Mount Holyoke News — Oct. 29, 2020 by Mount Holyoke News

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Students mistakenly receive positive COVID-19 test results BY KATIE GOSS ’23 STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 20, Karen Engell, director of Health Services, and Paul S. Kandel, Strategic IT Project Management Lead and COVID-19 Testing and Tracing Project Manager, sent a message to the Mount Holyoke community about two falsely reported COVID-19 tests. Both students involved were told they had tested positive, but had in actuality tested negative for COVID-19. The mistake was made between Oct. 16 and Oct. 17, and the corrected reports of these two tests were issued within 12 hours of the false reports being sent out. Overall, there were nine other false reports of COVID-19 tests out of 154,000 tests issued within these two days. Elsewhere, three people were told they tested negative when they actually tested positive, and there were four cases at an additional location reporting that four people tested either inconclusive when they really tested negative or vice versa. The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard processes the COVID-19 tests for the College, as well as for other institutions in the Northeast. After a test is administered, it is placed in a tube and labeled with a barcode. When it arrives at the Broad Institute, that barcode is scanned multiple times throughout the process of being tested to make sure it can be tracked efficiently. The two misreported tests were due to human error and are considered “extremely rare,” according to the statement sent out by the College. “It was a reporting mistake. The corrected results are accurate, and we would not anticipate that anyone would need to be retested as a result,” said David Cameron, director of communications and media Relations at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Tina Arechiga ’23 was one of the students affected by this reporting mistake. She received a call from the College informing her that her last test came back positive and was asked to relocate into an apartment on campus used for students who test positive for the virus.

“I was really anxious and scared when I got the call, just because I’ve been really careful. I don’t go out a lot, and I only hang out with one person here on campus,” Arechiga said. “When the lady [from the Health Center] was going through the steps of what I had to do [for quarantine], I sort of got really nervous and felt a pit in my stomach.” Right after Arechiga had been relocated to the apartment designated for quarantine, she received an email stating that her results had come back negative, not positive. “I called the lady [at the Health Center], and she checked the website where they have the results and it had changed somehow. I was confused, and when she said it had also changed for the other person as well, I was like, ‘Well, what’s going on?’” Arechiga said. “So she just asked me to stay in the apartment until they could run the test again.” After it was confirmed that there had been a reporting mistake from the Broad Institute, and that Arechiga and the other student had actually tested negative, they were free to leave the quarantine apartment and return to their dorms. Overall, according to Arechiga, she had only been displaced for four or five hours. Although the tests only experienced a scanning error and not an actual testing error, it has still set some doubt in test results going forward for some students. “I felt surprised when I saw that there had been reporting issues with our testing system. I had trusted the reliability of the test [results] so I hadn’t even thought about if the [results] were unreliable before,” Emily Jones ’23 said. “Now I do have worries about future test results. I feel that I won’t be able to look at test results as being as reliable as I had previously thought.” Additionally, Jones mentioned the concern that the email sent out to all community members on this issue may not have been seen by everyone. “The email’s subject didn’t directly convey the issue of misreported tests so I worry that some students may have not seen the email because it was not labeled as

GLOBAL: #EndSARS movement

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Photo by Lily Reavis ’21 The Broad Institute recently misrepresented two COVID-19 tests from the Mount Holyoke testing site.

College releases its initial plans for the spring semester BY CASEY ROEPKE ’21 NEWS EDITOR

President of the College Sonya Stephens wrote a letter to the Mount Holyoke community regarding the College’s preliminary plan for the spring 2021 term on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Stephens wrote that the College is preparing to welcome up to 60 percent of the student population to campus in the spring. “Our goal is to safely accommodate as many students wishing to return as we possibly can, and to continue to ensure that those for whom Mount Holyoke is their permanent address or who need to be on campus can remain in residence,” Stephens said in the letter. Campus life for spring residents will resemble that of the limited number of students currently on campus this fall. Residential students will have required access to COVID-19 testing twice a week. The Dining Commons will continue to offer takeout-only meals, and students will not be allowed to host visitors or travel more than a limited distance

A&E: Halloween movie and TV list

from campus. Students will also likely be responsible for following a social compact, potentially the one currently in place. Students who plan to live on campus in the spring semester will need to fill out a residential intent form distributed by the Office of Residential Life. If more than 60 percent of students indicate a desire to live on campus, ResLife will “put in place a prioritized application process.” The deadline for the form is Nov. 8. Classes will continue to operate under the Flexible Immersive Teaching model, and faculty will make individual decisions as to whether they will hold hybrid or fully virtual courses. Stephens’ statement included an announcement that all spring 2021 study abroad programs through the College will be canceled, “given the continued challenges of travel and COVID-19.” There were no details regarding student employment or athletics for the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

12 ENVIRONMENTAL: Climate art

EVENTS

October 29, 2020

Mount Holyoke News

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Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Lily Reavis ’21 Managing Editor of Content Flannery Langton ’22 Managing Editor of Layout Rose Sheehan ’22

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Publication Guidelines

“As we continue to engage the powerful stories evident in The 1619 Project, we have invited Scholar Martha S. Jones to share her incredible research on women’s suffrage and the role Black women played in actualizing gaining the right to vote.” Hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Registration required through Embark. 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST

Fablesque: A Reading by Anna Maria Hong

Anna Maria Hong is the author of “Age of Glass,” winner of the Cleveland State University Poetry Center’s First Book Poetry Competition and the Poetry Society of America’s Norma Farber First Book Award, and the novella “H & G” (Sidebrow Books), winner of the A Room of Her Own Foundation’s Clarissa Dalloway Prize. Free and open to the public. Zoom link available to Mount Holyoke community members in Embark. 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST

Friday, Oct. 30

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“This important session with activist, educator, organizer and attorney, Lydia X.Z. Brown will focus on helping students interested in disability justice, activism and organizing. All students are welcome to attend this session.” Registration is required through Embark. 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. EST

Sunday, Nov. 1

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GOTV Text Banking with the MHC Dems

“Join the Mount Holyoke Democrats to Get Out the Vote! We’ll be textbanking for Democrats up and down the ballot to remind folks to cast their ballots on November 3rd.” Registration is required through Embark. 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. EST

Monday, Nov. 2

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Disability Justice Is Our Freedom: Disrupting Ableism & Imagining Just Futures

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Thursday, Oct. 29

Vanguard: What if Black Women Have Always Led the Movement for Voting Rights?

Meryl Phair ’21

Saman Bhat ’22 & Sophie Soloway ’23

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The Official Unofficial Voting Station: Voting for All Who Legally Can’t

This collective project by artist Aram Han Sifuentes focuses on creating imaginative voting stations open to all, particularly for disenfranchised individuals and communities. Community Center, lower level 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. EST

October 29, 2020

NEWS

. Mount Holyoke News

“A slap in the face”: Students on remote Mountain Day BY LIZ LEWIS ’22 PUBLISHER & NEWS EDITOR

On the final afternoon of Module 1, the student body received an email announcing the immediate beginning of a “24-Hour 2020 Mountain Day Experience.” “It’s noon in South Hadley, 4 p.m. in Accra, 5 p.m. in London, 10 p.m. in New Delhi and midnight in Beijing,” read the email from College President Sonya Stephens. “This year’s Mountain Day is a 24 hour, self directed and physically distanced adventure that begins for students once you’ve finished your Module 1 assignments and exams today, and goes from 4 till 4 EST.” According to the notice, the 24-hour Mountain Day format was an attempt at making the tradition “as global and inclusive as our community, to celebrate together while apart and to make sure the spirit of Mountain Day reaches every corner of the globe and launches the mid-semester break, giving everyone, wherever they may be, plenty of time to join in.” It had already been announced that Mountain Day would take place during the intermission between

modules, as previously reported by the Mount Holyoke News. While the 24-hour format may have been more inclusive for the global Mount Holyoke community, many were quick to point out that the timing made Mountain Day inaccessible to any student with semester-extending academic accommodations. Students working from the United States received the announcement email several hours before finals had officially concluded. Sawyer Klein ’22, who missed out on Mountain Day festivities due to extended deadlines, said the decision “felt like a bit of a slap in the face.” Along with the accelerated pace and new remote curriculum of the module system, “this semester has already been trying for those of us who require accommodations,” Klein said, citing technological difficulties as a new layer to the challenges of distance learning. Mountain Day overlapped with the tail end of the official module, even for students without extensions. Klein found the timing especially unfavorable considering that many extensions last two days at least. “I’m not sure how much fun anyone else had during a pandemic, but I

spent my Mountain Day writing papers, and the school has yet to acknowledge that this was how many students experienced the day,” they said. “Mountain Day was the perfect example of how much this school is okay with ignoring certain students.” This incident marks the second Mountain Day-related controversy in two years. After Mountain Day 2019 was scheduled on Rosh Hashanah, Stephens and the College administration received backlash from the Jewish Student Union and the student body at large. Despite the controversy, many students were still able to celebrate this Mountain Day in their own unique ways. Attached to the original email from Stephens was a webpage dedicated to the celebration, where the Mount Holyoke community could find suggestions on how to spend the day. Many of the self-directed activities listed on the website were variations of standard Mountain Day festivities, such as eating ice cream, enjoying the outdoors, applying temporary tattoos and connecting with other community members. Also provided on the website were Zoom backgrounds, graphics for social media,

Photo courtesy of Flickr Mount Holyoke offered this photo as a Zoom background to celebrate Mountain Day 2020 remotely.

resources for finding local hikes in any area and a recipe for apple pie, courtesy of the Dining Hall staff. In an effort to remain connected as a community through this beloved tradition, the 2020 Mountain Day Planning Committee also set up a social media hashtag, a community-curated Mountain Day playlist, a virtual M&Cs event and a livestream of a hike up to the Skinner State Park Summit House on Friday, Oct. 16.

Resale is remaking the fashion and clothing industries BY MERYL PHAIR ’21 ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR

“You will never believe what I found,” exclaimed Olivia Wrobleski ’22, a junior at Mount Holyoke College, who was making her way out of the haphazard array of jeans, sweatshirts and last semester’s economics textbooks. The pile was a chaotic mass that held discarded treasures for those who knew where to look. Wrobleski proudly held up her newly discovered rust red linen pants that, besides fine creases crosshatching the material from its brief hiatus between a pair of overalls and a puffer jacket, did not look a day off the shopping racks. “When the free bins are overflowing, you know you’re going to find something good,” she said as she finally displaced herself from the pile. Wrobleski is a self-proclaimed “free binning guru.” Free bins are boxes in the Mount Holyoke residence halls where students can put clothes they no longer like or wear and pick up something new that someone else has left. The exchange is a popular way to discard old

clothing items and find something new without having to pay for it. Wrobleski has an uncommon knack for uncovering valuable items from the depths of the multicolored mounds of clothes piled on the concrete basement floors of Mount Holyoke College’s residence halls. Wrobleski has been working the free binning circuit since she arrived on campus two-and-a-half years ago and, as a result, her closet is constantly being updated by her most recent finds. She said the secret is committing to the search and constantly stopping by the bins. The location of the free bins makes it easy for frequent flyers like Wrobleski to look through when she does her laundry or passes through a dorm. Although the recycling of clothes on campus has its positives, Wrobleski is often taken aback by the amount of clothes produced in the annual closet clean-outs. She said she has found clothes that look like they have never been worn and “it’s not unusual to find an item with a tag still on.” Secondhand clothing and the circular access to fashion that it produces

has recently been gaining in popularity, which has changed the way businesses market products. There has been a change in purchasing behavior toward a more “conscious consumerism” as consumers are beginning to look for more sustainable ways to acquire clothing. This is a result of the significant environmental and social impacts of the fast fashion industry, as well as the changes that online shopping has on traditional brick-and-mortar department stores. Fast fashion refers to the clothing industry that produces and distributes inexpensive, low-quality clothing to retailers. The annual production of 1 billion garments provides consumers with a plethora of options in the latest fashion trends. The fast fashion industry, with a net worth of 35 billion dollars, has created a system that allows stores like H&M to sell new fashion lines every two weeks and receive shipments of new clothes every other day. However, with the increased accessibility of clothes comes an array of environmental and social concerns.

Through production and delivery, fast fashion emits 10 percent of global carbon emissions and uses 1.5 trillion liters of water a year. Not only is the environment impacted by production, but the life cycle of fast fashion-produced garments has a continuous negative impact each spin around the washing machine. Many fast fashion brands use plastic fibers like polyester, nylon and acrylic, which can take up to a thousand years to biodegrade. Washing a single piece of synthetic clothing can generate more than 1,900 microplastic fibers. Along with a widening environmental impact, the industry has created social issues within the production chain. The fast fashion industry hinges on cheap labor in developing countries where workers’ rights are often nonexistent and environmental standards are low. 60 million people work in the garment industry to fuel fast fashion with more than one-fourth based in Asia, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

NEWS

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

College tentatively prepares to bring 60 percent Broad Institute student capacity to campus next spring, cont’d testing error, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

cont’d

spring term, although Stephens anticipates news for winter athletes as soon as next week. This preliminary plan was a result of the original summer reopening plan and a Spring Review Group process in conjunction with the Emergency Response Teams. “We have also examined international, national, regional and local COVID-19 data and trends that inform the requirements for campus quarantine and isolation spaces, other recommended or required conditions that mitigate spread of the virus, and many other details related to campus testing and tracing, facilities, and access,” Stephens wrote. The email to the community also included a summary of the October 2020 Board of Trustees meeting, which gave a budget update, endowment report, and other information. According to Karena Strella ’90, chair of the Board of Trustees, Mount Holyoke has “received the largest gift in support of financial aid in its history” in the form of a 10 million dollar donation from an alum and trustee toward an upcoming financial aid fundraising initiative coming in January 2021. Additionally, Vice President of Finance and Administration for the College Shannon Gurek gave an update on the budget and a forecast for the financial year 2021.

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Photo by Ali Meizels ’23 The College plans to bring students to campus in spring 2021 but continue to monitor public health and safety.

After a report on the revenue decrease resulting from the COVID-19 campus closure and reduced residential student population, the Board voted to “increase the draw from the endowment for FY 20202021 to help close the budget gap.” Strella noted that this increase complies with existing parameters of the College’s endowment spending policy. According Ana Yankova ’97, chief investment officer for the College, Mount Holyoke’s endowment is $789 million as of June 30. The Board recognized that the budget for next year cannot be solidly predicted while spring plans remain subject to change. “Because of the range of spring enroll-

ment possibilities, from having a sizable cohort of students on campus to having a very limited residential cohort, the FY 2021 forecast is still uncertain,” Strella wrote. Vice President for Enrollment Management Robin Randall updated the Board on student enrollment. While firstyear enrollments this fall were lower than expected, “inquiries from prospective students” have increased by 30 percent. It is unclear how Wednesday’s announcement regarding the spring 2021 term will impact applications from the class of 2025. Community members can expect further information on the College’s plans for spring 2021 by Nov. 12.

‘IMPORTANT’ or ‘URGENT.’” As one of the community members affected by this reporting error, Arechiga was less worried about future results. “I’m not angry or upset, and I wouldn’t say there are any harsh feelings toward [the Broad Institute],” she said. “I feel like it was a one-time thing and I hope it doesn’t happen again. I think, even if there was a resulting error [in the future], I would still treat it as if I was positive.” Arechiga said she thought Mount Holyoke was doing a good job of following protocol and running tests as quickly but safely as they can during this process. “Compared to a lot of the colleges that my friends go to, I feel like Mount Holyoke is doing a good job in making sure that people are getting tested regularly, and just having our safety in their concern,” Arechiga said. In the statement sent out by the College, it was emphasized that this was just a reporting issue, and not a “health and safety issue, nor a testing issue.” Additionally, it was noted that the statement was sent out in order to remain transparent to the Mount Holyoke community about information regarding the ongoing virus.

Unsustainable practices of fast fashion industry, cont’d CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

according to an April 2016 Oxfam report. More than 80 percent of those workers are women who are often young and from poor rural backgrounds. Secondhand shopping also brings up questions of social class and access. For some, a trip to the thrift shop might be for trendy styles, but for others it is the only affordable option. With the aid of technology, an increasing awareness of the impacts of fast fashion and the affordability of thrift shopping, the secondhand fashion industry has increased in popularity. Now it has grown into a business that produces hundreds of millions of dollars through recycling clothing. Over the past three years, the resale industry has grown 21 times faster than the retail apparel market. ThredUp, an online secondhand market, released a 2019 resale report which broke down the success of the industry

into four parts: unlocking an endless supply chain, creating value with data science, massive volume and technology. As people buy more clothes, they have clothes they no longer wear. The secondhand fashion industry has tapped into this and developed innovations similar to ThredUp’s Clean Out Kit, which allows consumers to send in items of clothes they no longer wear and receive compensation in either consignment or store credit to purchase new items. Data gives resale markets algorithms to assign resale value to items, which allows consumers to purchase new clothes at low costs while the market still makes a profit so they can keep selling. Resellers are able to take in massive amounts of inventory and put them up on their sites at a quick turnaround rate. For example, ThredUp processes up to 100,000 items a day. “I love going to secondhand stores but it’s great that a lot of thrift shopping can be done online, especially because I don’t

always have the time to go to stores while I’m in school,” Wrobleski said. “I use online thrift shopping a lot if I’m looking for specific pieces of clothing.” With online shopping, the market has already done all the organizing – you just have to type in a few key words. On most secondhand sites, you can look for something you want by brand name, item type, size, color and more defined searches which makes the process easier while still engaging the active participation of the consumer. With the ease of just a few clicks, consumers are able to access huge markets. Through convenience, there is a loss of the real quality and feel for clothes that traditional shopping experiences provide. The decline in department stores and malls across the country is a direct result of this move toward faster, more convenient methods of clothing access. Technology is a major component in the upsurge in resale and has produced

a way for consumers to shop online from anywhere. Online shopping markets have impacted not only what people buy, but the experience of shopping. Similar to thrifting, online shopping offers the same treasure hunt feel of “free binning” at Mount Holyoke and thrift shops without the need to go sorting through bins of old clothes. The markets the fashion industry is working with are changing. Not only is it about the types of clothes people shop for, but it matters how they access their wardrobe. Whether that is picking through the free bin or shopping for a dress on Rent the Runway, the concept of clothing ownership is changing. A full closet is being swapped out for the ability to continually update and replace. Although there is some uncertainty in where fashion will head next, the same excitement that brings shoppers like Wrobleski to the free bins will remain constant.

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Punk, emo and goth subcultures exclude people of color BY NINA LARBI ’22 OP-ED SECTION EDITOR

Within the past year, alternative styles of dress based primarily in emo, punk and goth subcultures have gained popularity on social media. It may be the 20-year cycle of fashion looping back to the scene and emo styles of the early 2000s, or quarantine nostalgia for pop punk bands, but the 2020 reiteration of subculture styles by contributors on platforms like Instagram and TikTok is distinctively more diverse than I remember them being. Punk, emo and goth subcultures have historically excluded people of color, maintaining the image that people of color were never meant to be a part of their movements. These exclusions have also buried the contributions made by people of color to these ideologies and arts. Though the tide has been changing for a while, people of color are still excluded from these subcultures, and their white peers need to actively uplift and acknowledge them and their artistic and ideological contributions. Individuals are drawn to subcultures because they feel rejection from society and its institutions, like the working-class Brits who created punk. Punk is anti-establishment and anti-consumerist, emo is saturated with angst and misanthropy and goth is characterized by anti-conventional beauty standards and gender expression. Emo and goth subcultures originated as reactions to an established punk scene, and they share

some ideologies. These subcultures all have artistic elements, including music and dress, from the dyed mohawk punks to the Hot Topic studded-belt-andskinny-jean emos. Rejecting the status quo and deviancy is what makes a subculture a subculture. However, the issue with racism and exclusion stems from a misunderstanding and willful ignorance of what it means to be oppressed. The 2003 documentary “Afro-Punk” opens with plain text referencing Patti Smith’s song in which she likens herself to Black people via a slur, then points out that “She felt she could liken her personal trials as a feminist musician in a c----rock culture to the African American struggle for equality.” If punks are not already on the outside of society, they want to be there. But people of color are already there. Why can’t white punks, emos and goths recognize that without trying to conflate all marginalized identities into one underclass of society? The experience of racism is different from that of sexism and that of homophobia, and some individuals experience all three. There are aesthetic values within subcultures that reject and appropriate people of color besides their otherness, like in the case of Smith. Goths and emos like pale skin, dark hair and dead eyes because it’s the opposite of the tanned (but white), blonde-haired, bright-eyed beach babe. Moreover, from their roots these three subcultures have had heavy contributions from people of

color, but their legacy has been ignored and actively suppressed. All types of rock music have their origins in American blues and country music, which were created by Black people. Additionally, various proto-punk bands, like the Mysterians and Death consisted of musicians of color and subsequently influenced the punk genre for decades. Different punk scenes came to be because groups of people felt like they were ignored by the system or just didn’t fit in, and this included communities of color. The Los Angeles punk scene was created by youth who felt othered because they were Latinx, which led them to create the L.A. punk scene and hardcore punk. Punk, emo and goth continue to evolve today thanks to the efforts of artists of color. Now, there is emo rap and punk rap, with artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Rico Nasty challenging the emo and punk conventions through musical synthesis. After the success of the “Afro-Punk” documentary, the annual Afropunk Festival was created, giving space to people of color to explore subcultures and defy expectations. People of color are key members of and contributors to the punk, emo and goth subcultures. We share experiences of otherness not to be likened to each other — and shouldn’t subculture be open to all those who reject the status quo and want to join? I sincerely hope that recent visible diversity in subculture social media continues and that members of such subcultures vocally acknowledge and uplift people of color.

Social media filters harm young people, impose toxic beauty standards

Graphic by Trinity Kendrick ’21

BY KAVERI PILLAI ’23 STAFF WRITER

In 2015, Snapchat changed the way we looked at ourselves, literally and metaphorically. Its revolutionary camera feature Lenses allows users to edit their photographs in real time. Festive backgrounds, animal and beautification filters have creeped into our picture-taking routines, and the good old DSLR seems to have lost its magic. And so the question becomes: What is it about a camera filter that makes it so attractive to people? 3.96 billion people use social media, and it has become particularly pervasive among young people. 73 percent of Generation Z adults aged 18-23 are active Instagram users, and 63 percent of the same demographic are active Snapchat users. With such a young demographic being sucked into this sphere of virtual reality, the scrutiny toward social media has been in-

creasing over the past two decades. The creation of Lenses, which alter people’s faces, allowing them to attain a certain look, have reified toxic societal expectations and norms that are targeted toward young girls. These filters appeal to those who want to look conventionally attractive. The homogenization of beauty that correlates to the standardization of one type of perfection is unfortunately enforced upon many people who don’t necessarily align themselves with this restrictive canon. The “western ideal” highlights the prevalence of neo-colonialism in the 21st century, and leaves women of color like myself feeling that they need to change to be beautiful. The Instagram filter that glamorizes freckles, blue eyes and blonde hair might seem petty in this fight to accept and appreciate diversity. However, labeling such features as symbols of feminine perfection champions an archaic form of racial superiority and alienates a handful of social groups who are seen to be the antithesis to this regressive norm of beauty. By marketing these specific facial features as the ones that personify beauty, the commodification of biological characteristics inevitably produces issues of self-esteem and low confidence in young girls. The oppressive nature of western standards of beauty are reminiscent of the obsession colonizers had with curtailing native culture and anything that appeared to be tangential to their set normative expectations. Power shapes the gendered notion of beauty as well. The filter effects of freakishly poreless cheeks and over-the-top doe eyes make women look like caricatures of young, unadulterated purity. The constant need to infantilize women echoes the sentiment shared with those who find it imperative to diminish women

as subordinates. By equating this “childish” beauty to the facade of naive, weak and immature women being accepted and appreciated, the system succeeds at reifying the idea of perfect women being treated like infants. The “young girl” filters rob women of adulthood and diminish them to a social group that is stagnant in this race of growth — once again leaving a vulnerable and marginalized group behind when it comes to creating a universal set of expectations. The filters that seem to give every person unnecessary chin tucks and nose jobs hammer an idea in the minds of young girls that what they look like right now is anything but perfect. The constant interfering with one’s natural body echoes the body image issue that is rampant among young people and pushes social media users to go down this dark route of treacherous surgeries and constant cynicism regarding their body. The hyper-sexualization of women of color appears to contrast the white ideal of perfection that still manages to alienate groups as “exotic” and “abnormal.” As Alizeh Azhar ’23 says, “These dark skin tone filters really do a lot of damage to young brown girls who want to achieve this stature of normalcy when they are being targeted for looking different.” As I go through these filters now, I can’t stop myself from thinking about my 13-year-old sister who is being directed by social media to look a certain way in order to be accepted by the world. This toxic wave of artificial appearance has engulfed an entire age group, and it is important to challenge the discourse that surrounds the approval of such ideals of perfection to ensure that the pedagogy that exists regarding beauty standards is flipped.

GLOBAL

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

#EndSARS movement demands an end to police brutality in Nigeria

Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons After a video of a SARS officer killing a man went viral on Oct. 3, Nigerian citizens staged large protests and gained international support.

BY MADHAVI RAO ’24 STAFF WRITER

Nigeria has been in a state of massive civil unrest for the past few weeks as large numbers of the public gather to protest the notoriously corrupt Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The protests started after a video was released of unprovoked SARS officers killing a man in Ughelli on Oct. 3, as reported by The New York Times. The protests have gained international support, with #EndSARS trending on Twitter. The government has responded to the dissent with harsh crackdowns and violence toward protesters. Anti-robbery units were established in Nigeria in 1984 to tackle the issues of armed robbery and violent crime, which were prevalent in Lagos and southern Nigeria at the time. These units took the form of SARS in 1992, which was created as a means of monitoring the actions of criminal gangs through undercover surveillance, necessitating the group’s anonymity. In the years that followed, the inconspicuousness of SARS allowed officers within the department to disregard the law. Amnesty International stated that SARS has resorted to the routine use of torture in investigations and frequent extrajudicial killings. Amnesty International went on to state that SARS has been known to target youth, particularly those of a lower socioeconomic status, subjecting them to unlawful arrest, torture in confinement and extortion to secure their release. Nimira Nelson ’22, social chair of Mount Holyoke’s Association of Pan-African Unity, commented on the issue. “It saddens me deeply to see that not only has SARS been extremely violent for years, but they continued to perpetuate this violence in the middle of a

not buying it this time.” The 2020 anti-SARS protests have grown to oppose police brutality as a whole. According to Al-Jazeera, the protesters’ demands include justice for the deceased victims of all police brutality and the accountability of the perpetrators for their violence against the people. Bonfas Owinga, a visiting lecturer in politics at Mount Holyoke, explained how the government might improve the situation. “They should compensate the victims of state violence and prosecute SARS officers involved in torture, killings and … violence on the streets that led to several deaths of unarmed civilians. There must be an honest dialogue with the Nigerian society for healing to begin.” The government’s response to the protests has also sparked backlash among the public. On Oct. 20, the police opened fire on groups of protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, resulting in several injuries and deaths, as reported by The New York Times. This led to a fresh wave of protests against the brutal crackdown on dissent by the authorities. Nelson expressed her dissatisfaction with the government’s response to the incident at the Lekki Toll Gate, calling it “deplorable.” “According to reports I saw on social media, the military was rolled out and they turned off the lights and cameras at the Toll Plaza and began shooting at the protesters,” Nelson said. “Even scarier, apparently the soldiers then came to pick up some of the dead bodies, so the death toll is probably wildly inaccurate.” “We may not ever know who was killed that night when all they asked for was to be treated like citizens instead of criminals,” Nelson continued. “To add salt to the wound, Nigerian government officials are using these tragedies as a way to warn the youth to stop protesting, or to blame them for what has transpired.” The movement, which is spearheaded by the Nigerian youth, has garnered the support of many people across the world. Owinga went on to say that the re-

pandemic when most Nigerians were already struggling with all kinds of issues, namely the devastating poverty as a result of terrible governance,” Nelson said. Nelson also expressed her deep frustration with how SARS treats young people specifically. “To also hear that SARS officers are often violent toward young people because they are dressed a certain way, or are in possession of expensive items such as AirPods or iPhones, angers me because in a country with so many issues, a 2-year-old with a smartphone should be the CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 u least of anyone’s worries.” The Nigerian public first started protesting SARS in 2017, and outrage against the corrupt police force has been rising ever since. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari issued a statement on Oct. 12, during the most recent protests, vowing to disband SARS and enact extensive reforms. Omobolanle Adams, a Nigerian graduate student at Boston University, commented on these recent developments for The New York Times, stating, “The government disbanded SARS in 2017, in Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons 2018 and in 2019. We’re Anti-SARS protests in Nigeria gained international attention, leading to the trending #EndSARS tag on Twitter.

October 29, 2020

GLOBAL

. Mount Holyoke News

Language Table: Practice your Spanish with tus amigos BY JOCELYN ZHOU ’22 STAFF WRITER

Every Monday and Wednesday, members of the Spanish department, Spanish speakers and Spanish learners gather around the virtual Cafecito de Espanol, or Spanish Language Table. This table is held for Spanish learners of all levels to come together and embrace the Spanish language, according to one organizer, Emma Sullivan ’22. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the table meeting is being held over Zoom this year. During the meeting, students meet one another and practice conversational Spanish, as opposed to the more formal and academic Spanish spoken in the classroom. Sullivan talked about how the Spanish Table tries to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome when speaking the language. “We make sure that we speak slowly and that we have a cheat sheet with key words and phrases,” Sullivan said. “Usually one of us will work more closely with the student[s] who are at a lower level to make sure they understand and can get something out of … Spanish Table.” Along with Sul-

Graphic by Anjali Rao-Herel ’22

livan, Elizabeth Belka ’22, Katie Milligan ’22, Rahael George ’21, Cydney Hambrick ’22 and Allie Benguiat ’22 attended this week’s table.

“I attend the cafecitos to practice and strengthen my Spanish in an informal setting,” Hambrick said. “I could not fit [a] Spanish [class] in my first module so this was a great way to keep my skills up. I also plan on studying abroad, so this is an awesome opportunity to learn more colloquial phrases and vocabulary beforehand,” she added. The table usually starts with iceberg questions to help everyone engage in the conversation. There are no specific topics to discuss, but this year, there is a lesson plan for each Zoom call. “We have talked about music from the Spanish-speaking world, the evolution of beauty [and] hairstyles in different Spanish-speaking countries, Indigenous peoples in Latin America, Mexican Independence Day, different styles of dance, slang from different countries,” and more, Sullivan said. Benguiat encouraged people to come have fun at Spanish Table. “It’s just fun to talk and watch videos together,” Benguiat said. “I hope we can play games like Pictionary together in Spanish in the future.” Cafecito de Espanol meets from 4:30 p.m to 6 p.m. EST every Monday and Wednesday. More information about the event can be found on the Mount Holyoke College events calendar.

International students reflect on Module 1 Police violence in BY ADITI PARASHAR ’22 STAFF WRITER

Through time zone differences and the demands of the new module system, international students have had a vastly different start to their school year than domestic students. After finishing the module system on Oct. 15, some international students reflected on the challenges they faced these past seven-and-a-half weeks. Saachi Khandpur ’22 was recently quoted in an article for HuffPost India as saying, “I am choosing between whether I want to follow a normal schedule, not feeling sick and getting some quality time with my family or if I want to be able to participate at my optimal potential in class, and it is a hard choice.” As a junior politics and psychology double major, attending three classes that go past midnight has taken a toll on Khandpur’s health, both physically and mentally. In addition, many countries around the world do not have consistent access to electricity and the internet. This is an added challenge to remote learning as all resources and social connections to Mount Holyoke are now available almost exclusively online. On Sept. 17, the North American Association of Indian Students’ Instagram page posted a statement from Kusha Chopra ’21. “Office hours, TA hours and extra resources for students are available only during the night,” Chopra stated. “It is not like [international] students can sleep all day as individuals have chores, internships and some even have jobs. It further exacerbates the resource inequality due to the different time zones and distance.” The differences in time zones have an additional disparate impact on international students’ social lives. While many clubs and organizations on campus

have continued to hold meetings in an effort to build and maintain community, these meetings tend to be held in Eastern Standard Time, making them inaccessible to those in different time zones. In the same HuffPost India article published Sept. 18, Khandpur elaborated, “I am part of the FAMILIA, an LGBTQ+ and people of colour organisation on campus. It was my family away from home and that’s one community I miss a lot. Now that I am home, that is something I miss talking about. One of the clubs emailed me that they are meeting today [Sept. 18], but they are meeting at 3 AM, and I don’t know if I should stay up.” International students are also not eligible for student employment this semester. Many jobs on campus, despite functioning in an online space, are still not available for international students. The Opening the Gates FAQ page states, “If you work remotely for MHC while living in another country, MHC is subject to all of the employment laws of that country. Employment laws vary widely from country to country. Mount Holyoke is not able to comply with all of the laws and regulations required to lawfully employ students living in various international locations.” Amman Syed ’22 said, “There has been no clarity from the [College] administration as to whether or not we will have the jobs we were selected for once we are back on campus. Since we were not eligible, they had to give these jobs to domestic students or students within the United States; however, what happens when I go back? Will I have the job that I not only qualify for but also was selected for, or not?” The International Student Organizing Committee recently held a dialogue titled “FIT Module? Or Not?” In their discussion, the attendees suggested that the administration improve the FIT model to emphasize the need to listen to student voices with more transparency in the decision-making process.

Nigeria, cont’d

Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons After facing long-term violence, Nigerian citizens demand reform.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

sponse to the protests “literally transformed the movement. It also further attracted more international attention and support for the movement from celebrities, Nigerians in the diaspora, [the] Congressional Black Caucus in the U.S. [and] the Black Lives Matter [movement,] among others.” “I think the anti-SARS movement isn’t about police reforms alone. It’s about calling out a government that doesn’t work for us,” said Elizabeth Agbedun ’22, a Nigerian American student of Mount Holyoke. “This needs to end.”

BOOKS

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

Emezi’s nomination for fiction prize sparks controversy

Graphic by Trinity Kendrick ’21

BY AMELIA SCARPONI ’23 STAFF WRITER

Content Warning: This article contains discussions of transphobia and child abuse. Author Akwaeke Emezi was nominated for the U.K. Women’s Prize for Fiction in March 2019 despite being transgender and using they/them pronouns.

Emezi was born in 1987 in Umuahia, Nigeria, and is of Nigerian and Malaysian heritage. They began writing short stories at the age of five and continued to use storytelling to escape their violent and chaotic childhood under the Nigerian dictatorship. The inspiration for the Women’s Prize in Fiction was the 1991 Booker Prize, which shortlisted zero women even though about 60 percent of novels published that year were written by female authors. Each year, the winner receives a prize of £30,000 from an anonymous donor and a bronze figurine created by the artist Grizel Niven. Kate Williams, chair of judges, called the nomination of Emezi’s novel “Freshwater” a “historic moment.” “Freshwater,” their debut autobiographical novel, explores mental illness, gender and the relationship between body and spirit. The coming-of-age story focuses on Ada, a Nigerian college student who finds out that she has three spirits living in her subconscious. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind and these “alters” begin to take control, her life begins to unravel. The Guardian reported that “the judges were not aware of Emezi’s gender identity when they selected ‘Freshwater,’ but they did check that Emezi was happy to be longlisted before the announcement.” In early October 2020, Faber, Emezi’s publisher, attempted to enter their latest novel, “The Death of Vivek Oji,” for this year’s prize. Following the entrance, the U.K. Women’s Prize for Fiction asked Emezi’s publisher to provide information about Emezi’s sex as defined by law.” The award’s policy requires prospective entrants to provide legal documentation such as birth or gender recognition certificates. Individuals who identify as nonbinary are eligible only if these forms dictate that they are female. This policy has been scruti-

nized by many authors and scholars, including Emezi, for its discriminatory nature. “Forget about me — I don’t want this prize — but anyone who uses this kind of language does not f--- with trans women either, so when they say it’s for women, they mean cis women,” Emezi tweeted on Oct. 5. “It’s fine for me not to be eligible because I’m not a woman! But you not about to be out here on some ‘sex as defined by law’ like that’s not a weapon used against trans women.” Emezi also stated that the documentation policy proves that the Women’s Prize was transphobic for longlisting “Freshwater.” In response to Emezi’s tweet, Joanna Prior, the award’s chair of trustees, stated: “As a prize which celebrates the voices of women and the experience of being a woman in all its varied forms, we are proud to include as eligible for submission full-length novels written in English by all women. In our terms and conditions, the word ‘woman’ equates to a cis woman, a transgender woman or anyone who is legally defined as a woman or of the female sex. The trustees of the Women’s Prize Trust would like to reassert that we are firmly opposed to any form of discrimination or prejudice on the basis of race, sexuality or gender identity.” Kaitlin Gerald ’24 is skeptical. “Their message is that nonbinary folks, like myself, are not welcome and do not exist,” they said. “It’s reassuring that the organization changed their definition of ‘woman,’ but it’s hard to tell if their actions are genuine or in response to the recent controversy. I’ve had enough with companies and organizations trying to save face.” Despite Emezi formally denouncing the organization, their novel “Freshwater” is still listed on the prize’s website alongside other works nominated in 2019.

Spooky books by Indigenous authors to read this Halloween As October comes to a close with Halloween, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated in November. Around this time of year, many people want to curl up with a good scary book. Fortunately, this desire can be satisfied with a list of frightening works by Indigenous authors. Below are some of these books.

thor. He is currently a professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder. Jones has won many awards for his writing, including the Texas Institute of Letters’ Award for Best Work of Fiction, a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in fiction and the Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction. He will be writing an X-Men story for the upcoming Marvel Comics anthology titled “Marvel Voices: Indigenous Voices #1,” set for publication on Nov. 18, 2020.

“The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones, 2020 “The Only Good Indians,” a July 2020 horror novel by Stephen Graham Jones, follows four young Indigenous men during a hunting escapade on sacred tribal land. What happens on this trip haunts the men long into their adult years as they are trailed by a vengeful being holding an elk’s head. These men are left feeling powerless as, according to the novel’s blurb, “the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.” A USA Today bestseller heralded as “gritty and gorgeous” by The New York Times, “The Only Good Indians” is a dark novel that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page. Jones is a Blackfeet Native American fiction au-

“Moon of the Crusted Snow” by Waubgeshig Rice, 2018 “Moon of the Crusted Snow” by Waubgeshig Rice, published in October 2018, is a post-apocalyptic thriller novel centered around the Anishinaabe reserve in Canada. It follows the story of Evan Whitesky, an Aboriginal man. Life on the reserve is ordinary until the television in Evan’s home goes out. The electrical problems aren’t unique to his property, though, as the rest of the Anishinaabe community experiences increasing outages until power on the reserve entirely cuts off. Isolated from the world and believing that they’re the only ones who have lost power, they wait for help. Little do they know, the rest of the world has also plunged into a mass blackout, and no one knows why. Visitors soon arrive at the reserve, increasing

BY ELLA JACOB ’24 STAFF WRITER & COPY EDITOR

Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons Waubgeshig Rice is the author of “Moon of the Crusted Snow.”

tension and doubt among the community members. Frustrated by the state of their home, some members fall back on their Anishinaabe traditions to create, once again, a sense of community. Evan himself guides the reserve and its inhabitants as they grapple with their issues, all while trying to discern the horror of the world around them. Rice is an Anishinaabe writer and journalist from the Wasauksing First Nation in Canada. He has CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Stream these family-favorites and thrillers for Halloween BY ROSE COHEN ’22 STAFF WRITER

This year, Halloween fanatics will have to switch up their spooky game plan of large parties, festive parades and crowded haunted houses for safer celebrations. But those dressed as Frankenstein’s monster can still carve pumpkins or snack on their beloved apple cider donuts. They also can certainly enjoy these eerie movies and funky jams. “The Addams Family” (1991) Before the science fiction action comedy “Men in Black,” Barry Sonnenfeld directed this Halloween classic, which is now available on Netflix. Distraught Gomez Addams (Raul Julia) is missing his long-lost older brother, Fester, who disappeared 25 years ago. Unbeknownst to him, Abigail Craven, a loan shark, knows about the family’s hidden chamber of jewels and riches. She forces her son, a Fester look-alike, to pretend to be the estranged Addams sibling. The quirkiness of the characters makes this film one to watch with the family while in quarantine. “Psycho” (1960) An Alfred Hitchcock psychological horror film should accompany any Halloween party. “Psycho” follows the fleeing Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who steals $40,000 to pay off her boyfriend’s debts. On the way to deliver the money to her partner in Fairvale, California, Marion stays the night at the vacant Bates Motel. There, she encounters the seemingly normal proprietor, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who

Spooky Songs BY ROSE COHEN ’22 STAFF WRITER

“Psycho Killer”

lives with his reclusive mother. If you are obsessing over Norman after your viewing, binge-watch all five seasons of “Bates Motel,” the disturbing prequel series that premiered on A&E starring Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga. “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) Follow the journey of the determined FBI trainee Clarice M. Starling (Jodie Foster) as she interviews Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a renowned psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer imprisoned in a maximum security facility. In an attempt to draw up a psycho-behavioral profile and catch Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), Clarice builds a relationship with Hannibal, despite the fact that he hisses at her and torments her about her childhood. The torturous images of Buffalo Bill’s prey might make you turn away from your screen once or twice. This movie is also Photo courtesy of Flickr “Psycho,” a classic psychological horror film, is a great available on Netflix.

“Halloweentown” (1998) Perhaps Director Duwayne Dunham’s Disney Channel Original Movie will be more your speed this year. It is the tale of an adventurous teen witch, Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown), who journeys to the supernatural Halloweentown with her grandmother (Debbie Reynolds). Once there and surrounded by goblins, vampires and citizens who have pumpkins for heads, Marnie must save the town from an evil being. It’s family-friendly and allows you to admire the magical creatures that we aschoice to watch with friends and family this Halloween. sociate with the holiday. We “Scream” (1996) also get a glimpse of the dearNeve Campbell plays the tough Sidney Prescott ly departed Debbie Reynolds. If you have a Disney+ in the first of the slasher tetralogy brought to you by account, this heartfelt film is a great way to celebrate Wes Craven, the director of the 1984 horror classic “A Halloween!

“They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!” by Sufjan Stevens

by Talking Heads

“Zombie”

by The Cranberries

“Howlin’ for You”

“Black Magic Woman” by Fleetwood Mac

“Only Angel”

by Harry Styles

“Teeth”

“I Put a Spell on You”

by Lady Gaga

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

“Cannibal”

“Boris The Spider”

by The Black Keys

by Kesha

“Superstition”

“I Want Candy”

by Stevie Wonder

Nightmare on Elm Street.” In this film, we meet Ghostface, who hides behind a rubber Halloween mask and threatens his victims on the phone. Maybe the numerous jump scares or the iconic bloodsoaked dagger will pull you in. Find this movie on Hulu.

by Bow Wow Wow

by The Who

“Halloween”

by Phoebe Bridgers

FEATURES

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

Mount Holyoke Outing Club hosts virtual film festival

Graphic courtesy or Mount Holyoke Outing Club

BY ANSLEY KEANE ’23 STAFF WRITER

On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Mount Holyoke Outing Club hosted an asynchronous virtual screening of the No Man’s Land Film Festival. The event was free and open to the public. It was also a fundraiser for GirlTrek, an organization whose mission is to use walking and leadership to empower African American women.

The No Man’s Land Film Festival is a Colorado-based festival that highlights women in adventure sports. According to their website, No Man’s Land “aim[s] to undefine feminine” and “connect like-minded individuals who are action-oriented, wish to support a shared vision of gender equality, have a desire to experience their passions and environments through a uniquely feminine lens, and above all, love adventure.” MHOC’s screening of the No Man’s Land Film Festival included a variety of short films about female athletes. The screening opened with “Footsteps,” a short film about a young female boxer and her female coach. The two boxers discussed how they got their start in such a male-dominated sport and how boxing has had an impact on both of their lives. The next film, “Refuge,” centered around a rock climber, Piseth Sam, who was born in a refugee camp in Southeast Asia but immigrated to the U.S. as a child. “Refuge” explored how Sam used climbing and nature to understand her identity. Sam described herself in the film as a “queer, woman of color, immigrant, American.” Another film featured was “Frosty,” a short documentary about Anna Frost, a top female ultra runner. “Frosty” covered Frost’s experience racing in the Hardrock Endurance Run, a 100-mile ultra marathon that is known as one of the most difficult ultra marathons in the United States, as well as her experience with pregnancy and hopes for motherhood. The No Man’s Land Film Festival included a diverse program of stories. Overall, there was an emphasis on inspiring and empowering stories of driven women athletes. MHOC, like all clubs and organizations, is looking for new ways of engaging remotely with their members and the Mount Holyoke community. However, according to MHOC Committee Chair Jess Moskowitz

’22, a film festival or film-related event was something the club had been thinking about doing for a while. “We have been trying to come up with ideas of ways that people can be connected to a greater outdoor community,” Moskowitz explained. A central goal MHOC had for screening No Man’s Land was to “give the Mount Holyoke community and the public the opportunity to see some inspiring and interesting stories and narratives about women and people from gender minorities in the outdoors,” Moskowitz said. MHOC chose to screen this particular program from the No Man’s Land Film Festival for a number of reasons, namely the ability to collaborate with new organizations and the access to “a broad range of films,” Moskowitz said. Additionally, according to Moskowitz, the program from No Man’s Land was the only closed-captioned program currently offered, and accessibility is a goal for MHOC. Instead of simply hosting a film screening, MHOC also chose to raise funds for GirlTrek as part of the event. Moskowitz noted that “GirlTrek is an organization that is really in line with some of our goals as an outing club.” Unfortunately, Moskowitz mentioned that the fundraising aspect had not caught on as much as she hoped it would. “Trying to figure out how to fundraise prior to being remote was an issue, but now even more so, this is something we’ll have to figure out,” Moskowitz said. MHOC’s No Man’s Land Virtual Film Festival screening aimed for students and members of the wider Mount Holyoke community to de-stress and learn about a diverse range of women who are pursuing their passions for sport and the outdoors. Moskowitz summarized her hopes for the film festival screening by sharing that, “overall, our goal is hopefully to give people a chance to see a broader swath of the outdoor community and think about their role.”

Banksy’s ironic ‘Show me the Monet’ sells for $9 million at auction BY REBECCA GAGNON ’23 STAFF WRITER

“Show me the Monet,” Banksy’s reworking of Claude Monet’s impressionist painting “Bridge over a Pond of Water Lillies,” was auctioned for $9.8 million (£7.6 million) at Sotheby’s last week, becoming the artist’s second most expensive painting, according to CNN. Known for his provocative street art, Banksy created a series of oil paintings for an exhibition in 2005 called “Crude Oils: A Gallery of Re-mixed Masterpieces, Vandalism and Vermin,” which featured “Show me the Monet.” These paintings were reinterpretations of famed works by Edward Hopper, Vincent van Gogh, Andy Warhol and more and were showcased by collectors Roland and Jane Cowan in West London. The couple purchased “Show me the Monet” after the show closed for £15,000, according to Banksy’s former agent Steve Lazarides. After nine minutes of bidding on Oct. 21, a collector bought “Show me the Monet.” The painting features an orange traffic cone and two overturned

metal shopping carts in the pond of water lilies under Monet’s originally painted Japanese-style bridge near Giverny, France. These additions, which strike the eye as interruptions in an otherwise peaceful scene, are a nod to the ever-increasing material consumption and environmental pollution levels of the modern world. Following the auction, “Show me the Monet” became Banksy’s second most expensive piece of artwork. His most expensive piece, “Devolved Parliament,” sold last year at Sotheby’s in London for $12.2 million. “Devolved Parliament” depicts chimpanzees debating in the House of Commons in place of British politicians and was auctioned off during the Brexit negotiations. In relation to Banksy’s street art, a medium which is often shunned by the art world and regarded as vandalism, there is irony in “Show me the Monet” fetching nearly $10 million. The artist’s graffiti-based works often critique controversial social and political issues; “Show me the Monet” itself is a commentary on the impact of excessive consumerism. “Monet” replaces “Money” in the title, pointing to the larger theme of art commodification. While street art is able to escape such com-

modification, this Banksy painting arguably has been objectified as a result of its lucrative auctioning to a private collector. This irony can also be traced back to 2018, when another Banksy painting, titled “Girl With Balloon,” apCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Photo courtesy of Pixabay Banksy, an anonymous artist, uses his work as social commentary.

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

FEATURES

The annual Monster’s Ball goes virtual

Graphic by Penelope Taylor ’20

BY REBECCA GAGNON ’23 STAFF WRITER

The Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra hosted its 10th annual Monster’s Ball as a virtual haunted castle on Oct. 24. The Monster’s Ball is a Halloween dance in which people dress in costume and dance to music played by the orchestra. This year, the virtual Monster’s Ball had about 60 participants. “We are doing a very unusual Monster’s Ball this year where I have commissioned Lillie Rebecca McDonough [to compose],” Orchestra Director and Associate Professor of Music Tian Hui Ng said. McDonough is a film composer who got her start as a classical pianist. Ng explained that the students “set themselves up into groups and the groups came up with a concept that they would love to commission [McDonough] for.” Each of those groups then became a breakout room of the larger meeting, also representing the individual rooms in the virtual haunted castle. In this unique Monster’s Ball, the orchestra started the dance, as they always have, with a waltz. Participants were encouraged to get up and dance together in the main Zoom room. After the song was finished, Elizabeth Ramirez, the stage manager, assigned every participant a haunted room and the audience would watch a performance by specific groups in the orchestra. “We ended up coming [up] with … a constant rhythmic pulse of some sort, to bring intention to the piece, such as the clicking of the clock,” Sarah Day ’22,

a music major and president of the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra, said. “I guess from there it took a thematic turn, thinking about what other kinds of sounds we wanted present. It was more what we wanted to represent, which ended up being, ‘Let’s look at fall. What do you think of Halloween?’” Day added, “You have the one side of warm, pumpkin spice lattes and good feelings versus the creepy, dark, magical, spooky Halloween.” Day’s group became the Sugar, Spice, Creepy and Mortality room where the participants followed the storyline between good and evil. Some groups had a set storyline, while others used different techniques. One group, who called themselves the Witches, made ink dropping videos alongside experimental music. Another group did a live experimental performance by shining flashlights to create a haunting feel. A third performed traditional waltz music. “I thought [the Monster’s Ball] was so cool and so interesting as a project,” McDonough said. “Depending on the brief, we really got to do different things together, and I could ask them questions about what sort of things they were hoping to play or how they wanted it to feel,” McDonough further explained the collaboration process with the students. “I took in all that information and got to work in my notation software, printed something out, gave it to them and then they basically all recorded at home separately.” “If you can imagine,” Ng said, “the first week of the semester we had auditions, the second week we had the first meeting, the third week [McDonough] met us, to see who we are, the fourth week we decided on the instrumentation. The fifth week [McDonough] started writing and in the sixth week she delivered. In the seventh week we recorded and the eighth week, it was ready.” “It was amazing seeing what happened when the music went back to them and they created these videos that were astonishing,” McDonough said. “It was so cool the way they picked up on moments in the music and then worked with it and did something cool. … I was very impressed with the care that they took with it and crafting their vision that really represented what they had in mind. I was blown away.” “It has been an incredible journey of two months,” Day summarized. “It is hard to pack that much from both the composition and video side to the stage managing side to the board, to the first-years and everyone who keeps coming back. I think that is something we can be grateful for: the community that keeps coming together.”

Banksy’s piece sold at auction, cont’d u

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

peared to fall down from the frame in shreds minutes after being auctioned off for $1.4 million. The satirical stunt, which involved a secret installation of a paper shredder in the painting frame by Banksy himself, was arguably a criticism of the art world. However, according to Leon Benrimon, the director of modern and contemporary art at Heritage Auctions, the market

worth of the painting doubled following the stunt. The painting was renamed to “Love Is in the Bin” and was claimed by the buyer in its tattered condition. Despite the paradoxical relationship between the themes of Banksy’s art and the art collectors who spend millions to own his work, the art world’s fixation with Banksy shows no sign of slowing down. What remains to be seen is how the artist continues to expand his practice and how he will respond to the sentiments of art buyers through his provocative pieces.

BY WOODLIEF MCCABE ’23 STAFF WRITER

Staple Meal If you’re living at home again, or even living in your own place off campus, making sure you eat well and often may seem like an unattainable goal. There are plenty of ready-made single-serving meals out there that you can microwave or pour boiling water over — but you already knew that, you’re a college student. These Troubling Times have thrown us unexpectedly from the coddling arms of the educational institution to the cold harsh world of Getting Groceries Every Week? Oh My God, When Does It End? One of the best ways to survive is off of leftovers. What you’re going to want to do is make a large helping of a meal, preferably something simple that will last in the fridge. I make several cups of rice seasoned with lemon pepper and a little tomato paste for color and flavor. I heat up some beans, put it in a bowl with cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and avocado (if I just got paid). It’s filling, tasty and contains the major food groups. Once you’re done, put the rest in the fridge and all you have to do is heat it up when you’re hungry. Keeping rice on hand is a lifesaver. If your vegetables are about to go bad, throw them in a stir fry with the rice and an egg, and boom! Fried rice. A pot of soup is also a great choice. Be sure to eat bread or rice with it to feel fancy and make the meal more substantial. Bonus tip: dipping pretty much any toasted bread in olive oil will make you feel like you’re a European aristocrat and not someone sitting in their kitchen eating four slices of bread for dinner. Go Find a Dog “Go for a walk, get out in nature, go outside!” These are things we always hear when it comes to self-care. And while they are admittedly effective, motivation can be hard to come by. Sometimes it feels like wandering aimlessly outside doesn’t make sense, especially when there are plenty of things to do inside. Instead, make a partial plan. You can run an errand, or find a place to stop and make art, or take photos or eat lunch. If you’re stressed out, sometimes the solitude of just leaving your house spontaneously can really help get your head back on straight. The other great thing about the outside is that there are dogs there. Figure out where people in your area walk their dogs. You might live near a trail or a walking path. Parks are usually a great spot since you can stop and watch all the dogs come through the park. As long as you have a mask on, a good portion of people will let you pet their dogs or even throw a ball or frisbee for them. Make sure to always ask before you pet the dog, and hold out the back of your hand for them to sniff first.

ENVIRONMENTAL

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

Environmental art: From the Creative to the political sphere

Photo courtesy of mronline.org One of the most popular depictions of people in the throes of overpopulation is a c. 1960 piece by photographer H. Armstrong Roberts.

BY SIONA AHUJA ’24 STAFF WRITER

The environmental art movement serves as an umbrella movement to various facets of nature. It is a call to worship it, be inspired by it, conserve it and resist those who cause irreparable damage to it. These creations call for humans to recognize their inseparable bond from nature and regard it as the very force that sustains them. Environmental art has been present since the earliest art forms, evoking sentiments of environmental interconnectedness among people with its longtime existence. Reflection of nature around humans has dated back to the paleolithic cave paintings that depict wildlife as well as hunting and gathering. Claude Monet revolutionized art and created the impressionist movement by using nature as his muse. “For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life — the light and the air which vary continually,” Monet said. “For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value.” The environmental art movement includes several submovements such as romanticism, eco-realism, arte povera and sustainable art. Romanticism was a reactionary artistic movement that resisted the scientific rationalization of nature during the Enlightenment Era in the 18th century. The rise of capitalism regarded elements of nature such as water and wind as commodities rather than a source of

appreciation. Poets, artists and intellectuals responded by utilizing art forms that celebrated nature in its purest form. For example, John Constable, an 18th century British painter, revolutionized the environmental art movement through his naturalistic, richly colored landscape paintings. In the late 1960s, environmental art manifested in the political sphere. The detrimental human impacts on the Earth were becoming visible in this period, and art became crucial to transforming human consciousness worldwide. Some concerns included oil spills and carbon emissions causing smog. The population explosion of the 1970s in particular led to a panic of overpopulation and its accompanying environmental pressures like pollution, starvation and resource depletion, which were depicted by artists at the time. Land art, art made directly into the landscape using natural materials like twigs and leaves, transformed into protest art. Creating outside traditional spaces questioned the commodification of art and its placement in studios and galleries. A major land art figure is Anya Gallaccio, a British artist who creates site-specific minimalist installations and often works with organic, decaying material. Her practice of using unconventional materials like ice, sugar cubes, flowers and fruit depicts her anti-consumerist stance and prompts the viewers to think about unnecessary human intervention in nature. Her works flow well with the general transitory theme of land art that suggests impermanence in the natural world. This movement is also notable for reintroducing nature to urban landscapes, as seen with Alan Sonfist’s prominent “Time Landscape” (1965-1978), a land installation in New York City. Arte povera, or “impoverished art,” was an avant-garde Italian movement of the 1960s that incorporated reused, commonplace and literally “poor” materials like rope, soil, rocks, paper, clothing and the like. This was a reaction to the minimalist and modernist abstract painting realm that had dominated Europe in the mid-1960s. Arte povera pieces were mainly sculptural and challenged the notion of art as a valuable, exclusive commodity. Marisa Merz was the sole female member of the initial movement and worked with unconventional items like boots, blankets and bowls of salt. Sustainable art is an art form that is in harmony with the principles of sustainability such as social justice, ecology, grassroots democracy and nonviolence.

The pieces are considered sustainable if they are made of recycled materials or by objects that do not exert any pressure on the Earth. Artists seek to highlight environmental degradation and the harsh reality of climate change through a creative medium. Camille Thibert is a French artist who creates what she calls “earth works.” Her pieces incorporate reclaimed wood that is uniquely crafted through a drilling technique that creates shadows and textures in the portraits painted on them. By using nature as a medium, Thibert seeks to start a discussion on the vulnerability of nature and highlight how we should engage in a more conscious lifestyle. The work of Mount Holyoke Guest Artist in Art Amanda Maciuba is concerned with the current environment and human agency within the landscape. “Artists respond to this [environmental] threat in a variety of ways, from making work that mourns ecosystems lost, or creating overtly political work that shares or exposes issues in the environmental policy world,” Maciuba said. “The work can stem from more traditional drawings and paintings that respond to or illustrate these issues, to artists that directly intervene in the environment and their communities with site-specific installations and performances.” As an artist whose primary discipline is print media and book arts, a majority of Maciuba’s work is paper-based. Her research practice, which is to explore the environments and communities where she lives to help her draw inspiration for her work, is extensive. “I consider going out and physically exploring the environment a vitally important part of my practice,” Maciuba said. “I also spend time investigating the people that live in a space and how they have impacted their environment,” Maciuba added. “My hope is that my work encourages viewers to reconsider their impact on their immediate communities.” Maciuba doubts that this art movement is going away any time soon. She said that as climate disasters continue to grow more extreme, people are beginning to see how these threats impact their immediate livelihood. In line with this thought process, she announced that “the art studio department [at the College] is actually creating a new class that will specifically think about the art and ecology movement.” “I think one of our jobs as artists is to document and critically engage with what is going on in our lives, as well as the world right now,” she added.

Experimental coral reef preservation strategies are underway BY DNYANESHWARI HAWARE ’23 STAFF WRITER

Despite being out of the eye of the general population, the destruction of reefs is impacting the livelihoods of approximately 1 billion people globally. These effects are seen through reduced biodiversity, lower fish stocks and a higher rate of coastal erosion. In the past 20 years, 50 percent of coral reefs have been lost, and by 2050, more than 90 percent are expected to die. The causes of this erosion include overfishing, the bleaching of coastlands, an increase in ocean temperature and other exploitative factors which further intensify the damage. In areas of destruction, scientists are attempting new methods of preserving the reefs,

such as the relocation of more resilient corals and the new implementation of 3D-printed corals. The impacts of global warming have caused increasing challenges for reefs and coral. A large number of reefs are temperature sensitive and struggle to survive 1 degree Celsius above the summer maximum of the region. Additionally, the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide also increases the acidity of oceans, further producing challenging living environments. In efforts to revive coral communities, one solution is moving heat resilient corals, which can cope with temperatures between 6 and 7 degrees Celsius hotter and can survive in acidic waters, to struggling reefs elsewhere. However, there are significant obsta-

cles, such as the need to save the thermally resilient species from extinction due to factors other than global warming like physical damage from construction, development and overfishing. Another concern is the introduction of a new species of corals into an ecosystem, which may significantly change its equilibrium. Efforts also include more experimental methods, such as integrating 3D printing technology. In 2018, the largest 3D printed coral reef was deployed at a site in Maldives using a technology called the Modular Artificial Reef Structures. These not only substitute CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

ENVIRONMENTAL

Introducing environmentalism through documentary film the screen, this film offers a broad view of the threat of climate change that is a must-watch for anyone, regardless of their level of background knowledge.

Photo courtesy of cstpdx.com “Seed: The Untold Story” takes a look at the impacts of industrial agriculture on the decreasing biodiversity of the world’s seeds.

BY CATELYN FITZGERALD ’23 STAFF WRITER

With online learning and quarantine, a break after a long day of classes likely consists of a movie or a few episodes of a show on Netflix. While students may want to spend those short moments of peace from an endless flow of assignments and tests watching a fun movie, it is still imperative to educate ourselves on the crisis that is climate change. Environmental education comes in many forms, and as we strive to be informed about the changes happening in the world around us, education can be incorporated into our daily lives by replacing one TV binge a week with an environmental documentary. Whether you are starting to learn about the environment and do not know where to begin or are an avid environmentalist looking to dive deeper into subjects of interest, there is a movie out there to teach and inspire you. Below are seven films that approach environmental issues in a (relatively) unbiased and compelling way. “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” Where to watch: Netflix Whether or not you are an environmental enthusiast, there is a chance you have watched a film by Sir David Attenborough at least once in your lifetime. With a voice that has become instantly recognizable across decades and around the world, Attenborough has written and narrated dozens of films showcasing the Earth’s natural wonders. In “A Life on Our Planet,” Attenborough returns to the screen to urge for action against climate change. He reflects on his own travels as a film writer, which began when little was known about climate change, to show the major environmental changes that he has witnessed. With amazing footage of wildlife and an urgency that makes it impossible to look away from

“Seed: The Untold Story” Where to watch: Kanopy “Seed: The Untold Story” teaches the importance of preserving seed biodiversity, along with the history and future of how the world’s food is grown. The film explores the influence of industrial agriculture on the biodiversity of the world’s seeds — which is currently at only 6 percent of past levels — and shows the work of seed banks around the world to preserve what little diversity remains. The film travels across the world to various seed banks, which cultivate the remaining diversity of seeds in order to preserve their cultural and ecological importance, and then provide them free of charge to local farmers who would otherwise have to rely on large seed corporations. The film looks at the flaws of industrial farming from an unexpected angle, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in food and agriculture. “Years of Living Dangerously” Where to watch: Youtube “Years of Living Dangerously” is a Youtube series which takes celebrities on a journey to learn more about an aspect of climate change. For example, in the first episode, actor Harrison Ford explores palm oil production in Indonesia’s national parks and discovers that this illegal activity thrives with the help of government corruption in the forestry sector. At the same time, New York Times writer Thomas Friedman travels to Syria to explore connections between the country’s devastating drought and the civil war that it faces ravages today. Meanwhile, actor Don Cheadle attempts to answer the question of whether religion and belief in climate change can coexist in a small Texas town. The series feels much like a TV drama, with vastly different narratives intermingling in each episode and leaving the audience on a cliffhanger every few minutes. While the 60-minute runtime of each episode is not enough to dive deeply into the issues it explores, the series provides an introduction to facets of climate change that are new to most viewers. If you want to see your childhood “Star Wars” crush get into a heated argument with Indonesia’s minister of environment and forestry over deforestation, this is the series for you. “Chasing Coral” Where to watch: Netflix “Chasing Coral” follows a group of scientists as they attempt to capture an environmental phenomenon known as coral bleaching through the use of underwater time lapse photography. By following the trials faced by the researchers as they try to comprehensively document coral bleaching, the film tells as much of a story about the lives of field researchers as it educates the audience about the threats to coral posed by climate change. One member of the research team, Zackery Rago, becomes a central part of the film as his passion for coral shows the emotional level of witnessing environmental degradation. Rago’s

presence in the film adds a layer of storytelling that is compelling to any viewer, regardless of their specific interest in coral, and is a source of inspiration for other young scientists. “The Harvest”/”La Cosecha” Where to watch: Youtube Child labor has been the subject of global attention for years, but “The Harvest,” also known as “La Cosecha,” captures the lives of child farmworkers in a way so personal that it casts a new light on farming and food production. The film follows three young farmworkers who travel across the U.S. to find work each season while also trying to go to school and carve out a different future for themselves. Seeing children and teenagers who had such relatable dreams, feelings and angst at that age while leading such different lives is heartbreaking. I found myself scouring the internet for evidence on how the stars of the film are doing today and felt a temporary wave of relief to see them able to continue their education thanks to the film’s success. However, many children in the same situation will continue to grow the food that we eat without structural changes to U.S. labor policy. If you are interested in the people behind your breakfast, lunch and dinner, you should watch this movie. “Switch: Discover the Future of Energy” Where to watch: Youtube “Switch: Discover the Future of Energy” follows energy scientist Scott Tinker as he travels the world to learn where our energy comes from and what it may look like in the future. The film explores the benefits and drawbacks of major sources of the world’s energy, such as coal and oil, and evaluates the viability of potential alternatives to these energy sources. The film takes an unbiased, explore-all-of-the-options approach and is a great starting point for anyone new to the world of renewable energy. The film reveals how entrenched we are in unsustainable energy sources, but provides a source of hope in the ever-growing number of innovations that may power the world in the future. “Cowspiracy” Where to watch: Netflix I remember watching “Cowspiracy” in my AP Environmental Science class during my junior year of high school. Shockingly, by the time finals came around in the spring, I was a full-fledged vegetarian, cursing the livestock industry for its use of huge amounts of water and its contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. To anyone with no previous knowledge of the environmental impacts of meat production, this film is shocking. It has faced controversy for both its interpretations of data on livestock methane emissions and its attack on environmental nonprofits who the movie claims are just one part of a conspiracy to cover up the impact of the meat industry. Despite this, the film is still successful in shaking up audience views on food and climate change, driving home that reducing meat consumption is one of the single best ways an individual can reduce their environmental impact. I would encourage meat eaters to watch this movie but to take it with a grain of salt.

. ENVIRONMENTAL Flood and fire risks are frequently undisclosed

Photo courtesy of freephotos.com. Climate change-related fires and floods endanger property across U.S.

BY HELEN GLOEGE ’23 STAFF WRITER

Since 2016, over 1 million natural disaster displacements have occurred each year in the U.S. It is predicted that the number of people who will be displaced by natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires will increase. By 2100, 6 feet of sea-level rise could force 13.1 million Americans to relocate. Climate change will soon factor into homebuyers’ and renters’ choices of where to live, but most are not warned about flood or wildfire risk in their new homes. They often pay for the resulting damages financially and beyond, in lives lost and the toll on physical and mental health that can last for years to come. The annual number of floods and wildfires that exceed $1 billion in damage has increased in recent years. Between 2015 and September 2020, there have been 28 of these disasters in the United States. Fire prevention is on the minds of those who live in Western states, and there is political division on how best to prevent fires. The governors of California, Oregon and Washington have all indicated that climate change is the reason for the fires. President Donald Trump, however, has argued that the fires resulted from how the states manage their forests. Scientists have pointed toward forest thinning and controlled burns as solutions. However, complicating this is the influx of people moving into rural areas or building vacation cabins in the woods, leading to pop-

October 29, 2020

ulated small acreages. This means that, if controlled burns were to escape, they would most likely move onto someone’s property. Millions of people living in the West have moved into fire-prone landscapes with little warning of risk from government, real estate agents or sellers. Between 1992 and 2015, about 60 million homes were within less than a mile of a wildfire, and that number has since increased. Only Oregon and California require wildfire risk to be disclosed to residents. Frequently, this disclosure amounts to a few lines buried in hundreds of pages of text. In Oregon, homebuyers didn’t see the word “wildfire” mentioned in a disclosure statement recorded during a sale, only a line that said the property was in the “forestland-urban interface.” In California, there is a special form for disclosing natural hazards that states risk level, but these rules are only enforced in some parts of the state. If this applies, homeowners are responsible for clearing flammable brush and dry vegetation that would create a defensible space between the house and the fire. California lawmakers passed a bill in 2019 that increases wildfire disclosure. This law includes that, starting in 2021, sellers must inform the buyer if they are following flammable brush rules and provide a list of potential ways their house may be susceptible to fires. Starting in 2025, sellers must say if they have completed retrofits to make the house more fire-resistant. Even if states did want to disclose wildfire risk, the information isn’t always available. Wildfire risk mapping involves detailed modeling because fire behavior fluctuates greatly. In 2020, the U.S. Forest Service released new maps showing community risk nationwide, but the maps aren’t scaled to use for individual properties. According to NPR, “Insurance companies have done the most detailed risk analysis but most homeowners won’t find out unless the insurance rates go up or their policy is canceled.” Additionally, most existing wildfire maps don’t reflect the added risk from climate change. The decision made to build in these fire-prone areas is usually made by developers and local officials. They are frequently guided by large-scale zoning plans that don’t take wildfire risks into account.

Mount Holyoke News

These local governments are financially incentivized to allow new development in risky areas. Homeowners need to know wildfire risks to allow them to make informed decisions. Homebuyers will also be more likely to have evacuation plans and take fireproofing steps. They will understand that preparing for wildfires isn’t a one-time job. Wildfire risk is not the only natural disaster with a lack of transparency. Growing research has suggested that flood risk also falls under this category, despite the growing risk due to climate change. There are an estimated 15 million properties that have a significant risk of flooding. Between 1980 and 2017, about 80 percent of presidential disaster declarations were for events that involved flooding; however, only 29 states require flood disclosure laws. The 21 states that don’t require information include some of the most vulnerable, like Florida, Virginia and Massachusetts. Residents of states that do require flood risk disclosure frequently don’t know they live in harm’s way until it is too late. In 27 of the 29 states that require disclosure, potential buyers receive information about flood risk after they make an offer on the house. The information often isn’t clear as most states’ requirements involve a single check box if the property is on an official flood plain. This may not be an accurate indicator of flood potential, as official flood maps have hard lines between areas with high flood risk and little to no flood risk. In addition, nearly one-third of all flood damage occurs outside of official flood plains. After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in 2017, a law was passed requiring sellers to tell buyers if the house is in a flood zone and if they had flood insurance. Similar attempts in other states have stalled due to a fear of driving down property values. Indeed, research has suggested that disclosing flood risk may cause a decrease in property values by about 4 percent. Future and current homebuyers may not listen to maps or data. However, the clear dissemination of information regarding fire and flood risk would allow the increasing number of homeowners moving into high-risk areas to understand the possible dangers and take precautions by purchasing flood insurance or making a house more fire-resistant.

Experimental coral reef preservation strategies are underway cont’d u

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real corals for coral farming, which is the cultivation of corals for commercial purposes, but can also create new reef habitats in degraded areas or new locations. However, using artificial structures as restoration tools is expensive and cannot act as a replacement for conservation strategies. In environmental conservation, finding local organic solutions that could result in long-lasting positive effects on the community is essential for sustainability. One example is a coral reef restoration project off of a 4.3-mile-long island in Kenya led by the women of the community. According to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute, between 60 and 90 percent of coral reefs were destroyed in some surveyed areas.

Photo courtesy of Digital Atlas of Ancient Life/Paleontological Research Institution In 2018, 3D-printed coral was experimentally used in the Maldives.

Local communities that largely depend on fishing and ecotourism have suffered from the loss of these reefs, as the reefs provide breeding grounds for hundreds of species of marine life. In response, the women

of Wasini Island have been restoring fish populations by cultivating seagrass, which plays a key role in the overall coral reef ecosystem. The seagrass provides shelter to juvenile fish who then mature and move into the reefs. The project also involves building artificial coral reefs using locally found materials such as rock boulders held together with hydraulic cement. Corals grown in nurseries are then planted on these artificial reefs and have a survival rate of 75 percent after transplant. All these methods involve constant experimentation, and results vary depending on the ecosystems. Law enforcement, the involvement of government and independent agencies, financial support and the cooperation of local communities have been necessary for the largest movements toward the conservation of coral reefs.

October 29, 2020

SPORTS

. Mount Holyoke News

UMass Amherst begins partnership with Wasserman

Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons The Laboratory for Inclusion and Diversity in Sport opened this fall.

BY GIGI PICARD ’22 SPORTS EDITOR

Wasserman, a sports marketing and management company, has entered a partnership with the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The company’s think tank, The Collective, aims to bring visibility to women in sports through various nonprofit partnerships and programs. Mount Holyoke News was able to learn more about UMass Amherst’s partnership from Nefertiti A. Walker, the chief diversity officer and interim vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion who also serves as an associate professor of sport management at UMass Amherst. Wasserman chose to partner with UMass Amherst because of Walker’s research on

women in sports, and because the university’s sport management program is considered one of the best in the United States. In 2019, the university was ranked first by SportBusiness. Through research projects, Walker said, “We are trying to understand consumer needs, consumer interests, research projects; we’re trying to better understand sexism and how it manifests itself and how we can create organizations that are more inclusive, how we can undo sexism.” So far, research projects are being conducted on social justice and the WNBA. The team is examining sexism and how women’s actions on social media are impacted by their involvement in social justice. Students at UMass Amherst can get involved with the research projects in two ways. The first is through assignments and projects constructed by UMass Amherst professors within the sport management program. Associate Department Chair and Associate Professor of Sport Management Nicole Melton is currently examining Angel City, the National Women’s Soccer League’s new Los Angeles expansion team, and the underrepresentation of certain student groups in sport management in one of her classes. Another way for students to get involved is through UMass Amherst’s newly created Laboratory for Inclusion and Diversity in Sport. According to Walker, since the laboratory opened this fall, application protocols for students are still in the works. Walker said that there would be an application and review

process, “and once you’re a part of our lab, you begin to work with Wasserman immediately because most of our projects will be funneled through that lab.” As of now, undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students are all a part of the laboratory. Melton and Walker meet with the laboratory students every Monday to first discuss sports, such as what sports-related events occurred over the weekend. Then, they all go over their projects and talk about what data is needed and who has already analyzed certain data. “It’s a lot of fun, and the students are so into it because we’re answering real-world questions,” Walker explained. The outcome Walker expects from the laboratory research is “to impact change for women in sport,” she said. “The research that we do will highlight the inequities in a way that will answer a lot of questions. For instance, we know that there aren’t a lot of women coaching in the NBA. Why? We have assumptions as to why, but we don’t have a lot of empirical data that serves as evidence as to why.” An added benefit to working with Wasserman is its partnerships with international universities. Since partnering with the company, UMass Amherst has formed relationships with universities in Europe and Canada which they can now use to obtain data for the research projects. Walker said that those interested in learning more can look for a coming website published by UMass Amherst featuring the laboratory work the university is doing with Wasserman.

Mount Holyoke Soccer is the first Module 2 Team of the Week BY GIGI PICARD ’22 SPORTS EDITOR

The second module’s first team of the week is Mount Holyoke Soccer. The team’s captains for the 2020-2021 season are Maria Delgado ’21, Emma Robson ’21 and Sarah Forster ’23. Delgado stated that the team virtually connected biweekly during the summer and participated in team bonding activities, including Two Truths and a Lie, online Taboo and Scattergories. Additionally, the Lyons completed social media challenges. Robson said that the team meets over Zoom and “puts an emphasis on continuing to bond as a team and supporting one another virtually.” Delgado said that she misses a pre-game team tradition in the new online space. The team would huddle in a circle and each teammate would share a goal for the upcoming game. Then the team would march onto the field after a team chant. “Our desire to win a game wasn’t something we learned together; it’s something we all brought and we showed it,” Delgado said. “I miss coming together to share in that competitive drive, and I hope that if we are able to return, the firstyears get the opportunity to share in that as well.” Robson echoed Delagado’s statement. “As a senior, I am definitely missing the traditions that come with your senior season,” Robson said. “I especially miss competing with my team, fun drills at practice, and

team dinners. I think most of the team can also agree we just miss playing soccer and being with the team.” On Oct. 6, 2020, Chair of Physical Education and Director of Athletics Lori Hendricks officially announced the hiring of Interim Head Soccer Coach Kathy Brawn. “I am so impressed with the culture that Lori Hendricks, the other administrators and her staff have created within Athletics,” Brawn said. “I can already see the passion, commitment and loyalty the coaches have for their profession, MHC and, most importantly, their athletes. I am honored to be counted among them.” Brawn continued, “I am thrilled to be at MHC. Even though we are all working remotely, the Yoke community and Lyon athletic family have welcomed me with open paws. This is a wonderful place, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it.” The captains were a part of this hiring and transition process. “We are very excited to have Coach Brawn,” Robson said. “She has an impressive soccer background and has brought a lot of good new energy and leadership to the team. We are all really excited to work with her and for the future of the program.” Brawn was previously the head coach for Colgate University soccer, ending her career at the university with 312 career wins, 11 conference titles and six NCAA Championship Tournament appearances. Additionally, Brawn coached five All-America selections, 31 All-Region honorees and 137 student-athletes that collected All-Conference recognition while at Colgate.

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics Mount Holyoke Soccer in a game huddle in the 2019 soccer season.

Brawn has also been awarded with two United Soccer Coaches Northeast Region Coach of the Year awards and three conference Coach of the Year honors. Brawn introduced herself to the soccer team toward the end of the first module. “I have asked the players to share their attributes as athletes, teammates and friends. Based on their responses and what I am learning about them as human beings, I know the future is bright for Lyons’ soccer,” Brawn said. As far as what lies in store for the team, Brawn said, “The work ahead will be challenging and rewarding. Anytime you have a group of people willing to play for one another and not merely with one another, you can achieve incredible things. The quality work everyone is putting in today will go a long way toward achieving our goals tomorrow. We’ll start to see that the moment we step out on the field.”

COMMUNITY

October 29, 2020

. Mount Holyoke News

Annual Fat Bear Week hosted in Katmai Recommended IndigBY MARGARET CONNOR ’23 COPY EDITOR

The bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve are celebrities in their own right, with their antics broadcasted on explore.org’s Facebook page. Trail cameras throughout the park capture the wild world of these Alaskan Peninsula brown bears. While most bears are only identified by their unique identification number, a few bears, like 128 Grazer, 435 Holly and 32 Chunk have nicknames. Despite not having a nickname, ursine giants like 747 drew an online fanbase as they amassed their winter fat stores. Every year, beginning in late June, Katmai’s bears enter a biological state known as hyperphagia. Hyperphagia prevents the bears from feeling satiated, thereby encouraging them to eat massive quantities of food to store up enough energy to last through the cold months. One of these foods is salmon, which the bears fish for at waterfalls. Fat Bear Week is an annual event hosted by explore.org, Katmai Conservancy and Katmai National Park and Preserve. During Fat Bear Week, members of the public vote between two matched-up bears until only the fattest bear remains. Voting is done online through the explore.org website. Fat Bear Week is a single-elimination March Madness-style tournament.

The site displays two photos of each bear: one from the summer before they put on weight and a recent photo from the beginning of fall showcasing the bears’ increased body mass. This year, Fat Bear Week ran from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6, when the public cast their final votes in a 12-bear showdown. The finalists were 747 and 32 Chunk. Both are adult male bears who occupy places at the top of the bear hierarchy, determining access to resources like salmon-fishing grounds. Positions on the hierarchy are challenged and maintained via physical confrontation, meaning that larger bears have the advantage in fights. However, according to explore.com’s “Meet the Bears of Fat Bear Week” page, “747 typically keeps his status by sheer size alone. Most bears recognize they cannot compete with him physically.” In final elimination rounds, 747 faced many valiant competitors, including 2019 champion “Queen of Corpulence” 435 Holly, two-time champion 480 Otis and seven-litter mother 402. Indeed, 747 was crowned the champion of Fat Bear Week 2020, defeating 32 Chunk in the voting by 47,055 to 21,854. The 2020 runner-up 32 Chunk defeated 435 Holly in the semifinals, receiving over 30,000 votes. Though a dominant male who is “not hesitant to displace others from the resources he wants,” 747 has recently revealed a more sensitive side, playing with other bears and waiting his turn to scavenge fish.

enous books, cont’d u

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earned awards for various pieces of prose, such as an Independent Publishers Book Award, the Northern Lit Award and the Debwewin Citation for excellence in First Nation Storytelling. “Deer Woman: An Anthology” by Native Realities, co-edited by Elizabeth LaPensée and Weshoyot Alvitre, 2017 “Deer Woman: An Anthology,” produced in December 2017 by Native Realities and co-edited by Elizabeth LaPensée and Weshoyot Alvitre, is a graphic novel compilation that contains powerful horror stories by Indigenous women artists and illustrators from various tribes and nations. In Native American mythology, the Deer Woman is a spirit associated with fertility and intimacy who uses her attractive appearance and behavior to lure men and women to their deaths. According to the collection’s Kickstarter, the Deer Woman reminds people of their responsibilities and to “be aware of the powerful forces that exist beyond the homeplace.” The stories in “Deer Woman: An Anthology” celebrate the unparalleled “resistance, survival, empowerment and hope” of Native American and Indigenous women.

Dining Services shares apple pie recipe for Mountain Day Recipe courtesy of Mount Holyoke Dining Services BY LILY REAVIS ’21 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Apple pies have been a staple at Mount Holyoke since Mary Lyon founded the seminary in 1837. As principal, Lyon kept a strict daily planner for all students, which included regimented group chores every 15 minutes. One of these tasks was an apple pie assembly line, sometimes including up to 38 students. The apple pie assembly accounted for each step of the baking process. A few students would begin by prepping the ingredients, others would make the dough and another group would focus on the filling. By the end of the 15-minute chore period, enough apple pies were constructed to feed the seminary after dinner. Today, Mount Holyoke students can often find apple pie on the dessert bar in the Dining Commons. Since Mountain Day was celebrated remotely this year, Dining Services published their apple pie recipe online, urging students and community members to partake in the pie tradition from home.

Ingredients for Pie Filling: • • • • • •

Apples: 2lbs. peeled, cored and sliced Sugar: ¾ cup Cinnamon: 1 ½ tsp Flour: 1 T Cornstarch: 2 T Lemon juice: 2 tsp

Ingredients for Pie Double Dough Crust: • • • • • •

Pastry flour: 1 ½ cups Shortening: 9 T OR ½ C +1 T Cold water: 1/4 c Sugar: 1 ½ tsp Salt: 1/8 tsp 10 in. pie pan - 1 (Not ingredient)

tin, roll out one disk of dough and place in 10 inch lightly greased pie pan.

Apple Pie Filling Mix together all ingredients until well combined.

Assembly Fill the pie pan with dough with apple mixture. Mound apples in the center. Roll out the second dough disk and cover the top of the pie. Crimp your edges and make small cuts on top of the pie for venting steam. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour. Pie should be brown and bubbly.

Directions: Pie Dough Mix together ingredients to form dough. Form two equal sized disks. Chill dough for 1 hour. Spray pie

Photo courtesy of Pixabay