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SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2022
Leading medical groups condemn the Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center BY SHIRA SADEH ’25 STAFF WRITER
Content warning: This article discusses abortion. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, as stated by a SCOTUSblog analysis of the recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center. This decision was based on controversial scientific assertions, and was made against the advice of the American Medical Association. According to an archival case record on Oyez, the 1973 landmark case protected abortion access in all 50 states during the first trimester of pregnancy, limited the amount of regulations a state could impose during the second trimester and required states to legally protect the life of the pregnant person during the third trimester. SCOTUSblog went on to explain that the Dobbs v. Jackson decision overruled these protections and confirmed that the right to an abortion is not granted to the people through the Constitution, therefore returning legislation of this issue back to individual states. According to The New York Times tracker on abortion legality, approximately half of the U.S. will likely ban or restrict abortion. Currently, nine states — Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin — have a complete ban in effect. Another five states — Idaho, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming — have bans that are expected to come into effect soon, and Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana and Utah have had their bans blocked by a judge. Some states have opted for partial bans which rely on the gestational stage of the fetus to determine abortion legality, although these laws may become more restrictive in the near future. Florida, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah currently have a gestation limit for the procedure. Arizona and Georgia are expected to impose gestational limits soon and Kentucky’s limit has been temporarily blocked by a judge.
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Photo courtesy of Pinotgris for English Wikipedia via WikiMedia Commons The American Medical Association, headquarters pictured above, released a statement urging the Supreme Court to uphold the Roe v. Wade ruling.
Abortion remains protected in seven states — Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island. 14 states — California; Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; Delaware; Hawaii; Maryland; Massachusetts; Minnesota; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; Oregon; Vermont and Washington — have moved to expand access. The future of abortion access in Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia remains uncertain. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement on abortion policies affirming that abortion is “an essential component of comprehensive, evidence-based health care.” The organization also stated that it opposes any attempt to block access to the procedure in the form of stigmatization, violence or legal penalties targeting any abortion provider or their families. This May, the American Medical Association joined ACOG in condemning the Supreme Court’s
3 Review: 070 Shake’s new album
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curtailing of abortion rights in a press release reacting to the leaked draft of the Dobbs decision. “ This opinion would lead to government interference in the patient-physician relationship, dangerous intrusion into the practice of medicine and potentially criminalizing care. As discussed in an amicus brief … filed with the Court, the AMA and more than two dozen leading medical organizations believe abortion is safe medical care that is a decision to be made between the patient and the physician, subject to the physician’s clinical judgment, and the patient’s informed consent,” Gerald E. Harmon M.D., president of the AMA, wrote. The amicus brief mentioned by President Harmon was filed in September 2021 by 24 medical organizations. The Dobbs case, which challenged Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, garnered widespread concern from within the medical community. The brief clearly advised the Court that abortion bans such as the one in Mississippi would lead to adverse
effects to the physical and psychological health of the pregnant individuals who require an abortion past the 15-week deadline, and would increase the number of individuals who attempt to self-induce an abortion. The press release posted by the AMA concerning the amicus brief summarized these concerns, stating, “This ban is not grounded on medical evidence and threatens the health and well-being of pregnant individuals, with a disproportionate impact on people from communities of color; those without ample financial resources and those in rural areas without close proximity to safe, effective reproductive health care. By preventing clinicians from providing patients with necessary medical care, the ban represents gross interference in the patient-clinician relationship and impedes on a clinician’s medical ethics by forcing them to choose between what is right for their patients and adherence to an unscientific, harmful law.” The Guttmacher Institute provided more information on legisla-
Global impact of Roe overturn
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tion termed “gestational age bans,” or abortion policy based on the gestational age of the embryo or fetus. Published in 2019 following attempted bans in multiple states, the Guttmacher Institute explained that only five percent of pregnancies end on the estimated due date, showing that pregnancy data is often unreliable. Therefore, passing inflexible legislation which forces medical professionals to rely on this data rather than the health of their patient poses a threat to the patient’s safety. The unscientific nature of “Heartbeat” Laws — a type of gestational age ban — was further explained by Dr. Nisha Verma in a May NPR article republished in response to the leaked Supreme Court opinion draft. Verma explained that an audible heartbeat from an adult heart is caused by the opening and closing of cardiac valves, and that at six weeks gestation those valves don’t yet exist. Instead, the flickering seen on the ultrasound is caused by electrical activity and the sound picked up is made by the ultrasound machine. Dr. Jessica Kerns was quoted in the same article specifying that the term “fetus” does not apply to a sixweek old pregnancy. She elaborated that most obstetricans would use the word “embryo” until the eighth week. “The term ‘fetus’ certainly evokes images of a well-formed baby, so it’s advantageous to use that term instead of ‘embryo’ — which may not be as easy for the public to feel strongly about, since embryos don’t look like a baby,” she said. Additionally, ACOG has long opposed abortion bans which claim to be based on scientific reasoning, such as “Fetal Heartbeat” legislation. In 2018, when the House of Representatives voted on H.R. 490, a bill that would have banned abortion at the detection of a fetal heartbeat which can occur as early as six weeks gestation — six weeks since the last menstrual period — ACOG released a statement regarding fetal development. The statement explained that abortion is a medical and legal right until fetal viability is determined, which occurs at a much later point of the pregnancy.
Lyons hire a new head coach
2 GLOBAL
July 9, 2022
. Mount Holyoke News
Church shooting adds to Nigeria’s history of religious violence BY CYNTHIA AKANAGA ‘25 GLOBAL EDITOR
Content Warning: This article discusses gun violence, child death and descriptions of graphic violence. On June 5, gunmen opened fire in St. Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. According to Associated Press, at least 50 people died during the massacre, and police are still searching for those responsible. The attack occurred on Pentecost, a Catholic holiday that marks the birth of the church and the seventh Sunday after Easter. By resurfacing the history of catholic church attacks, this massacre has called to attention the issue of religious intolerance and inadequate security measures in the country. During an interview with NPR, Chinedu Asadu, an Associated Press correspondent, revealed details of the shooting. “The attack started on Sunday around 11:30 a.m., just as the worshippers at the church were rounding up service to leave for their various houses. They sneaked into the church, according to what the police commissioner told me, and they opened fire at everyone that’s still standing,” Asadu explained. Steven Omotayo, a nearby resi- Photo courtesy of Towel180 via WikiMedia Commons dent who rushed to the scene, gave Following the St. Francis Catholic Church shooting, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Nigeria, above, swore to “hunt down” gunmen but urged citizens not to take justice into their own hands. CBS his account of the attack. “I saw a lot of dead bodies — both young this country. Security is one area the of attack on a church for many years across Nigeria. This tragic event security network mobilized by six and old, even children. They were government has to look into,” VOA in Nigeria. The last time you had at- should offer a wake-up call for the South West states — Lagos State, just shooting. If they [saw] anyone News reported. tacks like this was years ago when authorities, who must now do every- Oyo State, Ogun State, Ondo State, trying to escape or stand up, [they’d The number of injured people we had the Boko Haram insurgency thing they can to ensure the perpe- Osun State, and Ekiti State — anjust] shoot the person,” he said. overwhelmed the Federal Medi- operating in the northeast.” trators of this appalling crime face nounced that they would provide Survivors of the attack and those cal Center in Owo which ran out of Boko Haram is an Islamic mil- justice.” security for places of worship such who lost loved ones also added to the blood supplies. As reported by CBS itant group that “has conducted In a tweet as churches and gory tale. News, one of the doctors stated, “I terrorist attacks on religious and from the Presmosques and find “I have attended to a good the gunmen reSome parishioners like John have attended to a good number of political groups, local police and the idency of the Nwovu were able to escape with casualties, but what I saw yesterday military, as well as indiscriminately Federal number of casualties, but Responsible, Sahara their lives by hiding in the sacristy was far beyond whatever I have seen attacking civilians in busy markets public of NigeReporters reportwhat I saw yesterday was — a room where sacred items used before in my life.” and villages,” as stated by the Coun- ria, President ed. This security far beyond whatever I have measure comes during Holy Mass are stored. NwThis attack caused an uproar, cil on Foreign Relations. The reli- M u h a m m a d u ovu, a chorister in the church, told not only because of its brutality but gious undertones of this attack are Buhari seen before in my life.” confrom the outrage BBC how he had to remain quiet and also its location. obvious; however, no group has tak- demned the - Doctor from Owo Federal that the attack endure the pain while buried under Nigeria, the most populous coun- en responsibility for the massacre. attack, stating, lasted for 30 minMedical Center debris from the explosion of the ceiltry in West AfriMany authority figures have re- “No matter utes or more withing above him. ca, has been bat- leased statements expressing a mix what, this counout any security This massacre has called O nye ka c h i tling an Islamic of condolences and a call to action try shall never give in to evil and arriving at the scene. Ozulumba, a to attention the issue insurgency born against this type of violence in the wicked people, and darkness will Yusuf Idowu, the spokesperresident of Owo out of the relicountry. never overcome light. Nigeria will son for Amotekun in Osun stated, of religious intolerance lost his mother gious violence Governor of Ondo State Rotimi eventually win.” “We have deployed corps to all the and inadequate security during the shootbetween Muslim Akeredolu called the massacre a The Indigenous People of Biafra churches and mosques in all the ing. He described measures. and Christian “vile [and] satanic attack” against organization, a separatist group that nooks and crannies of the state to how he “collectcommunities in “the peace-loving people of Owo seeks to restore the independent secure our people from any form of ed pieces of her the country. However, attacks like Kingdom who have enjoyed relative state of Biafra comprised mainly of attack by the criminals.” body on a flat piece of wood” in or- this are rare in South West Nigeria. peace over the years” in a tweet. He Igbo people, “advised Christians to To further calm residents and der to bury her, as reported by VOA In the NPR interview, Asadu swore to “hunt down [the] assailants stop depending on the Federal Gov- prevent vigilante measures, the vicNews. explained, “Nigeria has had its se- and make them pay” and in light of ernment of Nigeria for the security tims of the church massacre were Stephen-Chuks Okonye, who curity crises in virtually all parts of the outrage spurred by the shooting, of lives and property,” encouraging given a public funeral ceremony. survived a bullet to his chest, crit- the country. You have separatists in pleaded with people to not take jus- them to “take their destiny in their During the mass, as reported by icized the delayed assistance and the southeast. You have militants. tice into their hands. hands,” as reported by Vanguard. VOA, Catholic Bishop Emmanuel called for more security for places of But Ondo is relatively peaceful. So In response to the attack, Osai It appears some states in the Badejo, one of the officiating clergyworship. “For such incident to have it was also the element of surprise Ojigho, Amnesty International’s Ni- South West have heeded IPOB’s ad- men, demanded that Nigeria’s leadoccurred, lasted for more than 20 that these attackers took advantage gerian director, stated, “What hap- vice and taken matters into their ers, “Wake up, sit up and act up to minutes and [receive] no police pres- of, knowing that the community is pened in Owo reveals the impunity own hands. secure lives and properties all over ence … means there’s no security in relaxed. … You’ve not seen this kind enjoyed by gunmen on the rampage Amotekun Corps, an armed Nigeria.”
July 9, 2022
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
. Mount Holyoke News
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070 Shake’s ‘You Can’t Kill Me’ triumphs in experimentation BY LENOX JOHNSON ’24 COPY CHIEF & ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
070 Shake’s June 3 release “You Can’t Kill Me” is a promising progression from her debut album, “Modus Vivendi.” On the new release, Danielle Balbuena — better known by her stage name 070 Shake — struggles openly with fractured relationships, codependency and emotional recovery. The queer, Dominican-American artist takes raw, deliberate risks in lyricism and production, meticulously genre-blurring R&B, electronica, rock and soul. While Balbuena’s “You Can’t Kill Me” triumphs in experimentation, the album at times lacks the cohesion and clear intention of a fully-developed project. “You Can’t Kill Me” begins with a lament. Accompanied by an ethereal, chanting choir, Balbuena’s “Web” offers a fervid and guttural plea for emotional absolution. On the track, she reckons with the bitter stalemate at which she and her partner have unwittingly found themselves. Balbuena, inhibited by restraints of her own design, mutters echoed couplets as a final offering for her unreachable lover: “One thing’s for certain / This thing isn’t working / … It’s always the same / ‘How you been?’ / You been great / I’m not gettin’ through to you / I wanna get through to you.” The opener finishes with a solemn, “I think we should start here.” Balbuena’s words hang in the air as she beckons the listener to trail her through the twisted love story of which she wails, should they choose to follow.
Throughout the record, Balbuena craves somewhere facile to assign responsibility. As the tracks progress, she begins to discern that guilt, no matter its perpetrator, is not so uncomplicated. On “Invited,” she entertains a bleak reality: Finding closure might mean accepting culpability for her own failures. She confesses, “I wanna drink all night and stay inside / I think I been the problem / There’s too many bitches on the island / I need more eyes / I think I got a problem.” The track’s lilting harp aptly accompanies Balbuena’s eerie, mechanized vocals. Wrestling with all-consuming defeat, she releases her final sentiments to God. She slurs, “I’m hoping you got these blessings I sent / Under Allah, I’m a speckle.” On “You Can’t Kill Me,” Balbuena at times fights a losing battle against trite lyricism. This underdevelopment makes parts of the album more akin to an early draft. In songs like “History” and “Medicine,” otherwise respectable musicality is polluted by the overuse of unfounded cliches. Uninspired lines like, “We’ll go down in history / Forever and eternity,” and “When you were sick, babe, I was your medicine / I’m your oxygen / But I’m cutting off your supply,” while weakening “History”’s cacophonous orchestra and “Medicine”’s inarguably-sick production, fail to realize the candor and personal scrutiny introduced earlier in the record. Here, Balbuena — in favor of banal and mediocre expression — begins to sacrifice lyrical connectedness. As Balbuena recounts the work-
ings of her own severe introspection, the tracks blur into a sequence of intimate snapshots. Several verses notably shift from past to present tense. On “Skin and Bones,” she sings from “under the covers” — “We been smoking gas, yeah / This is so romantic, I never wanna press fast forward.” On “Body,” a record standout featuring French singer-songwriter Christine and the Queens, the pair transitions from recollections of impassioned intimacy to an abhorrence of emotional closeness. The record becomes increasingly more vulnerable as she illuminates the affection that once characterized the relationship. Balbuena professes, “Talk to me with your body when your words can’t anymore / I wanted your body, but it came with your soul.” On “Blue Velvet” she admits, for the first time on the record, to fear. “You Can’t Kill Me” is uniquely characterized by its inclination to shape shift in content and style. Though Balbuena’s four-minute metamorphoses circumvent predictability and in some cases elevate storytelling, they at times lead to loss of direction. The most jarring of these is “Come Back Home,” which begins — camouflaged as a theatrical piano ballad — as a tender bargain for forgiveness. Balbuena’s voice shutters, “I’m sorry, mama / Your little angel is sinnin’ / I danced with the devil for one song / … Now is it okay if I came back home?” The track eventually disassembles itself into a deconstructed — albeit overly-computerized and shallow-sounding — string section. “Cocoon,” instead, marvels
Graphic by Gabby Gagnon ‘24
in its proneness to reshape itself, using electronic elements as a kind of enrichment. Its spontaneous alterations in width and careful, slow build make the track thrilling and deceivingly enticing. In its final tracks, “You Can’t Kill Me” verges on a fourth-quarter lull. Skips like “Wine & Spirits” and “Vibrations” are only fine, and add little to the larger narrative of
the record. “Vibrations” is loud and boring, and “I’m feelin’ the vibration, the vibrations / Feelin’ the vibrations, the vibration,” is decidedly not a sensation in songwriting. While merit can be found in simplicity and danceability, the song feels like an imposter among the albums’ more characteristic successes. “Wine & Spirits”’ soft vocals and heavy guitar CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Despite ‘Sedating Elaine’’s unhinged plot, the novel reveals poignant truths
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BY LUCY OSTER ’23 STAFF WRITER
Content warning: This article discusses addiction and drugging. “Sedating Elaine,” a 2022 novel by Dawn Winter, is a dark comedy with an unhinged plotline. Like many people, its main character Frances is stuck, depressed and dealing with some classic problems: She doesn’t reciprocate her girlfriend Elaine’s feelings towards her, and she owes a lot of money to her drug dealer. Frances attempts to solve her problems by inviting Elaine to live with her, collecting her rent money and using it to pay off her debt. She then attempts to temporarily fix her relationship issues by sedating Elaine. “Sedating Elaine” isn’t an incredibly realistic novel, though it stays wisely funny throughout. One bit about weather forecasters on sunny days was particularly amusing: “That yellow orb was like a crystal ball to them, clear, high, predict-
able pressure, straight, unwavering, uncomplicated sun. People would no longer curse them; in fact, they’d temporarily become good guys, even heroes. For once they didn’t have to use the cloud/rain/sun symbol that equated a bewildered shoulder shrug. It wouldn’t last forever, but for the next few days, at least, they could hold their heads up high and smile at the dinner table with their families because of a job well done.” A later part describing Frances’ style of running was also funny in how it perfectly exemplified Frances’ anxiety: “Frances, on the other hand, ran like a rodent, in many short, fast bursts, close to the ground, little leggies frantically doing their best. She often thought her run should be accompanied by a high piano trill, like when animated mice are being chased.” Despite the goofiness of “Sedating Elaine,” Winter comes to sur-
prisingly relevant truths on life, with brief yet nuanced analyses of addiction, consent and forgiveness dotting the pages. Love, of course, is also geniusly covered: “To be loved, rather than loving, was so incredibly tedious.” Frances is a lot like other contemporary book protagonists, especially from the novels “Eileen” and “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” by Ottessa Moshfegh and “Milk Fed” by Melissa Broder. These characters are similarly nuanced, but not always likable women. Like them, Frances is flawed: unable to break up with a girlfriend who she does not love, and choosing to instead deal with her problems passively, through taking drugs and slipping sedatives into Elaine’s cinnamon lattes. Winter writes, “Frances was not fine. All day she had been troubled — more troubled today than yesterday, but not as troubled as
tomorrow, as is the way with problems we think we can ignore, wishing them away, but they refuse, and grow, double, quadruple.” Despite Frances’ obvious flaws, parts in “Sedating Elaine” like this led to me nod along in agreement. Who among us is not flawed? The novel shifts in its timeline throughout the chapters. Occasionally, readers are given backstory into Frances’ relationship with her ex-girlfriend, whom she is still not over, or her motherless childhood. Midway through the book, Winter uses flashbacks to reveal more from Frances’ past. At first, these recollections are presented in a way that feels as though Winter is nudging the ridiculousness of the plotline a bit too far. Though, when the full story is disclosed, the reader is left with only more empathy towards the main character. Characterizations of the novel’s
titular character, on the other hand, are weaker. Since Frances is the protagonist, Elaine is only seen through her eyes. This is an admittedly biased point of view, since Frances is so annoyed with Elaine she chooses to drug her. However, the book veers a bit far in its descriptions of Elaine, resulting in her character becoming a mere caricature. Elaine is not a bad person. It’s just that the perspective of the novel is largely Frances’, and Frances doesn’t love Elaine back. Winter does briefly acknowledge this, “It wasn’t that she was unintelligent per se, just that love makes a mockery of us, turns life into a cartoon of talking deer and sunny glades.” Ultimately, “Sedating Elaine” is an enjoyable romp, but don’t let its ridiculous plot let you believe that you won’t have to do some introspection along the way.
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OPINION
July 9, 2022
. Mount Holyoke News
The Roe v. Wade verdict calls for India to reflect on accessible abortions BY JAHNAVI PRADEEP ’23 OPINION EDITOR
Content warning: This article discusses abortion. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, ending constitutional protection of abortion across the country. The ruling now allows each state to determine its own laws regarding abortion, leading to the enactment of bans and restrictions in several states. This restrictive legislation endangers access to safe and legal abortion for many in the country, making it a direct obstacle to decades of work and progress toward reproductive rights and access to safe reproductive health care in the United States. This controversial reversal in the United States has sparked responses of support and sympathy from across the world. Many international leaders expressed their distress over the news, citing the ruling as a step backward. For example, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the first to respond, tweeting, “The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion.” Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a translated tweet, “I express my solidarity with the women whose freedoms are today challenged by the Supreme Court of the United States of America.” The Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade comes at a time when most of the world seems to be moving toward more progressive laws concerning reproductive health care. Over the past few decades, more than 50 countries have broadened their abortion laws. For example, as a part of the Green Wave movement, majority-catholic countries across Latin America, such as Mexico, Argentina and Colombia, legalized abortions. Similarly, in Ireland, an act legalizing abortion was passed at the end of 2019. In 2020, New Zealand decriminalized
Photo courtesy of Flickr Despite the legality of abortion in India, the termination of pregnancy is still inaccessible to many.
abortion. While the general trend in most countries is liberalizing abortion laws, the United States is among a select few countries — four to be exact — that have regressed toward restricting abortion laws since 1998. This being said, abortion access is still predominantly unsafe across the world. As per a World Health Organization fact sheet from November 2021, 45 percent of abortions worldwide are considered unsafe. The rollback of rights seen in the overturn of Roe v. Wade is not unique to the United States, and is a vital wake-up call for global reflection on access to safe, affordable abortions and reproductive health care. The ruling in the United States has garnered mass international response, both from the general public and international leaders. Therefore, while expressing solidarity with those in the United States, countries worldwide must strive toward continued efforts to protect safe and accessible means for their own reproductive rights. According to The Week, India is one example of a country with
legalized abortion that lacks access to safe reproductive health care. As per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act enacted in 1971, abortion in India was legalized as a means for population control. According to Scroll, the act was amended in 2021 to expand the abortion period to 24 weeks for “special categories” of vulnerable people. Cabinet Minister for the Ministry of Women & Child Development Smriti Irani, in a June 27, 2022 article for The Indian Express, lauded this Indian legislation in the wake of Roe v. Wade decision. “On women’s rights, [the] West takes a backward step, and India shows the way,” she wrote. Irani proceeded to compile a list of the country’s acts and regulations supporting women’s rights in the country, citing the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, the Surrogacy Regulation Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill of 2021. However, Roe v. Wade’s overturning does not warrant false pride and assumptions that the West’s step backward means that India will
“show the way.” In fact, the country is far from doing so. Despite the laws that Irani highlights, safe access to abortion in India has a plethora of its own hurdles. In a June 29, 2022, Vogue article, Faye D’Souza charts how “At least eight women die from unsafe abortions in India every day according to the United Nations Population Fund’s State of the World Population Report 2022. … Between 2007-2011, 67 percent of the abortions conducted in India were considered unsafe.” There are numerous reasons for these horrifying statistics. In an Indian Express article, Angellica Aribam explores how reproductive rights must be evaluated through “legal, medical and social” lenses. The implementation of reproductive rights in India falls short through each lens listed. To begin, Aribam charts how the act allows abortion only in the following conditions: “Grave danger to the physical/mental health of the pregnant woman; foetal abnormalities; rape/coercion and contraceptive failure.” Second, abortion is still heavily controlled by decisions of doctors, giving those seeking an abortion limited autonomy in their decision. Registered medical practitioners make a call on whether or not an abortion can be carried out: “Depending on the gestational period, one/two RMPs or a medical board decide ‘in good faith’ that the pregnancy can be terminated.” The reproductive rights of which Irani boasts may not be as progressive as they initially seem. In addition, despite the existence of a legal option to abortion, misinformation, stigma and social privilege play a role in a person’s access to reproductive health care in India. For example, many seeking an abortion — especially those unmarried or from lower economic backgrounds — do not try utilizing this resource out of fear of shame. As D’Souza states, “Linking family honour to virginity have made India’s abortion rights completely inaccessible to all its women, except those at the very top of our social ladder.” Instead, these people turn to highly unsafe options such as illegal clin-
ics or self-induced abortions. This is also a danger for women in rural areas where access to hospitals and doctors is extremely limited. The laws in India must benefit more than just its elite. Reproductive health in the country must be a human right that also considers the country’s history of class and caste discrimination. Instead of using the West’s happenings as a way to boast and flash its own laws, India must consider how to strengthen the laws they pass and ensure that they are safe and accessible to all of its population. A simple law and a comparison to another country’s regression does not allow India to assume progress. India is not alone in its inability to translate its abortion law into an accessible and safe resource for its people. For example, despite legalizing abortion recently in 2019, Ireland’s reproductive legislation has come under fire from the U.N. human rights committee. As per a July 4, 2022, article for the Irish Times, the committee has deemed Ireland’s reproductive rights as “inhumane” and “discriminatory.” For instance, the three-day wait period between medical consultation and access to medication is discriminatory toward those from lower economic backgrounds or those whose circumstances do not allow them to repeatedly visit a clinic. The overturn of Roe v. Wade shows how the United States has taken a clear step backwards in stripping its people of protection and access to much-needed resources. This especially impacts people of color and people from less-privileged backgrounds. The scenario in the United States is an eye-opener for countries and activists worldwide to continue lobbying for safe and accessible reproductive rights everywhere. Legal decisions globally often point to a blind eye toward the less privileged, as seen in not just the United States, but other countries as well. Abortion and access to reproductive health is a basic human right across the world, and all populations must be given safe and affordable access to it.
Cont’d. 070 Shake’s new album explores themes of loss and emotional recovery u
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Spirits”’ soft vocals and heavy guitar have potential, and “Purple Walls”’ presents a pleasant change of pace in the mostly-upbeat tracklist. Even so, both, like the former, ultimately function as time-filling transitions. Despite the falter, Balbuena recovers, moving from vague filler to the record’s penultimate track,
“Stay,” a refreshing resurgence of the album’s characteristic intensity. Balbuena unashamedly wails for a second chance. She offers a harrowing, “You loved me once / You could love me twice.” When her attempts fail she tries to make peace with the end. Balbuena does not conceal the ugliness of this loss. “Left me for
someone who’s gonna love you better / Nothing wrong with that / Can’t be so selfish / … I’ll miss you lots.” The 49-minute collection is a triumph in album-to-album evolution. Considering the breakout success of 070 Shake’s debut album, “Modus Vivendi,” Balbuena’s “You Can’t Kill Me” succeeds in establishing a coherent discographical sound for the
artist. On the record’s closing track, “Se Fue La Luz,” Balbuena concludes her retelling, admitting to her lover, “I should’ve made it easier for ya / I should’ve left.” Her admittance of defeat is a life-sustaining form of catharsis. As the track erupts into fanfare, she expresses her final sentiment: “Some things
are just meant to be harder.” “You Can’t Kill Me” is a deeply intimate and tender retelling of Balbuena’s struggle to trudge forward after unimaginable loss. Her world has ended but, as she concludes, it will one day begin again. Some force wants her dead — the universe, her lover, perhaps herself — but still she wrestles to be alive.
July 9, 2022
SPORTS
. Mount Holyoke News
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Sports world reacts to the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade BY EMILY TARINELLI ’25 SPORTS EDITOR
Content warning: This article discusses abortion. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24 — effectively ending the 50-year federal protection of abortion rights — athletes, sports teams and athletic groups flocked to social media to speak out about the ruling and the implications it has for athletes. A joint statement between the Women’s National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association, posted to the WNBA’s Twitter, read that both groups “believe that women should be able to make their own decisions concerning their health and future,” and that they “will continue to advocate for gender and health equity, including ensuring our employees have access to reproductive healthcare, regardless of their location.” The National Women’s Soccer League also released a statement via Twitter. “The Supreme Court’s ruling today denies individuals in this country the full liberty and equality that is the cornerstone of a just society,” the statement read. “Until every individual has the same freedoms as their neighbor, our work is
not done. We will continue to make our voices heard. The NWSL is more than just a soccer league; we are a collective who will stand up every day for what is right.” The Premier Hockey Federation posted its statement on Twitter as well. “The PHF supports a woman’s important and fundamental right to choose. We stand united with all of those who have worked tirelessly to ensure equality, inclusion and rights for ALL, not some,” the statement read. “As a women’s professional league, today’s ruling regarding Roe v. Wade directly impacts our athletes. We are strongly supportive of women’s rights.” Several individual athletes have also voiced their dismay with regard to the ruling. Yahoo! Sports shared a video on Twitter that featured several keynote athletes, including U.S. Women’s National Team soccer star Megan Rapinoe and Olympic silver medalist Erica Sullivan. “It just puts women in a really terrible position where [they] don’t have control over [their] own body,” Rapinoe said in the video. “I am a swimmer at The University [of Texas at Austin], and it’s been scary. We’ve had a lot of discussions about this,” Sullivan said. “Luckily, Title IX does protect you [in the case that] if you do get pregnant, you can’t
lose your scholarship. But abortions are still going to happen, and with athletes who don’t have the [time to] … leave [the] state because of our training schedules, you are putting a lot of female athletes at risk in terms of their physical health.” In an interview with TIME, twotime Olympic swimming gold medalist Crissy Perham spoke of the hypocrisy of organizations who celebrated Title IX’s 50th anniversary on June 23, only to remain silent about the overturning of Roe v. Wade just a day later. Perham was among more than 500 athletes who filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in September 2021, which advocated the protection of Roe v. Wade from an athletic perspective. “All of the Amici have exercised, relied on the availability of or support the constitutional right to abortion care in order to meet the demands of their sport and unleash their athletic potential,” the brief stated. “Amici are united in their deeply-held belief that women’s athletics could not have reached its current level of participation and success without the constitutional rights recognized in Roe v. Wade.” Because the time span in which people can become pregnant intersects with the period in which they capitalize on their athletic promise,
it is only through “bodily integrity and decisional autonomy” that athletes with uteruses could “fully and equally participate in sports,” the brief stated. In this sense, the overturning of Roe v. Wade could undo many of the gender equity measures with regard to athletics that were ensured by Title IX, TIME reported, citing that cisgender men expecting to be fathers do not have to deal with “nine months of physiological changes” while playing. TIME also stated that if more states limit access to reproductive care, fewer women and girls may take part in athletic opportunities, which could decrease the amount of funding sent to women’s athletic programs. As a result, colleges could see a loss of women athletes in their programs. “From where I stand, the future looks bleak … It’s really disappointing as someone who went through the collegiate system, played college sports and is now playing for a professional league,” two-time Olympic gold medalist and water poloist Ashleigh Johnson said in an interview with TIME. “It’s just one more barrier. It’s really hard to consider sports [as a] clear pathway for girls to find empowerment and for women to really pursue their dreams if they don’t have these protections.”
Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor spoke about how the ruling will reshape women’s sports in a Yahoo! Sports video. “It definitely has the potential to change the landscape of what female athletic opportunities look like and who’s able to pursue [them],” Meyers Taylor said. “I’m not here to like, be some weird cheerleader for abortion … It’s not, ‘yay, abortion.’ It’s, ‘Hey, this is my body, and I want the ability to do with it what I choose, which includes being an athlete,’” Perham told TIME. “What I would respectfully ask is that you allow someone with a uterus to decide what’s best for them and their uterus. That’s really what it is.”
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Jamie Smed Rapinoe spoke out against Roe’s overturning.
Mount Holyoke College Athletics hires Head Coach Jennifer Hartshorn to lead cross country and track and field programs BY EMILY TARINELLI ’25 SPORTS EDITOR
Mount Holyoke College Athletics welcomed Jennifer Hartshorn to Lyons Nation in June as the new head coach of the cross country and track and field programs. Hartshorn succeeds former head coach Chris Kibler, who led both programs for six seasons until his departure in 2022. “I’m thrilled to welcome [Hartshorn] to Lyons Nation and the Mount Holyoke College community. She brings proven success in building competitive cross country and track and field programs, and it is evident that she will provide an outstanding student-athlete experience,” Interim Director of Athletics Erica Lemm said, according to a Lyons Athletics press release. “I look forward to the impact that [Hartshorn] will have on our student-athletes and within our Department and I couldn’t be more pleased for the future of our cross country and track and field programs.” Discussing her extensive coaching career, Hartshorn described herself as “one of those people [who has] never done anything else.” She
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics Jennifer Hartshorn was hired as the head coach of the cross country and track and field programs.
began her career as a high school coach before moving on to lead Smith College’s cross country and track and field teams from 1999 to 2001 as the assistant coach. Having also received her master’s degree in exercise and sports studies at Smith, just 20 minutes from South Hadley, Hartshorn said that a coaching position at Mount Holyoke was “always on [her] radar.” “If I was going to look at another school … [Mount Holyoke] would be one that I could [have] really [seen] myself enjoying,” Hartshorn said. From 2001 until 2005, Hartshorn coached at Syracuse University as the head cross country coach and the assistant track and field coach before heading to Bates College, where she led both programs as head coach for the past 17 years. Under Hartshorn’s leadership, Bates saw its cross country program qualify for five National Division III Championship meets. The Bobcats’ indoor and outdoor track and field teams saw 49 and 20 All-America performances respectively, each in 11 separate events. An accomplished athlete herself, Hartshorn had many achievements
during her time as a student at Colby College, including national qualification in cross country and All-American honors in both cross country and track and field. Now at Mount Holyoke, Hartshorn emphasized the importance of a collaborative relationship between the coach and student-athletes, especially with the change in leadership. “I look at the programs as … the students’ program,” Hartshorn said. “I really care about the program, but I want the students to also feel like … they have ownership of the program, and feel really invested [in it].” “Especially during this transition, [I want] for people to feel really supported in terms of their development because I think it’s all about the athletes’ experience, and I’m here to help them have the best experience they can have,” Hartshorn continued. “It’s really important that people are building self-confidence and independence.” Hartshorn said that she was “really invigorated by the opportunity” to be coaching at Mount Holyoke. “I’m just really excited about it and can’t wait to meet everyone,” she said.
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SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT
July 9, 2022
. Mount Holyoke News
United Nations hosts World Ocean Day and the Ocean Conference to discuss climate change impacts BY YUYANG WANG ’24 STAFF WRITER
More than 70 percent of the earth is covered by the ocean. According to the latest data from the United Nations, nearly 680 million people live in low-lying coastal zones, and 57 million people are employed through marine fisheries. The ocean plays an essential role in human life. However, a recent series of dramatic climate changes have negatively influenced the ocean environment, according to the latest U.N. data. As a result, the United Nations holds outreach events, such as the World Ocean Day and the Ocean Conference, to raise global awareness of ocean issues. Various problems affecting the ocean have arisen in recent years. The U.N. has summarized several salient problems. For example, due to excessive human activity, a large amount of carbon dioxide has accumulated in the atmosphere. As more carbon dioxide dissolves into the ocean, seawater becomes acidic and negatively influences the marine populations. Additionally, the U.N. reports that 11 million tonnes of plastic are polluted annually into the ocean, causing a large amount of economic costs each year. Take coral reefs as an example. According to “The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020” report provided by the U.N. Environment Programme, coral reefs are home to more than 25 percent of marine life, despite occupying less than 1 percent of the ocean floor. Moreover, coral reefs have various benefits for humans: “providing people with food, protection from storms, life-saving medicines and livelihoods from tourism and fishing.” Coral reefs “harbor the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem globally,” and more than 1 billion people have benefited from its “invaluable ecosystem services,” the U.N. Environment Programme reported. However, according to the U.N. report, coral reefs are also “one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change.” “The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020” report conducted by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network stated that about 14 percent of coral has disappeared from coral reefs due to large-scale bleaching events. The core reason for this damage is global warming. When the water temperature is beyond the coral’s tolerance, they will “release their colorful micro-algae, turning a skeletal white,” the report stated. The report also mentions that coral reefs take thousands of years to form, and the whole process is attributed to millions of tiny individual coral polyps that form hard coral. As the report states, “If bleaching events are prolonged or happen too frequently
with not enough time to recover in between, significant coral mortality can occur.” Despite the negative assessments shown in the “The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020” report, its data also suggests that there are still opportunities for coral reefs to be restored. The report, which compared the amount of coral reefs in 1998 following a mass coral bleaching event and the data on the coral reefs a decade after the event, found that there was a massive rebound. This demonstrates that coral reefs have the ability to rehabilitate, and, as the report stated, this development points to the possibility of recovery for coral reefs. In order to encourage more people to pay attention to these problems and better protect the oceans, a series of ocean-related events were held by the U.N. this June. The first was World Oceans Day. According to the official website, after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, many countries began to celebrate World Oceans Day on June 8. In 2008, the U.N. General Assembly formally set June 8 as World Oceans Day, beginning in 2009. According to the official information provided on the U.N. World Oceans Day website, this year’s World Oceans Day theme was Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean. The theme is different each year, and the event is becoming more and more inclusive, reflecting that the U.N. has aimed to attract more people’s attention to World Ocean Day. The Assembly has moved from only inviting scientists to gradually involving more people such as Indigenous people, artists, students, entrepreneurs and businessmen. In 2020, the U.N. chose to hold a virtual celebration to celebrate World Oceans Day. 350,000 people from around the world participated and watched the live event held by the U.N. and the non-profit organization Oceanic Global. This year, the event was hosted in person at the U.N. headquarters in New York and broadcasted live, making this the first hybrid celebration of the annual event. At the end of the event, the organization invited two musicians to hold a performance. The Ocean Conference is another activity the U.N. organized for ocean conservation. This year, the U.N. held the Ocean Conference from June 27 to July 1 in Lisbon, Portugal. This was the second Ocean Conference, following the first held in New York in 2017. The conference meets with the goal of better supporting the Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. This aim, “Ad-
Photo courtesy of Public Domain Pictures Coral reefs, as pictured above, provide food, livelihoods and storm protection, and are essential to marine and human life, according to U.N. reports.
Photo courtesy of James Gilmour via Australian Institue of Marine Science. Coral reefs are extremely vulnerable, and can experience coral bleaching due to the heightened water temperatures associated with global warming.
opted in 2015 as an integral aspect of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its set of 17 transformative goals, Goal 14 stresses the need to conserve and sustainably use the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources,” the U.N. reported. “Advancement of Goal 14 is guided by specific targets that focus on an array of ocean issues, including reducing marine pollution, protecting
marine and coastal ecosystems, minimizing acidification, ending illegal and overfishing, increasing investment in scientific knowledge and marine technology and respecting international law that calls for the safe and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources.” Various seminars focused on policies, economics and education were also given during the conference.
Though there are many problems, various activities, such as World Oceans Day and the Ocean Conference, are carried out with the goal of solving problems that negatively impact the ocean. The enterprise of ocean recovery is not a unilateral task. Such activities play an important role in inspiring people from all backgrounds to participate in the protection of our oceans.
July 9, 2022
COMMUNITY
. Mount Holyoke News
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 Sophie Soloway ’23
Publisher Ali Meizels ’23
Managing Editor of Content Emma Watkins ’23
Managing Editor of Web Mariam Keita ’24 & Zoe Tang ’24
Managing Editor of Layout Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25
Business Manager Katie Goss ’23
Copy Chief Lenox Johnson ’24
Human Resources Hannah Raykher ’23
Lenox Johnson ’23
Sports
Emily Tarinelli ’25
Photos
Opinion
Jahnavi Pradeep ’23 & Kaveri Pillai ’23
Global
Cynthia Akanaga ’25
Rosemary Geib ’23 & Ali Meizels ’23
Layout Editors Zoe Tang ’24
Event Highlights Pioneer Valley Events July 9 - 10 Yidstock 2022
Yidstock is a festival of Yiddish Music. Both full concert passes and individual tickets are for sale on the Center’s website. Visitors will be required to present proof of vaccination and wear a mask while in the building. Yiddish Book Center, Amherst. Times vary based on performance.
Tuesday, July 12 Salsa in the Park
Editorial Board
Arts & Entertainment
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Copy Editors
Meghan MacBeath ’25, Kamlyn Yosick ’25, Hilary Vergera FP ’24, Marlo Zwisler ’24, Max Endieveri ’25, Zora Lotton-Barker ’25
Web Editors
Chloe Wang ’25, Ramisa Tahsin Rahman ’25, Lily Hoffman Strickler ‘24
Publication Guidelines Mount Holyoke News does not endorse any of the opinions or views expressed within the pages of the paper, excluding staff editorials. All content copyright of Mount Holyoke News. All rights reserved. Mount Holyoke News does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age.
Advertising in MHN Interest in advertising in MHN can be directed to mhnews@mtholyoke.edu for pricing and deadlines. MHN reserves the right to refuse submissions on the basis of, but not limited to, advertisements considered to be libelous, obscene, defamatory or discriminatory.
The Northampton Arts Council is sponsoring Salsa music. There will be five Salsa events this July. Shows run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event organizers request that guests bring sunblock, drinking water and a blanket to sit on. Tents and metal-legged chairs will not be allowed. Contact arts@northamptonma.gov with any questions. Pulaski Park, Northampton. 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. .
Thursday, July 14 Florence Summer Jazz Night
The Ben Malynoski Quartet will host the Florence Summer Jazz Nights Series twice a month on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. at BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity. The shows will feature young jazz musicians from around New England. The Quartet’s shows will last around an hour, and two hours of “open jam sessions” will follow — bring your instruments! BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity. 7 - 10 p.m.
Saturday, July 16 Annual Glasgow Scottish Lands Festival
Subscriptions
The Annual Glasgow Scottish Lands Festival will showcase events from highland games, Scottish food vendors, pipe bands, animals and more. Advance tickets are available online for $22. Standard adult tickets are $25, tickets for children six to 12 years are $5 and children under six get in free.
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Look Memorial Park, Florence. 9:00 - 5:00 p.m.
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Remote Events Tuesday, July 12 Alum Listening Session with the PSC
Zoom with the Presidential Search Committee to give your input on what you would like to see in Mount Holyoke’s twentieth president. Sign up in advance on Zoom for the log-in information. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.