This year’s seniors — the Yellow Sphinxes — celebrate their class pride at the 2021 Convocation.
Associate Dean of Students for Com munity and Belonging Latrina Den son gave opening remarks. Denson remarked that the opening was a moment the community had antic ipated and worked toward. Denson acknowledged the ceremony as an opportunity to honor Banteah, fac ulty, staff, students and members of the community of Native and Indig
Photo by Rosemary Geib ’23 Blue signs posted around campus direct arriving students and guests through the move in process.
Before entering the new space, attendees gathered outside of Ham Hall by Upper Lake to perform a blessing. Guests gathered around in a circle and were handed tobac co leaves to hold in their left hand, which were smudged with smoke.
Before giving the blessing, Spot ted Crow Mann shared that he be gan his storytelling and education al work after battling alcoholism.
Photo by Gillian Petrarca ’23 Latrina Denson delivers opening remarks and background on the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center.
enous origin. Denson then invited attendees to sign a green book to be placed in the College archives to remember the attendees of the open ing.
Students navigate new COVID-19 testing guidelines as they arrive to the College
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1917 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 MOUNTHOLYOKENEWS.COM
BY ANOUSHKA KUSWAHA ’24 & TARA MONASTESSE ’25 NEWS EDITORS
Some athletes, however, are sched uled to have their first game of the season this Sunday. This presents a scheduling challenge, according to rugby player Ava Healy ’24. Despite these setbacks, this year’s Convoca tion will take place on a day forecast ed to be sunny and breezy, bringing together new and returning students
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for Convocation is Sunday, Sept. 18 — scheduled in part to accommodate student athletes, who frequently have games or meets on Saturdays.
monarch in British histo ry, taking the throne at the age of 73, according to The New York Times.
4 Opinion: Reality TV abandons authenticity6u3 A&E: Looted art repatriated from the Met Global: Ethiopian students celebrate New Yearuu
Photo by Gillian Petrarca ’23 Zowie Banteah ’96 and family traveled to the opening of the new Zowie Banteah Cultural Center.
Denson specially thanked Ju liette Gagnon Strong Heart ’24 for her work in helping create the new
The lack of testing available prior to the beginning of the school year indicates that it could become increasingly difficult for students to access testing outside of the cam pus as the year progresses, and has raised concerns for health safety among students.
“I wish the College had more options to get tested for [COVID-19]. The only way to get tested is if you have symptoms but I’m concerned about the spread of [COVID-19] with
Spotted Crow Mann thanked Zowie Banteah and her family per sonally. Banteah then led everyone into the space for the first time.
BY ANOUSHKA KUSWAHA ’24 NEWS EDITOR
After being led into the Center,
The queen’s death paved the way for her son, Charles III, to assume the throne. In a break from tradition, he will be retaining his given name as his regnal name — King Charles III. King Charles is the oldest person
Photo by Ali Meizels ’23
caused in our communities.”
Content warning: This article men tions anti-Indigenous violence and addiction.
Whileeasier.”biweekly asymptomatic testing is no longer required for stu dents, as was College policy during the previous academic year, symp tomatic testing is still available upon request through College Health Ser vices.However, it did not escape stu dents’ attention that out-of-school testing was a non-feasible option. “I called a local Walgreens near cam
pus but they said they weren’t do ing [COVID-19] testing,” explained Jones when discussing why she had to get tested on campus.
Over the summer break, the Mount Holyoke College communi ty waited to see how the pandem ic would impact the community’s modes of learning and lifestyle on campus this semester. The impact would begin with how the communi ty would approach its campus movein process for the 2022-2023 academ ic
Queen Elizabeth II of the Unit ed Kingdom died at 96 years old on Sept. 8, 2022, at her Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle, according to BBC News. The former queen acceded to the British throne in 1952, following the death of her father, King George V. Her 70-year reign is the longest in British history, according to CNBC.
One of Mount Holyoke’s most iconic traditions, Convocation, has seen both rain and shine since its formal kickoff in 1931. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020’s Con vocation was entirely virtual. After a triumphant return in 2021, 2022’s Convocation has been rescheduled due to anticipated heavy rain on the original date of Sept. 6. As stated in an email to the community from the Office of the President, the new date
BY GILLIAN PETRARCA ’23 STAFF WRITER
Photo courtesy of Julian Calder via WikiMedia QueenCommonsElizabeth II, above, pictured in 2011.
After months of preparation, the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center officially opened in its new space be tween Ham and MacGregor Halls on Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. The event was at tended by the center’s namesake — Zowie Banteah ’96 — and her family, as well as students, staff and faculty.
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bless the space.
Queen Elizabeth, dies at age 96
Larry Spotted Crow Mann of the Nip muc Tribe performed the blessing.
Students interviewed by Mount Holyoke News about their move-in experience primarily chose to utilize the on-campus testing option to ob tain a COVID-19 test. The opportuni ty to test on campus was particularly convenient for some, as the limited testing time of 24 hours made it dif ficult to receive a test at surround ing pharmacies while coordinating travel to campus, Emily Jones ’23 expressed.Some students were wary of the delay to the move-in process that was advertised on the Fall 2022 Move-In website, should they choose to get tested on campus. Felix Law ton ’24 expressed initial reservations about getting tested on campus for this reason. Lawton was also con cerned with getting tested within the required timeframe, but voiced how the availability of testing on campus made the move-in process go “smoothly.”Jonesalso voiced interest in get ting tested before arriving on cam pus to quicken her move-in process but was unable to do so as the near by pharmacy where she sought out a test no longer offered [COVID-19]
Spotted Crow Mann said that he takes a holistic approach to dealing with the trauma that Indigenous people may face. “I am so excited about what the youth are doing, what the elders are sharing and how we have access like never be fore,” Spotted Crow Mann said. “[My tribe] has more land now than we [have] had the last 300 years. When my great grandfather had his land, they took his land. … I am grateful to be here on this land of my people, to touch it and talk to all of you in a place that they weren’t even allowed to come on Spotted…”Crow Mann then gave aprayer in the Nipmuc language to
New Zowie Banteah Cultural Center opens in new space
year.AJuly 28 letter to the commu nity from Interim President Bev erly Daniel Tatum announced that three-layer face masks would be re quired within indoor campus spaces until Sept. 16. This date was later extended to Sept. 30 as noted by The Health and Safety Committee in a Sept. 14 letter to the community.
Spotted Crow Mann attributed the start of his recovery to watching a documentary about how Christo pher Columbus brought alcohol and drugs to the Indigenous people. “Ev ery generation suffered surfing our land and the deeds, and on and on it goes. All the health experiences that we suffer today [are] from that poison,” Spotted Crow Mann said. “I spent my entire life … [sharing with] young native people that [they] don’t have to drink or take drugs to have a good life. … I spread that message to all people to see the rapidness that it
Mount Holyoke News
tests.“I got tested when I came to campus, and that was such an easy process,” said Talya Denis ’24, a res ident of Creighton Hall. “I just decid ed to do it at the school. I thought it would be
Convocation delayed due to anticipated heavy rain
Content warning: This article dis cusses ableism.
The July update also requested that residential students receive a negative test result within 24 hours before their move-in time. For stu dents unable to provide third-party documentation of a negative test result, on-campus testing was made available upon arrival.
“I ask that we all celebrate by doing the work that needs to hap pen in these spaces that are Indige nous. It takes Indigenous people to show you. … I say that because we have the knowledge of this land. … We’re here to guide those allies and accomplish them and help them. So with that, I pray for this space to be a place of learning, sharing, teach ing and coming together [for] social justice and collaboration.” Spotted Crow Mann prayed.
Buckingham Palace announced her death at 6:30 p.m. BST. News of the monarch’s death followed an ear ly-afternoon statement from Buck ingham Palace announcing that the queen had been placed under med ical supervision, according to The New York Times. Her cause of death remains unknown.
BY MICHELLE BRUMLEY ’24 STAFF WRITER
I think it was the only place I’ve experienced during the pandemic where I was not very worried about contracting it.”
Under these new guidelines, stu dents were required to have a neg ative COVID-19 test before arriving on campus. However, weekly testing is no longer required for students throughout the school year. Instead, only those who are symptomatic may receive a test through College Health
With the signatures and con cerns from fellow students, alums, faculty and parents from the petition in mind, Conye and Guzman brought their efforts to the school’s attention in an email sent to Dean of Students Amber Douglas, Health Services, Medical Director Cheryl Flynn, the Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculty and Disability Services.
dents without access to a car to get tested. Coyne and Guzman’s email also reflects on the impact that in surance may have on one’s ability to obtain a test and the effect purchas ing a test would have on low-income families.Intheir email, Coyne and Guz man also mentioned the effective ness of masking, drawing attention to a Boston University study pub lished by the American Medical As sociation that demonstrates the im portance of masking in a classroom.
– Sophie Coyne ’23
At the commencement of the Fall 2022 semester the petition had accumulated 346 signatures. In addi tion, several of those who had signed it were inclined to comment on their reasoning for returning guidelines to their previous state.
In this email, Conye and Guzman brought up the three main points in their petition, expanding their rea soning. They remarked on the im pacts of relaxing guidelines last year
“I remember reading [the new guidelines] and being like — we could do better. We can do better. Why aren’t we doing better?” Guzman said.
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September 16, 2022 . Mount Holyoke News
Guzman is passionate about fighting for this issue because they have seen that other students are worried about the new policies as well.“I
Also, generally — as some body who is …pusimmunocompromisedpotentiallyoratleastchronicallyill—it’sreallyscary.Iknowforotherchronicallyillanddisabledstudentsoncamthiscanbeverymuchalifeordeaththing.Butalso[COVID-19]candisableanyone.
HAUSKNECHT-BROWN ’25 FEATURES EDITOR | MANAGING EDITOR OF LAYOUT & FEATURES EDITOR
and the effect it had on students, in cluding an uptick in COVID-19 cases. They went on to state that students who catch COVID-19 not only will be unable to make it to class, fall behind and potentially lose academic stand ing, but they run the risk of passing it on to other students, especially if they are asymptomatic. In addition, both Coyne and Guzman empha sized in their email that this virus, doesn’t just affect disabled students but can cause disabilities as well, cit ing a Time article which states, “A study posted online in June as a pre print (meaning it had not yet been peer-reviewed) found that reinfec tion adds ‘non-trivial risks’ of death, hospitalization and post-COVID health conditions, on top of those accumulated from an initial SARSCoV-2 infection. Organ failure, heart disease, neurologic conditions, dia betes and more have been linked to SARS-CoV-2 infections.”
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StudentsFEATURESfightfor stricter campus COVID-19 regulations
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For Soli Guzman ’24, the new policy did not meet the needs of vulnerable students in the College community. “I remember being ex tremely angry because the school is constantly saying that ‘We care about our students, we care about our trans students, we care about our disabled students’ and they pull shit like this,” Guzman stated.
BY REBECCA GAGNON ’23 JESSE
“Since then, it’s kind of become my goal, my mis sion, to do better because if the school can’t do it, I can do Coyneit.” ex pressed a similar idea as to why they chose to begin the petition. “We were like, ‘If we’re going to email [the College], it will look better if there are more people on that side.’
It also gets the word out to students who, coming into the year, weren’t thinking about how [COVID-19] might be on campus, since there is [such] broad support, at least, for testing. Also for continuing masking if there’s no testing, because people liked the peace of mind of it.”
To conclude the communica tion, Coyne and Guzman reminded the College about the importance of providing accommodations for the students most at risk from COVID-19 and ensuring that all students feel
“As a school that claims to be so progressive, we should be on the forefront of protecting disabled stu dents and protecting students from becoming disabled, potentially,” Coyne stated. “I don’t want to wait until we have a student die of it, be cause that would be horrific. Luckily, nothing like that has happened yet, but you shouldn’t have to be forced to walk into a classroom where you might catch a deadly illness, and none of your classmates are poten tially protected from it either.”
Photo by Carmen Mickelson ’24 Pitcuted above, the COVID-19 Testing Center, which isn’t currently operating. While students were required to test twice a week during the last school year, they are not required to test at all this year.
Content warning: This article dis cusses ableism.
From these concerns arose an idea to begin a petition demanding that the College return to its pre vious guidelines to keep the entire
After reading the newsletter, students, faculty, staff, alums and parents of the Mount Holyoke com munity have expressed concerns about the new guidelines and their ability to keep people safe.
I remember reading [the new guidelines] and being like — we could do better. We can do better. Why ar en’t we doing better? Since then, it’s kind of become my goal, my mission, to do better because if the school can’t do it, I can do it.
comfortable and safe returning to the campus for another semester.
think our biggest push was seeing disabled students on Insta gram complaining and being like, ‘I don’t feel safe.’ On top of that, seeing people on Twitter being like, ‘This doesn’t feel good for us,’” Guzman stated.Speaking from personal experi ence, Guzman went on to point out that it is not possible to know which community members may be im pacted by shifts in COVID-19 restric tions. “I’m disabled [and] I don’t look it. … I already have an autoimmune disease and for me — as someone who took an entire year online — the most important thing is for me to have a normal college experience. I have worked too hard to get here and not have Althoughthat.”Coyne stated that they had low expectations for their email to the College, they and Guz man did receive a response from the Health and Safety Committee. In their response, the Committee stat ed that vaccinations are still “one of the most effective ways to limit spread and severity” of COVID-19 and to that extent, “The College will continue to require all students and employees to receive a primary COVID-19 vaccination series and one booster for the 2022–2023 academic year.” In addition to this, the email also expressed that, since the CDC changed their guidelines to reflect that an asymptomatic person who has not knowingly been exposed to COVID-19 does not need to be test ed, the College would not mandate it. However, every student may obtain a test through College Health Ser vices.In addition, the Committee stat ed that they plan to monitor Hamp shire County’s COVID-19 levels and make determinations based on their statistics. Finally, if any students wish to mask, they may. Immuno compromised students can contact Disability Services to discuss any ac commodations that may be made in the classroom or help them through these guideline changes.
Petitions, signatures, demands and fear are just a few of the re actions that arose in the Mount Holyoke community when the an nouncement of relaxed COVID-19 regulations were heard.
After three semesters of re quired twice weekly testing for COVID-19 in addition to masking in virtually all public indoor areas, the College has now determined that these regulations and procedures will be removed for the 2022-2023 ac ademic year.
Coyne feels the new policy is potentially dangerous for the health and safety of disabled and immu nocompromised members of the Mount Holyoke community. “Also, generally — as somebody who is potentially immunocompromised or at least chronically ill — it’s re ally scary,” Coyne said. “I know for other chronically ill and disabled students on campus this can be very much a life or death thing. But also … [COVID-19] can disable anyone.”
After receiving this email, Conye and Guzman responded again to the Health and Safety Committee asking
The anonymous student echoed this sentiment and explained that they feel unsafe as a chronically ill, high risk student. They stressed the fact that all students — including able-bodied ones — are at risk of se vere health complications. “Even if one believes that they will not get se verely ill if they contract [COVID-19], more and more studies are showing the incredibly dangerous, long term impacts of this disease, even [in] mild cases. … The risk of all of this is known to only increase with each repeatedWithoutinfection.”freetesting provided by the College, Coyne and Guzman are concerned about the inaccessibil ity of COVID-19 tests. Pioneer Valley iting,drive-thrunowpharmaciesgreatIntobusinessalignthatofferedandAuthorityTransitbusesshuttlesareattimesmaynotwithlocalhoursobtaintesting.addition,anumberofareprioritizingtestwhichmakesdifficultforstu
– Soli Guzman ’24
“Without required asymptomat ic testing it’s impossible for anyone to make informed decisions — also rendering it impossible for the Col lege to make changes if there were (and with conditions as they are, this is very likely) a large-scale break out on campus,” an anonymous Mount Holyoke junior wrote in the com ment section of the petition. “No required asymptomatic testing = no information. If no changes are made to the current plan in time for the se
Another alum, Lauren Fuller ’22, stated, “I signed the petition because I support the Mount Holyoke com munity, and I believe that everyone in our commu nity deserves to access our spaces with min imal risk. I feel we have an ob ligation to min imize [the] risk of butnotcommunityeveryoneassurancewhereplacewasMounteverCOVID-19contractingwherpossible.…HolyoketheonlyIlivedinIhadthethatinmywasonlymasked,testedfrequently.
“I was really frustrated about it because I felt like in the past couple of years, … this was kind of a bub ble that was safer,” Sophie Coyne ’24 expressed. “That was something that made me feel a lot safer … being on campus and more comfortable, at times relaxing my own [COVID-19] restrictions because I was aware of what the [COVID-19] rates on cam pus were like, or if the people around me were getting tested.”
mester to start, student, faculty and staff safety is going to be actively un dermined.”After returning to campus, the aforementioned student’s wor ries have only gotten worse. They described feeling like they know COVID-19 is going around campus and are scared that there is no way to know the full extent of the prob lem without regular testing. “As re cently as this week, I’ve spoken to an RA who told me that their residents have come to them, panicking, when their roommate has [COVID-19], not knowing what else to do,” they said. “One student has even gone as far as to sleep in the common room to try and avoid Communityinfection.”members, not just those physically on campus current ly, are concerned about the College’s new policies. Anneke Craig ’22 add ed a comment on the petition which read: “I’m a ’22 grad. Last year, MHC’s exceptional COVID policies kept me, my fellow students, and my loved ones — including immunocom promised and health care worker family members — much safer. With out the testing program and masks, my parents and sibling would not have been able to see me graduate. I urge the college to reconsider this decision and restore the testing and masking policies for this year. Pro tect disabled students, faculty, staff and community members now!”
On July 28, 2022, Interim Presi dent Beverly Daniel Tatum distrib uted a newsletter to the community about the new expectations in place for the upcoming semester, under which COVID-19 regulations were loosened. In the newsletter, Tatum wrote, “While we have not yet reached a point where we can offi cially say that COVID-19 has moved fully from a pandemic stage to an en demic one, strategies are shifting, lo cally, nationally and internationally, toward policies that help us live with COVID-19 as an ever-present part of our daily lives. To that end, we are aiming to return to pre-pandemic operations as much as possible, with some additional precautions in place for the launch of the semester.”
wear masks in any non-dining, indoor public space at all times — mask mandates for this semester tentatively end on Septem ber 30, as announced by the College’s Health and Safety Committee on Sept. 14. Another change is that vis itors are now welcomed back to the College at any point. All guests are asked to self assess symptoms while overnight guests must be registered and fully vaccinated.
community safe. This petition was started by Coyne and Guzman on change.org and circulated to a vari ety of members of the Mount Holy oke community throughout the sum mer of 2022.
In the introduction of the pe tition, Coyne and Guzman call to all students, faculty, and staff to truly think about the guidelines for the upcoming year and if they keep the community safe. The doc ument states, “Previous relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions led to in creased cases on campus, particular ly toward the end of spring semester 2022, and it is deeply concerning that [COVID-19] precautions that proved effective this past year are not going to be available this upcoming semes ter.”To this extent, Coyne and Guz man asked for the reinstatement of mandatory asymptomatic testing twice a week for all students and staff, that mask mandates remain in indoor facilities — especially class rooms — to reduce the risk of the spread of airborne diseases and a call for “a more detailed action plan” on the emergent monkeypox virus.
funding the College received from the government has been used?” In addition to their questions, Coyne and Guzman stated that if testing was no longer an option available this academic year, mandatory masking in classrooms is the most effective alternative proven to keep students, faculty and staff safe.
Coyne and Guzman want to stand up not only for their concerns, but also the concerns of parents, alums, faculty and other students who do not feel able to stand up for themselves.“Iwant the student body to fight for this,” Guzman finished.
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Metropolitan Museum of Art under scrutiny for possessing trafficked antiquities
and not face any consequences?”
3ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTSeptember 16, 2022 . Mount Holyoke News
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Graphic by Sunny Wei
Both students feel as though student voices are not being heard under the COVID-19 guidelines and wish to keep pursuing the matter.
The seizure was conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Antiquities Trafficking Unit. The group — which includes art experts, criminal investigators and prosecutors — tackles issues re lating to the “elite” side of the New York art scene and the repatriation of looted artwork, according to The Atlantic. The methods by which The Met collects their art have been scrutinized by investigators over the past couple of decades, with many of their policies and procedures also under examination. The reclaimed art, which includes pieces such as the marble head of Greek goddess Athena and a bronze statuette de picting the Roman god Jupiter, will be returned to their places of origin in a repatriation ceremony, Smithso nian Magazine reported.
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The Antiquities Trafficking Unit has repeatedly investigated The Met closely regarding art traffick ing, with the recent seizure creating widespread publicity when articles
Photo courtesy of Hugo Schneider via Creative Commons.
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2022 returned looted art from Nepal. It is necessary that establishments conduct the necessary review and research before they come into pos session of art — especially when lack of money and resources do not pose an issue. “The numbers are rapidly adding up,” Tess Davis, the executive director of the Antiquities Coalition said in an interview with The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists regarding the seizures at the Met. “In what oth er context could you make headlines so often for holding stolen property
The New York Metropolitan Mu seum of Art has found itself in the international spotlight following the seizure of 27 works of art from its collections by investigators. Alto gether, the pieces taken — which are reported to have been looted from ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt — are valued at over $13 million.
This repossession has prompted discussion surrounding problems in the art acquisition pro cesses used by museums and the increasing amount of art discovered to have been sold or obtained under illegal and unethical pretenses. Ac cording to The Atlantic, the Antiqui ties Trafficking Unit has impound ed over 3,600 pieces of art over the past decade, culminating at around $200 million worth of art obtained through organized trafficking.
When it comes to what the pro cess of repatriation of art is like once it is in the possession of a museum — collector or auction house — Associ ate Curator of Visual and Material Culture and NAGPRA Coordinator at Mount Holyoke College Art Mu seum Aaron Miller is the one to ask.
questions for clarification such as, “Does Mount Holyoke intend to increase or create shuttle services to locations providing PCR tests?” to help lower-income students and students without their own trans portation on campus; “Will Health Services be providing PCR tests or rapid antigen tests to students with symptoms?” since PCR tests are the ones that are more likely to identify COVID-19 and “We ask: why is Mount Holyoke unable to of fer optional, asymptomatic testing for students who may want it? If cost is a barrier, can you give us ev idence that all COVID-19 mitigation
Miller does not believe this surge of investigations and seizures poses a threat to the museum industry. “It’s an interesting moment for insti tutions that have monumental works that they’re very much attached to, because these are often things that those source communities are also attached to getting back.”
This response was not satisfac
This is not the first time the Met ropolitan Museum of Art has come under scrutiny for unethical art ac quisition. In 2019, the museum was under review and returned a looted coffin from Egypt, in 2021 returned two Nigerian artifacts and in August
Students petition the College for more thorough COVID-19 regulations, cont’d
hadn’t even read what we’d written,” CoyneMembersexpressed.ofthe College adminis tration could not be reached for com ment by Mount Holyoke News.
tory to Coyne or Guzman. “They responded,” Guzman stat ed. “They responded to us like we didn’t read their email and [like] we didn’t read the current [COVID-19] policies. … Their response was ba sically sending us everything [they had already Guzmansent].”wenton to state that al though the Committee cited the CDC and stated that they were going to enforce vaccinations and boosters, the College hasn’t sent out any re minders of those things, which fur ther upset them.
Although Coyne and Guzman have not responded to the last email the Committee sent, they do not plan to stop“Wehere.are now considering what other methods could be potentially [used],” Coyne stated. “Maybe go ing through SGA or something like that to continue to raise the concern since it’s clear that the email route isn’t really working.”
“My biggest worry is that we’re just [going to] give up and people are gonna get sick. … We’re saying this because we want to live, and we’re not going to be able to live without caring about other people. It’s just a simple form of humanity, and that’s why I think we need to get [testing and masking] back.”
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In the final email sent by the Health and Safety Committee, they once again stated their determina tion to monitor cases and indicated that Health Services would be avail able for testing for symptomatic or recently exposed individuals, addi tionally stating that masking was always welcomed in the community, even if not mandatory.
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Pictured above, the Metropolitan Museum of Art entrance in Manhattan, New York City. The museum is repatriating 27 works of art — valued at over $13 million — back to Rome, Greece and Egypt. from The New York Times and NPR made their way to the Google trend ing page. Given recent movements for stolen art to be returned to its rightful owners — especially art from colonized countries — investi gations like these ensure that pres sure is building upon art collectors. This pressure requires collectors to rethink the fundamentals of buying art, and consider how it might be done so that not only the objects are protected, but the culture and histo ry that created them.
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eral funds is required to assess their collection, do an inventory and reach out to communities that are actually represented in the collection,” says Miller. Most of the decision-making power, he continued, resides on the side of the museum — not the gov ernment or state.
“I think what was frustrating was, it felt as if they didn’t really read our email or consider what we said, particularly in the second email they sent us. It genuinely looked like they
She continued, “Here there’s no smell of coffee or freshly baked tra ditional bread, here there’s no smell of a rising incense from the coffee ceremony, here the best you get away with is perhaps a friend bringing you over some Ethiopian food from [an] Ethiopian restaurant and you gath er to eat that and have a chat … and you miss it. You miss the smell and view of adey abeba — a unique type of flower that blooms for the New Year — and it’s not a surprise if your stomach sinks drowning in nostalgia … You just let it be and let it pass with the best that [you’ve] got.”
Photo courtesy of Abigel Nahu Asteraye
She also described the Chibo, which is associated with the end of the rainy season. She continued, “Let’s not forget the Chibo. These
stated that “he expected the damage to be less than that from a 2018 earth quake and series of aftershocks.”
James Marape, the Papua New Guinean Prime Minister, referenced the previous earthquake in a state ment, according to Al-Jazeera. He
Following the earthquake, of ficials have told Reuters that the depth of its epicenter has limited some of the damage that may other wise have been possible. Beyond the
Salem
September 16, 2022 . Mount Holyoke News
In February 2018, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed an estimated 150 people, reported Al Jazeera. This quake similarly triggered landslides and disrupted natural resource ac cess and health care services. Ac cording to the World Health Orga nization, “Some 544,000 people were affected with 270,000 in need of im mediate humanitarian assistance.”
For Ethiopians home and abroad, Sunday, Sept. 11, marked the beginning of the new year — or Enkutatash in Amharic. For Ethiopi ans in the diaspora, celebrating En kutatash looked very different from backEthiopiahome. is one of the few coun tries in the world that makes use of its own calendar. The East African country uses the Ge’ez calendar, which is seven to eight years behind the Western Gregorian calendar. On the Ethiopian calendar, there are 13 months in a year. 12 of these months each have 30 days. The last month, Pagume, has five days — or six days in a leap year. This makes Septem ber, called Meskerem in Amharic, the first month of the year. Other than the unique calendar, September also ushers in the period of bright skies after a long period of rain.
PapuaGLOBALNewGuinea earthquake takes lives, disrupts infrastructure
Content warning: This article dis cusses mass death.
action marks the transition — done with the old, and into the new. … That’s what New Year means to me. New chance, new everything. A new life awaits if acted upon.”
BY CYNTHIA AKANAGA ’25 GLOBAL EDITOR are bonfires we light up on the eve of the New Year, symbolizing the begin ning of a new season — bright and hopeful, now that the rainy season has ended. Gath ered around with family and friends, watch ing these torch es light up, it’s hard not to feel the flames of the new begin nings light up fromBehindwithin.” the
’25 The younger sister of Abigel Nahu Asteraye ’25 celebrates the Ethiopian New Year on Sept. 11.
– Weldegebriel
ble to the world and that with most natural phenomena, everyday peo ple have no control or way of best preparing.”PapuaNew Guinea’s hotspot is also known as the Ring of Fire, ac cording to Sarah Parsons ’24, a geog raphy major. Parsons compared the country’s geology to Oregon, their home state on the west coast of the U.S., which experiences “A lot more seismic [and] volcanic activity.”
– Abigel Nahu Asteraye ’25
An Al Jazeera report suggested that the state’s lost infrastructure and financial constraints may pose more prominent challenges in its recovery from this earthquake, espe cially given its socioeconomic status, stating, “With government resourc es limited, much of the rescue effort has been carried out by small private companies and volunteers.”
getherness
very words trigger memory, a kind of memory that imbues ever fresh nostalgia,” she said. “The contrast is ever clear cause here there’s no chime of neighbors and family gath ered for the holiday. … Here, the best you get away with is perhaps [gath ering] with friends coming from where you come from.”
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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons While the death toll of the recent earthquake was lower, many people were reminded of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 150 people in 2018. Infrastructure, including the power grid, was damaged in the Sept. 11 earthquake.
According to Corrine Liu ’23, an environmental studies major, the country’s geographic location plays a role in its frequent earthquakes. They shared that, “PNG gets a lot of earthquakes because it sits on es sentially an arc of faults in the Pacif ic Ocean, so it’s a hotspot for seismic activity.”Liu,who has also experienced earthquakes in their home state of California, stated that their own memories of the natural disasters “showed how we are fully vulnera
Abigel Nahu Asteraye ’25, a Mount Holyoke student from Ethio pia, detailed how Enkutatash is cele brated in Ethiopia. “New Year is cer tainly one heck of a time to be back home. The festivities usually start a week before the actual day. You would see the streets fill out with food, spices, cattle — you name it,” she said.
“The already bustling Addis Ababa would even seem more lively than ever. The vendors will be filled with adey abe ba, an endemic yellow daisy that only comes out during New Year.”
seven reported deaths since Sunday, Police Commissioner David Man ning told Reuters that, “The regional power grid, internet cables, roads and highways had been damaged.”
at Gustavus Adol phus College explained, “This cele bration marks a new start. There’s this tradition done during the New Year’s Eve where a unique kind of amalgamated sticks designed for this very purpose are lit up on fire and family and theburningoneinenteveryonestartsendAtYearsthearoundwouldneighborsgathersinginguniqueNewsong.…abouttheasthefiretodie…prestakesturnjumpingfromsideofthesticktoother.This
Asteraye further explained how
New Year is certainly one heck of a time to be back home. The festivities usual ly start a week before the actual day. You would see the streets fill out with food, spices, cattle — you name it. The already bustling Addis Ababa would even seem more lively than ever. The vendors will be filled with adey abeba, an endemic yellow daisy that only comes out during New Year.
BY SOPHIE SOLOWAY ’23 & HANNAH RAYKHER ’23 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR
An earthquake with a magni tude of 7.6 struck Papua New Guin ea on Sunday, Sept. 11. Al-Jazeera reported that this natural disaster — which struck at a 38-mile depth according to the United States Geo logical Survey — sparked landslides and damaged nearby infrastructure. The quake resulted in at least seven deaths, according to reports from
Fox ThisWeather.earthquake
You miss the smell and view of adey abeba — a unique type of flower that blooms for the New Year — and it’s not a surprise if your stomach sinks drowning in nostalgia … You just let it be and let it pass with the best that [you’ve] got.
comes four years after another hit the country.
Asteraye echoed similar feelings of nostalgia. In terms of celebrating the new year in the U.S., she said, “We do try to create that sense of to
Students in the Ethiopian diaspora reflect on the beginning of the New Year
much the New Year means to her personally. “New Year is literally the epitome of social events for me. It brings family members who might have not seen each for a while to come and visit. At the same time, it’s also a time home,U.S.andbrationtweencontrastbrielcomingtionsmakelookwhereintrospection,forIgettoaheadandresolufortheyear.”Weldegedrewthebetheceleathomehereinthe“Back…the
Ethiopiandegebriel,hope.chingliesthebroughtfestivitiesonbycelebrationtheoverarthemeofSalemWelanstudent
by hanging out together and grabbing some Ethiopian food on [the] New Year, but [it] still won’t feel anything close to how it is back home.”
Due to the urgency of the crisis, evacuations are still taking place in “high alert areas in the district,” Far rukh said. Damage to infrastructure, like electricity and utility poles, has meant a lack of contact between Far rukh and her immediate family in Pakistan. Whatever contact has oc curred has allowed Farrukh and her family members to gain awareness of the supplies in highest demand, such as “clothes, dry food supplies, baby food, sanitary supplies and tents,” Farrukh explained.
tional air quality standards and aims to address a wide range of air pollu tion sources, according to the EPA. Stipulations in the Clean Air Act pre vent states from individually adopt ing air pollution regulations that are
Unprecedented rainfall from the summer monsoon season has caused heavy flooding in one-third of Pakistan, according to an article by Nature Magazine. The World bank’s Climate Change Knowledge Portal describes a monsoon as a summer rainy season typically last ing from June to September in Paki stan. Nature Magazine reports that the flooding has displaced millions, leaving them in urgent need of food, shelter and medical attention.
The effects of California’s new policy will extend far beyond the state’s borders by paving the way for
other states to enact similar legisla tion, a recent article in The Boston Globe said. California’s influence on environmental regulations goes back to the Clean Air Act, a federal law passed in 1970 that created na
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons California’s new car policy, approved by the California Air Resources Board, requires all new vehicles to run on hydrogen or electric starting in 2035.
PBS reported that upwards of 33 million people have been affect ed by the flooding. Additionally, a statement by UNICEF calling for donations and aid states that more than 1,100 people have lost their lives due to monsoon rains. The PBS report explained that the Pakistani government has made international appeals for aid through the U.N. to repair the many damages the flood ing has caused to the country’s pop ulation, infrastructure and economy. According to Reuters, these appeals to the U.N. call for $160 million in aid. According to Al Jazeera, sever al countries have shown interest in providing aid and relief to Pakistan.
Content warning: This article dis cusses mass death.
Guterres reaffirmed his claim that the cause of the crisis is closely linked to climate change, according to an article from UN News. Reu ters reported that Pakistan’s gov ernment, based in the capital city of Islamabad, echoed these sentiments, blaming climate change for the dev astating level of flooding.
BY CATELYN FITZGERALD ’23 SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT EDITOR
stricter than the national standard. As a populous state with ongoing air quality challenges, California is the exception to this rule and is al lowed, by the Clean Air Act, to cre ate tougher regulations. As soon as California’s policies are federally ap proved, any U.S. state is permitted to adopt them as its own.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 u
medical institutions has created a burgeoning health crisis in the country, with severe outbreaks of “diarrheal diseases, skin infections, respiratory tract infections, malaria and dengue in the aftermath of the floods, as well as a litany of water borne diseases,” as stated by World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an article by CNN.The floods come at a time of po litical and economic turmoil, a sen timent echoed by young Pakistanis like Farrukh, who believe that while the government “knows the high alert areas that are usually flooded during the monsoon season in Pa kistan [they have] not been able to take any solid initiative in prevent ing populations [from residing] in the dangerous areas. Dams need to be built, but many projects have been hindered due to political unrest and change in governments over the past decade [or] so.”
The deadly floods have engulfed houses, roads and infrastructure, massively impacting sources of live lihood. Due to the flood’s’ effect on land and infrastructure, the Paki stani government expects a decrease in its gross domestic product growth for the fiscal year of 2022-2023 to three percent instead of the initial ly-projected five percent, according to Reuters. According to Rameen Farrukh ’24, a Mount Holyoke stu dent from Pakistan, the floods have wiped away the entirety of some families’ material possessions.
A Brookings article explained that due to a lack of steady eco nomic growth and recent declines in median wages, municipalities and utility plants have been unable to generate revenue that covers in frastructure upkeep costs. The cost of fully repairing infrastructure not only to solve this crisis, but also to prepare for future flooding, would be approximately $2 billion. Jackson’s
“I think being mindful [that] these crises affect different people … in different ways. Some students — if not directly impacted by the flood — are indirectly affected by having their farms and crops flooded … [which] definitely affects the annual income of their family. … For some people, their parents are medical professionals or government offi cials who are actively working for the flood victims. Kindness is the answer.”,Asituation report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published on Aug. 26, 2022, states that the flood ing affected 2 million acres of crops and 793,900 heads of livestock in Pakistan. CNN stated that further secondary damages are consistently emerging, such as difficulties with providing medical care in the wake of damage to over 800 health care institutions being damaged, with around 180 institutions closed due to permanent damage. The lack of
In a fossil fuel-driven world, more cars mean more gasoline. Cal ifornia accounted for 10 percent of the country’s total motor gasoline consumption in 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Admin istration. However, a CNN article reported that California’s fuel con sumption might drop to new lows over the coming decade, thanks to a new policy that could change trans portation in the state and trigger harsher auto emissions laws across the country.Thepolicy, approved by the Cal ifornia Air Resources Board in late August, consists of a gradual ban on the sale of gasoline vehicles culmi nating in a total ban in 2035, a New York Times article stated. The re port from CNN clarified that the ban only applies to new vehicles, mean ing that used cars and trucks can continue to be sold after the policy takes
Time also described community members’ frustration with state and federal officials, calling them out for only attempting to address the issue now rather than implement ing preventative measures before the crisis occurred. Currently, over 82 percent of the city’s population is Black, and almost a quarter live under the poverty line, another fact that many suggest is why Jackson’s infrastructure has been allowed to fall into disrepair. “We’re facing an environmental injustice and we have been ignored. Jacksonians and peo ple around the area have been ig nored by state leadership and now they want to swoop in — all hands on deck, fixing the problem — but we’ve been asking for help for years, not even just from this administration,” Maisie Brown, a community organiz er, told Time.
In a statement by UN News, Sec retary-General Guterres described the floods in Pakistan as “climate carnage” and encouraged “massive and urgent financial support for Pakistan.” The Secretary-General added that aid in this time of need was not a matter of “solidarity or generosity” but rather “a question of justice.” Guterres encouraged governments worldwide to consider hastening their actions toward pre venting climate change. “Let’s stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change,” Guterres concluded as he launched the funding appeal.
5SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT
The California New Car Dealers As sociation reported that the state had 1.6 million new light vehicle —car and light truck — registrations just in 2020, a low number in comparison to pre-pandemic years.
BY ANOUSHKA KUSWAHA ’24 NEWS EDITOR
As outlined in a Time article, is sues of infrastructure upkeep have been plaguing Jackson for almost 80 years. Since the 1940s, mayors and city council members have been call ing for more funding to repair failing facilities. Since the 1970s, the U.S.
The O.B. Curtis plant first ex perienced malfunction following high rainfall, which flooded the
In response to how Pakistani students on campus can best be sup ported at this time, Farrukh stated,
Pakistan’s floods demonstrate the damages of climate change
The pledges to support Pakistan by various international govern ments have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated, Farrukh expressed in an interview with Mount Holyoke News. Farrukh is from the city of Multan in the Punjab province of Pa
According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund Pakistan has received unprec edented levels of monsoon rains and floods. The rainfall has caused swell ing of the Indus River, creating im mensely long lakes, CNN reported.
Photo courtesy of Flickr Officials in Jackson, Mississippi have appealed state and federal aid in managing their water crisis.
Traffic in California is no joke.
Accordingeffect. to a Los Angeles Times article, the policy will cut auto emissions in half by 2040. The article also reports that the policy will have positive health benefits, such as an
Several states are already mov ing swiftly toward similar gas-pow ered vehicle bans. According to PBS, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington are among those states likely to assume Cali fornia’s policy. For Massachusetts, California’s ban represents a contin uation of ongoing efforts to reduce auto emissions rather than a drastic new policy, says The Boston Globe. The article cites Massachusetts Gov ernor Charlie Baker’s endorsement of a strikingly similar ban back in 2020, which can now become an offi cial part of Massachusetts state law thanks to California’s path-clearing legislation.Animportant step towards re ducing air pollution in the state, an article in Science Magazine points out that California’s transition away from gasoline-powered cars will also pressure electric vehicle manufac turers to address the technology’s challenges. The article states that a common issue with EVs is their slow charging time, with even high-quali ty chargers taking over 10 hours to
Residents of Jackson, Mississippi lose access to safe and reliable wa-
On Aug. 29, Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba re leased an emergency order declar ing a water system emergency in the city. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergen
estimated 1,400 fewer deaths from heart disease and 700 avoided asth ma-related emergency room visits.
California Air Resources Board issues emission-free vehicle mandate
Content warning: This article dis cusses environmental racism.
BY SHIRA SADEH ’25 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT EDITOR
Pearl River, an Associated Press News article explained. The sudden influx of water slowed the plant’s treatment process, depleted water supply tanks and caused pressure to drop. According to AP News, city officials explained that the plant was already using backup pumps when this occurred, and stated that a rent al pump had been installed to fix the pressure issue. Despite the resto ration of pressure, many residents were still without access to clean water.According to Vox, many resi dents had no access to water, while others observed polluted and discol ored water trickling out of their fau cets. This prompted the city to issue a water boiling advisory, instructing residents to boil water for one min ute before using it.
Pakistan is also home to the most glaciers in the world outside of the polar regions. Due to warm ing climates and higher rainfall, Pakistan’s glaciers are increasingly prone to higher levels of melting, contributing further to flooding, as stated by CNN.
cy the same day, when the majority of the city’s 150,000 residents were left without access to running wa ter, according to a Vox article. The report states that the crisis is a re sult of damaged infrastructure at the O.B. Curtis treatment plant and water pump issues at the secondary J.H. Fewell treatment facility.
Environmental Protection Agency has expressed concerns for the city’s disrepair and urged Jackson to in vest more in protecting clean water access.According to a BBC article on the issue, Jackson has struggled to provide citizens with safe and re liable water in more recent years as well. In the winter of 2020, when freezing temperatures caused a wa ter plant to malfunction, parts of the city were without water for nearly six weeks. Since then, multiple in frastructure failures have caused repeated boiling advisories and ex tremely low water pressure in many areas of the city.
kistan. However, Farrukh expressed doubts regarding the Pakistani gov ernment’s ability to fully utilize the aid provided, even if it should re mainFarrukhconsistent.maintains a steadfast faith in the work of private Pakistani organizations to collect donations. Farrukh’s father has been deployed by the Pakistani government to co ordinate the distribution of medical and food supplies in the city of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab Province. He is also working to establish medical camps and food banks in the district.
Photo by Rameen Farrukh ’23 Floods in Pakistan have displaced many and caused severe damage to the country’s infrastructure.
September 16, 2022 . Mount Holyoke News
situation is similar to past, present and seemingly future cases in many predominantly Black metro areas, such as Flint, Baltimore and Detroit.
Pakistani officials stated that “more than 50 special flights carrying aid have arrived so far in the country and more are scheduled in the com ing days.”U.N.Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Pakistan early morning on Friday, Sept. 9, to show support for the Pakistani public in the face of what the U.N. describes as a dire humanitarian crisis, UN News reported. The secretary-gen eral stated that he was “struck by the unquantifiable depths of human suffering” he saw during his visit.
BY JAHNAVI PRADEEP ’23 OPINION EDITOR show begins to read as more of an “arranged marriage PR rather than a series based on reality.” The pub lic relations scheme of the show bolsters single-sided narratives that subtly construct regressive ideas on arranged marriages wherein the In dian woman invariably gets left on the outside when not conforming to expected gen der roles.The show’s double standard is apparent in the season’s differen tial treatment of returning female and male clients from season one —
cultural center, commending Strong Heart for making strides in cultivating an open campus culture and inviting students to express themselves freely.
‘IndianOPINIONMatchmaking’ perpetrates harmful gender stereotypes
space, cooked the food and shopped for the decorations, Sanders-Mc Murtry thanked Banteah’s family for traveling to the event from New Mexico.Sanders-McMurtry closed the night by urging audience members not to simply identify themselves as “anti-racists,” but to address past wrongs and to work towards a more equitable future. On a hope ful note, the vice president for equity and inclusion addressed the audience as being collectively joined on a path towards anti-rac ism.“I’m really excited about what can happen with all of you here today by doing that intentional work,” Crow Mann remarked.
In an article for Indian Express, Nadia Jagessar explains how she never dated Jayaraman in the two and a half years she knew him and was hurt by how the show edited her story arc in the second season. The article discusses how Jagessar “not ed that it is ‘unfortunate’ that the show edited it to look like she had broken Shekar’s heart.” In looking for her own love interest and pur suing someone conventionally inap propriate, Jagessar is made unlike able. She quickly disappears from the show after her fling with Kaly anasundaram comes to an end. The show erases Jagessar’s reality to re place it with a fictionalized account that reinforces the show’s idea that progressive women cannot function in the arranged marriage arena.
out regular testing.” expressed Jones.This sentiment was echoed by Lawton who said “I think especially in light of the school not testing as ymptomatic students for [COVID-19] anymore … that I am less comfort able with the idea of not having re quired masking … [COVID-19]-19 has only gotten more contagious and still poses a serious risk to im munocompromised students here on campus.”During Fall 2021 move in, resi dential students with guests were asked to provide the information of up to two guests in advance. This year, residential students were not required to register outside guests assisting with move-in, nor was there a stated limit to the number of guests allowed per student. There remained, however, a requirement for all guests accompanying a stu dent to wear a face covering when
of Taparia’s other clients. When we return for season two, both Jagessar and Jayaraman are seemingly single and have the will-they or will-they-not date ques tion lingering over their interac tions. Jayaraman visits Jagessar’s house in episode one, cordially and warmly interacting with her whole family. He is immediately set up as
Unfortunately, both seasons dis appoint. The second season shows no growth from the first and con tinues following the same appar ently stubborn, upper middle-class clientele. Moreover, while carefully avoiding the controversial blunders of colorism from its first season, season two of “Indian Matchmak ing” still resorts to dangerous ste reotypes — one of the largest being sexism. As Nath aptly captures, the
ShekarNadiaShewakramani,AparnaJagessar,Jayaraman and Pradhyuman
similar unsuccessful dates to season one and a sudden disappearance midseason. As contributor Meha Razdan wrote for Buzzfeed News, “There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Aparna’s storyline, per se, but without the tether of Sima, the viewer is left scratching their head wondering what this has to do with the matchmaking aspect.”
In their speech, Sanders-Mc Murtry spoke directly to the contri butions that Banteah has made to the space and to the broader cam pus community. Specifically, Sand ers-McCurtry acknowledged the work that has been done since Ban teah’s time as a student on campus.
that people move forward in con suming media more responsibly. We should, of course, enjoy it for enter tainment purposes but we should by no means take it as absolute truth.”
tropescertainticipantslivesthis,clearmaking”“Indianofrequirementsthetheirshows.Matchisaexampleofalteringtheofitspartosuitnarrativethatin
In an interview with The Indian Ex press, she reminded audiences that reality shows are still fictionalized versions of reality: “It is my hope
“Indian Matchmaking” negative ly portrays confident, self-sufficient women as “unlikeable,” thereby con centrating only on these aspects of show.atorsalsoofoutdatedandbyonlyproblemshowster.mani’sShewakracharacSeasontwohowthisisnotencouragedSimaTapariaheroftenmodesthought,butbythecreoftheInseason two, Shewakramani is no longer Taparia’s client but works as her own matchmaker. However, the con struction of Shewakramani, while including more of her personal suc cesses and journey as an individual, does not completely abandon its as sertion of her unlikeability. Episode one of season two — “I’ve Dated Lots of Chicks” — opens to a changed Shewakramani. She reiterates the life formula she had created for her self, the essence of her season one quest — getting married, having chil dren, maintaining her professional life and moving into a “McMansion.” She then asserts, “I’m done with the life I thought I wanted.”
The second season of “Indian Matchmaking” demonstrates that reality television often depicts situations and people in harmful ways that do not align with the experiences of people on the show.
Before taking a moment to thank the individuals that cleaned the
Taparia’s failure as a matchmaker slowly nods in this direction as well, blaming women for the shortcom ings of matchmaking in the modern age, rather than lauding them for breaking past convention, if any thing. Jagessar and Shewakramani are molded into selfish creatures de manding the hate of audiences.
Situated in her New York City apartment, Shewakramani seems positioned for better things in her life and for the show. However, “In dian Matchmaking” does not follow through on portraying this stability. Instead, from this moment on, sea son two fails to sufficiently chart Shewakramani’s relationships, with
It seems that Shewakramani is brought on the show merely to tap into the fame surrounding her book release. This becomes increasingly believable as none of Shewakrama ni’s fellow female stars on Indian Matchmaking are seen in a progres sive light and are still portrayed as unlikeable when they break certain genderNadianorms.Jagessar is one such per son. Throughout season two, Jages sar is made out to be unlikeable for supposedly breaking the heart of Shekar Jayara man — another season one client — in pursuit of a younger man named Jayaraman,Jagesarmancedefined,thoughbethereofram.KalyanasundaVishalAttheendseasonone,seemstoapossibility,notfullyofarobetweenandone
Denson went on to give a background of the Zowie Banteah space, which was opened in 1995 under its original name, Native Spirit. The Center was renamed in 1997 after alumna Zowie Banteah, who was instrumental in its found ing. Denson then introduced Kijua Sanders-McMurtry, vice president for equity and inclusion.
Banteah re-opens, cont’d Move-in testing policies shift, cont’d
Courtesy of Patina Photography
The returning men of the show are inversely coddled. Jayaraman is depicted as the heartbroken man begging audiences for their sympa thy. He still very much receives the show’s favor. Similarly, returning cli ent Pradhyuman Maloo is glorified as a success story in the season. Like Shewakramani, he no longer is a cli ent of Taparia’s and has found a wife on his own, at a party. Maloo was as stubborn — if not more — than his female counterparts during the first season. And yet, we are asked to for get all about it in the second season. He is instead given the Indian wed ding everyone has been waiting for and does not disappear midseason without a grand send-off. He is even invited back to the show’s coveted married couple confessional couch with his wife for tips on his success story.Reality shows, while based on the lives of real people, cannot be conflated with reality. The genre still alters and even fic tionalizes narra tives to suit
ever they occupied a residence hall building.The Office of Residential Life also released updated guidelines to the campus guest policy, including for overnight guest stays, in an email to residential students on Sept. 4.
No additional steps are required after this point. The current maxi mum number of overnight days for each visitor is 14 days per semester, with no stay exceeding five consecu tive days.
On August 10, 2022, Netflix re ality show “Indian Matchmaking” returned for a second season, draw ing audiences back into its trap of arranged marriage matchmaking fi ascos. The first episode of the season — titled “I’ve Dated Lots of Chicks” — opens to host and professional matchmaker Sima Taparia happi ly attending the marriage of two of her clients. Against the backdrop of her successful project, Taparia expressed her joy in being a match maker, “First is marriage, then love. That is the beauty of these arranged marriages.” The season subse quently picks up for eight episodes of Taparia’s matchmaking trial and errors.“Indian Matchmaking” brings a strong potential to the screen in explaining what Indian marriages look like. In an article for The Jug gernaut, Ishani Nath explores how “Indian Matchmaking” is more than just a “dating show” as it is “intro ducing and shaping how a global au dience understands the matchmak ing industry.” In fashioning itself as a reality show intimately following the lives of an Indian host and her Indian clients, it offers what viewers may assume is an authentic repre sentation of the Indian experience in the arranged marriage landscape.
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The public relations scheme of the show bolsters sin gle-sided narratives that subtly construct regressive ideas on arranged mar riages wherein the Indian woman invariably gets left on the outside when not conforming to expected gender roles.
sist on an stereotypical arranged marriage system that cannot accept self-sufficient women. While sexism is a common reality in matchmaking, the show’s orientation does not tack le the dangers of this discrimination, but rather reinforces that any wom an thinking outside of convention is set to lose when it comes to love, and is deserving of blame.
After the first season, Shewakra mani received immense online hate and death threats. As a response to her inaccurate portrayal on the se ries and its consequential cyberbul lying, she wrote a book titled “She’s Unlikeable: And Other Lies that Bring Women Down.” Shewakrama ni discusses not just her challenging experience with Taparia but the role of “Indian Matchmaking” in present ing her in a one-dimensional light.
The only requirement is for student hosts to fill out and submit the Guest Registration Form prior to their
While sexism is a common reality in matchmaking, the show’s orientation does not tackle the dangers of this discrimination, but rather reinforces that any woman thinking outside of conven tion is set to lose when it comes to love, and is de serving of blame.
September 16, 2022 . Mount Holyoke News
Maloo.Aparna Shewakramani, a Hous ton-based lawyer in her mid thirties and a client of Taparia’s, garnered significant negative attention in her first season. Taparia sets her up as a character with impossible dating cri teria and an intolerable personality, resulting in failed talking stages that never move any further.
false,
Guests then enjoyed Indige nous food from Sly Fox Den Restau rant & Bar. After eating, guests viewed a song and dance by pow wow drum group Urban Thunder.
Photo by Tzav Harrel ’24 Students were required to show proof of negative COVID-19 test results upon arrival for move in. guests’ arrival, affirming that they are either fully vaccinated or have received a negative COVID-19 test result within the last 48 hours.
a likable young suitor for Jagessar. However, the situation between the two is still in a gray area, with un certainties looming from both sides. When Jagessar hosts a party for Taparia’s clients later in the same episode, she hits it off with the twen ty-something Kalyanasundaram. Jagessar is immediately villainized for her behavior toward Jayaraman and belittled for her romance with a younger man.
“We are thrilled for the oppor tunity to inter act with such an active organi zation pushing for change in an area so im portant to us as Mount WeekGamenernerstudents,”HolyokeMagcontinued.Finally,Magdetailedtheoftheinitiative—
“I’m very excited for the rest of the season,” Griesmer said. “I think we have a very good chance of win ning a lot of games … being an un derestimated team who can do big things.”
Author Megan
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Following Canfield’s address, student speaker Anais Magner ’23, the chair of the SAAC, introduced the members of the SAAC Executive Board: Vice Chair Caroline Thomp son ’24, Secretary Emily Mock ’24, Treasurer Piper LaPointe ’23 and Di versity, Equity and Inclusion Repre sentative Janiqua Davis ’23. Canfield then described a selection of the SAAC’s achievements from the past year and its ongoing plans to im prove student-athlete experiences.
BY EMILY TARINELLI ’25 SPORTS EDITOR
McArdle calls California’s electric grids “already fragile and prone to blackouts” and questions how they could support an additional rise in demand for a fully electrified auto industry.McArdle offers some solutions to the challenge, including charging cars using household solar panels or encouraging drivers to charge their vehicles overnight when elec tricity demand is lower. She con cludes that without considerable improvements, California’s “over stretched grid” will struggle to sup port EVs during peak energy use.
which cheers them on alongside oth er Mount Holyoke students.
BY LAUREN LEESE ’23 STAFF WRITER
“I enjoy being part of SAAC be cause it allows me to be involved in the deci sion-making pro cess. As a mem ber of SAAC, my voice gets heard when I raise concerns about my team or my identity … as an student-athlete,”international Magner said. She closed by encour aging students interested in getting involved with SAAC to speak to her, their team SAAC reps or any of the SAAC E-Board members.
Canfield described the new turf as a “recruiting magnet and one that our student-athletes will look fondly upon in their remembrance of their playing days.” To her, the field is a concrete example of Mount Holy oke’s commitment to the Athletics Department. “Continued investment in our facilities signals … our align ment with the mission and the goals of the College,” Canfield said.
charge EV batteries fully. Im provements to either the EV char gers or the EV batteries themselves can and must happen to address this issue, the article said. Scien tists have taken up the challenge, but it may be some time before quick-charging EVs are widely available.Science Magazine predicts that the rise in demand for EV batteries resulting from this ban will cause the market to “splinter,” meaning that consumers will someday have a choice between several battery types, each presenting unique char acteristics such as high charging capacity or low cost.
Mount Holyoke College Soccer was defeated 3-2 as they took on Wentworth Institute of Technology at a home game on Saturday, Sept. 10.
7SPORTSSeptember 16, 2022 . Mount Holyoke News
“In the second half, we didn’t let [Wentworth] score and were able to make an opportunity of our own,” forward Orion Griesmer ’24 said.
Athletics Kickoff opens new turf, highlights student-athlete organizations
Courtesy of Sophia Anderson ’22 From left to right: Phoebe Aaronson ’23, Mollee Malboeuf ’23, Caroline Thompson ’24, Hannah Bisson ’25 and Lucy Sternberg ’23 perform the ribbon cutting ceremony, officially opening the new turf.
Mount Holyoke Athletics host ed an Athletics Kickoff and Track & Turf Ribbon Cutting Ceremony event on Thursday, Sept. 8. The kickoff offi cially opened the new outdoor track and turf. The ceremony highlighted student-athlete organizations, with two student representatives speak ing on behalf of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Athlete Empowerment Coalition.
“We weren’t able to tie it up or win the game, but we were able to be the stronger team who [is] learning the dynamic of playing with each other.” They also expressed confidence in the team winning future games, cit ing the strength of the team’s “grit and perseverance.”
the country, as well as advocating for the LGBTQ+ cause,” Magner said.
Other concerns surrounding the EV mandate question Califor nia’s ability to provide large vol umes of electricity, as illustrated by an opinion piece written for The Washington Post.
a SAAC initiative that allows varsity teams to pick a home game to highlight each sea son. During GOTW, the selected team is paired with a buddy team
The second student speaker, Soc cer Team Captain and President of the AEC Lo Jean-Jacques ’23, spoke about what the AEC offers students at Mount“We’reHolyoke.here to create a safe space for … both club and varsity athletes on campus. We believe that certain groups of athletes on campus need safe spaces, [and] also need [their] voices to be heard,” JeanJacques said. Members of these groups — student-athletes of color and first-generation student-ath letes — are “often the only stu dent-athlete of color or first genera tion student-athlete on their team,” as noted on the AEC’s Embark page.
The event began with an address from Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education Jodi Canfield. Following a land acknowledgement, Canfield discussed Mount Holyoke Athletics’ successes. She highlighted the student-athletes’ overall cumula tive GPA of 3.6 and the 89 students who were recognized by the New En gland Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference for All-Academic Confer ence Team status last year. Carrying on the theme of student-athlete aca demic achievement, Canfield noted that both of the Mount Holyoke stu dents who have been named Rhodes Scholars were also student-athletes, most recently Elena Frogameni ’22 of the squash team.
Game of the Week: Soccer holds its own against Wentworth Institute of Technology
In Fall 2021, the SAAC worked with Mount Holyoke Dining Services to convert the Blanchard Hall Grab ’n Go station into a student-athlete Grab ’n Go stocked with a wide selec tion of food for away games. Current ly, the SAAC is focused on creating a Mount Holyoke chapter of Athlete Ally, “an organization focused on creating an inclusive and supportive environment within athletics across
The matchup was the academic year’s first Game of the Week — a spotlight event during which Mount Holyoke varsity teams rally to max imize spectator attendance and en courage community support. Mount Holyoke Track and Field celebrated the soccer team by creating person alized posters for each player. In addition, Track and Field chalked vibrant, colorful artwork on the paved walkways throughout cam pus, using arrows to guide students from Blanchard Hall to the soccer
field outside Kendall Sports & Dance Complex.TheWentworth
Next up, the Lyons will play Springfield College in Springfield on Saturday, Sept. 17, in its first New England Women’s and Men’s Athlet ic Conference game of the season. The Lyons’ season record is 1-3 over all.
The Los Angeles Times reveals that there is an additional flaw in the policy due to its reputation as a “zero-emission vehicle mandate.” The regulation’s nickname refers to the lack of emissions from vehicles’ engines as they drive but overlooks the emissions that occur during the production of EV batteries and hy drogen fuel cells.
The article explains that de pending on where a household’s electricity comes from, whether from renewable sources or burning coal, charging EV batteries may still create considerable emissions.
– Anais Magner ’23
Leopards scored three goals in the first period, but in the 29th minute, Jane Harmon ’26 assisted Hannah Keochakian ’25 to score the Lyons’ first goal. Keocha kian later secured another goal in the second period, assisted by Posy Labombard ’23.
The Lyons made 10 shots and eight shots on goal, with three shots on goal from Keochakian, two from Sonia McCollum ’25, one from Ada Siepmann ’26, Anna Kennedy ’26 and Jessica Drent ’26 individually. Goalie Clarissa Govea ’26 deflected the op ponent’s shots three times in each half, totaling six saves overall.
We are thrilled for the opportunity to interact with such an active organization pushing for change in an area so important to us as Mount Holyoke students.
The evening concluded with the ribbon cutting, performed by five stu dent-athletes who will be using the turf: Phoebe Aaronson ’23 and Moll ee Malboeuf ’23 of Field Hockey, Car oline Thompson ’24 of Field Hockey and Lacrosse, Hannah Bisson ’24 of Lacrosse and Lucy Sternberg ’23 of Track and Field. Each athlete used their own pair of scissors in unison to complete the ceremony, officially opening the new facility.
California’s recent ban on gasoline vehicles opens the door for a wave of new auto emissions regulation, cont’d
The aforementioned Los Ange les Times article explored how the higher cost of EVs will play into California’s policy. In a discussion with the Times, the chair of the California Air Resources Board revealed that there are ways to ad dress this cost disparity and make buying EVs accessible for low-in comeSolutionsresidents.include improving warranties for EVs so that they may become reliable used cars for a lower cost, as well as creating state programs that offer financial aid for EV purchases. Additional measures to ensure equitability in the policy include requiring apartment com plexes to provide on-site EV char gers.
Courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics Goalkeeper Clarissa Govea ’26 made six saves in their first ever Mount Holyoke soccer game versus Wentworth Institute of Technology on Sept. 10.
Students outside of these groups can also contribute to the AEC’s mis sion.
“We need allies,” Jean-Jacques said. Students looking to get in volved are invited to contact JeanJacques, Head Squash Coach Erin Robson or Head Volleyball Coach Iris Carpio for more information.
Friday, Sept. 16 - Saturday, Sept. 17
OF CONTENT
Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
July 23 – Aug. 22
Put down your textbooks for a few hours and join the Office of Student Involvement for No Study Zone! There will be lots of activities to help you relax: mini golf, a photo booth, crafts, board games, food and more.
March 21 – April 19
Concourse Dance Performances
Going into next week, focus on what inspires you, Graceful Gemini. Surrounding yourself with people may recharge your social battery, but see what may come of spending time alone. Solitude may open doors you’ve felt separated from for a long time. Once you find it, use this inspiration to pour into others as well.
f HOROSCOPES f
Mount Holyoke News is an independent student newspaper written by and for Mount Holyoke College students since 1917.
Come join us in The Great Room from 10 - 2 p.m. on Following an 11 a.m. brunch provided by Dining Services, Mount Holyoke students, employees, administrators and other community members will join together in the Amphitheater to celebrate one of the College’s most beloved traditions, Convocation. The event will also be livestreamed for those not on campus.
April 20 – May 20
Games In The Great Room: Board Game Night Join the Office of Student Involvement for a “Be Well Break.” There will be a range of games available for students to play, from Nintendo Switch to board games. Register on Embark if interested.
Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
Aug. 23 – Sept. 22
You took on big things this week and took them in stride, charming Cancer. Continue to be grounded in your own understanding and let your ideas lead the way. Relish in some humor along the way and don’t get too caught up in the chaos of these tumultuous times — laughter brings people together.
The best things in life are free, thoughtful Tau rus. Someone may come to you for advice this week, don’t hold back the wisdom you have to share. Giving someone the time of day may change their week for the better while enriching yours at the same time.
Sunday, Sept. 18
Community Center 6 - 8 p.m.
Virtual Event 7 - 8 p.m.
May 21 – June 20
Feb. 19 – March 20
Oct. 23 – Nov. 21
Not all paths are linear, you may find your way back to a lost love. You’ll be surprised what you find when you open up.
View performances choreographed by Dance Department faculty members Shakia Barron and Barbie Diewald performed by emerging dancers this weekend at Mount Holyoke’s Studio Theater. In addition to two individually choreographed performances by Barron and Diewald, “Concourse” will feature a collaborative piece that nods to intergenerational teaching and mentorship.
Common Read Opening Event with Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer
No Study Zone
Tuesday, Sept. 20
BY LENOX JOHNSON ’24 & EMMA WATKINS ’23 COPY CHIEF & ARTS & ENTERTIANMENT EDITOR | MANAGING EDITOR
Your time is nearing, lovely Libra! You’ve prob ably been doing a lot of self-reflection in this pe riod of new beginnings which, while enriching, throws you off balance. Reconnect with an activ ity or person that makes you feel most at ease. You don’t have to have it all figured out just yet.
Mount
Kendall Sports & Dance Complex, Studio Theatre 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 19
Richard Glenn Gettell Amphitheater/Livestream 1 p.m.
Monday, Dec 6
Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
Event Highlights
Blanchard Community Center Great Room 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Convocation
Keep calm, capricious Capricorn. Remember to treat yourself like a dear friend and be forgiving of your missteps. Your troubles may be arduous, but smooth seas never made a skilled sailor.
Holyoke News Publication Guidelines 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. Advertising in MHN 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 weekly publication that prints weekly 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_ Editorial Board News Anoushka Kuswaha ’24 & Tara Monastesse ’25 Arts & Entertainment Lenox Johnson ’24 & Ella Jacob ’24 Opinion Kaveri Pillai ’23, Jahnavi Pradeep ’23 Books Cat Barbour ’24 & Ella Jacob ’24 Global Cynthia Akanaga ’25 Sports Emily Tarinelli ’25 Features Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25 Science & Environmental Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23 & Shira Sadeh ’25 Photos Rosemary Geib ’23 & Ali Meizels ’23 Graphics Gabriella Gagnon ’24 & Sunny Wei ’23 Layout Editors Summer Sit ’25, Orion Cheung ’25, Sophie Dalton ’25, Aditi Menon ’25, Hannah Thukral ’23 Copy Editors Georgia Fish ’23, Jude Barrera ’24, Ella Jacob ’24, Hilary Vergera FP ’24, Meghan MacBeath ’25, Max Endieveri ’25, Gemma Golovner ’25, Zora Lotton-Barker ’25, Kate Snyder ’25 & Kamlyn Yosick ’25, Web Editors Maira Khan ’25, Aditi Menon ’25, Chloe Wang ’25, Lily Hoffman Strickler ’23, Ar temis Chen ’25, Thao Le ’25, Sophie Simon ’25, Ramisa Tahsin Rahman ’25 & Michelle Brumley ’24
Precious Pisces, pick up a hobby you loved as a child and let your curiosity get the best of you.
Laudable Leo, don’t get too stuck on the opinions of others when beginning this new season. You may feel the need to spread yourself too thin to impress everyone, but you’ll find you will be more in tune with yourself if you take one or two things off of your agenda. Or, better yet, replace something draining with something that will re plenish your spirit.
Affable Aries, take a moment to acknowledge the good in this moment. You have lots of memorable days ahead of you, but don’t lose sight of what makes today precious. Maybe today is the day to finally pick up that journal.
Focus on your well-being this week, venerable Virgo. The beginning of the semester has likely been extra exhausting for your practical, perfec tionist tendencies — take some time for yourself for a change. Who knows, maybe your best epiph anies come from a place of calm.
You may be a fire sign, but spend some time by the water this week. Take in the calming effects of a stroll around upper lake, make (non-threat ening) conversation with a stranger! If you’re lacking in inspiration, connection with nature and with others may be just what you need.
You have a tendency to keep things to yourself, sensational Scorpio. Let someone else help you carry the weight for a while, but be cautious of losing your grip on what you carry — too much time away may deter you from sorting things out. Take a walk with a new friend and accept some advice; you never know who could become one of your closest confidantes.
June 21 – July 22
Executive
Sept. 23 – Oct. 22
Board Editor-in-Chief Sophie Soloway ’23 Managing Editor of Content Emma Watkins ’23 Managing Editor of Layout Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25 Copy Chief Lenox Johnson ’24 Publisher Ali Meizels ’23 Managing Editor of Web Zoe Tang ’24 Business Manager Katie Goss ’23 Human Resources Hannah Raykher ’23
8 COMMUNITY September 16, 2022 Mount Holyoke News
Come see a conversation between Dr. Olivia Aguilar, the Leslie and Sarah Miller Director of the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, and the author of this year’s common read, “Braiding Sweetgrass,” Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer. This virtual event will have captioning and will be recorded and made available to the Mount Holyoke community at a later date.
Amicable Aquarius, it’s a great time for creative pursuits. Self-expression will serve you well in the coming weeks. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
