Week Two of the College’s Week of Racial Justice and Reconciliation Week Features More Virtual Events
Mount Holyoke continued its second annual Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Week of Racial Justice and Reconciliation with a series of events and virtual talks.
On Jan. 24, Mount Holyoke alumna Quanita Haley ’12 gave a sermon entitled “Let Justice Roll Down: A Christian Service in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
Carmen Yulín Cruz Named College’s Distinguished Fellow in Leadership
After serving as a member of the House of Representatives and mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico for a combined 12 years, Carmen Yulín Cruz was recently appointed the Harriet L. Weissman and Paul M. Weissman distinguished fellow in leadership at the Weissman Center for Leadership. She will hold the position in the Weissman Center through December 2021, though her contract could extend another year.
College COVID-19 Restrictions Enter Phase 2 as Cases Continue To Rise
After an initial two-week quarantine period, Mount Holyoke College has officially marked a shift into Operating Level 2: Modified Normal COVID-19 Operations with Heightened Awareness. Residential students received a series of communications from the Office of Residential Life alerting them of the new restrictions and guidelines beginning on Feb. 1.
Mount Holyoke Celebrates MLK and Coretta Scott King With a Week of Events Devoted To Racial Justice
Mount Holyoke began its first week of the spring term with the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Week of Racial Justice and Reconciliation. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion partnered with the Division of Student Life to create a program of events “in recognition of the ongoing challenges with race relations in the United States.” According to the Mount Holyoke events calendar, the week’s theme was “Our Interconnectedness Binds Us Together.”
Trump Supporters Storm US Capitol in Deadly Insurrection
New Presidential Administration Is Inaugurated
On Wednesday, Jan. 20, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were officially sworn in as the 46th president and vice president of the United States, respectively. With the COVID-19 pandemic now having claimed over 400,000 American lives and still surging across the country, the inauguration itself looked different. Everyone in attendance wore face masks, and the people in front of the Capitol sat physically distanced from each other. Supreme Court justices, members of Congress and other government officials, as well as past presidents, were seen in attendance. The number of tickets for each person to hand out, as well as receive, was limited to keep the size of the crowd down. The National Mall, where people can usually stand to watch the event, was instead decorated with American flags.
College To Hold Reunion 2021 Virtually; Decisions on Commencement To Be Announced This February
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.”