against Westfield State, which was also my birthday,” Fang recalled. “After the meet, my teammates surprised me with a cake. I was truly touched. As an international student, I was far away from home, but I still felt loved and remembered.”

“One moment that I remember clearly was during a meet when I was feeling slightly sick,” Fang continued. “During warm-up, I felt unusually tired. Coach Dave [Allen] somehow noticed right away. He stopped me and asked if I was feeling okay. I told him that I might have a cold. He comforted me and said he knew how hard I had been training, and that my body was probably just tired. He reminded me that this meet did not define my progress, and that after the Thanksgiving break, I would definitely be able to show my hard work at RIT. Hearing his words made me feel so relieved that I almost felt healed.”

“Even though I wasn’t feeling well physically,” Fang reflected, “I ended up breaking my personal best in the 50 free.”

“The team is so great. We have a comparatively big first year class and they’re really hitting their stride,” Upton said. “We’re also thrilled to have five coaches this year — adding [Assistant Swim Coach] Kenzie and [Dive Coach] Joel has made a big difference and I know we’re all really grateful for them.”

Upton proceeded to express her deep appreciation for her teammates: “Rowyn Farley ’28 is swimming distance events and sprint events this year, which is crazy and fairly unusual — it is really impressive how she is balancing the two and the totally different strategies needed.”

“Audrey Stuckert ’27 switched from swimming to diving this year and is picking it up so fast, and her attention to detail is phenomenal,” she continued. “Katie Thomason ’29 came in as a breaststroker but has added distance freestyle and is doing excellent.”

“Carol Fang ’29 has also switched her primary stroke and is getting crazy good results!” Upton wrote. “Maya Oakes ’29 is such a consistent, hardworking swimmer.”

“I could talk about how wonderful my teammates are forever,” she concluded. “We have a really small team this year, which can be tough. We’ve been able to pull together and get through it.”

Mount Holyoke’s swimming and diving team has since attended an invitational with RIT on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5 and 6, in Rochester, New York. They will next meet with Wheaton College and Clark University on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., at the Mount Holyoke College Natatorium in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact checking. 

Mount Holyoke hosts panel with ACT UP alums on World AIDS Day

Photo Courtesy of Annette Dragon via University of Southern Maine Digital Commons
Members of ACT UP protest outside of George H.W. Bush’s summer residence in Kennebunkport.

By Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27

Editor-in-Chief

On Dec. 1, Mount Holyoke College observed World AIDS Day, “an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness,” according to an Instagram post by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The Office of DEI and Be Well Peer Health Educators began the day tabling in the Williston Library Atrium from around 12-1 p.m.; students were welcome to “stop by to grab a red ribbon, and peruse various select works of HIV/AIDS literature,” as described in the Nov. 24 MHC: This Week email from the College. 

Later that day at 7 p.m., The Office of DEI hosted a virtual panel on Zoom in conjunction with the politics department titled, “Histories & Memories of ACT UP NY.” Several alums of ACT UP — Andrea Lawlor, BC Craig, Debra Levine and Diane Curtis — spoke at the panel, detailing their personal experiences, memories and answering student questions. 

HIV — human immunodeficiency virus — is the virus that causes HIV infection in humans. HIV attacks and destroys helper T cells, which help the body fight off infections and cancers. HIV cannot be spread through casual contact; the virus is only transmittable through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk, according to HIV.gov.

When somebody has HIV for a long time, they may develop AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. People with AIDS have critically low levels of T cells, and are much more susceptible to infection and cancer than those without. Today, while there is still no cure for HIV, people with HIV can achieve an undetectable viral load with treatment. Those with an undetectable viral load are not able to transmit the virus, and will not develop AIDS.

Visiting Assistant Professor in Politics Kevin Henderson, who is currently teaching a course on the politics of HIV/AIDS, helped open the event, providing a brief introduction on the history of HIV/AIDS and ACT UP. 

The first cases of HIV reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were in June 1981, though it’s likely that many people had acquired the virus long before then. ACT UP was founded in response to widespread stigma against those with HIV/AIDS and government inaction on the epidemic. According to Henderson, “ACT UP pioneered the slogan ‘Healthcare is a human right’” and created “some of the most recognizable” protest art of all time. 

“Really, we were a bunch of people in our twenties trying to figure things out,” panelist Diane Curtis said.

The former members of ACT UP discussed how the movement’s energy and the bonds between its members allowed it to thrive during an incredibly difficult time in history. Prior to 1996, there was no effective treatment for HIV/AIDS, and many died. 

Curtis described the number of deaths as having been “overwhelming.” Today, social media has allowed many members of ACT UP to reconnect and mourn those who were lost. “We forgot to grieve, and now we’re going to,” Curtis said.

Debra Levine spoke about how many members of ACT UP coped with stress in the height of the epidemic through humor, “You could have something incredibly weighty, and it’s helpful to have comedians in your group.”

“It really helped to have a good drag outfit,” Levine added.

“Despite how literally life and death everything was, it was so much joy, so much parties and cruising, and around this anger, around these actions, around the risks people were taking, around the many hospital rooms we spent time in and around the many memorials, there was so much life and joy,” BC Craig explained.

Panelists also discussed several protests and actions by ACT UP, and the organization’s commitment to inclusivity. Levine explained that in 1991 on Labor Day, ACT UP transported hundreds of its members to then-President George H.W. Bush’s summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, in protest of Bush’s inaction on the epidemic. 

Craig expanded upon the difficult logistics of this particular action: “People need to remember when we’re talking about this, an action that’s 1,000 miles away, we needed a complete medical staff, food, and water, and lot of sick people needed wheelchairs.”

While “it took a lot of money,” it was important to ensure “anyone who’s differently abled in any way gets to participate,” Levine said.

The love and dedication members of ACT UP had for one another was one of the most memorable and nostalgic aspects of the organization for many of the panelists. 

“That was a model of possibility [that] I just thought was the world,” Lawlor said.

Jillian Stammely ’28 contributed fact checking. 

Mount Holyoke students walk out in protest of Trump's Campus Compact

Photo by Sarah Ann Figueroa ‘28

Sunrise MHC organized a walkout in front of the College’s gate on Friday, Nov. 7 in protest of President Donald Trump’s proposed Campus Compact.

BY SARAH ANN FIGUERA ‘28 & ANNA COCCA GOODMAN ‘28

STAFF WRITERS

On an average Friday, Mount Holyoke College’s campus tends to be quiet. There’s the usual cawing of geese and the wind rustling through the trees, students reluctantly shuffling out of their dorms to get a late breakfast, and sometimes a South Hadley resident walking their dog. 

But not on Friday, Nov. 7.

There was a slight chill in the air when just past noon, a small crowd of students stood at the College’s front gate, holding up blindingly yellow signs with slogans like “Melt Ice Not The Planet,” “Step Up For Students Or Step Aside” and “Our Future Is Not Negotiable.” As the size of the group grew, chants of “The people united will never be defeated” and “When democracy is under attack? What do we do? Stand up! Fight back!” rang out alongside honks from passing cars and cheers from the crowd.

The rally at the gates was just one of many student walkouts happening all across the nation on Nov. 7. Organized by a new youth-led group known as Students Rise Up — also called Project Rise Up – students and workers at over 100 universities walked out to protest President Donald Trump’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. The campaign is built on three pillars: Freedom for students to engage in activism, security for all students — especially international and transgender students — and affordability of higher education.

One of the primary sponsors of Students Rise Up is the Sunrise Movement, a climate activist organization. Members of Sunrise were encouraged to join the day of action, with each chapter — referred to as “hubs” — organizing their own walkout to participate. The hub at Mount Holyoke College also participated.

Students walked out of classes on Nov. 7 in protest of a policy proposal rolled out by the Trump administration known as the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, also referred to as the “Campus Compact.” The Compact was originally sent to a handful of universities on Oct. 1,, and later extended to every institution of higher education in the United States. The contents of this proposal, which demands universities “limit international undergraduate enrollment to 15 percent of the student body,” and “define and interpret ‘male,’ ‘female,’ ‘woman’ and ‘man’ according to reproductive function and biological processes,” as explained by Katherine Knott of Inside Higher Ed, is in direct conflict with the pillars of Students Rise Up.

Though the consequences of a university rejecting the Campus Compact are vague, the wording makes it clear that the rejecting university is at risk of losing access to federal funding. Even a private college like Mount Holyoke could be affected by this, as most schools, regardless of whether or not they are administered by the government, receive some amount of federal funding.

With the extreme stipulations of the College Compact and their potential to greatly affect education across the United States looming large, the Students Rise Up walkout on Nov. 7 commenced that afternoon. The  participating students at some universities urged their administrations to explicitly reject the College Compact and promise to protect their students.  Students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst did exactly this, orchestrating a march that culminated in a meeting with Chancellor Javier Reyes.

At Mount Holyoke College, Sunrise organized a group to gather by the gates at 12:30 PM. For an hour of fervent chanting and passionate cheering, participating students at the College united over a shared love of education and belief in the freedom of it.

Speeches were given by the board members of Sunrise MHC throughout the event. Hub Coordinator and Chair Keira Gillin ’26 spoke first, stating, “We'd like to see our administration continue to stand with students in a strong stance against the Trump administration, and what they've been doing to attack academic institutions across the country.”

Stepping away from the action for an interview on why they showed up to the rally, Secretary of Sunrise MHC Yan Hernandez ’28 told Mount Holyoke News they were protesting “because my parents are immigrants and nearly all of my family in the United States had to fight to come here. And so being here today really means standing up for not only myself but for my family and for so many other children of immigrants and for other immigrants as well.” With over 20% of its student body composed of international students, Mount Holyoke College would be devastated if the terms of the College Compact were accepted.

When asked if they thought the walkout would make a change, student Addie Schlegelmilch ’28 said, “I think that on its own this probably won't, but as a whole there's a lot of different schools walking out. I know that Smith and UMass are both walking out today, and I'm sure there's others across the country. So I think the fact that it's so spread out and there's so many is more important than just focusing on the one.” 

This walkout marks the beginning of many more demonstrations to come. Students Rise Up aims to coordinate an act of “mass non-cooperation” in May 2026 to push back against what Professor Mary Renda of the College’s history department has called “an authoritarian takeover” from Trump. Renda stated that she showed up to the walkout that day because “we need organizing everywhere we can have it, [and] students are a huge part of that.”

“The Compact is a next step to try to take down a major institution that is central to democracy,” Renda said in an interview with Mount Holyoke News. “When institutions like universities and colleges go along with this authoritarian takeover under whatever excuse that comes, that is how fascism gets established … Every time we can stand up together and say no to that, it's essential.”

The rally concluded at 1:30 p.m., with most of the participating students returning to their Friday afternoons. A few, however, kept the momentum going even after the event formally wrapped up, heading over to the Stone Shelter outside of the Williston Memorial Library and hopping on the 38 Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus. These Mount Holyoke College students, along with students from Smith College also partaking in the walkout, joined the action over at UMass Amherst to support their march. 

Over 200 strong, the Sunrise Movement hubs of the Pioneer Valley sought to prove that students have the energy to make a change together. Their movement, according to an informational slideshow by Sunrise MHC, is “on a mission to put everyday people back in charge and build a world that works for all of us, now and for generations to come.”

Angelina Godinez ’28 contributed fact checking. 

History, heritage and Broadway: Justice Jackson at Public Forum

By Liliana Stinson ’27 & Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27

Staff Writer | Editor-in-Chief

One of Justice Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson’s earliest memories is sitting at the kitchen table alongside her father, coloring as he studied law. Her relationship with her parents — her father, who inspired her by pursuing a career in law and her mother, who taught her she could “do or be anything [she] wanted” — was just one of the many subjects she and Mount Holyoke College President, Danielle Holley discussed on Oct. 27 at the Springfield Public Forum.

Just a few hours earlier, at approximately 4:30 p.m., two buses full of Mount Holyoke College students departed campus for the event. Due to the limited number of tickets available, the College had held a raffle earlier in the month for those interested in attending. Students who received a seat were informed via email on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Students were seated at about 5:30 p.m. and around 30 minutes after, SGA President Nathania Amadi ’26 formally opened the event by providing an introduction for Jackson. Before Jackson had the opportunity to speak, she received a standing ovation; many attendees stood and cheered as she took the stage.

Jackson began by reading an excerpt from her new memoir, “Lovely One.”As she would later explain, the title is a translation of her name, Ketanji Onyika. “My parents gave me an African name because they always wanted me to know where my people came from,” Jackson stated.

She was born in 1970 — a few years after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act — and remarked that there was “so much enthusiasm among African Americans” because “people like my parents who grew up under a system of oppression, under a system that did not give them the opportunity to fully participate in society” had seen the end of Jim Crow-era segregation laws.

African pride has been a driving force for Jackson throughout her life. From a young age, she aspired to be the first Black woman Justice in the U.S. Supreme Court. One of her biggest inspirations as a child was Judge Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to become a federal judge: “I learned about her in middle school, flipping through one of the … magazines that my parents allowed us to have, [like] EBONY or JET … and I just thought, ‘Here’s this woman, who’s not just a lawyer, she’s a judge. I could be a judge.’ And that encouraged me.”

Jackson was also “struck” by the realization that she shares a birthday with Motley; the two were born exactly 49 years apart.

Jackson later cultivated the skills she would use as a lawyer and judge through her public school’s debate team. From 9th-12th grade, she participated in original oratory, where participants write and memorize a speech, performing it several times throughout a school year. Her team travelled to Harvard University three times for debate tournaments, and as a high school senior, she decided to apply there.

In her admission essay, she wrote that she hoped to become the first Black woman justice in the Supreme Court to have performed on Broadway.

In an email interview with Mount Holyoke News, Holley noted that she found Jackson’s drive extremely impressive: “I was struck by Justice Jackson’s singularity of vision. In one of her junior high yearbooks, she said she wanted to be a federal judge. Check! She wrote in her application to Harvard that she wanted to be the first Black woman Supreme Court justice … Check!”

Jackson ultimately received both her bachelor’s degree and juris doctor from Harvard with honors.

Jackson’s skills in communication and performance were put to the test during the confirmation hearing for her Supreme Court appointment. Before a Supreme Court nominee can officially become a justice, they must first undergo a confirmation hearing and obtain the approval of at least 51 members of the Senate. Typically, a nominee has about six weeks to prepare for the hearing. Jackson only had around three. During those few weeks, aides spent “a great deal of time … preparing [her] for the hearing” by conducting what Jackson called “murder boards.”

During the murder boards, aides would pretend to be members of the Senate to simulate a real confirmation hearing. Jackson recalled that once, when she began to get frustrated, an aide stopped the session and reminded her, “You can either get angry, or you can be a Supreme Court Justice.” After that, Jackson was motivated to remain collected, and used her communication skills to stay calm under questioning.

In the weeks before her confirmation hearing she also met with 24 senators, which she described as having been “the absolute best thing I could do.” In private, the senators she met were “lovely” and “terrific,” but during the public confirmation hearing, “they [were] not.” Jackson realized the hearing was a performance — much like the events her high school debate team had participated in — and used her expertise to successfully navigate it, thus securing her appointment in the process.

Jackson’s confirmation hearing took place over the course of four days. She described the second day as having been a “very very stressful, long session” that lasted around ten hours. Near its conclusion, Senator Cory Booker chose to give a speech instead of asking questions, giving Jackson time to rest.

Booker spoke about his pride in her success and their shared heritage: “It's hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom, not to see my cousins … I see my ancestors and yours … Nobody is gonna steal that joy. You have earned this spot. You are worthy.”

Jackson was moved to tears by Booker’s words. “It was extraordinary,” she said.

Booker wasn’t the only one to uplift Jackson during the confirmation process. She described the support she received from family and friends as also having been a key component of her successful appointment. Her partnership with her husband and his support has been “everything,” Jackson said. “I certainly could not do what I do now without my husband, who has taken care of everything and given me the opportunity to do the work I do.”

Jackson’s friends have also aided her throughout her life and career. “I had the very good fortune of meeting other Black women in a class my freshman year, a Black woman’s literature class, and we supported one another … Four of us became very close, and all four of us got into Harvard law school … We have just been, you know, sisters,” she stated. “We have done life together, and it was amazing to have their help.”

After she had received her nomination to the Supreme Court, Jackson explained, they had organized to do interviews with media outlets in support of her appointment: “They literally, basically set up a war room of their own, and were doing a media campaign on my behalf.”

As an associate justice of the Supreme Court, Jackson has become known for her intricately crafted dissents. During the 2024-25 term, Jackson delivered 25 opinions, 10 of which were in dissent: more than any other single justice. “Dissent is one of the most extraordinary aspects of American legal tradition,” Jackson said. “It embodies something that we value here, in this country, which is freedom of expression.”

Jackson further explained that when she authors a dissent, she writes for both the public and for history. “What tends to happen for me is that I either get assigned a dissent or I think … I have a particular interest or perspective on the issue in this case that I think is important,” she said.

“Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg used to say that when you write a dissent, you are writing for history, not just for the present,” Jackson elaborated. “I also have to write for the present to a certain degree. Writing not just for your colleagues and the parties … but you’re writing for the public, so the people understand what is going on at the Court.”

“Judges are public servants … we have a responsibility to communicate,” she concluded.

Holley echoed this point while speaking to Mount Holyoke News, “Justice Jackson sees herself as writing for history, but just as importantly she’s writing on behalf of American jurisprudence, and on behalf of the people in the present moment whose lives are directly affected by Court decisions.”

However, Jackson is much more than just a dissenter, Holley noted. As the first Black woman justice on the Court, she provides an extremely valuable perspective: “Something Justice Jackson captured so beautifully in her book and spoke eloquently about … was why diversity matters in an institution such as the Supreme Court. In addition to inspiring people of all backgrounds to dream big, a diverse judiciary is able to evaluate a question from the perspectives of different backgrounds and viewpoints.”

Holley continued, “[Jackson] spoke about the justice for whom she clerked, Justice [Stephen] Breyer, who believed pragmatism must play a role in rulings. In other words, context matters. And if that is true, then it is critical that different contexts be considered when making a ruling, which is only possible if the Court is made up of people from different circumstances.”

Jackson’s historic role is also personally important to Holley, a Black woman who has shattered many glass ceilings herself. “Justice Jackson is a true trailblazer, so it was an honor to be able to talk to her about her life and career. We also have a lot in common: our Southern roots, high school speech and debate, a love of the history of the civil rights movement. It was a special night — one I won’t forget any time soon.”

As the event began to come to a close, Jackson and Holley discussed Jackson’s hobbies and interests outside of the law. Since becoming a Supreme Court justice, Jackson has continued to read and write in her free time, scarce as it may be. Currently, Jackson is reading “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking” by Susan Cain. As an introvert who “draws energy from withdrawing,” she finds the book empowering. Now that she’s finished her memoir, “Lovely One,” she also has plans to begin writing children’s literature.

Moreover, Jackson recently fulfilled her dream of appearing on Broadway. Last year, the producers of “And Juliet” read about her goal in her memoir and offered her an ensemble role. “I got to sing … It was a one-night only performance, but I loved it,” Jackson said.

One of Jackon’s favorite aspects of being a Supreme Court justice has been “bringing young people to court … seeing their faces and excitement.” She hopes her success will inspire more young people to pursue careers in law and politics. “I try to encourage them,” Jackson stated. “I hope for them to want to go into law, and to want to make our country better.”

When asked by Holley if she had any advice for students interested in law, Jackson responded, “First I congratulate them … We need you.” She explained that while some think success can only come from innate talent, true progress is made through hard work: “Anything worth doing takes effort. Sometimes, young people mistake talent for effort … When it's hard, when it's difficult … Take pride in [your] ability.”

“You have to keep going,” Jackson said.

Holley hopes if the community takes anything away from the event, it is that advice. “[Justice Jackson] enjoined the young people in the audience…to work hard, to put in the sweat equity. That’s how one turns a seemingly audacious goal into reality.”

Elizabeth Murray ’26 assisted with coverage and contributed fact-checking.

No Kings protest in South Hadley Village Commons

Photo by Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

MHC Alums at No Kings Day protest

By Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

Staff Writer

On the chilly autumn morning of Oct. 18, students, faculty, alums and locals gathered in the Village Commons  for No Kings Day to  protest against corruption and authoritarianism in our government. 

In our small corner of western Massachusetts, hundreds of individuals spanning across multiple generations congregated along either side of College Street at 11 a.m., commencing an hour of high-spirited protesting and community bonding. Lilly Glass ’27  described the event in an interview with Mount Holyoke News: “It’s not just a protest, it’s a celebration.” This sentiment perfectly embodied the energy of that day. From colorful and clever signs held high, to musicians who played their heartfelt tunes, to witty costumes that brought merriment all around, the atmosphere throughout the morning was full of love and unity. 

Many call and response chants were sung up and down the street, such as: “Show me \what democracy looks like / This is what democracy looks like,” and “The people united / Will never be divided.” As cars drove by, they honked in support of the protest, inciting waves of cheers from the crowds. To keep people safe from the busy road, two community members dressed in neon sashes frequently escorted pedestrians across the crosswalk. The stretch of protesters ran from the U.S. Post Office on Hadley Street to the front gates of campus, with the fervor of the movement radiating all the way down. 

The first No Kings Day was held earlier this year on June 14, when millions of Americans across the country rallied together to protest President Donald Trump’s military parade, held on the same day as his birthday. This protest was the culmination of the numerous unconstitutional legislative acts, policies and statements made by the Trump administration over the course of his two terms. 

The No Kings website states, “His [Trump’s] administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities. They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting and detaining people without warrants. Threatening to overtake elections. Gutting healthcare, environmental protections, and education when families need them most … The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings — and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.” On Saturday, Oct. 18, over 7 million Americans across all 50 states and beyond peacefully mobilized once more to exercise their First Amendment rights and reaffirm that power belongs to the people.

Mount Holyoke News interviewed many protesters, discussing their motivations for showing up to the event. Many expressed the urgency they felt in regards to the state of our country and its needs, such as Bryn Wickerd ’28, who said, “We're at a critical point in the descent into fascism, and people need to be united at this moment in order to show that we are not hopeless.” 

Along the same line of thought, community member Stephanie Strand stated, “We’re in danger of losing democracy. It was unthinkable a decade ago. It won’t be my problem in twenty years, but it will be yours. Everyone who can take a stand should.” 

Others shared their specific concerns for those under attack by the Trump administration. Lizzie Foster ’29, for instance, said, “It’s important to be here for women, for trans people, for immigrants; we’re all human and the [Trump] administration is acting like none of us are.” 

Referencing the ICE raids happening across the country, Simone DiPirro ’29 said, “I’m here to show support for people who are being deported without any due process.” 

Paramount to the overall message of No Kings, several protesters shared their views on the value of hope and solidarity in times like these. South Hadley resident Anne Cormier said, “I feel a bit helpless. [But] this is something I can do. This is important, to do things as a community. There’s strength in numbers.” 

Visiting Assistant Professor of film media theater Li Cornfeld echoed this sentiment, stating, “I think it is super galvanizing to see different folks coming together, students and faculty and family members. It’s easy to feel really isolated.”

Lastly, among the crowd that morning was a group of women who had shown up to the protest dawning blue baseball caps with the embroidered words “Forged In Dissent” and the Mount Holyoke College logo. They were alums, taking a moment to step away from a conference and join the action on College St.

The Mount Holyoke News had the pleasure of interviewing former Trustee of the College and Vice President of the Mount Holyoke Group of Hartford, Ellen Cosgrove ’84, who had this to share with the Mount Holyoke community: “I just want students to know that there are legions of alums out there fighting for their rights … you guys have decades and decades ahead of you, and we really want you to live in the kind of world we were able to live in, or even better.” 

The division between generations can often seem so great, and for that reason Cosgrove’s encouraging words are really powerful. The future these protests are fighting for is achievable, and the momentum that has brought us this far never died down.

The No Kings South Hadley event was one of many overwhelmingly successful, peaceful demonstrations that took place across the nation on Oct. 18. Due to the millions who have shown up for their communities throughout this period of intense polarization and political unrest, this will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most significant movements of the 21st century. The story that will be told at the end of the day will be one of perseverance, where the love Americans have for their neighbors thrives in the face of prejudice and oppression. When it comes to our campus, home to one of the most politically active student bodies in the world, the efforts of the Mount Holyoke College student body will shape how that story unfolds.

Sofia Ramon ’27 contributed fact-checking.

Anna Goodman ’28 assisted with interviews and coverage.

LITS and the Office of DEI celebrate Banned Books Week 2025

Photo by Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

Library, Information and Technology Service set up a display in the library atrium to celebrate Banned Books Week, themed “Censorship is so 1984.”

By Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

Staff Writer

On the night of Sunday, Oct. 5 in Dwight 101, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sponsored the screening of “Banned Together,” a documentary that exemplifies the core of this year’s Banned Books Week at Mount Holyoke College.

A tradition that dates back to 1982, Banned Books Week is an annual event sponsored by various organizations around the world with the united goal of fighting for accessible education and against censorship in our public libraries and schools. Every year educators, librarians, writers and readers come together during this week-long event to celebrate literature that has been banned from classroom curriculums and library shelves. The 2025 Banned Books Week was from Oct. 5-11, with the theme “Censorship Is So 1984 — Read for Your Rights.” This year, Library, Information and Technology Services has organized several events throughout campus and the local community to celebrate and “help the MHC community get engaged with the freedom to read,” one of these events being the screening of the documentary “Banned Together.”

Held on a warm Sunday evening, accompanied by pizza, popcorn and free banned books for attendees to take, the screening of “Banned Together” opened with DEI Fellow Emma Quirk ’26 giving a brief welcome and land acknowledgement before starting the film. The documentary follows the students of Beaufort County, South Carolina and their fight against the sudden banning of nearly 100 books from their schools’ libraries. Their journey leads them to meetings with members of both their local and state government, and conversations with authors whose books are among those banned from their classrooms. An all too prevalent issue throughout our nation today, the topic of censorship holds a weight of undeniable urgency that “Banned Together” does not shy away from.

At the conclusion of the screening, the floor was opened up for the audience to share their thoughts. Many expressed concerns about the state of democracy in our country, and the implications that come with such intense book bannings. Others, in a moment of vulnerability, shared their personal stories dealing with censorship in their schools and communities. By and large, a sentiment about the importance of libraries was shared throughout the conversation, echoing a powerful statement made by Isabella Troy Brazoban in the film, “What you cannot find in the history books, you will find in the library.”

Within Williston Memorial Library, a place that is arguably the heart of campus, a display sits at the front of the atrium each year throughout Banned Books Week. From children’s graphic novels to young adult fiction to significant literary works of our time, every book featured in this display is currently banned. Students are encouraged to pick these stories up as they pass by, and educate themselves on the facts of book banning. Informative graphics accompany the display on either side, sharing the most current statistics about the state of censorship in the United States, including how many individual titles are either banned or under intense review throughout schools. Among the most challenged books of 2024 are “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George M. Johnson, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins.

Along with the “Banned Together” screening, other events such as a banned books trivia night and a public library card sign-up took place throughout the week. Prizes were awarded to the winners of trivia night, and those who signed up for a library card won the most invaluable prize of all: Access to knowledge. Uniting over the common goal of standing up against censorship, everyone at LITS and the Office of DEI worked hard to bring the community together this Banned Books Week.

The importance of Banned Books Week can be best summed up by a brief quote from Kijua Sanders-McMurty, vice president for Equity and Inclusion. Sanders-McMurty played a large role in facilitating the events of the week, and they took the time to share with me their feelings on the importance of the cause. “Books truly saved my life when I was younger as I struggled in academic environments and dropped out of multiple high schools. Reading liberated me and helped me continue to learn even when I had limited access to formal schooling. I immersed myself in stories by other people - my favorites were A Wrinkle In Time, Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl, The Bluest Eye, and The Color Purple. All of these books have been banned or challenged. When I first learned of book bans, I was deeply discouraged. Then, I found out about Banned Books Week and became deeply inspired by the activists who refused to give in. I love that people across generations and various identities can build coalitions and speak up for the Freedom to Read!”

Sophie Francis ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Editor’s note: Emma Quirk ’26 is a features editor for Mount Holyoke News.

Senate: Residential Life staff discuss new on-campus party policy

Photo by Genevieve Zahner ’26

At the October 9 Senate, Residental Life staff explained the new campus party policy, which allows for some kinds of alcohol at registered parties.

Coco Athas ’26 opened with the Mount Holyoke land acknowledgment, then noted the events of the week, which included “Honoring the Ancestor, Gloria Anzaldúa: Todo Viene del Corazón/All Comes from the Heart” on Wednesday Oct. 8 at 12 p.m. in the Unity Center, the Smith College job and internship fair on Thursday Oct. 9 at 3:30 p.m. Transportation was provided to this event by the College. As well as a public library card sign up on Thursday Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. in the Williston Memorial Library Atrium.

The new party policy instated by Student Engagement in the Division of Student Life requires students to register parties with the area coordinator and on the Event Management System, as well as complete a responsible host training prior to registering. Previous party policies state that alcohol is not permitted, unless working with student involvement to employ trained bartenders, but these new rules attempt to allow students to gather and drink together in a responsible manner, as will be discussed below. Hosts cannot charge for any aspect of the event, and events cannot exceed the 50 person maximum. All guests must have received invitations, and outside guests must be accompanied by a Mount Holyoke Student in accordance with the existing guest policy.

The representatives noted that “unsanctioned, large scale-gatherings happen regularly” in the same locations, impacting specific members of the community. Mandelle Hall was mentioned as being a popular party space. Concerns included alcohol and substance misuse, medical emergencies, fire safety, impact to the community, and inconsistency and inequities in enforcement. Enforcement of the College’s previous policy included shutting down all unsanctioned gatherings that occurring in residence halls and common spaces. To avoid this, they created a new policy that will allow for sanctioned gatherings that “align with expressed students' needs and wants.” The ResLife staff looked at other schools such as Smith College and Amherst College for what policies they are enforcing to create the new Mount Holyoke policy.

Their goals for the new policy are to provide clear expectations and guidelines — especially in regards to alcohol and enforcement — through education to center student autonomy and agency with minimal professional staff intervention. These policies aim to “promote values of accountability, responsibility, and respect for one another and our physical spaces” and additionally ground the expectations in community care and well-being. Creating interstudent dialogue in regards to solving problems and taking care of the resident hall spaces was also an important aspect of this new policy.

Key changes include requiring hosts to undergo safe party host training, implementing a formal registration process through EMS, establishing norms and regulations for hosts regarding cleanup, check-ins from public safety at the beginning of parties, the normalization of calling for help if needed, and the permitting of alcohol in accordance with guidelines.

Hosts will be held accountable if damages or violations to policy occur. Hosts must also be responsive to community concern, including calling for help, upholding capacity, being in communication with residents to manage concerns and ending parties at the start of quiet hours at 1:30 a.m.

Further, according to the alcohol guidelines, “alcohol can be present but cannot exceed certain quantities.” There may not be hard alcohol or mixed drinks, guests under 21 years old cannot possess or consume alcohol, non-alcoholic beverages and snacks must be provided, and there may be no sale of drinks. The representatives noted that what students drink before parties is not part of the policy. Additionally, no open containers are permitted outside of the party space.

Senate was then opened for questions. Attendees voiced concerns about the party policy. These questions allowed for ResLife staff to provide more information, such as the role of party hosts and how communication between residents and party hosts will be possible, which is still being determined by ResLife staff.

Age restrictions will be enforced by the Public Safety and Service department, and if underage students choose to drink before the parties that choice is not to be blamed on the hosts under the new policy. There is a medical amnesty policy in place for those who are underage and need medical attention due to drinking. Different types of violations to the policy will be handled based on circumstance, but the goal is community understanding of why the policy is in place, and emphasizing community safety and wellbeing.

The new policy will go into effect on Monday, Oct. 20, and all events must be registered starting on Oct. 24. All unregistered events after this date will be shut down.

Senate ended with announcements, which were about events held by clubs and student organizations.

Bellatrix is hosting “Get Your Geek On” on Oct. 31 at 10 p.m. and the International Relations club is hosting a “Brown Bag Lunch” on Oct. 16, where Associate Professor of International Relations and Politics Christopher Mitchell will talk about his research with catered lunch from 12-1:30 p.m. in Skinner Hall, room 202.

Asexual Awareness Week is Oct. 19-25. The Coalition for Asexual/Aromantic Awareness is hosting a zine workshop Saturday, Oct. 18 from 4-5 p.m. in the Jeannette Marks House. They will be tabling Thurs. Oct. 23 from 5-7 p.m. about the history of asexual awareness.

Active Minds is hosting a “run club” every Sunday at 10 a.m. Running and walking is welcomed, and those interested should meet outside Kendall Sports and Dance Complex to do an Upper Lake loop. The Student Government Association Springie Committee is seeking springies of all classes who are interested in participating in a Big/Little program for incoming spring admits. The club squash team is hosting a “sugar and screams” fundraiser and will be tabling Monday and Friday evenings.

There was no Senate on Tuesday, 10/14 due to Fall Break.

Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.

The College introduces Google AI chat feature, Gemini

Graphic by Mari Al Tayb ’26

By Emma Quirk ’26 & Genevieve Zahner ’26

News and Photos Editor | News Editor

On Aug. 20, the College announced the introduction of Gemini AI, Google’s AI chat application in an MHC: This Week email. Gemini, Google’s AI chat application, can be used “to explore ideas, draft or summarize writing, create content and images, and support research or creative projects.” In a follow-up email, this information was reiterated, with a reminder for students to “follow the guidelines set by faculty in their individual courses, and be transparent about the origin and process used for their submitted work.” Additionally, there was a note for all users to follow the Mount Holyoke College Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Generative AI.

These guidelines exist “to ensure the ethical, secure, and responsible use of AI, fostering a culture of critical engagement with technology in line with the College’s mission and strategic vision as we navigate these changes as a community.” They go into detail about various aspects of AI usage, including ethical use, culture of critical engagement, professional integrity and responsibility and data privacy and security. At the bottom of the page, it states that ChatGPT was used to create these guidelines, with “substantial editing” by Mount Holyoke faculty and staff.

LITS has been at the forefront of investigations about AI usage, as well as the integration of Gemini and other generative AI tools on campus. The LITS Advisory Committee, College Compliance Committee, Leadership Council, a faculty forum, and the Student Government Association Senate were all part of the decision to introduce Gemini. However, because of the focus on “the foundational technology environment, privacy, and information security of the College, I, as Chief Information Officer, made the decision,” Alex Wirth-Cauchon told Mount Holyoke News.

Multiple factors influenced this decision, including issues of privacy, equity and educational access. A significant concern was about AI tools mining information. “Sharing non-public information ... with such tools puts the community’s privacy and personal information security at risk,” Wirth-Cauchon said. “Our contract with Google prevents Gemini from using our information to train their model, advertising, or other uses.”

This became more pressing when Google started allowing college students to freely access Gemini for one year. However, this access “is not covered by the College’s contract that provides limits to what Google can do with the data submitted to Gemini,” Wirth-Cauchon said. “Additionally, we were concerned about the inequity created in a year when charges would begin for those accounts.”

There was interest from faculty and staff to have access to generative AI, either for course materials or various work as part of the College. Wirth-Cauchon stated, “Granting access to Gemini addressed this need without additional cost to the College, those departments, or the staff in those departments.”

In an email from President Danielle Holley on Sept. 3, she announced that there would be an AI Working Group sponsored by Provost Lisa Sullivan and Wirth-Cauchon. This committee will be split into sub-groups, including one connected with the Association of American Colleges and Universities — AAC&U — Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum. The AI Working Group will have faculty, staff and student members. Wirth-Cauchon said the purpose of this group is to “help us to broaden and deepen the community’s critical engagement with the impact of generative AI for the mission of the College.”

Vanessa Rosa, co-chair of critical race and political economy and associate professor in Latine studies, is part of Mount Holyoke’s AAC&U Institute on AI team. She attended a conference hosted by AAC&U over the summer, where she learned more about AI and about the Institute. The Institute is essentially a year-long mentorship program. “Each institution puts together a team that will go through this kind of structured program to really think through AI for their campus,” Rosa said in an interview with MHN. “Who is Mount Holyoke? What is our mission? What are our values? And how do we need to be thinking very carefully about AI in relation to those things.”

She spoke about the importance of learning about AI to understand it. “I think it's our responsibility to be educated and understand what AI is, what it does, and to interrogate what we don't know yet,” Rosa said. “My major concerns around AI are intellectual property, equity, [and] the environment.”

Angie Gregory, sustainability program manager for the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, is also focused on the environmental impacts of AI. Gregory recognizes that there are ways for AI to be useful, but encourages people to do their own research to learn about the consequences. Looking at studies from CNBC, University of Massachusetts Amherst and the United Nations can put the impacts into perspective, from “land use acquisition and development for the buildings that need to house these servers, to the amount of water that's used to cool these servers.”

“I think we as consumers of these technologies need to think about what the demand side is saying to those industries,” Gregory said. “So we can reduce our demand side and be intentional with when and how we use it.”

Despite some of the harmful consequences for people and the environment, she is not pessimistic about the future. “It can all feel really overwhelming and outside of our control,” Gregory said. “[But] we are on this campus together in an enclosed, kind of tight community where we have the opportunity to connect with all these individuals in real time ... I think there’s opportunity in that.”

Alex Moskowitz, an assistant professor of English at Mount Holyoke College, spoke in an interview with Mount Holyoke News about his thoughts of where AI fits into an English classroom, stating, “One of the things that distinguishes an English classroom at Mount Holyoke from an English classroom at other institutions like UMass, is that we have really, really small classes.” Most English classes at Mount Holyoke are capped between 16-18 students, creating a more personalized learning environment, as well as being primarily discussion based learning models. “One of the things you can do here is … you read the text, you come up with your ideas, and you speak about them in class, and you speak about them with your classmates, you speak about them with your professors. This is the work that is possible here. AI has no role,” Moskowitz said.

Moskowitz also spoke on how generations of knowledge for English students comes from reading, writing and discussion. He says speaking about literature with classmates offers new perspectives and brings up new ideas one never considered before, and AI prevents students from learning anything new. He additionally spoke about his policy in the classroom surrounding AI, and how he personally considers it to be a form of plagiarism. “I tell students they are not allowed to use it for whatever purpose … I want you to learn this thing, and you can't learn it through the use of AI … So it doesn't serve a pedagogical purpose in my courses, therefore don't use it,” he said.

Moskowitz also commented on the idea of Mount Holyoke trying to become more carbon neutral with efforts such as the geothermal project, but then adopting AI tools which are known to use immense amounts of energy. “Go look up the articles about what those data centers do to the communities that they're in, they're incredibly destructive, like the air quality, the water quality, everything. They destroy the immediate surroundings. And those communities are often Black and brown communities where those data centers are built,” he said.

Moskowitz wrapped up by encapsulating his philosophy on AI by saying, “There's more I could say, but there are these political and ethical and environmental reasons that AI is really, really deeply problematic, and so I'll say to students, don't use it, because pedagogically, it doesn't make sense.”

Mount Holyoke News also reached out to Mara Breen, a cognitive scientist and professor of psychology, to ask about how fields such as hers who use computational models of AI are working around the development of generative models. “So starting from the 1970s we had this term AI, artificial intelligence. Now what did it mean in 1971, [is] probably a little bit different from how we conceptualize it today,” she said, drawing the distinction between newer models such as ChatGPT and models used in labs. “I use various machine learning algorithms, which some people would call AI, but that's very different from these generative AI models like LLMs.”

Breen also spoke to how these models are used as learning tools. “As a cognitive scientist, I'm deeply interested in computational models as a tool of study, where we say, here's what we know humans do. What do computational models do?”

She explained how AI has a place in her classroom as computational models, however her thoughts on generative models in the classroom are slightly different, stating “The value of a scientific paper is not the abstract, right? Usually it's not. We're not reading a paper because of the abstract, we're saying, okay, but how did they operationalize their variables? What is the method that they used? What were their results? How did they interpret it?”

She also emphasized that the “potential benefit is not worth the cost” of using a generative model for simple tasks such as searching for an old email or redesigning a class.

Breen approaches AI in her classroom through education, and explaining to students how AI works and what exactly it is by comparing it to neural networks and models to help students grasp what she means. Additionally, she explains to students how the models they use in her field are helpful for offloading specific mathematical or experimental tasks, such as marking boundaries in research, but also teaching them about the harms of generative AI such as the labor exploitation and energy used in data centers. “We make the joke that [the brain] runs on, you know, coffee and Flaming Hot Cheetos, and GPT runs on all of the electricity in Texas,” she said.

Breen advises that before using AI, people should “make sure it's a reasoned choice,” and not to use it as a replacement for Google, or doing research by yourself, and to get educated on what exactly AI is and the effects.

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact checking.

Zowie Banteah homecoming: supporting our Indigenous communities

Photo courtesy of Ashley Herrera Mantanico ’27

MHC students and staff celebrate the Zowie Homecoming in the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center.

Kannille Washington ’28

Staff Writer

In an open room, a community gathers with food, beading and lively conversation. On Friday, Sept. 12, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center hosted its annual Zowie Banteah Homecoming. Thirty years after its original opening on the top floor of the Eliana Ortega Cultural Center, the promise and mission of the center continues—in its new location between Ham and MacGregor Halls—to thrive under the organization of the new Building Manager and Program Coordinator, Ashley Anai Herrera Mantanico ’27.

“It is important to know that a lot of students were part of the reason why this space is here in the first place because they were advocating for their representation in the 90s and 2000s during a time where there was none,” Mantanico ’27 shared in a statement. Zowie Banteah ’96 herself was a student here at Mount Holyoke. She was a psychology and education major with a minor in Native American studies who led the dream and mission to make the center a reality. Now, in 2025, students continue to gather and support indigenous students on campus.

The Mount Holyoke College verbal Land Acknowledgement says, “This land acknowledgement seeks to verbalize Mount Holyoke’s commitment to engage in shared responsibility as part of our collective humanity. We urge everyone to participate in action steps identified by Indigenous community based organizations.” With any mission statement, it is important to consider how verbal promises become reality. While Mantanico notes she is “really appreciative and grateful,” she also highlights an important question: “Are we being taught how to support indigenous and Native American communities?”

Her actions so far prove she is on the right track in supporting these communities herself. With various events such as the Zowie Banteah Homecoming and the recent trip to Harvard’s 27th annual Powwow, she has started the year off strong in engaging the students and community in indigenous events. With the beginning of our Hortense Parker celebrations on campus, we can see there is a strong outlook for future events and much hope in Mantanico’s drive as she continues in her role.

This support is not just the work of one or two students, though. There is a legacy of student initiative. Mantanico highlights Katie Dick ’19, Nezbah Rita Young’25 and Juliette Gagnon Strong Heart ’24 as students who made the space what it is for her and many other community members today.

“They made it feel like a home, and that's what it is, it's a home for us”.

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact checking.

Dean Marcella Runell welcomes students at the first Senate of the Year

Photo by Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

Cordelia Athas ’26 sits on stage with Dean Marcella Runnell at this autumn’s first Senate meeting.

By Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

Staff Writer

On Sept. 23, at the first Mount Holyoke senate meeting of the 2025-2026 academic year, Dr. Marcella Runell, vice president of Student Life and dean of students, came to talk about her work and spark excitement for what is to come this semester at the Division of Student Life.

The meeting began with a welcome from Cordelia “Coco” Athas ’26, the chair of Senate, who gave the new and returning senators an amiable welcome to the first senate of the year. The group went over the standard flow of Senate gatherings, and it was announced that President Danielle Holley will be next week’s guest speaker for the Senate’s Town Hall. Athas also shared that Town Halls will be more condensed going forward, with emphasis on only asking “relevant and respectful questions” to keep time from going over. Then, Runell was introduced to speak in a sort of mini-town hall, where she was asked to share what she does at Mount Holyoke College’s Division of Student Life, and answer questions.

Athas started by asking Runell, “What is your role at Mount Holyoke College?”

Runell brought up the weekly “Dean’s Corner" emails which are sent out to the student body every Friday, as she felt that they “really encapsulates” what her job is.

As a leader in Student Life at Mount Holyoke, Runell plays a key role in facilitating the day to day experience of students, and creating a more positive and inclusive community. The Dean’s Corner Newsletter provides direct links to various resources and upcoming calendar events, along with highlighting moments in the community via photo collages. In her own words, Runell described her role as being about “communicating between and among all the different stakeholders on campus that are responsible for the student experience,” as well as community building with students directly.

Later, Athas asked what Runell feels students should know about the College’s MHC Forward Strategic Plan. Starting by providing context on this plan’s importance, Runell commented, “There are so many things that were in the last strategic plan that have radically changed Mount Holyoke.” She specifically highlighted the expansion of Blanchard Hall’s Community Center and its centralized dining in 2018, saying that, “It’s hard to imagine where we would be if that hadn’t been the vision in that last plan,” and, “There was no space for students to all be together except for the library.”

Runell then listed some of the College’s divisions that will undergo changes with the current strategic plan, adding that many of these decisions came directly from student feedback about what they wanted to see in the future. The three major areas that Runell mentions will be touched upon in the current Strategic Plan are supporting students’ career development, providing better “residential education” for students, and the new Mount Holyoke Commitment to financial affordability.

During the Q&A portion of the Town Hall, one student asked about the decision to move Disability Services from the Office of Academic Deans to the Division of Student Life. Runell first stated that it is standard among most higher-ed institutions to have such services “report into Student Affairs or Student Life, because accommodations are not just academic.”

She further explained, “In an ideal scenario, we would really be thinking about the whole student experience in terms of accommodations … That’s one of the reasons [Disability Services] sit in Student Affairs, because it is meant to be broad and encompassing.”

Runnell also addressed the aspect of the physical space where Disability Services is currently located, asking herself aloud, “Can we find a better space than the third floor of Mary Lyon Hall, which is not one of the most accessible places on campus.” She immediately answered her own question, stating,, “We have Student Life spaces all over campus,” solidifying the advantages of rehoming Disability Services to reside under the Division of Student Life.

To wrap up, Athas asked Runell, “In your opinion, is Bigfoot real?”

Runell’s response was, “I’m gonna say there’s a good chance.” Ending with casual chat amongst the two on stage, and plenty of laughter from the senators in the crowd, the first Senate of the year concluded at just under 40 minutes.

Fact checked by Madeleine Diesl.