Welcome Home: Homecoming at the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center
BY THANDIWE-WANJIRU DELGA-
’27
WRITER
Remembering those who came before us, who paved the way, who put in the work and fought for the right for Black students to be on this campus: these ideas were the sentiment of the weekend homecoming event celebrated by Black students at the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center from Sept. 21 to 22. The house was filled with students from all different class years and backgrounds with the common desire to interact and be in community with fellow Black students.
The center, often referred to as the “Betty,” is described by the College as assisting and supporting students from the African diaspora through interactive programming.
Homecoming weekend at the Betty started on Saturday with an opening passage from the book “The Temple of My Familiar” by Alice Walker, read by Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Kijua Sanders-McMurtry. Alums who were able to stop by expressed their joy at Black students being able to meet in this capacity with the support of the Betty.
After introductions, students broke up into groups to do workshops led by Assistant Professor of Religion Meredith Coleman-Tobias, Assistant Professor of Gender Studies Sarah Stefana Smith, and Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Critical Race and Political Economy Ximena Abello Hurtado from the College who also came to be in community with students. Every room of the Betty was filled with students engaging in dialogue with professors and each other alike.
As dinner was served, Associate Dean of Students, Community and Belonging Latrina Denson walked the students through the history of Black life at Mount Holyoke College and the first known Black students to attend the school. Denson focused on Hortense Parker, the first known Black student to attend Mount Holyoke from 1878 to 1883. What was cemented in this exploration of the archives was that Black students have been fighting
for many years to be recognized at the College. From Hortense Parker to the students that inhabit the space today, they have all been fighting and will continue to fight in the spirit of thriving and not just surviving.
After a financial literacy workshop led by alum Jadah Quick ’17 and a yoga session run by Carla J. Lee, students gathered around another alum, former Francis Perkins Scholar Anastasia Morton ’12. During her time engaging with the students, Morton said that while she was at the College, the Betty was one of her safe places, something that resonated with many Mount Holyoke students in attendance.
As the night continued, after making s’mores by the campfire, students gathered around a low table in the living room as Sanders-McMurtry dealt cards in a ten person game of spoons. It was a rough game of broken fingernails
and screams of joy. Others gathered and watched, or played their own trivia games on the side. The night didn’t stop there, as a handful of students stayed up until the late hours of the night, singing karaoke and line dancing. In the early hours of the morning they retired upstairs, crowded on the floor in a mess of sleeping bags. Afterwards, a few students would remark that during that night, they felt like kids again. They ate candy, sang, danced with their friends and had a sleepover, an act they had not participated in for years. The next morning, after breakfast, Sanders-McMurtry and Cole -
I really feel like this event has provided a lot of Black identified students comfort, and a home, and a safe space to be themselves.
– Anjolie Kwakye Minott
man-Tobias returned to lead the group in a closing ceremony where the playfulness of the night before resurfaced. While it can be seen as counter revolutionary for Black people to rest, Sanders-McMurtry told the students that they all deserve rest and play as Black people. As the weekend came to an end, all the students in attendance were given gold and purple ribbons and were instructed to find a person they either hadn’t already interacted with or someone they would like to express their love for and tie the ribbon around their hand. In the end, everyone’s wrists were adorned with colourful ribbons, a testament to
the care they all shared for one another.
Homecoming weekend at the Betty closed out with a final circle meeting. Students shared their thoughts and feelings, many showing tears of joy for having a space like the Betty to exist in as Black students at a predominantly white institution like Mount Holyoke College.
When asked to describe their weekend in one word or sentence, students expressed a range of answers. Many spoke of their gratitude to be part of the Black community on campus.
Others said, “Joyful. I feel it was a wholesome experience,” “Rested,” and “Black Girl Magic.” When asked what they thought of seeing Black excellence at Mount Holyoke College, a visiting Five College student said it was “inspiring.”
On Saturday night, Anjolie Kwakye Minott ’27, the program assistant at the Betty, expressed their gratitude for the event.
“I really feel like this event has provided a lot of Black identified students comfort, and a home, and a safe space to be themselves, to encourage Black joy, and to have all the conversations they’ve been itching to have,” Minott said.
The next morning, Cindy Ntembe ’27 said, “The most amazing thing about this event is how much effort everyone put into making it happen. I know a lot of students and staff plan events and then people just don’t bring the energy that’s needed to make it come alive. But people were really invested in making this work and all coming together.”
Shirley Chisholm, the namesake of the Living-Learning Community founded for students of the African diaspora at Mount Holyoke, once said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” That is what the Black community at Mount Holyoke College did during the Betty’s homecoming weekend: they made space for themselves and occupied it with love and joy.
Sofia Ramon ’27 contributed fact-checking.
Senate welcomes new and old senators to first fall meeting
BY TARA MONASTESSE ’25
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The first senate meeting of the 2024-25 academic year took place on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 24 in the Great Room. Led by Chair of Senate Nathania Amadi ’26 and Chair of Halls Coco Athas ’26, the meeting allowed both new and returning senators to introduce themselves and get acclimated to the updated senate meeting structure.
Major updates included a restructuring of the senate’s town hall presentations, as well as the introduction of the Student Accessibility Committee.
After the Mount Holyoke College land acknowledgement, senators engaged in a brief “two truths and a lie” icebreaker led by Amadi and Athas. The senate leaders then outlined the Student Government Assocation’s four main pillars, or guiding values: equity and inclusion, shared governance, accountability and accessibility. They also explained that the senate, alongside committees and the SGA executive board, is one of the three main groups that compose the SGA system.
Members of the SGA executive board then introduced themselves to the senators and explained their various roles and responsibilities within the organizations.
Assistant Vice President for Student Life Alicia Erwin and Director of Student Involvement Laura Sattler announced that they will serve as SGA advisors for senate meetings going forward.
The SGA Executive Board also announced that they are still in need of an archivist, who will be responsible for taking senate minutes and records of meetings. Senators in attendance were encouraged to apply for the role.
The presentation also covered the role of committees in senate meetings, which included the introduction of the new student accessibility committee.
The senators then took a brief comprehension quiz to review the meeting’s information so far, which included questions on senator responsibilities and meeting etiquette. Afterwards, senate leaders held a brief open floor session for senators to make announcements about events for their organizations.
A representative from the Students of Color Committee announced that the group will be hosting a block party on Sept. 29 from 3:30-6 p.m. on the Abbey/Buckland Green, as part of the 2024 Hortense Parker celebration.
A senator from the Mount Holyoke Outing Club also announced an online alum panel to be held on Sept. 30 from 4:30-6 p.m. by the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, where attendees can explore future career possibilities in environmental fields.
Afterwards, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marcella Runell took the stage alongside Amadi for a mock Town Hall, using the new approach that senate meetings will now take for Town Halls moving forward. Rather than being primarily a presentation, Town Halls will now be centered more heavily around audience participation and will have presenters actively engage with questions from senate attendees.
After introducing herself as a resource for student organizations on campus, Runell answered casual trivia questions submitted by attendees as a trial run of the new Town Hall system. Senators responded well to the new format, which Town Halls will now adopt moving for-
Before the meeting adjourned, senators were invited to fill out a form to submit their questions to President Danielle Holley regarding the College’s new strategic plan, MHC Forward. According to the College’s website, MHC Forward will map the College’s plans to further its academic opportunities and the student experience throughout
Photo by Thandiwe-Wanjiru Delgado-Kinyatti ‘27 Students celebrated the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center’s homecoming by tying colorful
S&E: Snakes spotted near campus lakes
GLOBAL: Students attend Study Away Fair
Photo by Tara Monastesse ’25
Senators gathered in the Great Room in Blanchard Hall for the first senate meeting of the semester, led by Nathania Amadi ’26 and Coco Athas ’26. ward.
2 FEATURES
Latine/x Heritage Month begins with dancing, conversation and community
BY EMMA QUIRK ’26
PHOTOS EDITOR & STAFF WRITER
Community members gathered in the Blanchard Hall Great Room for an evening of dancing and conversation to celebrate the beginning of Latine/x Heritage Month on Sept. 16. Latine/x Heritage Month, also referred to as National Hispanic Heritage Month, begins on Sept. 15 and ends on Oct. 15.
This year’s theme at Mount Holyoke is “Iluminando el Camino del Éxito y la Brillantez/Illuminating the Path of Success and Brilliance,” with a goal of highlighting Latine trailblazers and the importance of building community.
“I really like this year’s theme, because it was honoring and shedding light on our community, which I feel like is a big thing we should do here at Mount Holyoke, putting a spotlight on trailblazers, on students, on our elders,” Mikayla Esquilin ’26, program assistant for the Eliana Ortega Cultural Center, said. “It’s important, not only [that] we face things together, but [that we] celebrate things together.”
The Eliana Ortega Cultural Center is the cultural center for Latine students on campus. The Building Manager, Citlalli Caratachea ’25, spoke about what this month means in an interview with Mount Holyoke News. “During this month, I am reminded of the countless contributions of the Latine community [in] every aspect of society: our ways of knowing, healing, our arts, the fight for liberation, our labor and love.”
and cultures through Latine folkloric, cultural and popular dances,” as explained in the group’s bio on Instagram. Caratachea is co-captain of the team, and Esquilin is also a member. Throughout the performance, audience members cheered and clapped, and the group ended their performance to tremendous applause.
Kijua Sanders-McMurtry, vice president for equity and inclusion and Posse Scholars liaison, then took the stage to introduce the two guest speakers of the night: activist, theologian and writer Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, and scholar, educator and activist Dr. Kristian Contreras. The two engaged in conversation with one another, discussing Rodríguez’s book “Tías and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us,” as well as their friendship, upbringings, activism and experiences as Latine people in higher education.
Contreras describes the book, as well as Rodríguez’s first book “For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts” as “love letters” to women, Latina women and women of color. They are both ways for Rodríguez to celebrate her community, and to make the feminist theory that was so impactful for her in college accessible.
I do feel like everybody was touched in that moment when they were speaking ... everything was just so captivating.
– Mikayla Esquilin
She also shared that while “one month of celebration will never be enough … this month offers some space for joy and healing and draws us in to intentionally take time to celebrate where we come from, where we are and all the generations that will come.”
The keynote event was titled “‘Tías and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us,’ An Evening with Author Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez and Dr. Kristian Contreras.” It began with a land acknowledgment by Program Coordinator for Residential Community and Belonging Katie Dick. Next, Esquilin welcomed everyone to the space. Organizers played a brief video explaining the significance and history of Latine/x Heritage Month.
Following this video, Sangre del Sol, Mount Holyoke’s only Latine dance team, performed. The group honors “intersectional identities
“I’ve always been adamant that theory is at the center of [my work],” Rodríguez said, stating that the goal is “translating theory and making theory accessible.”
’26
“Tías and Primas” is split into 20 chapters, and each examines a different archetype of women in her life, with an introduction and conclusion on either end. In the conclusion, she writes, “What I hope is that in these pages you felt seen and that things were named for you that might’ve otherwise gone unnamed.”
Listening to Rodríguez and Contreras was emotional for some students. “I really loved our guest speakers … I was crying [for] most of it, it was so beautiful,” Esquilin said in an interview with MHN. “I do feel like everybody was touched in that moment when they were speaking … everything was just so captivating.”
Audience members resonated with their perspectives and the stories they told, both the negative and the positive. “At one point in the panel [Rodríguez] said ‘I will be the first to tell you these institutions do not love you.’ I think I needed to hear
that,” Caratachea said. “I felt seen and was able to recognize my own hurt in the pain of what she said.”
On the other hand, Contreras’s pride in her own work was inspiring. It was impactful “when Dr. Kristian Contreras said her work was extraordinary because SHE did it,” Caratachea stated. “Moving through these institutions knowing that our work is valuable and worthy because WE did it was so important for me to hear,” especially when working within an institution “that [had] not been built for people from our communities.”
Another component of the keynote that stood out to Esquilin was the turnout. “I love to see when my
community comes together, and especially this year, a lot more people, not only from our community but [from] other communities, came together, which I felt was very beautiful,” Esquilin said. “It’s always important to see allyship within different communities.”
The event ended with a Q&A led by Caratachea, who then opened the floor for audience questions. Rodríguez and Contreras were met with enthusiastic applause, and attendees chatted with one another as they left.
Both Esquilin and Caratachea shared the importance of holding joy and fear at the same time and prioritizing community care. “One thing
I have learned lately is [that] there’s a time to cry and there’s a time to laugh,” Esquilin said. “Always having that dual moment is so important for your community.”
Caratachea echoed this sentiment. “Being able to experience joy with the Latine community on campus [is important]. With the election coming up, I think fear, anxiety and worry are very present in our community,” she said. “I believe space needs to be made to feel those emotions together … this month is a moment for us to embrace each other and say, ‘We’re in it together and we can celebrate that and each other.’” Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.
Photo by Emma Quirk ’26.
A panel discussion featuring Citlalli Caratachea ’25 (left), author Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez (center), and scholar Dr. Kristian Contreras (right). The three sit in armchairs on a stage with a black curtain backdrop, each holding microphones and smiling while engaing in conversation.
Student music is back: Twolips performs at Pratt Music Hall
BY SARAH BERGER ’27
ARTS & ENTERTIANMENT
EDITOR single person in the cramped space singing Joan Jett.”
As a picturesque sunset fell over Pratt Music Hall, Mount Holyoke College student band Twolips began their concert. A small crowd gathered before the show began, but several more listeners came after the music started, attracted both by the melodies and the s’mores offered by the Office of Student Involvement a few feet away. They began the show with “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman, then followed with “Bigger Fish” by Odie Lee, “Sexy Weekend” by Scoundrels, “Different Drum” by Stoney Poneys, and “I Will” by The Beatles.
They ended with a rousing rendition of “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson, which led many students to rise and dance. The crowd was enthusiastic and warm, and it felt more like a gathering between friends than a traditional concert.
Prior to their show on Thursday, Sept. 19, Twolips gave a performance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in collaboration with the UMass Amherst outing club. Student Shelby Smith (’getting class year) said their performance of “Crimson and Clover” had “every
Twolips is made up of guitarist Charlotte Barry ’27, singer Clara Murphy ’25, bassist Georgia Swanson ’26, and drummer Lily Kenney ’27. Barry knew she wanted to start a band before she arrived at Mount Holyoke, so she reached out to Kenney online about drumming.The other two members joined through organic meetings around campus. Of their dynamic, Barry says, “We’ve narrowed our focus down to rock and alternative tunes and have really bonded with each other. We all love getting together and jamming. Even on our weekends, you can find us in the basement of Pratt throwing songs together.” The band was officially named after its members canvassed for ideas around Blanchard hall. For readers who aren’t pun-inclined, the name could be read both as “tulips” and “Two Lips,” like a mouth. (There could also be a triple entendre in the name).
In the future, Twolips will be playing on WMHC’s “Live at 5” and possibly performing at Amherst College’s battle of the bands. If you’d like to be kept in the loop about what they’re doing, their instagram is @ thebandtwolips.
Valley Speech Services is owned and operated by Robin Allen Davis (MHC ’86), MA, CCC-SLP (she/her). Robin provides individualized, person-centered care for all of her clients in a safe, supportive, and comfortable manner. She has over 25 years of experience and can help you align your voice with your authentic gender identity and expression or help to manage symptoms resulting from a concussion or other brain injury. Valley Speech is conveniently located at the Village Commons and appointments are available Monday through Thursday. Robin can be reached at 413-575-8682 or via email at robin@ valleyspeechservices.com.
Sept. 30, 2024: Crossword Puzzle
Down: 1. Many campus snake sightings have been reported from this area.
2. The first Mount Holyoke College student to finish at this year’s UMass-Dartmouth invitational.
5. Mount Holyoke College’s cross country team will compete at this invitational on Oct. 5.
6. The number of different snake species found in Massachusetts.
11. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris supports the expansion of this regulatory government agency.
4. A film recently screened at the College partially takes place in this Spanish municipality.
7. Approximately this many Mount Holyoke College students studied abroad last year.
8. Student band Twolips closed out their Sept. 19 concert with a cover of this song.
9. Kamala Harris may be trying to appeal to this category of voters with some of her more moderate stances.
10. The beginning of this heritage month was celebrated at the Eliana Ortega Cultural Center on Sept. 16.
Across: 3. Professor Hayward Jansen’s transgender literature class will study this novel by Akwaeke Emezi.
12. The Study Away Fair was held in this building.
Photo by Sarah Berger ’27 Twolips, made up of Charlotte Barry ’27, Clara Murphy ’25, Georgia Swanson ’26 and Lily Kenney ’27, performs at dusk to an enthusiastic audience.
Photo courtesy of Aderet Fishbane ’25 Bassist Georgia Swanson ’26 (back left) and singer Clara Murphy ’25 (front left) perform for students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Photo courtesy of Aderet Fishbane ’25 Guitarist Charlotte Barry ’27 (left) and singer Clara Murphy ’25 (right) pose at a show at UMass.
Photo courtesy of Aderet Fishbane ’25 Singer Clara Murphy ’25 (left) and bassist Georgia Swanson ’26 (right) give a performance in collaboration with the UMass Amherst Outing Club.
4 GLOBAL
Study Away Fair shows MHC students their opportunities for travel
BY MIRA CRANE ’27
GLOBAL EDITOR
For many students at Mount Holyoke College, fall is the time to think about studying abroad. To that end, the Study Away Fair took place on Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 4-6 p.m. in Chapin Auditorium. The fair is held annually by the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives on the third Tuesday of September. Organizers from programs all over the world were in attendance to answer questions and give out information to prospective students. A projector at the back of the auditorium was also set up to display general information.
The turnout was fairly substantial; 213 students attended, with most being sophomores and first years. Attendees were milling around, asking questions and picking up what was being offered at the booths.
Mount Holyoke students can study abroad starting the second semester of their sophomore year up until, and including, the first semester of their senior year. Options include studying abroad for a year, a semester or a summer or winter term. Students can start the process by attending an information session, Study Abroad 101, or scheduling an advising appointment at the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives.
April Stroud, associate director at the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives, said in an email to Mount Holyoke News, “Sophomores who are interested in study abroad next year should attend a 101 or meet with a peer advisor for basic information, and then schedule an individual advising appointment via Pathways with [myself] or Adelia Pope, study abroad coordinator.”
According to Stroud, Study Abroad 101 is “where students can get an overview about study abroad as a Mount Holyoke student. In a half hour we cover the benefits of study abroad, academic planning, approved programs, finances and
scholarships, eligibility, application procedures, deadlines and credit transfer.”
Students must begin planning and request to study abroad about a full year before they intend to go, although the request is non-binding.
According to the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives, “Last year, approximately 200 students studied abroad. Most studied abroad for a semester, but there were students abroad for an academic year and on short-term programs offered during the summer or winter.”
At the entrance to Chapin, students were handed papers giving
information on all the different programs in attendance. Students could then find what program representatives they wanted to chat with before even walking around the fair. Some tables had candy or other swag. Most tables had pamphlets, email lists and QR codes.
Aside from the study abroad programs, there were tables for the Study Abroad Office, the Career Development Center, the Weissman Center for Leadership, scholarships, the Laurel Fellowship, Office of Health Professions Advising, National Fellowships, MHC Semester in DC and the Nexus Program. There were
about 34 outside programs present. Program locations covered six continents, and there were options for nearly all majors. They included the Advanced Studies in England program, which takes place in Bath, CET Academic Programs — which has locations in Brazil, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, Italy, Jordan and Taiwan — and Siena School for Liberal Arts in Italy. The School for International Training Study Abroad was also present and has programs in Argentina, Australia, the Balkans, Chile, China, Ecuador, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Panama,
Peru, Samoa, South Africa and Switzerland. There is a wealth of countries available for students to travel to for study.
After attending the fair, student Hailey Brooks ’27 told Mount Holyoke News, “The study abroad fair was very helpful. I liked seeing visually all the different opportunities that Mount Holyoke offers for study abroad.” She also explained that the fair helped her learn which programs she’s qualified for.
The fair will be back in the fall of next year.
Kamlyn Yosick ’25 contributed fact-checking.
Mount Holyoke screens Baba Hillman’s Kitâb al-Isfâr: Book of the Journey
BY ELIZABETH MURRAY ’26
GLOBAL EDITOR
It was movie night in Gamble Auditorium on Sept. 12, where the Religion, French, Art Studio and Film Media Theater departments held a joint screening of Baba Hillman’s film “Kitâb al-Isfâr: Book of the Journey.” Hillman, who is a Five College professor emerita of film and video at Hampshire College, was present for the screening and later had a discussion with Elliot Montague, assistant professor of film production in the FMT department, who is also her former student.
The film recounts Hillman’s experience after surviving a car crash in the Andalusian mountains just outside of Malaga, and how her experiences in the immediate aftermath segued into her travels.
“Kitâb al-Isfâr: Book of the Journey” is an experimental film. There is little audio, only recordings of some conversations. The rest of the story is told through text over vari-
ous images. The text includes Hillman recounting her stories as well as quotes from the Sufi poet Ibn Arabi, who also engaged in extensive travels. The film is a mix of Hillman’s personal photos, establishing shots of the places she is describing and a woman wandering in Malaga, who is meant to represent Hillman and her time in Malaga after the accident. The film is shot on eight and 16 millimeter film, giving the images a dream-like quality.
The film is told over a span of several years. Hillman begins with the days leading up to the accident, describing how she was driving from southern France to Spain during her school break in a used car she had bought, and how her brakes failed as she was driving down the highway. She collided with a truck and was badly injured and hospitalized for three days.
She skips over this period in the film but recounts the visions she had. The arc of the film then picks up afterward, as she must stay in Mala-
ga after being discharged, but ends around Jan. 6 right when her journal entries from this time stop. The story continues, showing her finishing her studies and her life throughout the next several decades, ending a few years before the film was made. She recounts her travels to France, Norway, Scotland, Spain and Germany. During these travels, Hillman meets with mentors and peers with the goal of discussing spirituality; these conversations are some of the only sounds in the film.
After the film was finished, Hillman and Montague sat down below the screen facing the audience and began the discussion portion of the evening. Montague asked Hillman how she approached the script, the film’s images and the choice to use text instead of a voiceover. Hillman said that she had never made a film like this before, and she focused on the connection between text and image. The film has two versions; one with English text and another with French text, and she used the same intention for both. She asserted that the film was not scripted and that it started with her revisiting the experience she had at age 19. She also said that she felt the film was an “homage to teachers” and their importance.
the actress we see during the Malaga sequence was a former student of hers who she felt was the best choice for this role. She also explained that shots featuring the highway are of the actual road where she had the accident, although it was shot many years later.
Hillman relayed more of the filmmaking process and explained the decisions made. She explained
Kamlyn Yosick ’25 contributed fact-checking.
Letter to the Editor: We need another narrative about climate change
Dear Editor:
Late into the first and perhaps last presidential debate, candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump were asked about how they would address climate change, “an issue that matters to younger voters.” Trump ignored the question, but Harris’s response was equally revelatory and disappointing.
After acknowledging climate change is “very real,” Harris claimed, “We know we can actually deal with this issue,” citing the “record level of domestic gas production” under the Biden administration.
To proudly proclaim the increase in production of fossil fuels that contribute to rising temperatures as evidence of progress to combat climate change, as Harris did, is jarring. It waves away scientific evidence by doubling down on the myth of human omnipotence at the very center of modernist narratives about unlimited economic growth and progress.
The problem is that this story is clearly failing. Human-driven unrestrained growth and progress have contributed to intensified weather
patterns and ecological destruction, habitat and species loss and increasingly divergent health outcomes for those most vulnerable to the effects of a warming planet. Pretending we can continue as we have is a fantasy that ignores the reality of how, for so many, the climate crisis is not a future problem, but something that must be lived with and addressed today.
If the stories we tell each other represent the horizon of our political thinking and action, at this crucial moment we need another kind of story to empower human action.
In “Earthborn Democracy: A Political Theory of Entangled Life,” my co-authors and I offer an alternative myth of entangled life, one in which humans are not apart from other creatures, but share the same status with all earthborn creatures. Earthborn is the translation of the Greek term, autochthony: a reference to the ancient Athenian myth that the city’s inhabitants were born from the earth. As we show, this founding myth was expansive, including both human and non-human creatures. That the first known democra-
cy recognized multispecies entanglement as a condition of earthly existence and cooperation is an inheritance to build on, especially in a moment when the appeal of authoritarian figures has increased in tandem with decreased confidence in democratic processes, especially in regards to addressing climate change.
As we show, this inheritance is robust, stretching back not just to democratic Athens, but before it, to settlements in the premodern Americas and Mesopotamia. Moreover, action acknowledging earthly entanglement is part of the living tradition of many indigenous communities across the world. Together, these are resources for learning how to live in this moment.
This record of earthly cooperation suggests it remains in our collective powers to act in the face of climate change. We argue that these aspirations have not been extinguished in the face of climate change, and can even be strengthened through practices of what we call attunement to the myth of earthborn democracy. We need not accept
climate fatalism; neither as paralysis, nor business as usual.
Attunement involves becoming aware of the deep history of cooperation among earthborn life. Specifically, how human freedom is not the product of disentanglement, premised on control of the more-thanhuman-world, but rather is nurtured by roots and connections that allow genuine freedom to come into being. Attuning to earthly entanglements awakens a greater aliveness to the experience of freedom and the earthly flourishing in which it plays a part. Attunement also describes the intentional practice of the seemingly immaterial or invisible elements of collective life: wishes, dreams, memories, stories, connections and obligations to ancestors and descendants, an awareness of the entangled nature of past, present and future.
The immaterial or invisible elements of collective life which make up what the psychoanalyst Carl Jung called our collective unconscious are, in the end, earthly. Because all life is born of the earth, the earth is the holding environment for our shared dreams and aspirations.
Modern societies may have repressed our earthborn nature, but this knowledge lives in our collective unconsciousness.
As Jung says, it’s not a question of living without myth; the question is what kind of myth do we want to live in. The modern myth of human separation from and conquest of nature is rootlessness.
Drawing on practices of attunement can help displace, if not eventually replace, anthropocentric accounts of politics, culture and history. Attunement to the myth of earthborn democracy can help generate responses to the climate crisis that do not rehearse the tired, wellworn script of human mastery over nature through technological progress and an unyielding commitment to growth.
As summer heat intensifies wildfires and hurricanes this autumn, this narrative appears more doubtful by the day. It is time for earthborn democracy.
Ali
Aslam Associate Professor of Politics
Graphic by Betty Smart ’26
Photo by Mira Crane ’27 Students gathered in Chapin Auditorium for the Study Away Fair, held by the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives, to learn from representatives about their options for future study abroad programs.
Students encounter snakes across campus as autumn slithers in
BY TARA MONASTESSE ’25
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
On a sunny afternoon earlier this September, Mount Holyoke College senior Sarah Nealon ’25 was about to cross the Lower Lake bridge when she spotted something unexpected.
“I saw this long black thing, kind of coming up from the grass off the side of the bridge,” Nealon said. “And it was so big that at first I thought it was a rope or something. And then I looked closer at it, and it started moving … and I’m like, oh my God! That’s a snake!”
Nealon, a lifelong Massachusetts resident, had never encountered a snake that large in the wild before and was surprised to find it in the area. However, snake sightings are not uncommon among the many different kinds of wildlife present on the College’s campus. Of the 14 snake species located throughout Massachusetts, several have been spotted across campus in recent history, particularly around the Upper and Lower Lakes as well as the Community Boathouse.
As recently as Sept. 13, a small, striped snake was additionally spotted on the Lower Lake bridge lake at approximately 11:08 p.m. by Mount Holyoke News.
As the weather gets colder, the cold-blooded reptiles will become less active and seek shelter, entering a dormant state known as “brumation.” However, according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife — also known as MassWildlife — snakes can become more active in the fall as they hunt for prey.
“We may see some activity through the fall as they make a final push to get food ahead of winter,”
Lori Smith, director of the College’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety, said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “They may briefly appear on warmer days in the win-
ter to sun themselves and get water.”
While this heightened activity may sound alarming, in reality there is little to fear if a snake is encountered on campus. Only two of the snake species found in Massachusetts are venomous, and neither of them have been known to appear in Hampshire County. According to MassWildlife, unless directly threatened or cornered, snakes tend to avoid people and predators.
“Anyone that encounters wildlife should keep their distance,” Smith said. “Individuals taking photos must do so from afar, for their own safety and that of the wildlife.”
Based on photographs provided to Mount Holyoke News by Nealon, the snake she encountered was likely an eastern ratsnake. According to the Wildlife and Pest Management page on the College’s website, this endangered species of snake can be found “by Upper and Lower Lakes, in wooded areas or peacefully warming itself in sunny spots.”
While the eastern ratsnake’s large size can be intimidating, the website stresses that the snake will not harm people if they give it space and leave it undisturbed. After Nealon took a few photos of the snake and warned a nearby pedestrian with a small dog, she left the encounter unharmed.
Devin Keith ’25, who spotted a large snake curled up outside of the Fimbel Maker and Innovation Lab last spring, reported a similarly harmless experience. “[The snake] was tense, before trying to slither away closer towards the [Fimbel] entrance door,” Keith said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “I watched it for a while, and it moved around a little bit to try and get away from people.” Keith also mentioned recently seeing a yellow and black snake on Upper Lake.
Woodlief McCabe ’23, a recent graduate, also recalled encountering a snake in September 2023 when they were crossing the Lower Lake
bridge. Though McCabe described themself as being “not very good at approximating lengths,” they estimated that the snake was “easily four to five feet long, and as thick as a bicycle tire.”
“It was resting on the asphalt before the bridge on the [Mandelle Hall] side, perpendicular to the path,” McCabe said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “The snake made its leisurely way across my path and slunk through the grasses
and into the banks of Lower Lake … I was caught off guard for sure, but not scared because I know that these types of snakes are not dangerous to people.”
We are so fortunate to be surrounded by such a beautiful and diverse ecosystem. It’s up to all of us to respect and protect it.
– Lori Smith
“This was ultimately a thrilling experience for me and I hope I get to see more snakes soon,” they concluded.
If an animal that appears to be sick or injured is encountered on campus, Smith recommends that students report it to Public Safety
and Service. In the highly unlikely event that a snake is found inside a College building, students should notify Facilities Management, who will then contact a licensed wildlife professional to remove it. Sightings of rare or endangered snakes can also be reported to MassWildlife through their website for data collection purposes.
“We are so fortunate to be surrounded by such a beautiful and diverse ecosystem,” Smith said. “It’s up to all of us to respect and protect it.”
Abigail McKeon ’26 contributed fact-checking.
Editor’s note: Prior to their graduation, Woodlief McCabe ’23 was a member of Mount Holyoke News.
Making the trek: Highlights from Mountain Day 2024
Submitted photo by Sarah Nealon ’25 Snakes have been sighted across Mount Holyoke’s campus by students around the Upper and Lower Lakes, especially around the Lower Lake bridge.
6 OPINION
Kamala Harris spent the debate catering to centrists. Here’s why.
BY PAIGE COMEAU ‘26 OPINION EDITOR
Following the Sept. 10 presidential debate broadcast on ABC News, many left-leaning voters were outraged at the strongly moderate or even rightward stances Vice President Kamala Harris took on many key issues. Harris debuted as a Democratic candidate who touts her gun ownership, advances plans to cut taxes and hopes to deregulate government involvement in people’s personal lives. As New York Times columnist Ross Douthat put it, Harris’ current administration is “springtime for neoliberalism,” a political approach that favors free markets and smaller governments; stances that are generally Republican pillars, not Democratic.
Despite the betrayal many Democrats and liberals may be feeling, Harris’ debate performance hardly harmed her polling numbers. In fact, in many traditionally liberal states like California and Maryland, Harris continues to hold a clear lead, with over 60% of eligible voters planning to vote blue.
I don’t agree with almost any of her stances, but … my other option is a straight fascist, so I don’t really have a choice in who I am voting for.
– August Longtine
It is this strange contradiction between public opinion and actual polling numbers that my analysis aims to reconcile. Harris’ strategy of invoking strongly centrist language and policies will work for her rather than against her, despite the anger it invokes in her liberal constituencies.
There are many issues that Harris supports in line with traditional Democratic standards, such as her belief in reproductive rights, government spending on infrastructure and the peaceful transfer of power following presidential election results. There are others, however, where she takes a more conservative or moderate stance. Here are some of her most controversial standpoints, as outlined in the New York Times and further seen in the debate.
Climate Change: Harris, like most other Democrats, favors the expansion of the Environmental Protection Agency, regulations on carbon emissions and US involvement in global climate agreements. Unlike many other Democrats, however, Harris does not support a general fracking ban, and hopes to combat climate change without ending the practice. In fact, during the debate, Harris bragged about U.S. oil and gas production, stating, “I am proud that as vice president over the last four years, we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy while we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels.”
Economy: Like many Democrats, Harris supports government spending, particularly via bills that will reinforce infrastructure or the American economy. She is also in favor of economic regulations that
will support the middle class, like a cap on credit card late fees, which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is currently pushing. Moreover, like her liberal predecessors, Harris supports the growth, rather than stagnation, of Medicare and Social Security. That being said, Harris supports large tax cuts, which is uncommon amongst Democrats. Further, she supports the instatement of certain tariffs, despite her public criticism of former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s trade policies. In a statement to the New York Times earlier this year, Charles Lutvak, a member of the Harris-Walz campaign, stated that the administration would “employ targeted and strategic tariffs to support American workers, strengthen our economy and hold our adversaries accountable.”
Foreign Policy/National Security: Issues around foreign policy and national security have become increasingly important with the current crises in the Middle East, particularly with the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war. While many leftists and Democrats strongly believe in stopping aid to Israel because of the humanitarian crisis as a result of their attempted genocide in Gaza, Harris has shown herself to be rather centrist on the issue.
According to Asha Castleberry-Hernandez, Mount Holyoke visiting lecturer in international relations and a former member of the Biden-Harris administration as a senior advisor in the state department, “[Harris] underscores the importance of humanity or human rights for the Palestinians and Jewish people who were victims of the October 7th attacks. She believes in supporting security for the State of Israel and expressed support for specific restrictions on capabilities that contribute to the humanitarian crisis. Harris underscores the importance of reinvigorating the two-state solution.”
Gun Control: In the wake of continued school shootings, liberals around the country are aiming for an increase in gun control; some particularly left-leaning Democrats may even be hoping to repeal the ability for the average American to own guns altogether. Nonetheless, while Harris does support harsher gun control, especially in gun purchasing, she does not stand behind any policies that either restrict gun ownership or guns altogether. This was only emphasized during the debate, when Harris stated, in response to a claim made by former President Trump, “And then this business about taking everyone’s guns away. Tim Walz and I are both gun own-
ers. We’re not taking anybody’s guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.”
Looking at the information above, it’s clear that Harris is attempting to take a centrist position on most issues, standing with the Democrats on some points, while leaning towards the right on others. While this sort of half-in, half-out strategy may seem strange and hypocritical to the average observer, it actually makes a lot of sense from a political standpoint. To understand this, it is first crucial to understand the importance of swing states.
Swing states gain their importance from the convoluted American presidential election system, known as the electoral college. Since the electoral college is incredibly complex, this article simplifies the system as follows: Each state gets a certain amount of votes, based on how many senators and representatives are given to said state. These votes, decided by that state’s popular vote, then go toward one presidential candidate; the candidate with the most votes exceeding 270 wins. Notably, the electoral college operates on a winner-takes-all system, which means that whoever wins the popular vote in each state gets all of that state’s votes. Because of this, presidential candidates tend to focus their campaign efforts on the states who don’t lean left or right — swing states — since their votes tend to matter the most in deciding who wins.
Swing states exist because of centrist voters, who do not lean particularly left or right. Instead, they want a candidate who is willing to look at the issues neutrally, and decide based on what is best for the people. Due to this, Harris needs to show herself as a moderate Democrat, since her political history leans rather left. Essentially, to win over the swing states and the election as a whole, Harris needs to take positions that are a little more conservative than most Democrats.
Mount Holyoke Assistant Professor of Politics Adam Hilton further explained the necessity of Harris’ approach in a statement to Mount Holyoke News. Particularly, Hilton stated that “Harris’s decision to run a relatively cautious campaign is understandable in a few ways.”
gender identity, Harris is a California democrat that has a public record of taking some quite progressive positions as recently as 2019. She appears to be making an effort to downplay these potential electoral liabilities to insulate herself from the attack that she is too liberal, too coastal, or, as Trump puts it, a ‘Marxist.’”
Harris’s decision to run a relatively cautious campaign is understandable in a few ways. First, she must confront the double standards that confront women and people of color who run for public office in the United States.
“First, she must confront the double standards that confront women and people of color who run for public office in the United States,” Hilton said. “Those of us with longer memories might remember that Barack Obama adopted a similar campaign strategy — and, later, a governing style — back in 2008. In addition to her racial and
– Professor Adam Hilton
Thus, as explained above, there is ample reason for Harris to play it more centrist during her campaign. This leaves just one more question to be answered: Why do liberal voters still vote for Harris if they are unhappy with her policy choices? The answer to this question lies in two political phenomena: capture, or polarization, and the spoiler effect. Capture occurs when a movement becomes so synonymous with a certain political party that other parties become hostile and the movement’s demographic loses their ability to move between parties. Since liberal ideas and movements have become entrenched in the Demo-
cratic Party, Republicans have become increasingly hostile towards liberals, and joining the Republican Party would be considerably worse for any leftists unhappy with Harris. Similarly, the spoiler effect, an idea often used to explain third-party despondency in the U.S., is when voters are afraid to “waste” their votes on smaller, unlikely parties in the case that the larger opposing party may win. Due to the spoiler effect, leftists are also unlikely to vote for smaller, more liberal parties like the Green Party, since they believe doing so will allow the Republicans to win, which, as stated above, is considerably worse for them.
These phenomena, and their effect on leftists unhappy with Harris, is demonstrated well within Mount Holyoke’s student body. Take Clara Tupitza ’26, for example: a leftist who, in a statement to MHN, explained their reluctant allyship with Harris after the debate.
“Kamala’s performance was phenomenal, but most definitely catered to moderates. Her mention of personal gun ownership and her silence on climate change spoke volumes about who she was trying to appeal to … I was always going to vote for the [D]emocratic candidate regardless of who it was, because they are the lesser of two evils. I don’t agree with a lot of her stances and I take great issue with Biden’s track record, but on the most basic level, I rely on the [D]emocratic party to ensure I maintain my human rights.”
This statement was echoed by August Longtine ’26, who also gave a statement on his opinions after the debate to MHN. According to Longtine, “[Harris] seemed to be pandering towards the more moderate or right leaning voters. I think that she is aware that most left-leaning voters are already almost guaranteed to vote for her, so she is trying to build up her moderate voter base, which is rather irritating.”
When asked if he was still going to vote for Harris, despite her performance on the debate stage, Longtine gave a look into the beliefs of many frustrated with Harris’ moderate policies: “I don’t agree with almost any of her stances, but … my other option is a straight fascist, so I don’t really have a choice in who I am voting for.”
While the election is still several weeks away, it is clear what direction the Democrats are heading in as politicians and voters. Harris and her allies will continue to push a centrist agenda that centers Harris’ ability to represent all American people, even those on the right of the political spectrum.Voters, on the other hand, will continue to feel ostracized by Harris’ choice in policy and advocacy. Nevertheless, when faced with the possibility of Republicans winning, leftists will push down reservations and vote blue. Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.
Photo of Kamala Harris Courtesy of Lawrence Jackson via Wikimedia Commons VP Harris has gotten some backlash for catering towards centrist voters during the debate.
Photo courtesy of Lawrence Jackson via Wikimedia Commons New York Times columnist Ross Douthat called Harris’s current administration a “springtime for neoliberalism,” after her centrist performance during the Trump-Harris debate on September 10, 2024.
Transgender literature class offered in fall semester
BY ISABEL DUNN ’27 STAFF WRITER
The 2024-25 academic year marks the tenth anniversary of transgender and gender-nonconforming inclusive admissions at Mount Holyoke College. In celebration, a number of events dedicated to the trans, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary community are happening around campus under the name TGNC10. Also held on campus this semester is a class on transgender literature taught by Visiting Assistant Lecturer in English Dr. Jude Hayward-Jansen. Although Hayward-Jansen’s class was not created with TGNC10 in mind, its course goals are in line with the project’s mission: uplifting trans voices and celebrating trans stories.
In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Hayward-Jansen said that they created the syllabus with a broad framework of trans literature in mind.
“In the beginning of the course, we read a lot of autobiographies and memoirs, because a lot of the early texts that we have in trans literature were memoirs that were very much in conversation … with the medical field,” they said.
Later in the semester, the class will explore poetry by trans people. Hayward-Jansen wanted to high-
light the trans poetics movement, as well as some local authors. The unit includes works from Samuel Ace, a judge from last year’s Glascock Poetry Contest, and Joy Ladin, who presented her new poetry collection “Family” at Mount Holyoke on Sept. 23.
One of Hayward-Jansen’s favorite works of trans literature, “Detransition, Baby” by Torrey Peters, is also featured on the syllabus. “I think [the book] has become like a real, foundational text, even though it’s not very old,” they said. “Torrey Peters does a really good job of giving a snapshot of trans femme life … and the difficulty of transition, that it’s oftentimes not just this joyous thing, but it’s also something that has a lot of grief in it, and I think that’s part of the story that doesn’t always get told.”
Hayward-Jansen noticed that young adult literature stood out as a notable sphere of emerging trans writing, and they wanted to present this trend in their class. “One of the things that we really see is that YA lit is kind of where a lot of queer and trans literature … is coming out,” they said. “It’s really exciting to see in young adult fiction.”
The growing inclusion of trans characters in young adult novels is evident. The year of 2024 alone has seen many young adult publications
by trans authors. “Most Ardently” by Gabe Cole Novoa is a historical fiction retelling of “Pride and Prejudice.” Kacen Callendar’s “Infinity Alchemist” is the first book in a new fantasy series. “This Day Changes Everything” by Edward Underhill features a contemporary romance. Andrew Joseph White, who is known for his work in the speculative fiction genre, recently published his third novel, “Compound Fracture.”
When asked for their thoughts on why young adult literature has emerged as such a prominent space for trans literature, Hayward-Jansen said, “I think that YA literature is imaginative and creative in this way that really appeals to the trans experience as this very creative process of building bodies and building identities. So it seems like that would go really hand in hand.”
The course closes with another one of Hayward-Jansen’s favorite works of trans literature: “Freshwater” by Akwaeke Emezi. “The main character kind of goes through a transition process, but also while they’re exploring their indigenous identity. So it really pairs those two things together,” Hayward-Jansen said.
Moving forward, Hayward-Jansen said that they are open to changes to the course. “I really want the
What did MHC students read this summer?
BY LORA JUSHCHENKO ’25
Not only was this the summer of Charli XCX’s “Brat” for some, it was also a summer of books. Although summer is gone and the leaves are starting to turn, some books make for great reads no matter the season. From memoirs to romances, here are the summer reads of a few Mount Holyoke College students, in their own words: “Red White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston: “I got recommended the book by multiple of my own friends. We love enemies to lovers and gay people relationships! I heard it was made into a movie and now I want to watch it so badly.” –Georgia Shen ’25
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz: “I liked [it] for its intriguing profile of a girl whose identity is built off a world she never knew. It’s a tragic tale, but how can it be tragic for her when she never knew the world she lost? I was struck with the urge to create something based on this story as soon as I finished it. The structure is also unique — it’s a short 120-page novel with no chapters — and I truly felt like I was experiencing her life with her. Phenomenal book about apocalypse, womanhood and culture.” –Max Paster ’25
“All This Could Be Different” by Sarah Thankam Mathews: “A story that felt like one in my own friend group. The author so naturally debated theoretical ideas around mutual aid without coming off as preachy! [The book] did an amazing job humanizing the post-college experience as well. I [also] audio booked it which I think added to it.” –Karis Knoll ’25
“Strong Female Character” by Fern Brady: “[A] really interesting memoir about a bisexual Scottish comedian who talks about her life before and after getting diagnosed with autism as an adult[.] [S]ome parts of it are really heavy, so be aware that it does talk a lot about mental health — specifically self harm.” –Berit Holden ’25
“The Palace of Eros” by Caro De Robertis– “It’s a queer retelling of the myth of Psyche and Eros, with really cool non-binary representation with the character of Eros. I think that anyone who likes Greek mythology [and] poetic writing would have a ton of fun.” –Talia Pott ’25
“Free Food for Millionaires” by Min Jin Lee: “I think the exploration of class is really interesting. I like how imperfect the narrator is. I’ve read reviews that say she’s super full of herself and [that she’s] annoying, but I really like how she’s really
flawed and kind of just figuring out life. Generally I like Asian American contemporary literature, and I love New York, and it’s like two in one. There’s [also] this kind of weird wrestling with relationships and religion in her life, which is kind of funky.” –Alison Foong ’25
“The Illuminae Files” by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: “An epistolary novel which braids together interview transcripts, maps, radio logs, DMs and a variety of other inventive sources into a cohesive and interesting sci-fi story. It’s definitely gimmicky, but the gimmick works. Although some of the threads never perfectly tie in, on the whole it is a very satisfying work. Unexpectedly moving for a book in which space zombies feature so prominently.” –Mayan Caplan ’25
Editor’s note: Max Paster ’25 is a member of Mount Holyoke News.
Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.
second half of the class to evolve and evolve quickly. I’m very open to new titles, so I’m always seeking those out.”
The class will not be offered next semester, but Hayward-Jansen recommended looking into Asso -
ciate Professor of English Andrea Lawlor’s Queer and Trans Writing course after Lawlor returns from their leave for the 2024-25 academic year.
Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.
Event Highlights
Saturday, Oct. 5
The Lady of Medieval Song
Medieval Europe rang with the words “my lady,” “our lady,” “fair lady,” “beautiful lady” and so on, or so the songs would have us believe. But who was this lady, these ladies?
Allison Monroe (vielle, rebec, voice, psaltery), Director of the Five College Early Music Program and Artistic Director of medieval ensemble Trobár, welcomes guest artists Scott Metcalfe (vielle, harp; Blue Heron) and Allen Otte (percussion; Trobár) for an exploration of medieval songs about the lady, to the lady, and by the lady.
This event is free and open to the public. McCulloch Auditorium, Pratt Music Hall, 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 6
Tulip Tune-Up at the Jeanette Marks House
Are you a member of the queer community? Come help care for your community garden by tuning up our garden with tulips! Jeanette Marks House, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 10
Mussolini’s Seizure of Power: Fascism, Violence and Rhetoric
Join the Italian program for a talk on Mussolini’s seizure of power, featuring speaker Michael R. Ebner from Syracuse University. Co-sponsored by the Valentine Giamatti Fund and the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives.
New York Room, Mary Woolley Hall, 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Mount Holyoke Cross Country places fourth among Division III teams
BY GENEVIEVE ZAHNER ’26 SPORTS EDITOR
Among 30 participating Division III cross country teams, Mount Holyoke College placed fourth at the multi-divisional University of Massachusetts Dartmouth invitational, persevering through rain and mud. Connecticut College, Keene State College and Westfield State University placed in front of the Lyons at the meet on Sept. 21.
“The meet course this week was pretty flat and fast and there were so many schools including [Division I] schools like Boston College, Northeastern [University] and Brown [University] so I knew that the race I would be running would be highly competitive and fast. I went into it thinking that I run my own race and it doesn’t really matter where everyone else is,” Anjali Phadnis ’27, who came in 191st place out of 346 runners, said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. Coming in 1st for Mount Holy-
oke and 13th within the Division III runners was Tessa Lancaster ’25, also coming in 55th place out of 346 overall with a time of 19:16.25. 2ndfor Mount Holyoke and 71st overall was Elizabeth Gerbi ’25 with a time of 19:30.16. 3rd for the Lyons and 90th overall was Kim Beaver ’25 who ran the course in 19:42.35. 4th and 5th for Mount Holyoke were Greta Trapp ’25, who finished in 20:23.78, and Dalia Luckhardt ’27, who finished in 20:58.40. They came in 145th and 181st respectively.
“We joked about this meet being the chance to revisit our childhood joy of jumping into puddles and getting muddy just because it was fun, and that’s exactly what we did,” Phadnis said. “It shows just how awesome the team dynamic is and even when everything feels grim and cloudy, we make it feel good.”
Five runners participated in the junior varsity race: Megan Gerbi ’28, Katie Earle ’26, Maya Evans ’26, Anita Konokopa ’27 and Katherine Herring ’28. Out of 174 runners, Me-
gan Gerbi finished 54th in 21:23.71, Earle placed 73rd in 21:55.14, and Evans placed 77th in 22:05.64. Konokopa and Herring finished after them,
placing in 87th with a time of 22:25.44 and 88th with a time of 22:25.95, respectively. “Going into the race, I felt ner-
vous but excited. My teammates’ great team spirit and motivation helped me stay positive amidst the constant rain and mud,” Herring said in an email to Mount Holyoke News.
“We have so much great talent this year and are getting stronger with each meet,” Earle said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “Even our very first meet back … went really well for a lot of people, so I am super optimistic that we are going to place really well in future races and during championship season.”
“I’m proud of us for making the best of some really not ideal conditions and not letting that psych us out. Instead we had fun and played in the mud,” Earle said. Mount Holyoke Cross Country next competes at the Keene State Invitational on Oct. 5 at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. Gemma Golovner ’25 contributed fact-checking.
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics MHC cross country placed fourth out of 30 teams at last weekend’s UMass Darthmouth invitational.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Students at Mount Holyoke share the huge variety of great reads they engaged with this summer.
Graphic by Betty Smart ‘26
BY ELSPETH HOWLAND ’26 AND AMELIA POZNIAK ’26
HOROSCOPE WRITERS
Aug. 23 – Sept. 22
Indecision is a poison. This week you must practice making choices and sticking with them. It’s a muscle you desperately need to work out. Start small and work your way up, there is no decision too little.
Do’s: Fan edits, autumn road trip, docuseries
Don’ts: Glen Powell, tantrums, breaking wishbones
Sept. 23 – Oct. 22
Is it what you really want or is it just more than what you had before?
Slow down to avoid burning out. Celebrations are a great time to call in favors. Pass the burden of chores you don’t want to someone else.
Do’s: Matcha, new pair of crocs, answering your phone
Don’ts: Indecision, forgetting plans, treating LinkedIn like a dating app
Oct. 23 – Nov. 21
An old lesson is about to be relevant again. Take stock of what is around you. If the world feels colorless, go pumpkin picking with friends. Those who value you will show that you’re the best pumpkin in the patch.
Do’s: Stargazing, club meetings, themed parties
Don’ts: Eight hours of screen time, overthinking, changing passwords
Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
Open yourself to new mindsets. What worked before won’t always be the best. Be careful of who you keep around you. Their actions reflect your character.
Do’s: Your roommate agreement, Sex and the City, Quilts Don’ts: Late Usefulls, foggy windshields, mini coopers
Mount Holyoke News
Mount Holyoke News is an independent student newspaper written by and for Mount Holyoke College students since 1917.
Executive Board
Editor-in-Chief
Tara Monastesse ’25
Managing Editor of Content
Emily Tarinelli ’25
Managing Editor of Layout
Rachel Adler ’26
Copy Chief Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27
News
Madelyn Dalley ’27
Arts & Entertainment
Sarah Berger ’27
Opinion Paige Comeau ’26
Books Sophie Frank ’26
Global Elizabeth Murray ’26 & Mira Crane ’27
Sports Genevieve Zahner ’26
Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
Don’t struggle against the tide when you know how to swim. The best path isn’t the easiest one. Try seeing things through before writing them off.
Do’s: Crystal balls, MHC Bridge Club. impromptu road trips
Don’ts: Caffeine, ignoring your alarm, late night study sessions
Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
Is everyone against you or do you just need a better sleep schedule? Stop over committing to things that aren’t necessary and save time for things that will pay off. You know what you really need, even if the voices saying otherwise are persuasive.
Do’s: Graphic tees, Skinner Green, Sony angels Don’ts: Skipping your Friday class, Twitter feuds, leaving the Brita unfilled.
Feb. 19 – March 20
Change it up before it’s too late. No one will remember what you wore that day, but everyone will remember your Spotify wrapped. You’re only the you of now once, so make sure to be someone you look back on fondly.
Do’s: Radiohead, cherry flavored lip balm, reading your emails
Don’ts: Ghosting, last minute Halloween costumes, jorts in October
March 21 – April 19
Aries, it’s time for cordiality. Set down your horns and put some slippers on — it’s for your own peace, not theirs. Enjoy your time with friends and let the fall weather take over. It’s a time for comfort and a time to slow down.
Do’s: Heating pads, baby powder, string lights
Don’ts: Spice level 1, pulling out threads, matching socks
Publisher Melanie Duronio ’26
Managing Editors of Web Scarlett Han ’25 and Cal Smith ’26
Business Manager
Gabriella Rodriguez ’27
Human Resources Abigail McKeon ’26
Editorial Board
Features Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25
Science & Environmental Silas Gemma ’26
Photos Emma Quirk ’26 & Zeyu Zhao ’27
Graphics Betty Smart ’26
Layout Editors Jiyang (Barbara) Chen ’25, Sophie Dalton ’25, Summer Sit ’25 & Leah Royes ’27
Publication Guidelines
Copy Editors Angela Drake ’25, Mackenzie Fleming ’25, Gemma Golovner ’25, Meghan MacBeath ’25, Kamlyn Yosick ’25, Sophia Baldwin ’26, Sophie Glasco ’26, Eva Hanson ’26, Brianna Janeira ’26, Camila Juarbe ’26, Kate Koenig ’26, Abigail McKeon ’26, Ellen Tang ’26, Genevieve Breen ’27, Melissa Geller ’27, Namuuna Negi ’27, Karishma Ramkarran ’27, Sofia Ramon ’27 & Gabriella Tonn ’27
Web Editors Ama Abrokwa ’26, Amanda Adjei ’27, Casey Chee ’26, Annette Martekuor Darpoh ’27 & Sadia Tijjani ’27
Mount Holyoke News does not endorse any of the opinions or views expressed within the pages of the paper, excluding staff editorials. All content copyright of Mount Holyoke News. All rights reserved. Mount Holyoke News does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age.
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Interest in advertising in MHN can be directed to mhnews@mtholyoke.edu for pricing and deadlines.
MHN reserves the right to refuse submissions on the basis of, but not limited to, advertisements considered to be libelous, obscene, defamatory or discriminatory.
Subscriptions
Mount Holyoke News is a biweekly publication that prints throughout the academic year. To join our mailing list, please contact the Publisher at mhnews@mtholyoke.edu.
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor appear exactly as they are sent to MHN, except for corrections to spelling, grammar and AP style. Letters cannot exceed 500 words. All letters must include the writer’s name and telephone number for verification purposes. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Names may be held upon request with the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. MHN reserves the right to decide which materials will be printed. Email submissions to mhnews@mtholyoke.edu by Sundays at 5 p.m. for publication the following week. EMAIL US: mhnews@mtholyoke.edu VISIT US: www.mountholyokenews.com www.facebook.com/mountholyokenews www.twitter.com/mtholyokenews_
April 20 – May 20
Something is coming your way — something material. You can either take it into your own hands or wait for someone to take it into theirs (in the form of a gift). But be careful, if you are TOO eager you might not get what you want. Let your heart speak.
Do’s: Hygge, Blanch lemonade mocktail, trainers Don’ts: Dropping hints, hunching, instagram.com
May 21 – June 20
Keep your friends close but your strangers closer. You don’t need to let new people in (in fact, the stars are not aligned for you to make new BFFLs) but know that everybody comes with their own knowledge and perspectives. It is a time to listen and learn.
Do’s: Personal pizza, MGMT, Wonka Don’ts: Tightrope walking, Rockbot, Nerds gummy clusters
June 21 – July 22
The sun is setting earlier and this does not sit well with you. Where summer was your season, fall is not so much. Although your emotions may feel overwhelming, remember that the waves ebb and the tide eventually goes out. Find comfort in the little things, journal and share your feelings with others.
Do’s: Stargazing, tic tac toe, women’s sports
Don’ts: Homemade pasta, lamenting, men’s sports
July 23 – Aug. 22
Good job, Leo. You’ve been on the grind. But maybe it’s time to cut yourself some slack… although the stars do not condone bad habits, they think you have leeway to take some time off. Make sure you don’t feel bad about it, either.
Do’s: Feeding pigeons, Carrie Diaries, stone soup
Don’ts: Ranch dressing, spontaneous combustion, Renoir