The theme of this year’s Trailblazers of Color Leadership Conference was “Looking Back to Look Forward.” According to Mount Holyoke College’s events calendar, the conference aimed to “[mark] a decade of commitment to empowering gender-diverse individuals of color across the Five Colleges, Western Massachusetts, and beyond.”
Throughout February, Mount Holyoke College and the Association of Pan-African Unity has hosted several events in celebration of Black History Month. This array of events has ranged from keynote speakers to galas to movie nights. During the week of Feb. 18, the College held several events, including an open mic night and a Black History Month gala.
Mount Holyoke College’s weekly senate meeting began on Feb. 27 with the Mount Holyoke College Land Acknowledgement as well as an overview of the meeting’s agenda. The agenda began with a check-in and debrief and ended with an open floor. The check-in began with the senate discussing their “roses, buds, and thorns” regarding the current Mount Holyoke community. After discussing for a few minutes, students shared their answers.
On Feb. 2, 2024, the Mount Holyoke College Queer Action Collective, also known as QAC, hosted an event titled “Queer Activism at MHC Through the Years” to inform students of the history of queer activism at Mount Holyoke. At this event, QAC produced a presentation, facilitated discussion amongst participants, and invited Mount Holyoke alum Donna Albino ‘83 to speak on her experiences.
A student-created petition advocating for a raise in wages for housekeepers at Mount Holyoke College has recently circulated around the community.
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Wilder Hall Residential Fellow Isha Chinniah ’24 posted a petition titled “Support MHC Housekeepers' Wage Proposal” to Change.org. The petition rapidly circulated on campus via student Instagram stories and social media pages, gaining the attention of hundreds in the community in just a few days. As of Oct. 20, the petition had over 500 of its desired 1000 signatures.
