On the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 9, the College sent out an email containing updates on the plans for Commencement and reunion 2021. With a vaccine seemingly on the way, plans may change depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic develops over the coming months. However, as COVID-19 restrictions on outdoor gatherings continue to tighten in the state of Massachusetts, an official decision on the class of 2021’s commencement ceremony has yet to be made. Over the following months, the College will continue to monitor the state of the pandemic and inform decisions based on the safety guidelines regarding in-person gatherings and travel. An official decision about Commencement 2021 will be announced by the end of this February.
Biden Selects Key Members for Incoming Administration
By Soleil Doering ’24 & Rehat Thussu ’23
Staff Writers
The U.S. presidential transition between President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden may have lasting political implications. Biden’s victory and Trump’s refusal to concede has led to an especially volatile transfer of power. Election results have been contested before, such as in the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, but according to Assistant Professor of Politics Adam Hilton, the 2020 election brings new sentiments.
Women Leading Climate Action: Jacinda Ardern Declares New Zealand Climate Emergency
On Dec. 2, at the Parliament House, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared a climate emergency. Stating that climate change is “one of the greatest challenges of our time,” Ardern committed the nation to the development of a carbon-neutral government by 2025. Ardern implored the country to act with urgency, confirming that the motion recognizes “the devastating impact that volatile and extreme weather will have on New Zealand and the wellbeing of New Zealanders, on our primary industries, water availability, and public health through flooding, sea-level rise, and wildfire.”
Mount Holyoke Puts on Radio Play ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
This semester, the film media theater department adapted to current limitations set by the COVID-19 pandemic and produced “Much Ado About Nothing.” Because the play could not be performed in person or in front of an audience, its director, Noah Tuleja, decided to produce the comedy in the style of a radio play.
Tuleja, director of Rooke Theatre and assistant professor of film media theater, said that as early as May, he knew that the theater would not be able to host 100 to 150 to watch the show even if students came back to campus. With that in mind, he began to reimagine and adapt the season to avoid cancellation.
Attorneys Present New Arguments in Hachiyanagi Case
In a hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 8, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Thomas filed a motion to obtain the employment records of former Mount Holyoke Professor of Art and Studio Art Chair Rie Hachiyanagi based on the advice of an unidentified third party. According to Hachiyanagi’s defense attorney, Thomas Kokonowski, the anonymous third party is also employed by Mount Holyoke College.
As previously reported by the Mount Holyoke News, Hachiyanagi was charged with multiple counts, including attempted murder, following her alleged assault on a fellow Mount Holyoke faculty member sometime between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2019, to which she has pled not guilty. She has been in custody since December 2019.
News Brief: Car Crashes into Asian Center for Empowerment
College Received More Than $30 Million in Donations from 2019-2020, Offsetting Pandemic Losses
Mount Holyoke College released its yearly report on philanthropy in an email update to community members on Dec. 2, 2020.
“As I reflect on the past year, I am uplifted by the generous outpouring of support from the generous alums and friends of Mount Holyoke College,” Vice President for College Relations Kassandra Jolley wrote in a letter to the community included in the report.
In addition to the usual donations and awards, the report detailed the “extraordinary” community support necessitated when Mount Holyoke shut down in March due to COVID-19. Between March and June, more than 600 students were supported by the Student Safety Net Fund which raised $346,000, according to the report. Support ranged from aid with housing, travel and storage to purchases of technology and other academic supplies.
Thanksgiving Break Looks Different for Mount Holyoke Students as COVID-19 Cases Rise
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging across the country, this year’s Thanksgiving was different for Mount Holyoke students, as most were already home or staying with friends. Many students celebrated with their households and decided not to have family visit or travel.
Fiona Milton ’22 was at home with her parents this year and celebrated the holiday with them. She was not able to see her sister or grandmother for the holiday because they live in other parts of the country.
“[It was] the first Thanksgiving without my older sister or my grandmother, but we had to do what was safest,” Milton said. “I couldn’t see anyone this year, so I just made people cards instead.”
Student Employment Updates
Mount Holyoke students received an update on student employment from the College on Sunday, Nov. 29. The email included information on winter break employment as well as guidelines for the spring semester.
The statement provided a reminder of general remote work policies for student workers. Under federal regulations, students who are living abroad are barred from working for the College. Students who have worked for the College previously and currently live in the U.S., as well as any student currently living in California and Massachusetts, can work remotely. There will be limited in-person work allowed for students living on campus.
BRIEF: MHC joins Racial Equity Leadership Alliance
The University of Southern California launched the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance, the newest project of their Race and Equity Center, this week. Mount Holyoke College joined LACRELA as an inaugural member.
Mount Holyoke joined 51 other liberal arts colleges across the United States in being named an inaugural member institution. Six colleges, in particular, were named founding institutions, including Macalester College, Depauw University, Oberlin College, Occidental College, Pomona College and Skidmore College. The 51 institutions identified as inaugural members alongside Mount Holyoke include other schools of similar size, structure or endowment, such as Wellesley College, St. Olaf College, Grinnell College and Bard College.