Mount Holyoke News - 10/30/2023

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Pronouns Day keynote features sexuality educator Ericka Hart

BY MAAHI JAISWAL ’24 STAFF WRITER

In honor of its annual Pronouns Day, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted a keynote event that featured sexuality educator Ericka Hart on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Ericka Hart is a queer, Black femme activist who received their master’s of education in human sexuality from Widener University. Afterward, they served as a sexuality educator, spending time in the Peace Corps as an HIV/AIDS volunteer based in Ethiopia. Hart has been engaging with youth as well as adults in New York for over 10 years.

A breast cancer survivor, Hart has strived to share their personal journey on social media platforms to represent Black and Brown LGBTQ+ voices on breast cancer awareness.

Their work includes analysis of the empowerment of marginalized communities and is dedicated to combating anti-Blackness.

They also work to expose how the medical industrial complex’s systems of care can contribute to “the perpetuation of illness in marginalized communities,” according to Hart’s personal website. The event was held in Gamble Auditorium with

past and current members of the Office of DEI in attendance. Audience members could join through a live stream or attend in person.

The keynote began with a bold contemplative exercise that challenged students to step out of their comfort zones. The exercise instructed attendees to find someone next to them and simply look at each other for five minutes in silence.

“I want you to consider — what did this person that you’re looking at eat for breakfast? … Did they have access to food? How about lunch?”

Hart asked.

Hart emphasized resisting the urge to speak or look away, as they wanted people to simply connect and think about the person they were looking at. “Just be with the person you are looking at. … What’s their life like?” Hart said.

Continuing with more prompts, this activity shed light on how, despite existing in the same community, people often do not acknowledge each other. “You’re the Mount Holyoke community. … So, how do you become a community if you don’t ever connect with somebody?” Hart stated.

Hart continued by speaking on food justice and the collective

responsibility people share for their community’s health and safety, something they must take on through action, connection and effort.

Hart named specific group norms and engaged with students in the audience. Students shared their experiences with intellectual humility, social positionality and social justice growth.

Thereafter, Hart showed a map of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island that depicted state borders alongside the locations of original Indigenous tribes to exemplify the history of settler colonization in the United States.

Jasmine Greene ’25 spoke about the importance of such maps, stating that “it allows us to acknowledge that we are in parts of Indigenous lands. And this is important because we have to acknowledge that we weren’t here first … we are actively taking up space.”

Hart related this back to Mount Holyoke College’s land acknowledgment and the lack of action on the part of the College. “I searched and searched for action on [the] Mount Holyoke website. I did not see any level of action. … We have to consider that oftentimes our land acknowl-

Photo by Emma Quirk ’26 Erika Hart, above, addresses college community.

edgments are insufficient,” said Hart. They followed up this statement by displaying a map of Boston, showcasing the redlining of the community and the housing discrimination present — issues they first learned about in their hometown of Baltimore.

“Black folks especially were not given the ability to borrow money ... to pay for mortgages, which led to de facto segregation in a lot of metropolitan areas. There exists now a

class difference that is racially based due to unfair lending practices that have persisted and continue to persist,” Hart added.

This topic served as a segue into a discussion of capitalism and the cost of living. Hart urged the audience to ponder: “Why is there a cost of living?”

Their focus was on how fatphobia is interwoven in many academic settings and how there was no conversation about sex and sexuality for them as a breast cancer survivor.

Community care had become inaccessible to them, and as a result, Hart was forced to go back to work full-time while undergoing chemotherapy.

Throughout their career of leading workshops and keynotes, Hart has emphasized that “sex positivity is decolonizing.” As a concluding activity, Hart presented a final slide of remarks and urged students to read aloud what they hoped to take away from the lecture.

Everyone chanted together, proclaiming, “[Sex positivity is actively anti-racist, anti-imperialism, is a safe and affordable place to sleep every night, is reproductive justice and is accessible for all bodies, abilities and ages,” in unison.

Students march to President Holley’s House in support of Palestine

BY JADA JACKSON ’26 STAFF WRITER

Content warning: This article discusses state-sanctioned violence and mass death.

A group of students organizing under the name MHC For Palestine with support from the Western Massachusetts Action Coalition gathered in front of Pratt Hall in support of a liberated Palestine at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22.

There, students held signs that read “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “End Genocide” in protest of Israel’s ongoing military attack on the Gaza Strip.

The rally began with speeches from concerned students from the Class of 2024 who called attention to what they said was a lack of response or acknowledgment from the College as thousands of Palestinian civilians were killed at the hands of the Israeli military.

“To the Israeli government and its Zionist defenders, we will never forget your role in this genocide, and may the ghosts of all of the people

who you have murdered continue to haunt you,” one student organizer in the Class of 2024 said.

A student from the Class of 2024 and Co-Founder of MHC For Palestine, who did not wish to be named, spoke at the event. “To all of our Palestinian peers globally, we see you.

You have a right to live peacefully on this planet, and you do not have to defend your humanity,” she said. “To Mount Holyoke College, you have not done enough to express your support for the millions of people who are facing a human rights crisis and are being subjected to extreme human rights violations. To the United States government, who is using its funding and power to support this conquest, we have seen how you choose to use your power.”

The student ended by emphasizing that MHC For Palestine will never be in support of the use of force against Palestinians in Gaza. “To the United States government who is using its funding and power to support this conquest, we have seen how you choose to use your power,” the student said. “We will neither support nor defend this use. So from

the bottom of my heart, until it becomes true, free Palestine from the river to the sea.”

Following the speeches, the crowd marched out from Pratt Hall, chanting, “We will free Palestine within our lifetime.” The march drew support from community members present, such as the honking of a passing car’s horn and other students on campus joining the rally.

The group eventually made their way to the President’s House.

Upon stopping at the front door, a few students knocked in an attempt to get President Danielle Holley’s attention, but no response came. After participants chanted phrases such as “Mount Holyoke, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide” and “Divest” in front of the President’s House, a member of the Western Massachusetts Action Coalition and a student in the Class of 2025 who asked not to be named emphasized her earlier claims.

“It is not a secret that there are weapons manufacturers in our backyard, as close as [L3 KEO in] Northampton,” she stated. The student also explained that while she

loves the College, she hopes that it will not continue to stand idly by.

“This will not be in our institution’s name; I’m here because I love Mount Holyoke!” she exclaimed.

The organizers insisted that they were protesting out of care for their fellow humans. “We’re pro-liberation of all people living on this planet. … We still stand beside our Jewish peers, and we still do not stand beside antisemitism of any form,” one student in the Class of 2024 said.

“It’s bold things that we’re saying, but we need to get the school’s attention. … I think every extra protest that happens anywhere is helpful.”

Students continued the rally by claiming Mount Holyoke as their campus with the chant, “Not in our name.” The rally concluded in front of the Blanchard Community Center. The group gave one final chant, and then the organizers shared words of encouragement. One student in the Class of 2024 left the rally feeling “good to be with everyone, [and] glad that the number of people showed up that did,” also noting that “it’s intense [because] genocide is fucking serious.”

Students in attendance were still awaiting the College’s next move at the end of the rally. Another protester in the Class of 2027 expressed disheartenment after participating. The student, who identified themselves as Black and Muslim, said that the College should “condemn the genocide that’s happening. I have not seen anything … they have not said anything. It’s wrong. It’s disheartening because I came here because I thought [the College] would fight for justice, but they’re not saying anything.” During the demonstration, organizers of the march called for their peers to be critical of their sources of information, emphasizing the importance of “where students get their news from and who they’re listening to while encouraging them to “participate in concrete actions” — no matter how small. “The student … and alum voices have a lot of sway at this college, and it’s very important that everyone expresses that this will not happen in our name,” one organizer from the Class of 2025 said in an interview with Mount Holyoke News. “This will not happen at our institution.”

A glimpse inside the ambitious and ready-for-action 2027 Class Board

BY ALARA MIRZA ’27 STAFF WRITER

Making student-oriented decisions, introducing fine-tuned initiatives and engaging with powerful voices are only some of the many undertakings the recently elected Class of 2027 student government board claims they have chosen to pursue in the upcoming academic year.

“Class boards are charged with creating class unity,” President Elle Rood ’27 said when explaining the board’s motivations in an interview with Mount Holyoke News.

Social Chair Keira Gillin ’27 added that the “[2027] Class Board will serve as a catalyst for engagement and action.”

The seven members of the Board boast a variety of background experiences among them, including volunteer work, political activism and academic leadership. In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, the group emphasized their belief that “experience matters and everyone brings different experiences to the table,” especially when it comes to decision-making. Senator Kit Moore ’27 describes the convergence of their diverse backgrounds as a “beautiful masterpiece.”

On the list of the team’s common values, equity has a spot on top. Moore explained that a key role of the Board is to “create an equitable community where we all have a chance to thrive.” Currently, this is

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The consensus among the Board taking two primary forms within the is that volunteering needs to be betBoard’s planned initiatives.

Vice President Brie Foster ’27 ter woven into the fabric of students’ and Secretary Anna Nebauer ’27 time at Mount Holyoke College, emspecifically noted mutual aid as a phasizing their belief that volunteerpriority, working to make it an offi- ing is something that many students cial resource for students at the Col- would want to do if given the opporlege. “Accessibility, representation tunity.

Regarding student experience, and progress” is at the forefront of their work, reflecting a strong sense Social Chairs Momo Yang ’27 and Keira Gillin ’27 of social equity. and Treasurer Opening A lot of [board members] Hana Atiq ’27 the class up to are interested in noted the impormore volunteer tance of social opportunities is creating organizations events — espealso a priority, within the College that cially for firstwith many plans serve underrepresented year students. to make this a Yang said that reality.

Moore communities. any opportuniemphasized that ty for students “a lot of [Board – Kit Moore to engage with members] are ineach other is a terested in creating organizations within the College valuable one. Additionally, Yang emthat serve underrepresented com- phasized that they want to prioritize munities.” For example, she believes inclusivity and ensure that commuthat it is important to connect to lo- nication about upcoming events is cal disabled community members, clear by broadcasting the ‘where, noting that “it would benefit every- what, why and when’ of each event.

Gillin explained that the Board’s one … .”

First-year students may find it approach centers around making difficult to get involved with commu- sure “that everyone in our class sees nity work at a deeper level. The 2027 themselves represented in our iniClass Board plans to address this by tiatives.”

Atiq echoed these sentiments. providing first-year students with a variety of unique opportunities, “A central focus in planning these such as by establishing fundraisers events is bringing the community toand food drives for the South Had- gether and appreciating the ways in ley community and turning existing which a community so diverse, both community events into dual-purpose intellectually and culturally, can unite under a common cause, breakcommunity fundraisers.

2 FEATURES: Palestinian liberatory art

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4 GLOBAL: Bed bug infestation in Paris

Photo courtesy of Alara Mirza ’27 The newly elected first-year students of the Class of 2027 Board stand together for a group photo.

ing the walls that create barriers between people,” she said. Atiq described the Board’s end goal to create “a community that is supportive of one another, inclusive and caring — somewhat like a family.”

When asked about the first-year experience they want to create for the Class of 2027, the Board narrowed in on their goal to empower students. Many members echoed the desire to put the concerns of the community above their own.

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“I want everyone to feel that feeling of success. I want everyone to be able to look at MHC [alums] and not only think, ‘wow, they were outstanding,’ but also, ‘I can do that too,’” Moore answered. She noted that a key priority for the Board is to “create a community that fits everyone and … fits around everyone,” with the objective of “no one [having] to make themselves smaller.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

6 OPINION: Nationalism in sports

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FEATURES

October 30, 2023

. Mount Holyoke News

Letter to the Editors: Highlighting the history of Palestinian liberatory art and its censorship

Photo courtesy of Jay Galvin via Flickr Rao discusses the importance of Palestinian art as a way to resist Israeli occupation and oppression. Pictured above is a mural by Chris Gazaleh, a Palestinian-American muralist and activist, called “Humanity is the Key” located in San Francisco, CA.

BY MADHAVI RAO ’24 STAFF WRITER

In a time when Palestinians are dehumanized to justify their deaths en masse, art is an outlet for Palestinians to assert their culture, identity and existence.

Since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967, Palestine has created art specifically resisting the occupation.

With this has also come the repression of Palestinian art and culture, including the assassination of literary activists, bills banning the display of the Palestinian flag, the closure of artistic spaces and the assassination of their creators. In the wake of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Palestinian artists have remained steadfast in their commitment to voicing resistance to Israel’s violent acts through their craft.

For many Palestinian artists, their work is not only a way of reaffirming Palestinian culture and heritage but a channel for resisting the Zionist colonial project. Zionism is an ideology that advocates for the creation of a separate Jewish state.

In the case of Israel, the state was created on Palestinian land by displacing indigenous Palestinian people.

However, alongside this history of oppression comes one of artistic opposition. Art is a powerful means of giving agency to the downtrodden to tell their stories. It is a way of recording the cultures and struggles of those who are being intentionally and ruthlessly silenced.

One of the earliest instances of mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians occurred in 1948, during the Arab-Israeli war, a period Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic.

A catalyst for what UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, called the “longest unresolved refugee crisis in the world,” the Nakba displaced around 700,000 Palestinians. On June 5, 1967, 19 years after the Nakba took place, Israel declared war on the neighboring Arab countries of Jordan, Syria and Egypt, defeating them after only six days of fighting.

This event later came to be known as the “Six-Day War.” “[It] is considered to be a historic military achievement [but] wasn’t even a real war,” Uri Milstein, an Israeli military historian, told Al Jazeera. “It was just a chase with live fire against an escaping enemy that didn’t fight.”

This attack was a catalyst for the creation of a Palestinian art movement resisting the war and the subsequent occupation of Palestine.

This artistic movement established the Union of Artists for Palestinians in Diaspora by the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the League of Palestinian Artists in the occupied land.

The Palestinian literary tradition is a strong one which allows Palestinians to tell the stories that would otherwise go unheard. Journalist and writer Ghassan Kana-

fani’s book, “Palestine’s Children: tional artists and activists to come Returning to Haifa and Other Sto- together and advocate for Palestinries,” was published in 1984, 12 years ian freedom through art. It hosts after his assassination. The book productions, theater workshops, is a collection of short stories high- training and creative writing events. lighting experiences of living under Some of these events include “Lost intense colonial repression. Each Land,” a retelling of the French novstory narrates a child’s journey from el “Les Grands Meaulnes” in the Paloppression to opposition. The titular estinian context featuring themes of novella, “Returnloss and displaceing to Haifa,” folment, and “Us Art is a powerful means lows Said S. and Too – Women of of giving agency to the his wife Safiyah Palestine,” a stodowntrodden to tell their as they return ry of the misogto Haifa, the city yny and danger stories. It is a way of where they lost experienced by recording the cultures and track of their Palestinian womstruggles of those who are en at the hands of son Khuldun’s whereabouts in Palestinian men. being intentionally and an explosion.

Pa l e st i n i a n ruthlessly silenced.

The explofilm is a thriving sion and the subartistic indussequent attack on Haifa meant that try, with Palestinian filmmakers Safiya and Said S. had to flee the city, releasing documentaries and cineleaving their son to grow up with an ma-verite-style independent films adopted family after he was found depicting the reality of the Israeli alone, as well as the home in which government’s occupation. Juliano they grew up. Kanafani’s writing Mer Khamis directed a documentary is a harsh insight into the terror of about the Freedom Theater in Jenin the Israeli government’s occupation, called “Arna’s Children” in 2004. The told through the lives of civilians documentary narrates the stories of and children killed. children who participated in a theMore contemporary Palestinian ater group, flashing back and forth literature includes novels such as from their childhood to their adult “Salt Houses” by Hala Alyan and fates.

“Against the Loveless World” by SuPalestinian film festivals are san Abulhawa. “Salt Houses” follows held throughout the United States, Alia as she is displaced from her including the Boston Palestine Film home in Palestine after the Six-Day Festival, the Houston Palestine Film War, following her life fleeing from Festival and Unprovoked Narratives: country to country as a refugee. The Chicago Palestine Film Festival.

“Against the Loveless World” is a A few Palestinian films that have story about Nahr, a second-genera- been showcased in these festivals tion Palestinian refugee in Kuwait, include “3000 Nights” (2015), “Gaza as she undergoes a process of rad- Ghetto” (1985) and “Habibi Rasak icalization, ultimately resulting in Kharban” (2011). her arrest and solitary confinement “3000 Nights” depicts the life of a under the Israeli government’s occu- pregnant woman within a high-secupation. rity Israeli prison as a political prisBoth stories explore the sense of oner. “Gaza Ghetto” is a documentaloss and ephemerality that defines ry that portrays the horrible living the lives of Palestinians caught up in conditions of Palestinian life under the politics and violence of colonial the Israeli government’s occupation occupation. in 1984. “Habibi Rasak Kharban” is Theater has also flourished in a romance film following two stuPalestinian resistance movements. dents who fall in love while living in The Jenin Freedom Theater, found- the West Bank, despite the societal ed by Juliano Mer Khamis, was es- forces that forbid their love in their tablished in 2006 and operates in home of Gaza. It is a story of starthe Jenin refugee camp in the West crossed lovers and a retelling of the Bank. The project aims to address famous Sufi story of Majnun Layla. the experiences of the victims of Another artist, musician Bashar occupation through cultural resis- Murad, is challenging societal and tance. Khamis was an artist who political systems of power. Known as dedicated his life to documenting the “Palestinian Lady Gaga,” Murad Palestinian oppression and oppo- is an openly gay artist whose lyrics sition up until his assassination on advocate for LGBTQ+ rights while April 4, 2011. His mother, Arna Mer also advocating for a free Palestine.

Khamis, then began running the the“It’s about the feeling of not feelater. Juliano Mer Khamis’ identity ing like you belong anywhere. And as the son of a Zionist-turned-revo- so, you know, you’re - you’ll be fightlutionary mother and a Palestinian ing for Palestine, and then people Arab father gave his art a specific will tell you Palestine doesn’t exist. political angle strongly opposed by Palestinians don’t exist,” Murad told extremist right-wing Palestinians NPR in an interview while discussand the Zionist Israeli state. ing his song “Makshara” — taken By repressing Palestinian art, from the Arabic word for “mockery.” the Israeli state is only revealing “And then in your own commuhow threatening the portrayal of em- nity, you’ll be fighting against conpowered and dissenting Palestinians servative norms but also carrying is to their settler-colonial mission. the message of Palestine with you,” The Freedom Theater is a space Murad said. “And so [Makshara] for Palestinian, Israeli and interna- was about how cruel and harsh this

Photo courtesy of Guillaume Paumier via Wikimedia Commons A sign outside the entrance of the Jenin Freedom Theater, founded by artist Juliano Mer Khamis.

reality is that it pushes people to just soul my sanity it’s all shattered. Towant to escape.” morrow lets all pray for ceasefire lets Outside of literature and the the- pray for freedom lets pray that not ater arts, a wealth of Palestinian dig- one more child is killed. Bless Gaza, ital artists populate the Palestinian bless its people, and bless Palestine,” political realm with their artwork on Hamadeh said via Instagram. resistance and advocacy.

Chris Gazaleh, or @c.gazaleh on Narmeen Hamadeh, or @nar- Instagram, is another digital artist. meenh.illustrations on Instagram, Palestinian-born Gazaleh, born and is a second-generation Palestinian raised in the United States, is a muimmigrant born in Saudi Arabia and ralist who spreads awareness and has let activism, advocates for advocacy and Palestinian-MusPalestinian film is a Palestinian cullim rights thriving artistic industry, ture inspire her through his with Palestinian filmmakers artwork on the artwork.

“I always walls of buildings releasing documentaries thought that in San Francisand cinema-verite-style the world didn’t co. He works in independent films depicting many mediums, know or just looked away including paintthe reality of the Israeli from Palestining, digital art government’s occupation. ians. But now it’s and graffiti. evident that they “3.8 billion know and they are watching [with] U.S. tax dollars goes to the illegal wide eyes open, but the world ac- Zionist occupation of Palestine to tually chose to just watch, as if it’s bomb, kill and steal life. How many a horror movie on TV,” Hamadeh North Americans know this? Is it remarked in the caption of an Insta- not a crime in itself to keep informagram post of her digital artwork on tion from a whole population? …The Oct. 20, 2023. cultural problem with western counHamadeh’s image depicts a hu- tries is that they are still stuck only manlike television looking out at seeing those that look like them as the viewer from big blue eyes. On legitimate suffering,” Gazaleh stated its screen, red poppy flowers bleed in the caption of a mural he posted to as the sun sets over the sea. A news Instagram on Oct. 20. banner at the bottom of the screen “This goes back to the days of reports a “ceasefire on Gaza” below slavery. It goes back to the genocide the picture of the poppy flowers, and of the Americas and this problem is a pair of open eyes hangs above the obviously still alive and well for the television. Behind the television, criminal will never admit what they “Gaza” is written several times in did was wrong, but in this case, the stylized Arabic text. criminal is acting as if they are doThe post came in the wake of ing any good for the world,” Gazaleh Israel’s ongoing bombardment of continued, via Instagram. “For all the Gaza Strip as retaliation for the the children of Gaza, for all the peoPalestinian-militant group Hamas’ ple I pray for you every night and I attack on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on promise we will never let this world Oct. 7, 2023.“It’s not, this is real life. forget what they did to you and what Gazans are getting killed, children they’re doing to us as a People … are getting murdered. My heart my Free Palestine.”

October 30, 2023

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

. Mount Holyoke News

3

‘The Wolves’ scores points with the Mount Holyoke community

BY LIV WILSON ’24 PUBLISHER & BOOKS EDITOR

Amid the rainy weather of friends and family weekend, members of the Mount Holyoke College community gathered in Rooke Theatre for a sold-out performance that marked the first theatrical production of the 2023-24 school year. Soccer balls were kicked — not into the audience, as Melanie Cosdon ‘26 mentioned to the Mount Holyoke News with pride — whistles were blown and the audience was moved to tears. “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe was directed by Visiting Lecturer in Film Media Theater Professor Michael Ofori and assistant directed by Emma Platt ’26 and Talia Pott ’25.

“The Wolves,” a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, follows a girls’ indoor soccer team through six Saturday mornings as they prepare for their games. In his director’s note, Ofori states that the players are “deeply introspective, confused, funny, unfortunate, informed, concerned and curious” all at once, which rings true throughout the play’s moments of joy, anger, pain and sorrow.

The show begins with a snapshot of the team discussing serious, real-world issues in a way that only sheltered girls from the Midwest can. The conversations vary from the girls confusing Central America, Middle America, and Middle Earth to deconstructing the psychological implications of the Cambodian genocide before rapidly changing topics to college recruitment or period woes. “[The flippant discussion of human rights violations] almost feels like a poorly researched infographic followed by a meme,” Actor Georgia

Rose ’24, who played #8, said of the girls’ well-meaning ignorance. “I think [this] is an attitude that needs to be examined and ‘The Wolves’ does that beautifully.”

The casual discussion of both world events and school gossip — with the awkward, realistic flow typical of any conversation between well-meaning, ignorant teenagers — intertwines with deeply personal facets of each player, slowly revealed during side conversations and stretches. As the play progresses, the players slowly become more and more accepting of one another and the limits of their own maturity.

In the fourth scene, some of the players discuss Player #46’s background in soccer and beyond. The initial reaction through the show is jealousy at her soccer skill and judgment of her living situation, but the conversation in the fourth scene reveals the fact that #46, played by Arianna Peña ’25, uses soccer as a means of connecting with others.

Cosdon described how the company navigated the delicate political topics and teenage drama. “We spent a lot of time really reflecting on being 16-17,” she said, “and having empathy for those moments of immaturity.”

The show featured a painfully human cast of characters who, with one exception, we only know by the numbers printed on their jerseys.

Glynnis Goff ’25 tries to hold the group together as #25, an exasperated team captain coming to terms with her sexuality. Cosdon plays #7, a brash and outspoken striker whose inflated ego leads to a blowout fight with #14, a soft-spoken, eager-toplease defensive player who leaves a heartbreaking mark on the show and is played by Lex Canon ’26.

The show integrates the audi-

ence into its world through both set design and staging. The Rooke stage was transformed into grassy astroturf on which the actors did running drills as the pre-show playlist blasted. They stopped at the front of the stage and waved to real and imagined friends in the audience. Bridie Bowler ’26 (Soccer Mom) reads the audience the theater’s rules and points out emergency exits with the same pep and cadence the name of her role might bring to mind. Her performance makes the audience feel as though they are just as part of ‘The Wolves’ as the players on the team.

“Often mainstage productions will have a character read out the pre-show,” Pott said. “We chose to lower the fourth-wall divide at the beginning of the show, so the audience could feel as though they were watching a real match.”

Furthering the immersion, “The Wolves” featured collaboration across college departments that do not usually overlap. According to the director’s note, the cast worked with the Mount Holyoke Soccer team to learn the proper drills and goalie techniques necessary for bringing an authentic feel to the play.

“It was a big adjustment, adding with the factor of playing with the soccer balls on top of remembering our lines and blocking and reading,” Peña said of learning the drills with the team. “But in the end [it] was super rewarding.”

The penultimate scene of the play features no dialogue. Only Syd Hart ’25 as #00 is onstage, throwing soccer balls around in rage for reasons unbeknownst to the audience. #00, the mostly silent goalie who serves as an anchor in the background, is brought to the forefront, setting the tone for the final minutes.

Photo courtesy of Tom Kelleher Directed by Michael Ofori,“The Wolves” was the first theatrical production of the academic year.

The scream Hart lets out as she rips her shirt in anger causes audible gasps throughout the room, and without a word of dialogue, the audience is alerted that something is horribly wrong.

The final scene in the play brought the most emotional acting in the show, with Brynna Bartoo ’24 as #11 and Arianna Peña ’25 as #46 sitting alone onstage, discussing their feelings about what had happened earlier in the play and making casual conversation. The body language of the actors, with hesitant hand movements and tentative words, underscores the lighthearted attempts at banter. The scene is overshadowed by the underlying feeling that something fundamental has been lost.

One by one, all the girls, with the exception of #14, come on stage until the audience realizes that #14 is not coming back, because she is dead.

Bowler shines in the role of Soccer Mom, appearing for the first time since the pre-show announcements,

as a now manic mother who has lost her child. All of the characters openly weep onstage as Soccer Mom delivers her final monologue, and the show’s immersive nature had the audience crying right alongside them.

The cast credits their ability to make the grieving seem all the more real with the camaraderie they developed both on and offstage.

“Many of my friends who came to see the show remarked on our ability to cry on command,” Phoebe Baskin ’26, the cast member who played #2, said. “I don’t believe our tears in Week Six were because we made ourselves cry … instead they were a genuine result of becoming our characters and just feeling what happened in Week 5 … The cast really felt like a team. We truly are The Wolves.”

The next show at Rooke Theater will be “Night of Scenes,” featuring four short scenes from various plays directed by Professor Michael Ofori, Professor Noah Tuleja, Glynnis Goff ’25 and Liz Almonte ’24.

‘nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana’: The return of Trap Bunny

BY GABI PALERMO ’24 STAFF WRITER

Singer-songwriter Bad Bunny takes us back to the beginning of his career with his latest release, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana.”

The album combines his trap roots, reggaeton and pop elements to bring together old and new fans and display the range he has as an artist.

However, the album is not as lyrically impactful as his previous release, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” and as a result, fails to make as large of an impact.

There are some standout songs, but overall, it does not feel like a complete project.

Bad Bunny began his career in Latin trap, a genre that started in Puerto Rico and blends the slower rhythms and heavy-hitting lyrics of Southern hip-hop with reggaeton.

The rapping skills and memorable lyrics featured on his 2018 debut album “X 100Pre” impressed audiences and made people interested in the music he was creating. His 2022 album, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” catapulted Bad Bunny into mainstream music, revealing to audiences that he was a versatile artist and could make mu-

Graphic by Sofía López Melgar ’24

sic in different genres, like pop and dembow.

Released on Oct. 13, 2023, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” is Bad Bunny’s fifth studio release. The album begins with a powerful string opening on the track “Nadie Sabe.”

With a simple beat in the background, Bad Bunny raps about the troubles of fame: “Pero nadie sabe,

no, lo que se siente, ey / Sentirse solo con cien mil persona’ al frente,” or, “no one knows what it’s like to feel lonely with 100,000 people in front of you.” After entering the mainstream, Bad Bunny’s private life has become of public interest. He has been in several headlines discussing his new relationship with model Kendall Jenner. Many fans see his

relationship with Kendall as him turning his back on his people and disregarding his Latino identity, as they believe Jenner has demonstrated a lack of respect for the Latinx community, Refinery 29 reported.

Contrary to such speculation, Bad Bunny has not left his Latino identity behind. The album features collaborations with other Latin American artists, serving as a love letter to Latin trap. Collaborations with popular Latin American artists — such as Puerto Rican female rapper Young Miko, Colombian reggaeton star Feid, and Puerto Rican trap artist Eladio Carrión — have given them a chance to reach a worldwide audience.

“Perro Negro,” featuring Feid, is one of the most popular tracks from the album, mixing reggaeton from the two artists’ native countries.

The drill-inspired track “Thunder y Lightning,” featuring Carrión, was highly anticipated as audiences were eager to see two leading figures of Latin trap come together.

Although “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” is mainly trap, Bad Bunny experiments with different sounds on the album as well. In the

track “Vou 787,” he samples Madonna’s “Vogue” and raps about fast cars and the life of luxury. Comparatively calmer than the rest of the album, this song loops Madonna’s “Vogue” on track to create a dreamy melody on top of a steady trap beat. Similarly, “Monaco” samples Charles Anzavour’s “Hier Encore” and creates a calming buildup in the beginning of the track. Its strings build to the main trap beat of the song and are then looped throughout to create a more dynamic and interesting sound.

Overall, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” shows new fans how far Bad Bunny has come in his career while reminding audiences of the genre he got his start in. It is difficult to follow a record-breaking album like “Un Verano Sin Ti,” but Bad Bunny was able to create some hits with “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana.”

This album is not his best work, but the overall sound makes fans remember why they fell in love with Bad Bunny in the first place. As Bad Bunny continues to grow as a worldwide sensation, fans can remember his roots in his latest release.

Mitski explores loneliness, grief and approval in seventh studio album

BY SARAH BERGER ’27 STAFF WRITER

bum.

Songs like “Buffalo Replaced,” “When Memories Snow” and “I’m Mitski’s music manages to en- Your Man” showcase her newly uncapsulate universal emotions in two veiled style. The songs conjure imagor three minutes. She uses simple es of empty fields, starry skies and metaphors and beautiful music to lonely cowboys through their solemn represent things that can’t quite be melodies. Although the album may captured in words, which is likely be stripped down, each song feels inwhat inspires the undying devotion tentional, and each note meaningful.

Without dramatic musical shifts of her fans. Arguably, there’s not a person alive who can listen to a to engage the listener, Mitski’s lyrMitski song and not relate in some ics must shine on their own — and shine they do. way.

Beyond Each word feels simply inspiring The songs conjure up carefully chosen. empathy in her images of empty fields, Unlike her oldlisteners, Mitski er work, which starry skies and lonely makes pain feel tends to tell a precious, longing cowboys through their cohesive narrafeel divine, and solemn melodies. Although tive throughout happiness feel the album may be stripped the album, each infinite. song on “The With her sevdown, each song feels Land is Inhospienth album, “The intentional and each note table and So Are Land Is InhospiWe” stands on its meaningful. table and So Are own. Each track We,” released Sept. 15, Mitski shirks the adoles- contains a central stanza that reads cent emotions of her previous work like a poem, along with a chorus to for a quieter, more adult tone. Previ- supplement it. Wordless vocalizaously, her music has stayed firmly in tions comprise each song’s missing the alternative genre, but her latest piece. This format is exemplified on release toes into folk rock. She has “My Love Mine All Mine,” the breakcalled it her “most American” al- out hit from the album and Mitski’s

Photo courtesy of David Lee via Flickr Released on Sept. 17, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” is Mistki’s seventh studio album.

first entry into the Billboard Hot 100.

“The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” stays true to the need for others’ approval present in Mitski’s earlier work, but there are some noticeable differences in how she expresses it.

In “Drunk Walk Home,” from the album “Bury Me At Makeout Creek,” she sings: “You know I wore this dress for you.” Similarly, on “A Loving Feeling” from “Puberty 2,” she sings: “I’m stayin’ up later just in case / You come up and ask to leave with me.” Both of these songs are

hectic; Mitski’s voice rises and falls as she begs for attention.

This theme is repeated in “I’m Your Man” from “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We,” as she sings, “No one will ever love me like you again / So, when you leave me, I should die / I deserve it, don’t I?” Although the lyrics are melancholy on the surface, there’s a hint of irony as she sings them: a wink at the audience. There’s no screaming.

She’s self-aware in her wallowing, laughing at anyone who would actually dare to perceive her that way. In

the very next song, “I Love Me After You,” she leaves this theme behind, writing, “Streets are mine, the night is mine / All my own / How I love me after you.”

Though Mitski delves into her own greed, desire, loneliness and hopefulness, the album itself is not saddening. It feels like the result of several long meditation sessions, with the quiet conclusion that running from your problems won’t get you anywhere — at least not anywhere you’d like to be. It is a measured response to universal emotions and an exploration of living with oneself.

“The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” is less musically distinct than Mitski’s past works. If you aren’t careful, the entire album can pass by without a particular song standing out, leaving you wondering where your forty minutes have gone.

Ultimately, you get out of the album what you put into it.

This album is not meant for studying or singing along in the car.

It is not a soundtrack to the mundane, as universal as its topics are.

It’s for quiet moments, for time alone at the end of the day. Mitski is speaking, not yelling. She doesn’t need anyone to listen.

4

GLOBAL

October 30, 2023

. Mount Holyoke News

Polish election ends eight-year-long conservative majority

Photo courtesy of Tomasz Molina via Wikimedia Commons Polish conservative party, which has historically opposed LGBTQ+ rights, loses majority vote to progressive opposition due to women and young voters.

BY KIERA MCLAUGHLIN ’26 GLOBAL EDITOR

Content warning: this article discusses racism and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.

This past week, thousands of people, many of them women and youths, turned out to the polls in record numbers, taking the Poland election into their own hands to oust the conservative Law and Order party, also known as the PiS. The Oct. 15 election was the most consequential in the country since 1989, motivating thousands of people to vote on the future of Poland’s democracy in the Sejm, one of the two houses that make up Poland’s National Assembly, according to the Atlantic Council.

The Law and Justice Party has had the political majority in Poland since 2015. In the face of the election, PiS attempted to attack the rights of migrants by spreading false rhetoric about migrants in Poland and their supposed connections to crime by using propaganda that depicted them as dangerous. These ideas were promoted to instill fear prior to

a referendum vote regarding immigration to Poland, according to the Human Rights Watch Organization.

While PiS continues to be the most influential party in Poland, with the recent election, the opposition party — the progressive Civic Coalition led by Donald Tusk, the former president of the European Council — has gained seats in parliament, along with other liberal parties like The Left and the Third Way party, BBC News reported. Unlike PiS, the Civic Coalition, now the largest progressive party, ran on a pro-European Union platform. It made promises to reverse undemocratic policies implemented by the PiS party restricting freedom of speech, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights, according to The New York Times.

During their time in power, PiS attempted to criminalize homosexuality and spread hateful anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. According to Them Magazine, Poland was named the worst country in the European Union for LGBTQ+ people by the annual Rainbow Europe Index from 2020 to 2023, based on inequalities and discrimination in legal and societal practice. In 2019, Jaroslaw

Kaczynski, chairman of PiS, said that homosexuality is a “threat to Polish identity, to our nation, to its existence, and thus to the Polish state,” The New York Times reported.

Beginning in 2019, Polish towns and regions began declaring themselves “LGBT-free zones.” By 2020, there were almost 100 of these districts, Them Magazine reported.

The Human Rights Organization said local authorities created these districts to “protect children from moral corruption” by criminalizing “LGBT ideology.” One-third of local authorities implemented anti-LGBTQ+ policies after the Law and Justice party made “protecting” Poland the main target of their campaign. There are still 56 towns with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Poland as of May 2023.

Along with discriminatory policies and the promotion of anti-LGBTQ+ ideology, the PiS party also passed an extensive ban on abortion in nearly all instances. Voted on in 2020, the “near-total” abortion ban was put into effect starting in January 2021, according to The New York Times.

In addition to attacking the Civic

Coalition campaign, PiS targeted the PiS party’s choice of rhetoric.

The election, however, was a migrant population in Poland as well as in Europe more broadly. Several huge win for the Civic Coalition and human rights groups allege that pri- progressives in Poland. According or to the election, PiS used misinfor- to BBC News, voter turnout was at mation about the supposed danger a record high of over 74% and, polls posed by migrants to create panic, showed that 68.8% of voters were unwhich failed to rally anti-migrant der the age of 29.

“I have never been so happy ideals and support for their party.

The PiS party had a referen- in my life with this supposed secdum on the vote alongside the Oct. ond place, Poland won, democracy won. We re15 election, them asking voters Unlike PiS, the Civic Coalition, moved from power,” about “illegal now the largest progressive Tusk said in immigrants,” a speech folAP News reparty, ran on a pro-European lowing the ported.

This Union platform with promises election, acreferendum to reverse undemocratic cording to POaddressed the LITICO. EU relocation policies implemented by the According plan and asked PiS party around freedom of to AP News, it voters the speech, women’s rights and is likely that question: “Do Tusk will reyou support LGBTQ+ rights, according to turn to being the admission the New York Times. the Polish of thousands prime minisof illegal immigrants from the Middle East and ter, a role he previously served in Africa under the forced relocation from 2007 to 2014. Now, three promechanism imposed by the Europe- gressive opposition parties to PiS make up 53.7% of the house of paran bureaucracy?”

In response to the referendum, liament. President of Poland Anthe Human Rights Watch Organi- drzej Duda will have to call the first zation said the annex of the vote session of parliament within 30 days “contains misleading information after the election and appoint a new designed to influence citizens to prime minister, AP News reported.

With this new progressive mavote in support of the government’s anti-migrant agenda. It deliberately jority, civil rights groups are ready to omits the fact that the EU migration advocate for reimplementing demopact doesn’t force any country to ac- cratic practices, reproductive rights and protections for the LGBTQ+ cept relocated migrants … .”

This referendum came with a community, according to NPR. In an campaign video announcing the interview with NPR, Hurbert Sobecquestion from Mateusz Moraviecki, ki, spokesperson for Love Does Not the prime minister of Poland and a Exclude, said of the sudden change member of the PiS party, on social in political leadership that “it’s like media, which included footage of living in a toxic household with a viviolence taking place in the streets olent partner, and suddenly you’re of Western Europe and a visual of a free of them.”

Sobecki continued by asking, Black man “apparent[ly] anticipating” to commit a crime while licking “How can you learn to live again?”

While the Civic Coalition cama knife. These videos were followed

by PiS chairman Kaczynski asking paigned on restoring abortion rights the viewer, “Do you want this to hap- to the Polish population, Natalia pen in Poland as well?” AP News re- Broniarczyk, a reproductive rights activist, told NPR that she is not opported.

In a video targeting Donald timistic about the new progressive Tusk, Morawiecki said, “Let’s not let parliament. “I think that they are Tusk — as an envoy of the Brussels not brave enough to be supporters elites — demolish security in Po- of legal abortion on demand. And to be honest, I don’t have any hope if it land.”

This also comes at a time when comes to Donald Tusk because he Poland is hosting more than 1.5 mil- promised so many times legal aborlion Ukrainian refugees, according tion.”

One thing is certain: when young to The New York Times. Support for these Ukrainian refugees remains a voters took to the election polls on cross-partisan issue even for the PiS Oct. 15, their votes made changes in the Polish government. In interviews Party, the Atlantic Council stated.

In addition to losing the majori- with The Guardian, many young peoty seats in parliament, PiS’s attempt ple shared feeling hopeful. Michal with the referendum failed as it Grabarski, a 25-year-old voter, said, never reached the 50% participation “This record turnout among young from the population that it needed to people demonstrates that we’ve had be a valid vote, AP News reported. enough. Prohibitions don’t work Some voters boycotted the referen- with young people — they want to dum in protest of the question of mi- love whom they want and decide gration and the bias displayed by the about themselves.”

Bed bugs become most talked-about accessory at Paris Fashion Week 2023

BY ELIZABETH MURRAY ’26 STAFF WRITER

Paris has been facing a bed bug infestation since just before Fashion Week 2023, Condé Nast Traveler reported — and pest sightings have not been limited to homes.

Bed bugs have been reported in movie theaters, hospitals and trains.

While there isn’t a specific known source for the outbreak, it may have something to do with Paris being one of the most visited cities in the world — the last few years have seen record-breaking numbers of travelers. The breed of bed bugs currently infesting Paris can easily cling to fabric and has evolved to be more resistant to insecticides normally used by exterminators.

In 2010, New York City experienced a similar infestation to the one in Paris, Time magazine reported. Just as in Paris’ case, several species of insects — including bed bugs — developed an immunity to the chemicals most commonly used to eradicate them.

According to Wired Magazine, getting rid of bed bugs can be a costly task. In France, the average cost is 890 euros, or $937 per home. This cost can easily rise, especially in Paris, where the cost of living is notoriously much higher than in the rest of France.

Despite their heightened resistance to pesticides, the bed bugs are not invincible, according to Vox. They can be exterminated by exposure to extreme temperatures or a combination of toxic chemicals.

These chemicals can be derived from

plants, including the pyrethrin and pyrethroid chemicals. Other types of pesticides include desiccants, such as boric acid; biochemicals, such as oils pressed from the seeds of the Neem tree; pyrroles, which work to disrupt the cells in a bed bug’s body; and neonicotinoids, made of synthetic nicotine.

In France, there has been a growing panic surrounding the possibility of a widespread bed bug infestation, The New York Times reported. According to Wired Magazine, France has seen a 65% increase in calls to pest control services this fall.

Beyond the public health concerns, the bed bugs have been a public relations nightmare for Paris as it prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, Reuters reported.

According to Reuters, the frenzy has even made its way into the French Parliament. Lawmaker Mathilde Panot brought what she claimed was a vial of bed bugs with her to parliament when she expressed her anger at the French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and the government for failing to control the infestations.

The government is working to create a list of verified pest control companies, as there have already been 40 cases of fraud, Wired Magazine reported. For those in social or publicly funded housing, a safeguard was instituted in 2020. Residents can pay four extra euros in addition to their yearly rent so that in case of an infestation of bed bugs, the state will take care of it at no charge. However, this safeguard is not foolproof — it can take weeks for a pest control

Graphic by Gabby Gagnon ’24

company to be hired, during which an infestation only worsens. According to Time magazine, the human body is an ideal host for bed bugs because the insects can survive off human blood as a substitute for water. The insects have existed alongside humans since early civilization and have even been depicted in cave drawings.

Time magazine explained that the bed bug population decreased in the mid-20th century with the increased usage of chemicals like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT. The sale of DDT was outlawed in Europe and the United States in the 1970s after its negative impacts on the environment and human health were

discovered. At around the same time, international trade increased, which made it easier for the pests to spread. Paris Fashion Week is what initially brought attention to the bedbugs through social media. No events were canceled, and the only outcome seems to have been some attendees getting bitten and an ensuing online frenzy.

October 30, 2023

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

. Mount Holyoke News

5

Calling all stargazers: New astronomy club is approved

BY SARAH GRINNELL ’26 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT EDITOR

the historic Williston Observatory, creating a path forward for student involvement in that space. It is the Aspiring student astronomers, oldest academic building on campus physicists or simply appreciative and provides a unique opportunity stargazers need not gaze out into for learning,” Hazen said. the infinities of space through a teleHazen continued, communiscope to find the perfect extracurric- cating their “hope to revitalize the ular activity — an out-of-this-world space and create resources for stuoption is available in ASTRO, the dent research,” as well as “work new campus astronomy club. with the astronomy and physics deThe group is becoming an of- partment” — such as their faculty ficial student organization this se- advisor, Thomas Burbine — “to host mester, according to ASTRO Club special events to promote the incredPresident Abbey Hazen ’24. ible history and opportunity the obIn an interview with the Mount servatory holds.”

Holyoke News, Hazen explained that While a science-based club can what is now ASTRO had consisted of seem daunting to those outside the “informal groups” set up to observe discipline, club member Maya Elthe skies over the past year. liott ’27 is here to assure prospective The club’s existence was solid- members that “being in the ASTRO ified last year when the astrono- Club takes away the academic presmy department purchased its first sure” from studying astronomy.

Unistellar eVscope 2 Telescope, “It’s a place where everyone “making student observation more there shares an excitement for the accessible than it has ever been.” same ideas and can discuss their Now, it will officially become a rec- ideas about stars and eclipses and ognized campus organization this planets without fear of not sounding semester. smart or knowledgeable enough,” “Making an official organiza- she explained in an interview with tion helps to support the existing the Mount Holyoke News. She highnetwork of dedicated and talented lighted that she believes many memMount Holyoke astronomers,” Ha- bers are not majoring in astronomy zen said. While the club is still in its or science in general. early stages, Hazen has no shortage Instead, the board and current of plans for its future. They men- members intend for ASTRO to simtioned goals to ply be a space to hold events such share in a collec[ASTRO is] a place where tive fascination as open houseveryone there shares an es, telescope with the wonders training and a of the skies. Haexcitement for the same group observazen emphasized ideas and can discuss their that “the club is tion of the total ideas about stars and solar eclipse to welcome to anycome in April, as eclipses and planets without one who loves well as possible space.” fear of not sounding smart “guest speakers, In Elliot’s or knowledgeable enough. movie nights and view, stargazing specialty obserhas a lot to offer vations.” besides the aca– Maya Elliott Aside from demic aspect. the club itself, “I’ve found they also have ambitions to revive some of my favorite moments in my its storied meeting space, the John life to be when I was lying on the Payson Williston Observatory. grass and watching meteor show“I hope to catalog and preserve ers, discussing with friends about all

Photo courtesy of Anna Maria College via Get Archive A view of the John Payson Williston Observatory, the historic headquarters of the Astonomy Club.

the possibilities in space,” she said.

“Even if you aren’t interested in the more in-depth science-based parts of astronomy, I have yet to meet someone who didn’t have their breath taken away from seeing the planets or the craters of the moon with their own eyes.”

According to Hazen, the potential for community building — such as by bringing people with different academic backgrounds together, as well as from both on-campus and within the broader local area — is one of the club’s greatest strengths.

Hazen says there is no dearth of interest in astronomy on campus, as many students have already “expressed interest and asked how they can help get the organization off the ground.”

“I know that ASTRO will become a positive community on campus that will serve to educate and inspire Mount Holyoke students and

our amazing local community,” Hazen said, describing their hopes to share the discipline’s “rich history at Mount Holyoke” with students and professors as well as community members via open houses.

“Having open houses has already contributed to the community.

Prospective students have been so excited to get tours, [and] local community members bring their kids to learn about space,” they said.

Elliot believes a club like this is especially important given the fact that, despite the observatory being the oldest still-standing academic building on campus, its role in the community has gone largely uncelebrated.

“It has a rich history and in a world where those who aren’t cis[gender] men have been severely underrepresented in the science industry, our college having our own observatory along with powerful

science programs is so important,” Elliot said. This empowerment of marginalized voices in STEM is something that ASTRO members hope to further by offering additional spaces to explore these topics, Elliot explained.

Thanks to the resources of the Williston Observatory, students also have access to special equipment such as the Alvan Clark Equatorial Refractor Telescope. Hazen said this access “has given [them] a huge amount of confidence as an observer as well as a presenter for open house.”

So why join the astronomy club?

According to Elliot, studying the stars can give students a new perspective on life.

“My favorite part of astronomy is how you can escape the constant ‘grounded-ness’ of being on Earth by exploring the vast possibilities of space,” she said. “When you look through a telescope, you have to be able to imagine this whole new idea of what exists beyond our comparatively small world, where matter itself acts differently depending on where it is, and I love the sort of thought process and creativity that comes with it.”

Even if students do not intend to pursue astronomy through academics, Elliot stresses that “through learning about space and observing the planets and stars around us, we can learn about time, matter and how everything within the universe reacts to its surroundings.”

Hazen echoed this statement by encouraging students on the fence to take the leap into the club. “To anyone that is even considering joining the ASTRO or the astronomy department, do it. It is so much fun and such a great community.”

As the astronomy club expands — which is likely, thanks to its new status as an official organization on campus — Hazen hopes that the already lively interest in astronomy on campus will only grow with it, inspiring future generations of astronomy enthusiasts to come.

Severe drought in Amazon Rainforest causes river levels to fall

BY LILY BENN ’24 STAFF WRITER

Earlier this month, scientists reported that the Amazon River has reached its lowest water levels yet since recording became a standardized practice in 1902, according to CNN. The current water level has been reported as 13.59 meters, or 44.6 feet.

CNN compared this number to the levels recorded last year at 17.60 meters, or 57.7 feet. This number was measured on Oct. 16 at the port city of Manaus, the meeting point of the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers, amid a months-long drought.

CNN reported that in many areas throughout the Amazon Rainforest, tributaries of the Amazon River — such as the Rio Negro — are losing water rapidly and nearing record lows as well.

Ruth Martins, a leader of the small riverside community Boca do Mamirauá, said in an interview with The New York Times that some places are seeing only dirt where parts of rivers used to flow. Because of these tributaries drying up, many Indigenous and local communities are facing health and access crises, The New York Times reported.

A news article published by Rainforest Foundation U.S. indicated that low water levels are causing interruptions in the transportation of necessary goods and services to communities living throughout the Amazon Rainforest. Namely, food and water are limited, especially as

Photo courtesy of European Space Agency via Wikimedia Commons An aerial view of the Amazon River, which is facing record low water levels due to severe drought.

this drought is killing many freshwater fish species and leaving various riverside communities dependent on fishing without food or a source of income.

The Rainforest Foundation U.S. explained that the state government

of Amazonas in Brazil has declared the drought an emergency, explaining that 500,000 people are expected to lose reliable access to food and water by the end of October.

The drought has left many communities without regular access to

clean water — for some, the only alternative is stagnant, contaminated water, The New York Times wrote.

Edivilson Braga, the coordinator of the local service of civil defense in Tefé, told The New York Times that people in his community are drinking, cooking and bathing in this contaminated water, which over time causes sickness not only in children and elderly people — the most vulnerable groups — but likely in anyone.

The New York Times continued that stagnant, warm water can easily become breeding grounds for infective mosquitos, increasing the risk of malaria and dengue in communities affected by this water scarcity.

The Rainforest Foundation U.S. explained that water scarcity increases risk in this situation. As is the case with water and food, medical supplies are also scarce due to the surrounding tributaries drying up and becoming inaccessible by boat. According to The New York Times, children in many communities are losing access to education, as their habitual riverboat ride to school is no longer accessible.

Biodiversity in the region has also been affected by the drought.

High water temperatures have likely been the cause of an increase in endangered river dolphin deaths, with over 100 dead counted in one week, CNN reported. According to The Guardian, this drought has also led to an increased susceptibility to wildfires in the area. These wildfires have claimed the lives of plants and

animals, alongside deteriorating the health of many people living in Manaus due to heavy air pollution.

The Rainforest Foundation U.S. declared that this extreme drought — and the health and biodiversity crises that come along with it — are not outlier events but rather can be directly attributed to changes in the global climate.

PBS also suggested a link between this drought, ongoing deforestation, forest fires and climate change, drawing from previous climate models.

“Cutting down trees, like global warming, makes rain scarcer and temperatures higher because the Amazon’s trees release moisture, cooling temperatures and forming rain clouds,” The New York Times explained.

According to The Guardian, it was Indigenous groups and individuals — specifically Apiam, an organization that represents 63 Indigenous tribes in the Amazon Rainforest — who first called and advocated for Brazil and other countries affected by the drought to declare a climate emergency earlier this month.

The Rainforest Foundation U.S. explained that the Amazon region needs immediate support, and few coordinated efforts exist to assist the suffering communities and ecosystems in this area. The foundation concluded by referencing Indigenous contributions to the fight against ongoing climate disasters and emphasizing the need for international solidarity.

The 2027 Class Board: Who they are and what they stand for, cont’d u

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“I want [the Class of 2027] to feel empowered to speak up and be heard and also be empowered to feel like they can step back and enjoy the experience,” Rood added.

In terms of strategy, the group unanimously welcomes any and all concerns or comments. They intend to approach student feedback with an open and action-driven mindset.

“I make [informed] decisions not based on what I think is best, but on what the class wants,” Rood ex-

plained. “We all want what’s best for the class.”

In an effort to honor this goal, the Board intends to listen closely to every voice of the Class of 2027. Each member has their own approach — Nebauer welcomes criticism and wants to turn ideas into action, while Rood and Moore both hold weekly office hours.

Nebauer noted that “[the] student voice is crucial to our board meetings,” explaining that “as representatives of our class, we strive to listen to students and ensure that they are not only listened to but their

needs are met through the actions of our class board.” Atiq ’27 described this student-oriented approach as allowing the Board to “arrive at conclusions with ease.”

When discussing the common traits shared among the board members, Gillin noted that each member has “ambition and drive that will propel us to take action.” Rood mentioned her belief that every member comes to meetings having gone above and beyond in their tasks.

“We say ‘this is awesome’ a lot on our Board,” Rood said.

Moore said that “oftentimes

[members of the Board] want to keep working” even when the meeting is about to end. When asked if the group wants to hold an additional meeting, it’s often a unanimous yes.

“We get deep into things in meetings [because] we all have a deep passion for creating the best experience for our class,” Moore explained. “Usually what happens in these types of things is people join for a resume booster, but that’s not what’s happening here.” She described the meetings as being “very conversation-based,” where they often “realiz[e] we’ve spent half the

meeting on one topic.”

Atiq emphasized the importance of “[leaving] behind a community mirroring the morals and ethics that are upheld by the College.” The Board has set out to achieve this, with their values and care for the student body piloting their action plans. Rood credited their cohesive and effective team dynamic to her belief that “if you care about what you’re doing, then you’re going to do it better.”

Editor’s note: Brie Foster ’27 is a member of the Mount Holyoke News.

6

OPINION

October 30, 2023

. Mount Holyoke News

What is an athlete but a tool of the state?: The Russian ban must stay

Photo courtesy of Kremlin.ru via Wikimedia Commons Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Olympic figure skater and gold medalist Evgeni Plushenko with an Order of Honor at a ceremony in 2014.

BY NINA SYDORYK ’25 NEWS EDITOR

A few months back, Italian figure skater Daniel Grassl announced his aim to change coaches. He was to leave Italy and train in Russia under arguably one of — if not the — most infamous coaches in that country: Eteri Tutberidze.

You may recall her name from around two years ago when news broke that a 15-year-old female figure skater, Kamila Valieva, had been exposed for doping during the Women’s Event at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Valieva was, and continues to be, Tutberidze’s pupil. You can imagine, then, how such a move on the part of Grassl would ignite criticism and scrutiny from the public. One can imagine the financial compensation Grassl* would be providing Tutberidze and, in consequence, the Russian economy.

There are other implications to consider as well. If this coach, who has previously faced accusations of abuse and doping, remains able to draw in students from foreign nations — well, perhaps all those accusations of misconduct are rendered groundless in the eyes of the public.

Think, too, on the ethical implications of such a move. On this last matter, I would rather imagine — and hope — I need not explain.

Nonetheless, Grassl’s move was not without its defenders, as yet again, we find ourselves met with the phrase “sport is outside of politics.”

This phrase has plagued us since the first sporting federation moved to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, only four days after the conclusion of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. A riveting coincidence indeed.

But why has this plagued us so, even if the matter seems a rather black-and-white case in terms of what is right and what is wrong?

And although I am sure that I draw no illusions regarding my own stance on the matter, I must admit

that there is no easy answer to the question of sport and politics — at the very least, not to the question of consequence and application. And yet, the answer to the question of whether sport and politics can ever be severed from one another is a resounding one – no.

Sports and athletics have never existed without the presence of political influence, not even in ancient Greece at the first Olympiad.

The existence of any formal institutional body for a given discipline and the existence of real, domestic or international competition makes this consequence inevitable.

The very fact that a person represents something – whether that be a larger nation, state, county or city – matters. The fact that some entity backs the athlete, or that the athlete themselves is backing some entity, matters very much indeed.

Athletes have sponsors, do they not? Athletes receive funding from their sporting federations, do they not? In certain cases, athletes rely on their ability to win to remain in the game. And in a sport like figure skating, which has a long history of corruption, winning means more than just being named the winner.

It means prize money as well as domestic and international prestige — and it means that, in countries like Russia, athletes can grasp onto security and stability in a society that is anything but. In return, the state obtains a tool of soft power, one that can generate a very strong hold in various international spheres of influence.

Take Kim Yuna, a woman dubbed by many as the “queen” of figure skating. Her career, in actuality, was not very long. She retired at the age of 23 after an extremely controversial second-place finish at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia.

Her image was perhaps bolstered given the scandal of the gold medal being awarded to Adelina Sotnikova, a Russian who objectively faltered in her technical performance. Then and now — despite who Kim herself is as an individual — Kim as a brand grants South Korea enormous soft power.

The athlete and the nation are symbolically tethered together. The effect of Japan being the nation of Hanyu Yuzuru, of Argentina being that of Leonard Messi, of Portugal being that of Cristiano Ronaldo, the United States of Simone Biles, and so on, can hardly be measured.

We cannot delude ourselves and act as if we do not merge our ideas of nationality with the athletes themselves. It prefaces every statement, every honor and every win. In this way, sports citizenship functions quite like regular citizenship in that it dictates other realms of achievement: science, art, music, film, mathematics and so on.

But there is something distinct about the fields, is there not? Intuitively, we feel this is true. There must be some reason that the conversation on sporting participation gains more news coverage than does, for instance, the fact that Russia has also been excluded from competitions like the International Mathematics Olympiad.

Perhaps the answer is simple: sports and athletics can appeal to everyone. There are many disciplines, and it is indeed a very accessible way to channel one’s patriotism. Though football — also referred to as soccer — is not a distinctly popular sport in the United States, many tune in to follow the performance of their national team at the World Cup. We care about athletes. We care deeply about who they are and what they represent. For those few that become unmistakable personalities, we grant them a celebrity-like status.

Over time, the individual becomes a part of a larger mass, a larger body of athletes that in and of itself obtains a reputation. The American women’s gymnastics team now has its own reputation, for instance, as does the dominance of America in the realm of track and field. There is an automatic understanding that, given a Norwegian’s participation in skiing competitions, the fight truly becomes one for the silver or bronze.

Given the presence of multiple Norwegians, the fight becomes one for a place in the top five.

And so we see this effect, and we reach here our main problem.

The line between the individual and their role as a member of a very powerful and influential national institution is not so distinct — not so at all.

Even in the case of less successful athletes, this remains true.

The unknown athlete might have an obscure name among the other competitors, but it does not matter.

You remember indeed the flag under which they competed, and you must admit to this. “Who was he that had that unfortunate turn on the last leg?” You will ask. And your friend will answer, “I don’t remember, but I know for certain he was Spanish.”

Yet, we cannot ignore the humanity of these individuals and speak without remorse. Do not think me so quick to disregard the dreams of young athletes hoping to compete internationally, grow their careers and so on. In fact, we must consider this a casualty of the existence of this marriage between sports and politics — that we push and we break our children for the purpose of the state.

If you are a young athlete, you have a dream. You provide a use to the state, and thus, you can be sure that, as long as you remain as such, your dream is tangible. So, you hold on a little longer. You push yourself, and you sacrifice yourself a little longer until you lose your passion for the sport in totality and retire early after a difficult career. But the benefit you brought to the state that rewards only the very few — that in of itself is very real. More importantly, perhaps, for the nature of this discussion, is that this benefit is felt internationally.

The matter of Russia and how it devours its children is a topic that is long, dark and often haunting. For the sake of this argument, however, I will briefly surmise some essential information and details.

The aforementioned case of Valieva is much more sinister than the average person may know. The role of the coach, Tutberidze, and of the Russian machine — that trains these young girls for so long as their body can handle until they “expire” and retire as teenagers at the age of 16, 17 or 18 — is unquestionable.

The role of other schools, such as that of former Russian Olympic gold medalist Evgeni Plushenko, that has run propaganda campaigns — which include his child pupils — under the guise of ice shows across the country, is likewise unquestionable.

It is no secret that the sporting body within Russia sees its athletes as tools of political power. So why should we deny it ourselves when it has been so plainly confirmed for us?

Given this, forgive me if I do not share the same sentiment as those who want Russian athletes to return.

If it is the interests of the athletes themselves that the proponents of reversing the ban have in their minds, then I may assure them that the lives of these athletes are tumultuous, whether they compete internationally or not. I assure you that there is no distinction between pro-war and anti-war Russian ath-

letes.

How can we even begin to decipher what lies truly in their hearts?

So you see, reality is much more averse to being seen in black and white than we may initially believe.

While these athletes — especially the children — suffer in many ways, they also benefit and perpetuate the machine of the state in many others.

And my focus here, on Russia** and on skating, is not without grounds. It seems to me that there exists some air of exoticism, of an often difficult-to-comprehend fetishization — of these Russian disciplines.

Even when we do not look favorably on the nation itself, we never hesitate to admit that their artistic and sporting capacity is unrivaled, unmatched. We do not need Russians to make their absence from the sporting world known; we impose this feeling on ourselves, whether or not it has such substantial merit.

Do not, Russian figure skating — and even more infamously, Russian ballet — have undoubtedly prestigious reputations? Regardless of whether or not someone understands anything about these fields, they are certainly aware that these reputations exist.

Why is this so? Why are we so amazed by Russia? Why do we allow them such soft power? Why do we act in their favor, even when it contradicts our true intentions?

Why does it seem that we cannot hurt Russia with sanctions or bans in sports when the list of scandals against it has been endless?

I implore all who are interested to read more about the aforementioned scandal surrounding the 2014 Olympic Games, the judging scandal in the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, the numerous state-sponsored doping scandals and the abuse allegations in Russian skating schools, especially in regard to their treatment of women and minors.

And yet, it remains to have had little real effect.

So the natural conclusion is this: what other solution is there but a complete and total ban and bar from change of sporting citizenship?

In reality, the sporting world of Russia is an unstable disorder of corruption, abuse and a thinly-veiled illusion of excellence.

Now, this is not an exhaustive summation of the sports and politics problem. I focused here on one discipline. But in truth, each sport has its very own set of inner workings and follows very different structures of transfer of political, economic and social power. There is hardly any way my piece here will be comprehensive and totally applicable in all respects.

But at the core of the matter, I do not believe you can successfully part from what I’ve said here.

That is, can we truly say that these athletes represent solely themselves? If this were so, we would not observe a rapid increase in Russian athletes’ aim of changing their sporting citizenship. Many have already done so. But they remain Russian.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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Why we need to read archaic literature: The value of studying original texts

BY GABRIELLA RODRIGUEZ ’27 OPINION EDITOR

Opening a play — or any literary work — that was written hundreds of years ago can be a tremendously daunting task. The English language is incredibly dynamic and has evolved so much over the centuries that old texts might seem indecipherable through a modern lens.

However, by reading these texts in their original forms, we can better appreciate the artistry of their creators and gain insight into the past.

The difficulty of reading old texts can come from the massive linguistic changes the English language has experienced over its lifetime. According to Britannica, English as we know it has undergone several significant and overarching changes. First emerging from the early Proto-Indo-European language, spoken about 5,000 years ago, it has since branched out and proliferated into various forms. Its popularity eventually gave way to Middle English following the sharp decline of Old English following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

David Crystal, a British linguist, explains that Middle English was dominant from 1150 CE to 1450 CE

and that some important grammatical changes occurred during this time, including changes to the forms of infinitive verbs, auxiliary verbs and pronouns. The form of English that we speak today is known as Modern English. According to Dictionary.com, Modern English also contains many loanwords from other languages.

This has resulted in a variant of English whose vocabulary and character is radically different from its predecessors. Due to the tremendous differences between Modern English and previous forms of the language, it often feels daunting to try and read and understand old texts.

Some words have taken on new meanings in the modern context or have become obsolete altogether. Although some new editions — such as the “No Fear Shakespeare” series — provide modern-day translations of the old text, they do so at the expense of the carefully crafted meaning and meter of the original language.

The way characters deliver their lines is dramatic, following a certain cadence and a deliberate lyrical feeling. Therefore, it is imperative that we work to understand these works of literature in their original forms

while also evaluating how their themes affect us in our modern age.

While it is often difficult to understand the language of these literary works, it is necessary that we bridge the gap between the past and the present.

This demands struggle and effort on our part, but it is critical that we do it. Old texts are not only about the stories that they tell but the way that they convey their narratives. If we erase the original style of the story, then we disregard the efforts of the creators.

Similarly, reading primary documents in history courses allows us to have direct insight into what people thought and believed in the time periods that we are studying.

We can paraphrase their language, but we may not feel the full impact of their words unless we read from the original version. By reading literary works directly from their creators, we gain valuable insight into their writing style and even how they thought.

The better we understand the past, the more thoughtful dialogue we can spark about the present and the future. Since we use primary sources to gain a more thorough understanding of historical figures and

Photo courtesy of Provenance Online Project via Flickr Gabriella Rodriguez ’27 believes that Shakespeare’s texts should be read in their original English.

events, it is vital that we extend this same respect towards old literature and authors.

With supplementary definitions and plot explanations, we can more thoroughly appreciate the works of writers who came before us without sacrificing their original words. By documenting the history

of language, we can better understand our own place in history and the ever-evolving character of our words. As our language continues to evolve, it is important that we honor the original language of writers who came before us and preserve our own literary works so that future readers can do the same.

BOOKS & SPORTS 7 Students on access to online libraries amid Archive suit October 30, 2023

. Mount Holyoke News

Photo courtesy of drosen7900 via Flickr The Internet Archive database, pictured above, is housed in San Francisco, and houses billions and billions of books, movies and websites. The lawsuit threatens access to the Archive’s materials, some of which are housed in no other places in the world.

BY ARIELLE CAI ’27 AND SOPHIE FRANK ’26 STAFF WRITER | BOOKS EDITOR

The fate of the Internet Archive, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of books, movies and software, may be in jeopardy after a court moved to restrict the availability of their materials following a lawsuit from a group of major book publishers.

As of Sept. 11, 2023, the Internet Archive had submitted an appeal in the lawsuit.

“Now is the time to stand up for libraries,” Brewster Kahle, the founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive, declared in a blog post on its website. Kahle believes that the court’s judgment was based on misapplying the laws and that the injunction it issued is restricting the spread of valuable knowledge.

The case has sparked the interest of many in the Mount Holyoke College community, several of whom use the Internet Archive or other online databases, such as the College’s own LITS services. “Now we have entered the digital age,” Yiling

Shi ʼ27 said regarding the lawsuit.

“The publishers can try to make an agreement with the Internet Archive about ways of cooperation.”

Students are one of the largest groups affected by the revoked permission for lending electronic books. The Internet Archive has long been a resource for students, providing works that are often expensive or hard to find available for public use. “Sometimes it would be more convenient to have a digital version of a textbook,” Phoebe Huang ʼ27 said. “Because of this free resource, I don’t need to spend that money.”

The Internet Archive serves millions of users with its collection of billions of materials, including books, movies and websites. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, some of these materials only exist within the archive itself, with the digital library ensuring that these materials remain in circulation even once publishers have stopped printing them. It is not only the Internet Archive that is threatened by this decision but also digital

lending systems used by libraries across the country.

In the original appeal filed on Aug. 11, 2023, four book publishers — Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, John Wiley Sons and Penguin Random House — alleged that the Internet Archive infringed on their copyright. The publishers claimed that the Internet Archive had violated the U.S. Copyright Act, which gave copyright protections for original works to their authors. This included the rights to still photography, motion pictures and recordings.

The Internet Archive refuted the publishers’ claims, arguing that their actions constitute fair use under the U.S. Copyright Act. Nevertheless, the court granted the plaintiff’s motion to make the decision based on existing statements and evidence without going to trial and denied the defendant’s motion on March 24, 2023, according to the appeal file.

In their appeal, the Internet Archive emphasized the broader implications of the case for many

institutions, especially libraries, and argued that they did not violate copyright law. They subsequently urged the court to review the case once more.

Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet Archive worked in much the same way as a traditional library by using a system called “Controlled Digital Lending.” They scanned the pages of a physical book, uploaded the PDF to the website and only lent the book to a limited number of people at a time.

However, in response to the closure of many physical libraries during the pandemic, the Internet Archive announced the “National Emergency Library” program in March 2020, as outlined in an article from The Atlantic published in April 2023. A blog post on the Internet Archive website from March 2020 explains that during the pandemic, they suspended the waitlists for 1.4 million books in the lending library, sharing unlimited digital copies without publishers’ permission.

In the Internet Archive’s Memorandum for Summary Judgment, provided by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, one of the publishers involved in the legal dispute revoked permission for electronic lending of books that they have published. This decision extended beyond the content available on the Internet Archive and had sweeping effects on institutions around the world.

“Libraries are more than the customer service departments for corporate database products,” Kahle said in another blog uploaded on March 25, 2023. “For democracy to thrive at global scale, libraries must be able to sustain their historic role in society — owning, preserving and lending books.”

Some Internet Archive users remain hopeful for the database’s future.

“Keep going [Internet Archive], this is merely a temporal loss, we are on the right side of history,” Archive user Simon E. Matyas commented on one of the Internet Archive’s blog posts.

KJ Reese hired as student-athlete development, promotions coordinator

BY KATE VAVRA ’26 STAFF WRITER

KJ Reese is the newest member of the Mount Holyoke College Athletics Department.

Hired in August 2023, Reese received a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant, giving him the new position of student-athlete development and promotions coordinator at the College. Through his position, Reese works directly with student-athletes to improve their capabilities within and outside their sport. He is responsible for leading various workshops and aiding with the development of leadership initiatives.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in Augusta, Georgia, Reese is strongly connected to his southern roots. He was heavily involved in sports growing up, running cross country, playing basketball and even dabbling in football and tennis.

After high school, Reese spent four years serving in the United States Air Force. Reese credits his military

experience with giving him the proper mindset to accomplish his goals.

He left Georgia for western Massachusetts after graduating from Valdosta State University in 2021 with a degree in exercise physiology. He received his master’s degrees in sports and fitness administration and management from Springfield College last spring.

In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Reese reflected on what he hopes to achieve through his work.

“I want to give the student-athletes a lot more presence and voice on campus … They’ve had some really good things to say, and it’s just a matter of giving them the platform to be heard,” he said.

One of Reese’s first major tasks has been working with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, including Chair Emily Mock ’24, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Representative Marley Berano ’25, with the 2023 NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Campaign, to show the importance of diversity in athletics. Reese helped compile a series of student

interviews to be edited into videos and posted on the Lyons Athletics Instagram page. These videos were created to give student-athletes the opportunity to express why they belong and why inclusion matters.

“I want athletes to feel comfortable being here. And I’m hoping that the video[s], whether you’re an ally or you’re a part of the group that we’re hoping to include and be diverse with, that you feel that this gave you a sense of belonging here on campus, especially if you’re a student-athlete,” Reese said.

Reese expressed that even before he arrived on Mount Holyoke’s campus, he felt a sense of belonging there as soon as his job interview.

“I didn’t feel like I was just an employee. I felt like I was a part of something bigger. I was a family member, and that was before I even got … the position,” Reese said. “I had other options … but there was something in the back of my mind telling me that I should go to Mount Holyoke and that this was the place that I needed to be at, not only for myself but for the school as well.”

Photo by Haley Winstead ’23 KJ Reese was hired as Mount Holyoke’s student-athlete development and promotions coordinator.

Game of the Week: Mount Holyoke Rowing places 24th in Head of the Charles

BY EMILY TARINELLI ’25 SPORTS EDITOR

Mount Holyoke College Rowing stormed to 24th place in the Women’s Collegiate Eights competition, hosted as part of the renowned Head of the Charles Regatta on Sunday, Oct. 22.

Described as “quite a spectacle” by team member Meghan French ’24, the Head of the Charles clocks in as the largest three-day rowing event in the world. According to Boston 25 News, the race attracted 11,000 rowers and 400,000 spectators to the riverfront and included several racing categories.

These ranged from collegiate to club classifications, a para-athletic bracket and various age groups ranging from high school to competitors over 80 years old.

The Lyons’ boat, which consisted of French, Emma Waldron ’24, Celeste Keep ’24, Lilla Carroll ’25, Gwyneth Munroe ’26, Katrina Holbrook ’27, Jillian Slatch ’25, Mack Windus ’24 and coxswain Tobin Mayo-Kiely ’26, finished the race in

19:28.509 minutes — four seconds ahead of the University of Rochester.

Tufts University claimed the winning title in 18:03.969 minutes, while the University of Calgary from Canada placed second, Trinity College placed third and neighborhood rival Smith College placed fourth.

With a total of 75 races in three days, with each day starting at 7:45 a.m. and the last boats pushing off at 4 p.m, the Head of the Charles overflowed with college students across all three divisions, WBUR reported.

“Before the race, walking around the area was quite chaotic,” French recalled, noting that teams flooded into the Charles from across the nation and around the world. “On the water, I felt much more focused.”

Waldron said that the Lyons persevered through challenging weather conditions to find a steady rhythm on course. “At some points, the wind was so strong it knocked us off course. Our oars clashed on the walls of Weeks Bridge, which is a notoriously difficult turn to make,” they said. “I’m still really proud of us, and I think we have a really

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics Mount Holyoke Rowing placed 24th in the Head of the Charles Regatta on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.

strong foundation going into winter training to get ready for the spring season.”

French said that out of the three Head of the Charles races she competed in, this one topped them all.

“It’s satisfying to close out my senior fall season with it,” she said. “Most of the time during the race, it was quiet around us and all I had to listen

to was our coxswain.” But when the Lyons neared the Elliot Bridge on the course, “I got amped [up] by the cheering, especially the ones I could make out from my own teammates, giving me an extra push to keep the engine going.”

The Head of the Charles race is 4,702 meters long, starting at the Boston University Dewolfe Boat-

house and ending near Christian A. Herter Park. The Elliot Bridge is the last of seven bridges along the course, a landmark for rowers nearing the end of their race.

The teammates who cheered from the riverbank, Waldron said, were also hard at work over the weekend, competing in a scrimmage hosted by Williams College on Lake Onota just a day before the Head of the Charles.

“Everyone has been working really hard to get stronger and faster,” Waldron said of their teammates.

“We were really excited to see our hard work pay off at Williams,” Caroline Odlin-Brewer ’24, who raced in the event, said.

The Head of the Charles concluded Rowing’s fall season. Competition will pick up again in the spring with a regatta against Skidmore College on Saturday, April 6, 2024. “Overall, I’m happy with the execution this weekend and hope that the team is motivated to get to work training indoors this winter so that we can go even faster during our spring season,” Head Coach Cara Murphy said.

8

COMMUNITY f HOROSCOPES f

October 30, 2023

BY PEARL YOUNG ’24 & SARAH PARSONS ’23 HOROSCOPE WRITERS

April 20 – May 20

Oct. 23 – Nov. 21

Ok, Taurus. We’ll admit it. The full moon is in Taurus, and with the lunar eclipse on the 28th, you are the main character. Lean into the creativity; be the Rachel Sennott you want to see in the world.

Do: Improv | Don’t: Sleeping in

Scorpio, next week, it’s time to assess what you are putting into your relationships. Are you emotionally fulfilled? If something is putting you on edge, it’s time to pull away.

Do: Close friend removals | Don’t: Procrastination

May 21 – June 20

Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

It’s true that I struggled with 9th-grade geometry, but even I can notice the patterns you’re uncovering this week, Gemini. Let old habits die! Say no to self-sabotage. Now is the time for internal transformation; let your mind rest.

Do: Smooth jazz | Don’t: Instagram stalking

Feeling overwhelmed, Sagittarius? Take a breather. The eclipse could bring abundance and opportunity; use this time to focus on work, health, and routine. Midterms are over and it’s time to dream big!

What are your goals for the future?

Do: Chess | Don’t: 2048

Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

June 21 – July 22

Capricorn, stop living in the shadows.

You might not be living as your most authentic self; a boost of self-confidence will help you find your truth!

Do: Be who you are for your pride! | Don’t: Cosplay

Now is the time to lean into support from your community. This week, focus on socializing and networking. Update your LinkedIn, but have fun, Cancer!

Do: Canva Pro | Don’t: Ghosting

July 23 – Aug. 22

Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

Money will only take you so far, Leo. This week, it’s time to reassess your values. A leadership role may be necessary as you work to reach the goals you have set for yourself.

Do: Conducting | Don’t: Venmo

Aquarius, this week is the time to get your personal space in order. Make sure your room is cozy and comfortable.

Maybe it’s time for a deep clean?

Do: Cleansing your space | Don’t: Awkward family dinners

Feb. 19 – March 20

Aug. 23 – Sept. 22

This next week, be present in your community. It’s time to be a helping hand; support and uplift your friends! There may be gossip, but Pisces, you can ignore all that. Life is about reciprocity; give back to the relationships that have been nurturing you.

Do: Are we really strangers? | Don’t: Backburners

Something tells us you have been questioning your beliefs, Virgo. Have you read any good books lately? Now is the time to expand your mind. Maybe a road trip is in order? Take a deep dive into your academic pursuits and try something new!

Do: Craft fair | Don’t: TV reruns

Sept. 23 – Oct. 22

March 21 – April 19

Here’s the deal, Libra: it’s time to embrace a healthier understanding of love, boundaries, and intimacy. The eclipse is here to support your healing process! Take a walk in the woods.

Do: Total Eclipse of the Heart | Don’t: Quick decisions

This is the week of self-love, Aries! Celebrate gratitude in the small things. Take yourself out on a little date or something.

A walk around Upper Lake? That could be nice!

Do: Fall foliage| Don’t: Long text convos

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 Mariam Keita ’24

Publisher Liv Wilson ’24

Managing Editors of Content Tara Monastesse ’25 & Jendayi Leben-Martin ’24

Managing Editors of Web Michelle Brumley ’24 & Melanie Duronio ’26

Managing Editor of Layout Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25

Business Manager Diksha Batra ’26

Copy Chief Eliška Jacob ’24

Human Resources Jendayi Leben-Martin ’24

Editorial Board News Nina Sydoryk ’25, River Dalley ’27 & Lilly Glass ’27

Sports Emily Tarinelli ’25 & Genevieve Zahner ’26

Arts & Entertainment Eliška Jacob ’24 & Nyx Cieprisz ’26

Features Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25 & Melanie Duronio ’26

Opinion Silas Gemma ’26 & Gabriella Rodriguez ’27

Science & Environmental Sarah Grinell ’26

Books Liv Wilson ’24 & Sophie Frank ’26

Photos Emma Quirk ’26

Global Jendayi Leben-Martin ’24, Shira Sadeh ’25 & Kiera McLaughlin ’26

Graphics Gabby Gagnon ’24

Layout Editors Sophie Dalton ’25, Rachel Adler ’26, Leah Royes ’27 & Barbara Chen ’25 Web Editors Linlin Liu ’24, Yuke Jiang ’25, Elizaveta Kozlova ’25, Elle Zhao ’25, Scarlett Han ’25, Cynthia Akanaga ’25, Mia Kerchen ’24 & Adwoa Owusu ’26 Copy Editors Max Endieveri ’25, Gemma Golovner ’25, Kate Koenig ’26, Abigail McKeon ’26, Emma Quirk ’26, Gabriella Tonn ’27, Maddy Broussard ’26, Quill ’27, Sofia Ramon ’27 & Emily Tarinelli ’25

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.

. Mount Holyoke News

Russians must stay out of international sport, cont’d u

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Diana Davis, daughter of Eteri Tutberedzie, and her partner Gleb Smolkin may represent Georgia, but they competed once for Russia in an Olympic Game. Anastasia Gubanova may now represent Georgia and has gone on to win a European gold medal for the nation, but she lives and trains in Russia.

A flag of neutrality, as was used in the Beijing Olympics in 2022, is a facade, a false fantasy of separation that is not really there. What matter is it that it is not the official flag of Russia that is raised when the athletes are victorious, when the flag of neutrality bears its original colors?

What does it matter when the athletes return home as heroes? What does it matter when the athletes return home and are awarded medals by Putin himself? I say it is of no matter.

And yet, we are still blind. For every current figure skating competition, there are countless comments calling on the return of Russian athletes. I am here to tell you that those athletes you hold so high in your regard, to the point of claiming the sport has regressed since their departure, were not so dominant, to begin with.

The perception of a sport being pushed forward by way of inflated and controversially awarded technical and artistic achievements can result quite seamlessly from the existing perceptions — and indeed stereotypes — that we hold against others.

We see, thus, that the power the sport holds as an institution often matters more than the reality of what is actually being presented right there in front of us.

So, you can convince me not that the individual matters more to you, the consumer and lover of sport, than the valence of the sport itself, nor that the state cares more for the individual than for the political, social and economic benefit they bring.

And athletes themselves understand this, too. They are keenly aware of the fact that when they

retire, someone else will take their place; they know that as soon as they are unable to perform, someone else will again take their place. When they falter, they know they will face national indignation — or far worse.

When Andrés Escobar accidentally scored an own goal in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which contributed to Colombia’s elimination from the tournament, he was murdered.

When Simone Biles pulled out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the public response was horrific.

On a personal level, we enjoy athleticism; we find hope in those moments that reveal a true sportsman-like quality that embodies the human spirit and capacity for good that exists within us.

But on an aggregate level, we are all responsible for the way that sport satisfies and satiates our desire to dominate others, whether those others are people who live in nearby towns or people who live in other nations entirely.

When we as a nation win over our rivals in an international match, we do not win over them in sport alone, but in the totality of them as a people.

So, as long as politics and money play their definitive and often dastardly hand in the world of sport, and as long as Russia continues its genocide against Ukraine, I say — the Russian ban must stay. *Grassl, at that time a member of the Italian national team, would also receive funding from the Italian Ice Sports Federation towards the move, but whether this funding contributed to the move is unclear. **I urge you all to look further into the dangerous nature of the international football world and the rampant political and soft power implications of everything- involved in that sport. The most recent World Cup that took place in Qatar amidst allegations of human rights abuses in the construction of the stadiums does much to illustrate my point.

Other sports have similarly dark histories.

Event Highlights Tuesday, Oct. 31 Know Your Neighbor Join the Office of Community and Belonging for “Know Your Neighbor,” a relaxed weekly program where students have the opportunity to talk about their own experiences of faith, culture, and identity and to hear from others with different experiences to their own in a comfortable, supportive space.

Every week, they will explore new topics together to try and see the full picture of the people around campus. Students of all and/or no faiths and all identities are welcome to join — hearing from folks who are different is what makes this program so special.

Eliot House, 4:30-5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 31 Halo-Halloween Join Liga Filipina on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Asian Center for Empowerment House for a traditional Philippine dessert called halo-halo! Open to Five College students!

They will be having a costume contest, and the prize is a tub of ube ice cream! Come in your best Halloween costume!

ACE House, 7-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 31 Halloween Costume Contest

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Show your MHC and Halloween spirit at the Mount Holyoke Volleyball game on Oct. 31. Wear your Halloween costume to the game and automatically be entered to win a prize. Prizes will be awarded to the most creative, no-budget costume, the most creepy costume and the best group concept costume.

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Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium, 7-8:30 p.m.

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Tuesday, Oct. 31 Spooktober Fest For Seniors only: The 2024 Class Board Presents Spooktober Fest, an amalgamation of senior traditions into one night of spooky and spicy fun.

Prospect Parking Lot, 7-9 p.m.