Mount Holyoke News AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1917 MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021
MOUNTHOLYOKENEWS.COM
Mount Holyoke partners with Hampshire to provide housing for students displaced by recent Mead fire Merrill House A & C to host 144 students BY DECLAN LANGTON ’22 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
In a letter addressed to the Mount Holyoke College community on July 29, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marcella Runell Hall announced that Mount Holyoke has partnered with Hampshire College to provide housing for those displaced by the Mead fire on July 17. According to Hall, Merrill House A & C on Hampshire’s campus “can accommodate all of the 144 students that would normally live in Mead Hall and will provide students with comparable accommodations.” Additionally, Hall confirmed that the Mary Woolley and Mosaic Living-Learning Communities usually based in Mead Hall “will be moved to Hampshire this coming semester.” She added, “They will have their own floors and lounges for students to gather.” According to the Mount Holyoke website, the Mary Woolley LLC is for LGBTQ+ students and
the Mosaic LLC is “designed to support students who self-identify as people of color.” Hall’s communication to the community offered what she called “highlights” about living in Merrill House A & C, including guaranteed single rooms, free laundry and parking, air conditioning and the option to eat meals on either campus. Additionally, Hall wrote that “Mount Holyoke College Resident Advisors and a Residential Fellow will be living in the buildings at Hampshire to serve as a resource, provide programs and help create a sense of community in this unique situation.” The opportunity to live in Merrill House A & C will be open to all Mount Holyoke residential students, according to Hall. “Students have already been contacted by Residential Life about how to apply,” she added. Transportation between the two campuses will be provided through both the PVTA and supplemental shuttles, according to Hall. At the end of her letter, Hall thanked
Photos courtesy of Emily Jones ’23 Hampshire College has opened Merrill House A & C to the Mount Holyoke students displaced by the fire in Mead Hall on July 17. The Mary Woolley and Mosaic LLCs will also be moved to Hampshire’s campus.
Hampshire College for working quickly with the Mount Holyoke staff to create a solution to the housing problem. She added, “While we all certainly wish that lightning hadn’t struck Mead Hall, we will do all we can to make stu-
dents’ time at Hampshire College a positive and engaging living experience.” Mount Holyoke News will continue to follow this developing story.
In preparation for students’ return to campus, College re-instates indoor mask mandate starting August 15 BY MARIAM KEITA ’24 MANAGING EDITOR OF WEB & NEWS EDITOR
In the most recent MHC This Week newsletter email, sent out to students on July 22, the College announced once again that it is preparing to welcome students back to campus for a full residential experience this fall. Plans include a reversion to the 15week semester system and in-person instruction. This is a departure from
u
the 7-week module system enrolled students participated in during the 2020-21 academic year. Students were also invited to register for a move-in time slot via Embark. Move-in will begin on Sunday, August 22 for Class of 2025, new transfer students and Frances Perkins scholars, and end on Saturday, August 28 with the classes of 2022 and 2023. In addition to the regularly scheduled annual orientation programming for incoming first-year students, this year will also feature a series of “reori-
7 College’s handling of COVID-19
u
9
entation sessions” for all other classes. As well as providing more detailed information about the move-in schedule, the email also listed three “core principles” of the College’s 2021 operation plan, including universal campus vaccination and personal accountability pertaining to health and safety. The College announced that, “in support of these goals,” it will require all students and employees to be fully vaccinated. Those seeking vaccination exemptions must submit all appropriate forms to Health Services.
Student releases debut single
u
13
Additionally, the College will reinstate its indoor mask mandate on August 15, with plans to continue through September 10. Students and employees living in residence halls on campus must also continue participating in the asymptomatic testing program through October 8, and all other campus-based employees through September 10. As of right now, the College has stated plans to release an updated community compact for both students and employees for the fall 2021 term.
Olympics coverage
2
EVENTS
August 2, 2021
Mount Holyoke News Mount Holyoke News is an independent student newspaper written by and for Mount Holyoke College students since 1917. VISIT US: www.mountholyokenews.com www.instagram.com/mtholyokenews_ www.twitter.com/mtholyokenews_
EMAIL US: mhnews@mtholyoke.edu
Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Declan Langton ’22
Publisher Ali Meizels ’23
Managing Editor of Content Liz Lewis ’22
Managing Editor of Web Mariam Keita ’24
Managing Editor of Layout Rose Sheehan ’22
Business Manager Katie Goss ’23
Copy Chief Margaret Connor ’23
Human Resources Coordinator Annabelle Mackson ’23
Environmental Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23 Sports Gigi Picard ’22
Arts & Entertainment Rose Cohen ’22 Opinion/Editorial Jahnavi Pradeep ’23
Copy Editors Audrey Shannon ’22 & Emma Watkins ’23
Global Sophie Soloway ’23
Layout Editor Maggie Donovan ’23 Zoe Tang ’24
Features Rebecca Gagnon ’23
Event Highlights Thursday, August 5
New Student Zoom Session –– Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Mount Holyoke
Join our student leaders from ISOC, Orientation and Community & Inclusion along with Associate Dean of Students for Community and Inclusion, Dean of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Director of International Student Advising, and an MHC alum as they discuss what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion looks like at Mount Holyoke. Register on Embark. 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EDT
Thursday, August 12
Residential Life at MHC (Preparing to Move to Campus) Join the Residential Life team as they discuss the move in process & residential experience. Register on Embark. 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EDT
Sunday, August 22 - Saturday, August 25
Editorial Board News Ella White ’22 Mariam Keita ’24
. Mount Holyoke News
Publication Guidelines Mount Holyoke News does not endorse any of the opinions or views expressed within the pages of the paper, excluding staff editorials. All content copyright of Mount Holyoke News. All rights reserved. Mount Holyoke News does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age.
Advertising in MHN Interest in advertising in MHN can be directed to mhnews@mtholyoke.edu for pricing and deadlines. MHN reserves the right to refuse submissions on the basis of, but not limited to, advertisements considered to be libelous, obscene, defamatory or discriminatory.
Subscriptions Mount Holyoke News is a weekly publication that will publish online-only throughout the summer of 2021. To subscribe through email, please visit the following form: https://forms.gle/VPCyskE4kMTDeDan8.
Mount Holyoke Orientation Fall 2021
Welcome to Mount Holyoke! At Mount Holyoke, we prepare students to face the future with confidence. This transformative process starts today with Orientation. You will: meet lots of people and learn how Mount Holyoke works; get to know the College’s many resources and student services; discover what it means to be part of a diverse, inclusive community that is governed by an honor code; and meet your academic advisor and discuss your courses. Check the Embark Orientation app for more details, including about programming, student employment information, department open houses and event updates. Let’s get started! 8:00 a.m. EDT
2021 Move In Schedule Sunday, August 22 - Monday, August 23 New International Student Move In Days
Monday, August 23
Fearless First Academy Move In Day
Tuesday, August 24
New Domestic Student Move In Day
Friday, August 26 - Saturday, August 27 Class of 2023 & Class of 2022 Move In Days
Letters Policy Letters to the Editor appear exactly as they are sent to MHN, except for corrections to spelling, grammar and AP style. Letters cannot exceed 500 words. All letters must include the writer’s name and telephone number for verification purposes. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Names may be held upon request with the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. MHN reserves the right to decide which materials will be printed. Email submissions to mhnews@mtholyoke.edu by Sundays at 5 p.m. for publication the following week.
August 2, 2021
FEATURES
. Mount Holyoke News
3
Admission Ambassadors welcome prospective students BY REBECCA GAGNON ’23 FEATURES EDITOR
After over a year of virtual tours and information sessions, the Mount Holyoke campus welcomes back prospective students for in-person tours. Over the past few months, to prepare for the summer, the Office of Admission has been hiring and training student Admission Ambassadors to guide tours. Ambassadors also do other work in the office, such as conducting interviews with prospective students, holding information sessions and answering any questions one might have about the College. The Mount Holyoke News caught up with three members of the admission staff to get a glance into summer tours on campus.
Catarina Costa, director of U.S. Admission and Campus Visit Experience
Catarina Costa, the Director of U.S. Admission and Campus Visit Experience at Mount Holyoke College, oversees the campus visiting programs, including the hiring and training of new Admission Ambassadors. But for Costa and her team, the work doesn’t end there — they also act as mentors and supervisors to the ambassadors. “It is a huge undertaking,” Costa said. She explained how the admission office staff, led by the student employment group, are tasked with determining the best ways to recruit, hire, train and oversee new Admission Ambassadors. Even after the training concludes, the staff continues to help the students throughout their employment however they can. “It’s kind of an ongoing thing,” Costa explained. “We don’t think of it as, ‘well, we hire you and we train you and then you’re sort of on your own for a year or a summer.’ … We want to provide, again, as much support and mentoring as we can, because that, I think, prepares students well for what will come later, after graduation.” An Admission Ambassador may hold several roles during their employment. One is giving tours around campus during the summer or school year; another is to connect with transfer students or Frances Perkins scholars to assist with questions they may have about Mount Holyoke and their transition. Lastly, the senior Admission Ambassadors interview prospective students and perform other tasks around the office. Whatever role they play, to Costa, all ambassadors are the face of the College. “The work that our ambassadors do for us every day is changing the lives of prospective students,” Costa said. “Students who visit … remember who they interacted with, and, even if they don’t choose Mount Holyoke, they’ll remember that interaction and how we made them feel, so we just tell our ambassadors to be authentic.” This sentiment is reflected in the hiring process for ambassadors as well. “We look for students who are enthusiastic about their Mount Holyoke experience and excited to share that enthusiasm with others,” Costa explained. She expressed that they can teach the ambassadors facts about the College and prepare them for the most common questions, but what they most hope to do is hire students who are eager to share their connection to
Photos courtesy of Catarina Costa (left) and Sophia Smith ’22 (right) Admission Ambassadors have to be ready to “go with the flow” as anything can happen during a campus tour, according to Meghan French ’24.
Mount Holyoke and how it has changed their lives. This August marks 15 years Costa has been working at the Office of Admission. She has the same passion for Mount Holyoke and its students that she hopes the ambassadors show prospective students. She even has a favorite spot on campus: the atrium in the Williston Memorial Library. “I’m continually inspired whenever I enter the atrium,” Costa said. “I just think the library atrium is abuzz with kind of the essence of what Mount Holyoke feels like to me.” Costa’s advice for current ambassadors is to enjoy every moment of their job, “and also that there is learning and growth to be had continually.”
Sophia Smith ’22, Admission Ambassador
Sophia Smith ’22, a double major in biology and studio art, has worked in the Office of Admission as an ambassador since her sophomore year. While working as an Admission Ambassador, Smith has discovered one of the joys of her job is the opportunity to spark excitement and interest in Mount Holyoke in prospective students, just like she felt when she first toured the College. “Right now, I’m actually a senior Admission Ambassador,” Smith began. “I do interviews for prospective students, as well as give tours to prospective students and their families when they come to campus.” She also explained that, since the beginning of the pandemic, she has helped with online tours and information sessions. Smith has found being a tour guide presents some challenges. One common obstacle is when prospective students are quiet during a tour and don’t ask many questions, even though they may be curious. Ambassadors
have strategies to fall back on in these cases. “Ahead of time, we ask at the beginning of tours, ‘what are you interested in studying,’ and so if they might be a little bit more shy, you have to sort of guess what they might ask about,” Smith explained. Another way to help a quiet group is to tell a story of one’s time at Mount Holyoke. One of Smith’s favorite stories to tell is of her first Mountain Day. She shared how she took a lot of early morning classes that year and lived in Brigham, so she was right next to the clock tower and could hear the bells every day. That particular morning, she was extremely tired and didn’t want to get out of bed. “So, I was counting the bells and I was like, ‘please keep going, please go past seven. I want it to be Mountain Day.’ Then, of course, the bell stops, and I was like, ‘okay, it was time to get up,’ but then the bells kept going, and I was so excited, all my sleep just completely left,” Smith laughed. “I was in a triple — I woke up both my roommates and everyone who I knew down the hall, and we were in the first shuttle to the mountain.” Smith also shares her favorite spots on campus with tour groups to help them emerge from their shells. “I really like to talk about the atrium and the banners with all of our class colors and mascots, because that’s the first sense the tour gets of our traditions and how many we have [and] how important they are,” Smith stated. At that point, she said prospective students will sometimes get excited about all the traditions they get to partake in if they choose Mount Holyoke. The banners are also the first tradition the prospective students experience. During the tour, the Admission Ambassadors tell them what class year they will be CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
u
4
GLOBAL
August 2, 2021
Violent protests sweep South Africa after former President Zuma’s arrest
Photo courtesy of Matthew Jordaan Protesters focused on public areas, such as highways and retail centers.
BY LIZ LEWIS ’22 MANAGING EDITOR OF CONTENT
Last week, South Africa saw its most violent civil unrest since the end of apartheid in 1994. The South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng launched into a state of disruption after former President Jacob Zuma began his prison sentence on July 8. Zuma, a longtime controversial figure in South African politics whose presidential term spanned from 20092018, will serve a sentence of 15 months for contempt of court. The violent protests, looting and rioting have left 337 dead — 79 in Gauteng and 258 in KwaZulu-Natal — as last reported on July 22 by Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the minister of small business development. Riots first erupted in KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’s home province, in protest of his arrest for refusing to comply with an investigation of his alleged corruption while in office. The protesters blocked off two major highways and quickly turned their attention towards retail centers and shopping malls in the area. As the unrest spread, it grew from a specific protest of Zuma’s arrest
into a more generalized expression of anger and dissent from those left impoverished in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Alongside several other African countries, South Africa is currently combating a third wave of COVID-19 cases. The nation has the highest number of cases on the continent, with 2,377,823 total cases and 69,775 deaths as of June 1. South Africa also has a record-high unemployment rate of 32.6 percent as of June 1, with over half of the country living below the national poverty line. Much of the rampant socio-economic inequality stems from the sustained legacy of apartheid and has been exacerbated by the pandemic. After a week of protests and looting, the government deployed 25,000 troops to quell the unrest. In addition to the 337 dead, over 2,500 arrests have been reported. Neil Gopal, CEO of the South African Property Owners Association, estimated a total cost of well over 20 billion Rand ($1.39 billion) in property damage. On Sunday, July 25, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation, announcing the country will be easing COVID-19 restrictions and speaking on the recent violence. He also introduced a relief package to assist with national recovery from the riots and coronavirus wave, including monthly welfare of 350 Rand ($24) for those in poverty. In his speech, Ramaphosa maintained a commitment to “law and order,” saying anyone who engages with violence “will face consequences” from law enforcement. Still, Ramaphosa expressed these relief measures are meant to address the root issue of the current scarcity. “No country can expect its economy to grow, or to live in peace and harmony, while many of its citizens remain marginalised, hungry and excluded,” he said. As investigation into the protests continues, Ramaphosa said further arrests should be expected. Troops will also remain at hotspots to prevent further unrest.
Government arrests protesters in Cuba BY SOPHIE SOLOWAY ’23 GLOBAL EDITOR
Since protests erupted across Cuba on July 11, the government has pursued an estimated 600 arrests and 60 prosecutions against its civilians. This governmental response to the public’s denouncements of food shortages and financial struggles has brought worldwide attention to the crisis facing the country. In the time since, solidarity protests have emerged across the United States and other countries. On July 19, President Biden announced plans to reassess relations between the countries, and a little over a week later, the Cuban embassy in Paris was attacked by protestors with petrol bombs. Cuban protestors’ grievances range from medicine scarcities and food shortages to widespread blackouts. Many of these ongoing crises can be
traced back decades to the Cold War embargos put in place by the United States government. Although these economic sanctions have existed and persisted since the 1990s, Cuba’s recent protests have been a historic size, with thousands taking to the streets in a matter of days. Some have even dubbed the most recent uprisings as the largest protests since the Cuban Revolution. However, support for these protests has been a point of contention both locally and internationally. Cubans and international audiences continue to disagree regarding the role that the U.S. and previous Soviet interference have played in creating Cuba’s modern-day state of affairs. Regardless of background, protestors were met with prominent levels of repression from the state. Analysts and human rights organizations have expressed warning about the most recent displays of disregard for Cubans’ right to publicly protest.
. Mount Holyoke News
Haitian president assassinated
Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons Moïse was assassinated in a “highly coordinated” attack.
BY SOPHIE SOLOWAY ’23 GLOBAL EDITOR
Jovenel Moïse, the president of Haiti, was assassinated in his Port-au-Prince home on July 7. In the weeks since his assassination — which investigators and the country’s Prime Minister have deemed “highly coordinated” — the country has seen mass mobilization and deep division. Over two dozen arrests have been made since the assassination, although little has been shared regarding the suspects’ individual roles. On Tuesday, July 27, United States federal agents issued search warrants for suspects in Miami-Dade County and Broward County, Florida. The connection between these suspects and the late president remains unclear. Haiti has long been a site of political strife and state violence, especially since the government announced its plan to cut subsidies in 2018, thereby increasing fuel prices for citizens by up to 50 percent. A year later, the country’s government declared a state of economic emergency, further motivating citizens to protest corruption at the highest levels. Throughout this four year period of civil unrest, Haiti’s government has often been accused of retaliating disproportionately against those suspected of dissent. Human rights watchdog organizations, such as Amnesty International, have repeatedly published their own findings that excessive force has been used against protestors; as the country appears to reenter a period of mass protest, many in the country fear these trends will persist. The late President Moïse was not uncontroversial during this time in office. In fact, Moïse had been governing by decree since dissolving the majority of parliament in January 2020. Since then, countless protestors and leaders had called for his resignation, to no avail. In the aftermath of the president’s assassination, Haitian leaders and citizens are scrambling to understand what path the country will take. Haiti’s newly sworn-in Prime Minister Ariel Henry has announced plans to form a temporary government in the coming months.
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
OPINION/EDITORIAL
5
Hope is never lost: A generation of young Cubans demand freedom BY LISETT BONILLA ’22 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I was relieved to hear fellow Cubans experience freedom for the first time, I was also afraid of the violence initiated by Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel, who After decades of lost hope, Cubans in the island called for combat against peaceful protesters. Minutes later, it appeared the entire Cuban comand the diaspora are displaying their flags and chanting for freedom again. For anyone who is unfamiliar munity outside the island had its eyes on Cuba. Thouwith the Cuban struggle for freedom, it’s simple: For sands of Cubans from the diaspora mobilized in a few 62 years, the Cuban people have endured the oldest hours, a phenomenon I insist to describe as “esperandictatorship of the Americas. Fidel Castro’s 1959 revo- za,” or hope. They used their social media platforms lution forced thousands of Cubans into exile, fractured to type #SOSCUBA. I was fortunate to be a part of this families and made Cuba an exclusive society: “The experience as hundreds of Cubans from my commustreets belong the revolutionaries,” as President Mi- nity organized a protest around the statue of our national hero for independence, guel Díaz-Canel said. However, José Martí. To see so many on July 11, 2021, thousands of Cubans have said “basta ya,” Now, for the first time, I have hope, people united, hoping for a future for their families or enough is enough. At the not because I know that many young better on the island, was — to say the heart of Havana, the crowds people are prosecuted for demandleast — something I had never screamed, demanding “libertad,” or liberty, and a young ing freedom or change, but because dreamed of. Even though I had been to several protests beCuban boy could be seen wavI know there is a light in my generfore, demanding freedom for ing a flag drenched in blood, ation no authoritarian regime can artists and political prisoners possibly from beatings by poin the island, I had never seen lice and Cuban security forces. tame. so many Cubans united, chantAs phones were lifted in the ing and praying for freedom. air, one could notice protesters were young — tech savvy, one could argue; a new This was truly unprecedented. On July 11, 2021, as a looming healthcare collapse generation exposed to increased internet access, and unafraid to use it in their defense. As a sign of sup- made its way through Cuba, thousands of protesters port to those in the island, Cubans around the globe took to the streets. The masses chanted phrases familhave waved their flags to show pride for the new gen- iar to all Cubans: “Libertad,” meaning freedom, and erations who took to the streets. There is also a de- “Patria y Vida,” meaning homeland and life, instead sire to see an inclusive Cuba, where human rights are of the revolutionary slogan, “Homeland or Death.” respected and repression is not an option. Still, many Others demanded food and medicine, expressing, “we wonder how a seemingly peaceful society got to the are hungry, there is no food,” and “we need vaccines.” Even though Cuba had been praised for its control point of defying such a repressive regime. I vividly remember, on that Sunday of freedom of COVID-19, reporting low cases due to the closure protests, I had spoken to a friend from central Cuba. of borders for six months, this measure was lifted In her tone, I could perceive her desperation under the around November 2020. After that period, cases rose present conditions, her lost hope of recovery after a substantially, placing it as the country in Latin Amerdeep economic and healthcare crisis. I remember she ica with the fifth most cases per capita. The situation said, “esto se tiene que caer,” or, “this system has to quickly escalated due to the lack of medical equipment come down.” It was only 30 minutes after our brief con- in hospitals and the current economic crisis. Amongst versation I learned through fellow Cubans active on the masses, one could notice the dominating demoTwitter that massive protests were happening in the graphic: younger generations, including teenagers island. As the protests became imminent, the regime and those most affected by the crisis, predominantly started to shut down internet access, and I lost com- Afro-Cubans from marginalized neighborhoods. Many of the protesters demanding change do munication with all family members. And even though
not have any family abroad to save them from Cuba’s severe economic crisis — a crisis caused by the Cuban government’s poor management of the economy and reluctance to allow the private sector to flourish. Amongst these are increased sanctions imposed by the U.S. due to Cuba’s meddlings in the Venezuelan crisis. Cuba’s economic crisis was announced in late 2019, but it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that regular Cubans started to experience the worst of it. Lines for food became a part of daily life, most lasting very long hours with more demand than supplies. A change in the country’s currency system made it difficult to access basic necessities, like soap and shampoo, because they were only sold in foreign currency, such as dollars, which most citizens did not have access to. In the past months, blackouts lasting four hours and more have become routine. Outside of Havana, often known for its privilege and availability of resources, scarcity is constant, and blackouts are a real issue affecting Cubans everyday. Frankly, as a student of international relations, having dedicated some research and work to Cuba, I am still perplexed at what has happened. Never in my 21 years of life would I have thought people younger than me would take to the streets, even when doing so can cost them several years in prison. But, at the same time, I remember my last trip to Cuba, walking down the streets of San Isidro in Havana, where many fear their roof will fall over their heads in their sleep. I remember watching the children playing in the streets with clothes that had already shrunk on their bodies. The voice of the lady hosting my Airbnb also comes to mind, apologizing that her breakfast is not what it used to be, because she doesn’t have a card with U.S. dollars to enter the stores with the supplies she needs. The Old Plaza of Havana, where there are many restaurants open but few that can afford the food sold, is also with me. I turn my head to the other side because I can’t bear to see the hopeless vendor ask me if I want to buy something. Yet now, for the first time, I have hope, not because I know that many young people are prosecuted for demanding freedom or change, but because I know there is a light in my generation no authoritarian regime can tame. To conclude, I want to say, “the night will not be eternal,” as the late Cuban opposition leader Oswaldo Payá once said.
Killjoys are essential in bringing about social justice and change BY KATE MURRAY ’22 STAFF WRITER
In the last few years, many Americans have experienced what they see as an increased threat to their free speech. Offhand comments that would have gone unacknowledged a decade ago have now fallen victim to “political correctness culture,” the growing tendency to disapprovingly call out language perpetuating the oppression of marginalized people. Political correctness has especially gained traction amongst college-educated young people, many of whom have been newly exposed to critical race theory and the complexities of systemic oppression. However, a large number
of Americans — especially those of older generations and whose political values are right of center — have responded to P.C. culture with disdain. When those on the P.C. bandwagon don’t hesitate to call out offensive language previously deemed permissible, it is met with indignation and chagrin. People begin to feel “like they can’t say anything anymore,” because those on the left scrutinize every interaction. While this growing resentment of P.C. culture is not going away anytime soon, it may be the price we have to pay for a more equitable society. The world needs more killjoys: people who are uncomfortable with the status quo and will speak up to change it at whatever cost. Furthermore, this social justice-forward ap-
proach needs to be led by young people, as they are the ones who will set the terms for future discourse and lay the groundwork for systemic change. The concept of the killjoy stems from the work of Sara Ahmed, a British-Australian professor and intellectual who originally wrote about killjoys in the context of feminism. Feminist killjoys have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to misogynistic language, and they do not hesitate to call it out, even at the cost of personal discomfort, lingering awkwardness or the end of personal relationships. Killjoys accept many CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
u
6
OPINION/EDITORIAL
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
No, the pandemic is not over, and nothing is back to normal is asymptomatically carrying the virus or any of its variants. It also assumes everyone is following proper health and safety guidelines in other aspects of their lives. More importantly, it requires us to assume that no one in our communities may be immunocompromised, unable to receive the vaccine or otherwise vulnerable. Experts warned us about a summer resurgence if we resumed normal activity before reaching adequate vaccination rates, and, despite this, governors from both parties have endorsed full reopenings of their states. Politicians rushed us into an open country before we were ready, and it’s going to be hard to convince the general population to return to old precautions, not to mention the distrust in our leadership
that is undoubtedly growing while we face these back and forth policies. While conservatives in California prepare to try to recall Governor Gavin Newsom over the strictness of his regulations, some on the left (though not the Democratic Party at large, who tend to maintain faith in his leadership) have raised concerns he lifted restrictions too early. After nearly a month of full deregulation, Los Angeles is entering yet another surge, reporting over 2,000 new cases in a day. We all want everyone to be fine. We would all love to hear that we, as a country, as a society, worked together and got vaccinated, and we now get to reap CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Photo courtesy of thespinoff.co.nz A scientific rendition of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.
Killjoys are vital to social progress, cont’d
BY WOODLIEF MCCABE ’23 STAFF WRITER
u
In just two weeks, from July 8-22, the number of new U.S. COVID-19 cases jumped from roughly 23,000 to over 63,000, in a trend mirroring July 2020. (These numbers go up when we consider infections among populations in prisons are unreported in many states). Yet, just by looking at the measures taken by state governments, you would think COVID-19 has been all but eradicated. Now, the more contagious Delta variant is showing up across the country, even in the bodies of fully vaccinated people. According to a recent Facebook post later picked up in an article for The Guardian, Doctor Brytney Cobia shared she has heard dying patients ask for the vaccine, and she must tell them it is too late. Without a vaccinated majority, there is no possible way we can get anywhere close to normalcy, and until then, we cannot pretend everything is back to normal. Even in blue strongholds with high vaccination rates, like my hometown in California, the rules have been altogether thrown out. New CDC guidelines recommend returning to wearing masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. We are here because people have been “returning to normal” in droves. More people are traveling and eating in restaurants as these things have become more accessible. However, that these services are available does not mean they are safe. CDC guidelines are not legally binding mandates, and it is up to counties, states and businesses to create their own policies on how many people can enter buildings and with what kind of safety measures. These policies are completely antithetical to the eradication of COVID-19, and the government agencies tasked with keeping us safe are slowly going back on their promises. While some areas are quickly reinstating mask mandates or at least strong recommendations, many counties are more resistant. It would be no surprise to see many counties and states completely reject any kind of mandate. This rejection relies on several assumptions. First, that we should take at face value that all unmasked people are vaccinated, and no one
It’s important to recognize there are dangers in placing too much emphasis on the surveillance of language. There are plenty of self-proclaimed killwill view them as downers, but this is the price joys who take pleasure in informing others of the they have to pay for boldly and unapologetically “politically correct” way to speak, while doing nothproclaiming that the lives of marginalized people ing actionable to better the conditions of marginalmatter. In effect, killjoys complain. In a keynote ad- ized people. In my mind, these are performative killdress given on May 31, 2021, Sara Ahmed said: “A joys who do not fully comprehend what it means to complaint can be an expression of grief, pain or dis- lead a social justice-forward life. Inclusive language satisfaction; something that is a cause of a protest or requires inclusive action. Secondly, it’s also imoutcry, a bodily ailment or a portant to acknowledge not formal allegation. … In makall killjoys may feel safe ing a formal complaint, you Killjoys accept many will view them to speak out against injushave to become expressive.” In my view, the concept as downers, but this is the price they tice 24/7. Those who walk through the world in marof the feminist killjoy can have to pay for boldly and unapologinalized bodies live with expand beyond what are getically proclaiming that the lives of threats to their existence. typically viewed as “womThis may require staying en’s issues,” and apply to marginalized people matter. silent in the face of advercombating social inequities sity as a matter of physical in general. From a feminist and/or mental safety, which lens, all forms of oppression are intertwined with the patriarchy; therefore, be- no killjoy should ever be expected to endure. Auing a killjoy becomes about eliminating racism, ho- dre Lorde expresses this eloquently in her book “A mophobia, classism and other forms of bigotry, in Burst of Light,” saying, “Caring for myself is not addition to misogyny. Simply put, killjoys lead with self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an their commitment to social justice in every human act of political warfare.” It is for this exact reason that killjoys with privinteraction, and, as a result, they don’t hesitate to ilege need to use their privilege in moments where call attention to offensive language and behavior. This often means acknowledging the comments their marginalized peers feel threatened. Being a killjoy is easier said than done. There people make are understable, but not excusable. For instance, imagine that two individuals have had an will always be times when we mess up, where we argument, and one of them later implies that the wish we would have said or done something differother’s race or ethnic background led them to be ently. But this is a practice young people cannot unnecessarily hostile in their interaction. While it afford to abandon. In her book “Living a Feminist is understandable one would be upset about being Life,” Sara Ahmed wrote, “Survival can thus be spoken to harshly, it is inappropriate to blame a what we do for others, with others. We need each person’s racial identity for their behavior, especial- other to survive; we need to be part of each other’s ly when it perpetuates harmful stereotypes about survival.” This is a killjoy’s mission, despite their work’s that racial group. Many can empathize with saying something “un-P.C.” in a moment of frustration, but inevitable imperfections. If we ever want to witness killjoys understand they can express understanding a world that is more inclusive, just and equitable, for someone’s frustration while also communicating we must dedicate ourselves to the practice of disruption. how their use of language is unacceptable. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
u
August 2, 2021
OPINION/EDITORIAL
. Mount Holyoke News
7
Letter to the Editor Mount Holyoke is failing its students during a global health crisis To whom it may concern, As I sat at my desk in Creighton Hall, having just finished watching the college-mandated Community Care video prescribed to me by the Office of Residential Life here at Mount Holyoke, I could not help but think to myself how those had been eight minutes and 34 seconds of my valuable Black life that I would never get back. I had just listened to a British man somberly explaining the biomechanics of how a COVID-19 virus particle goes about colonizing the human body. As I watched the Crash Course-esque animated video, I began to find my predicament increasingly unsavory. I had been community compacted. As we all know at this point, there are several negative sanctions which may be enacted upon a student who fails to uphold the terms to which they are bound by the compact — the terms to which they were required to agree to gain housing on campus during a global pandemic. While I understand and respect the necessity of our community compact, I would be remiss to overlook an opportunity to point out its many flaws, one of which happens to be this very “Community Care” procedure. I fail to understand how being asked to watch this video and complete the conjoined “Community Care essay” will stop me from missing further COVID-19 tests. You may be wondering what I had done in order to warrant the disciplinary sanction of housing probation. I hadn’t been caught trekking outside of the 25mile radius outlined in the summer housing contract without permission, nor had I gotten bored and decided to throw a wild party in my campus residence. Instead, I had missed some COVID-19 tests (three, to be exact). Which brings me here, to you, reader. I didn’t just wake up one day (or three of them, rather) in a small room in which I opted to live to circumvent my housing insecurity and go, “You know what? I think I’ll risk my residential status today. COVID test be damned!” This video has taught me nothing that I did not already know. I have, like billions of people around the world, spent more than a year of my life submerged in the depths of a global health crisis. It was because of this global health crisis that I opted to stay home during the fall semester. I had just watched the United States government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grossly mishandle their response to COVID-19, first downplaying the severity of the disease, then urging non-medical professionals against using surgical masks to protect ourselves and our loved ones. I watched first my elderly great-uncle, then his wife, contract severe cases. I held back tears as I watched my great-aunt struggle to communicate with me via FaceTime, her only connection with the outside world as she laid intubated in the hospital bed
where she spent 14 days connected to a ventilator believing that death was on its way. From this, I learned that if I were to leave the responsibility of keeping myself and those whom I care about safe to the various institutions to which we are beholden, we would not be making it out alive. I decided against trusting Mount Holyoke, an institution, with my life this past fall. Instead, I opted to split my time bouncing between different family members’ homes. Finally, after seven consecutive, isolating months seeing almost no one outside of my family, I decided to move on campus in the spring. There, I found that the COVID-19 protocols to which I had agreed were upheld by a system of community policing. I watched as my lower-income, disabled and otherwise marginalized peers suffered at the hands of hastily made and poorly implemented policies that penalized them, often unfairly. I made note of the lack of access to basic cleaning supplies and PPE. Thank god my mentor had had the foresight to ship Clorox spray and KN95 masks to my campus address before I arrived, or I would have been ill-prepared to protect myself. I noted the irony in my being assigned to a single bathroom stall, shower and sink to use for the entirety of the semester for contract tracing purposes, when there was only one soap dispenser for an entire floor of people. I spent the first five weeks or so of my time on campus holed up in my room, rarely leaving, except when it was necessary for me to acquire a COVID-19 test or to collect food from the dining hall. I waited anxiously for the whispers that I was hearing about a small outbreak in Rockefeller Hall to reach Buckland, where I lived. The early COVID-19-related anxieties that I had developed after watching my loved ones get sick were exacerbated by being around more people than I had seen in the months since the pandemic began. My heart rate would increase whenever I heard the sound of laughter outside my door, because I knew it meant others were congregating, that the virus thrived in places where community was built. As things slowly began to open back up, as restrictions began to ease, as the number of cases began to dwindle, I slowly, very slowly, began to trust this institution with my life. I started going outside more. I made friends. I got vaccinated. I applied for summer housing. I was hired for an on-campus job. Hundreds of students moved off-campus and returned to their homes. I began to feel safe again. Then, within just a few days of this newfound security, our campus became flooded with strangers. Despite the fact that I was not (and am still not) allowed to bring a fully-vaccinated guest into my residence hall, I was now surrounded by people who stood too close to me in line at the dining hall, who coughed into
the open air, treated mask-wearing and my safety as optional. My temporary summer sanctuary was not as safe as I thought it would be. I found myself, once again, anxious to leave my room, because outside of it would be people whom I did not know. Once again, I started leaving only when necessary. During the school year, the testing center had been open at least 4 days a week for about 7 hours a day. During the summer, despite the harsh repercussions of missing a test, the center is only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30-4:30pm. Without the structure of courses to build my day around, the days began to blur together. Furthermore, one of my work shifts overlapped almost directly with the reduced summer testing hours. This, coupled with my hesitancy to go outside, meant that I missed first one test, then another, then another. After watching this video, I realized that none of us know what we’re doing. I realized that, regardless of my circumstances, Mount Holyoke will not protect me. This ugly epiphany was further cemented by that lack of compassion with which I was met upon attending my second Community Care meeting with a staff member from the Office of Residential Life. A person who told me that I didn’t seem to be “taking this seriously,” immediately after threatening me with eviction should I miss another test. A person who told me that I was being placed on “housing probation” without taking the time to explain what it meant. Never mind the fact that many of the students residing on campus right now are lower-income and international students with few other housing options in the event that this institution chooses to punish us for its own shortcomings. The first chance that Mount Holyoke gets to toss me out for failing to perform this dance of pretending that I am solely responsible for any harm that should befall myself or my peers, it will most definitely do so. The same institution which initially failed to do the basic due diligence of providing students with disposable face masks, or placing hand soap in their communal bathrooms, has now turned around to penalize me for missing COVID-19 tests because I was too anxious to leave my room and too stressed to notice how much time had passed since I had gone outside. The same institution that failed to expand student access to mental health services during a pandemic that has brought unprecedented levels of hardship now punishes them for suffering. Even as I spend my days indoors, battling my anxieties and struggling to balance three different jobs, I will also have to deal with an institution that pretends I am a threat. Perhaps I am one, a threat to the facade. I understand now that no one cares why I miss a COVID-19 test, only if. I must keep up the dance. Best, Mariam Keita ’24
8
ENVIRONMENTAL
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
‘Last Ice Area’ begins melting earlier than predicted
Photo courtesy of Kai Boggild The “Last Ice Area” is located in the Wandel Sea in the Arctic Ocean. Last August, in an area usually completely frozen in the summer, scientists identified a route through a glacier, showing the effects of climate change.
BY CATELYN FITZGERALD ’23 ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR
The image of melting Arctic ice has long been used to represent the future consequences of climate change. Despite this reputation, one region of the Arctic left scientists shocked when it began to show signs of melting. Scientists aboard an icebreaker in August 2020 were shocked when their satellites identified a route through a large glacier in the Wandel Sea. The region, known as the Last Ice Area, is considered by scientists to be a last stronghold of the Arctic glaciers. While other regions of the Arctic are projected to experience total melting in the summers by mid-century, the Last Ice Area is expected to have year-round ice until 2100. The identification of melting significant enough to allow for an icebreaker to pass through the glacier indicates severe effects of climate change could be coming to the region sooner than expected. The Last Ice Area is located off the northern coasts of Greenland and Canada. In this region, a circular current helps hold the glacier together, even as the ocean warms. But while the unique conditions surrounding the glacier offer some protection from summer melting, it is still vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Scientists recently identified the cause of early melting in the Last Ice Area to be a combination of gradual melting due to climate change and extreme winds pushing parts of the ice sheet out to sea. Researchers determined that these wind conditions would not have damaged the glacier, had melting not caused rising temperatures. The strong winds that contributed to melting in the Last Ice Area in 2020 were an unusual occurrence, but they act as a reminder that no portion of the Arctic is immune to the effects of climate change. In an effort to preserve glaciers, one startup company has modeled a re-icing machine, which could both restore melting glaciers and slow the onset of climate change. The project, called Real Ice, is a part of For Tomorrow, an online platform designed to let individuals and groups share solutions to sustainability issues. The re-icing machines proposed by Real Ice would drill through icebergs to the ocean below and, using powerful pumps, bring ocean water up onto the surface of the glacier, where it would freeze, adding ice mass. Not only would re-icing slow the melting of glaciers, the new ice would offer a more reflective surface than the ocean. This would allow the Earth’s surface to reflect more of the sun’s rays back into the
atmosphere rather than absorbing the heat into the ocean. According to Real Ice, the addition of 132.25 square meters of sea ice would offset one ton of CO2 emissions. The re-icing machines could be a promising economic opportunity for Arctic communities, as they could sell the CO2 that they offset as carbon credits to companies around the world. Real Ice is not the first group to take a technology-driven approach to protecting glaciers. Another nonprofit, the Arctic Ice Project, proposes spreading billions of microscopic glass spheres over the surface of glaciers to create a highly reflective layer that would slow melting. The beads are as tiny as grains of sugar, and are currently undergoing testing to ensure they will pose no harm to Arctic ecosystems. Creators of the Arctic Ice Project assert that the use of the technology in targeted areas could secure another 15 years for countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions before the effects of climate change become
irreversible. Researchers have also proposed creating physical barriers to stabilize glaciers and prevent rapid collapse caused by a condition called Marine Ice Sheet Instability, which can occur after a glacier experiences a certain degree of melting and is no longer securely anchored to the ground. Yet another approach is to pump cold water under ice sheets to thicken them. All of these projects would be major undertakings, demanding billions of dollars and requiring the expertise of the world’s top engineers and scientists, as well as years of work, but so far none have moved past the testing phase. While some may see these solutions as unrealistic, the premature melting in the Last Ice Area shows that geoengineering may be a necessary short-term venture to keep the Arctic glaciers intact until long-term reductions in atmospheric greenhouse gases are achieved.
OPINION/EDITORIAL The myth of a post-COVID world, cont’d u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
the rewards and forget what wearing a mask felt like. We would all like to live like the man I helped at work the other day, who asked me why I was still wearing a mask, and appeared shocked when I replied the pandemic wasn’t over. The fact is, we aren’t really even close. We opened too soon, and opened the doors for a variant faster and more dangerous than the others. Now, we are trying to close these doors, but it’s going to be even more difficult to get full cooperation — or even cooperation at pre-reopening levels, for that matter. We must continue to care for our community and remember that the measures taken by our politicians are largely symbolic and driven by political and economic motives, rather than public health. Plans for “opening up” were never fair to customer service workers, disabled and immunocompromised
individuals, children and other vulnerable communities. This pandemic has taught us about selfishness and responsibility — we have the chance every day to do something ridiculously easy to protect others. We can continue wearing masks and socially distancing. We can refrain from going to gatherings where we cannot ensure all people are vaccinated or following proper safety practices. Where our legislators and leaders fail to mandate safety and public health, we can fill these gaps with compassionate personal choices. We can wait to travel. We can continue to eat outdoors or get takeout. We can wear our masks inside as we are helped by minimum-wage workers. As the summer ends and students return to campus, it will be crucial that we take our cues from actual COVID-19 case numbers and public health workers, even if we are being promised a narrative about a post-COVID-19 world.
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
With the release of ‘The Fool.,’ Ella Giordano ’22 focuses on doing what they don’t know how to do
Graphic courtesy of Ella Giordano ’22
BY ROSE COHEN ’22 & EMMA WATKINS ’23 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR & STAFF WRITER, COPY EDITOR
In the spirit of a recent art seminar they took at Amherst College, titled “Doing What You Don’t Know How to Do,” Ella Giordano ’22 has been focusing on taking risks and developing new skills. This has led to the recent release of their debut folk-pop single, “The Fool.” Giordano wrote “The Fool.” from their childhood bedroom in Northampton, Mass., having relocated there due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Returning to this space encouraged them to refamiliarize themself with the curiosity they felt as a child. “I didn’t know how to do anything when I was eight years old, and that did not stop me,” Giordano said. “I would write songs all the time, I’d make plays and dances … [As] a child, you don’t need any qualifications to do anything, you just do it.” This uninhibited mindset helped them create “The Fool.” and embrace fun, which they described as “the guiding feeling” of their current creative process. Before rediscovering their childhood creative free-
dom and curiosity, Giordano struggled to make music without feeling the pressure of perfection. Upon entering Mount Holyoke and experiencing the challenges of being a first-year, they took a break from writing music, as it had started to feel like a chore. They even stopped listening to certain music, because they wanted to avoid seeing singer-songwriters pursue what they wanted to do. During that time, they focused on their studio art major, which did not cause the same creative burnout as music. Giordano recognized the benefits of taking a “little break from music,” while also acknowledging the drawbacks. “I ended up getting really bitter. I think it kind of was ruining my life to not be making music,” Giordano said, reflecting on that period. “There were a lot of ugly feelings surrounding music.” This hiatus was only a blip on their musical timeline. Their love of music developed early on, stemming from a love of musical theater that began with auditioning for a community theater production of “Annie” at their parents’ request in third grade. “My parents really knew what they were doing with that one, too,” Giordano said. “They were like, ‘Okay get in the car, we’re going to “Annie” auditions.’” Giordano described themself as a “shy kid” before
9
becoming involved with musicals. “Ever since [starring in ‘Annie’] I’ve been a diva, to be honest with you,” Giordano said, laughing. Building on the newfound confidence music provided them, they declared themself a singer-songwriter in the seventh grade. That same year, they began studying music at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts, a regional public charter school in South Hadley, Massachusetts. While attending PVPA, Giordano sang and played piano. They described the experience of engaging with music every day as “a dream.” Although Giordano’s formal music education began with PVPA, they wrote their first song at the age of six. Throughout their childhood, friends of their family, also musicians, nourished their growing love of music. “I’ve been very lucky to grow up around people who have encouraged that kind of thing for me,” Giordano said. Giordano has often found themself writing about love. “A lot of songs that I write end up being about love in some way,” Giordano said. “How cheesy and how true. And not always romantic love,” they mused, before describing a song they wrote about their friend’s dog, Lucas, in the 11th grade. “The Fool.,” however, stays in the realm of romantic love, discussing what Giordano described as a “whirlwind of a relationship.” Giordano categorized “The Fool.” as a breakup song. “Yeah, everyone loves a breakup song,” they said, but explained it’s more about finding themself after their relationship ended. Before writing “The Fool.,” Giordano was having trouble letting go of their relationship. “There were some feelings about the breakup that had not been spoken out loud yet … [until] I started doing my thing and speaking out loud and floodgates opened,” they said. Influenced by singer-songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers, Carole King and Sara Bareilles, Giordano values honesty and emotional intimacy in their music. Giordano brainstorms lyrics out loud — speaking to the air and then figuring out the tune. “It already sort of is conversational to begin with, because I’m sort of imagining I’m talking to someone. … That’s what I like about Phoebe Bridgers; it totally does just feel like she’s talking to me, and we’re just like girlies hanging out,” they said. When writing, Giordano moves quickly. They explained if they don’t write a song within three days, they typically won’t finish it. Giordano wrote the first verse of “The Fool.” with their guitar in an hour, using the only three chords they knew: D, A and E. “It was crazy, it just kind of fell into my lap, like out of the sky. Suddenly, there was a song, which is kind of cool and not always how my writing process goes,” they said. To avoid getting lost in their thoughts, Giordano writes about specific moments. In “The Fool.,” Giordano reflects on a series of actual tarot readings that guided them through their breakup. The first verse of the song mentions tarot cards, such as the Three of Swords, Death reversed and The Fool. Giordano explained this reading epitomized the headspace they were in after the breakup. “Death [reversed] is about rebirth in tarot, and, as it’s been told to me, resistance to change,” they said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
u
10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
Inaugural Mariposa Prize awarded to two Mount Holyoke graduates BY LUCY OSTER ’23 STAFF WRITER
This past spring, the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum and the department of Spanish, Latina/o and Latin American studies announced a new student award, the Inaugural Mariposa Prize. The prize was funded by and based around the work of Hector Dionico Mendoza, a mixed-media artist who teaches in the visual and public art department at California State University, Monterey Bay. Mendoza described the award as an investment in young, emerging Latinx artists and scholars. “The [Inaugural Mariposa Prize] was created as a tiny monetary gift, specifically for Latin[x] students,” Mendoza explained. “The main idea [was] to reciprocate by giving back to the community that gave to me.” The award encouraged Latinx graduates of the classes of 2021 and 2020 to engage critically with two of Mendoza’s sculptures and mixed media works, acquired by the MHCAM in spring 2020. In June, Nicole Lara Granados ’21, a psychology and education double major, and Jennifer Villa ’21, an art studio major, were declared the first winners of the Inaugural Mariposa Prize. Lara Granados does not consider herself an artist, but said she “admire[s] others who are able to create beautiful pieces, such as Mendoza.” The Mariposa Prize was based around two of Mendoza’s works, “Immigrant Shoes” and “Mariposa/ Butterfly.” “Immigrant Shoes” features two leather shoes with ice-skating blades attached to the soles. “Mariposa/Butterfly” is also a sculpture, resembling a
Photos courtesy of Laura Shea The works above are made by Hector Dionicio Mendoza (Mexican, b. 1969): Immigrant Shoes, 2010, (left) and Mariposa/Butterfly, 2017, (right).
butterfly with two paper wings decorated with painted leaves. Between the wings, a metal fist, spray-painted gold, punches out from a piece of wood. Lara Granados recently had the chance to see Mendoza’s work in person at the MHCAM. “I … felt that the size of [‘Mariposa/Butterfly’] had an actual impact on me as a viewer, because it was so big [that] I had to take my time to really look at every small detail,” she said. According to the MHCAM website, the museum purchased Mendoza’s pieces after a faculty seminar
meeting last spring. Eight Mount Holyoke professors across multiple disciplines participated in the course, led by Associate Curator Stephanie Sparling Williams and Associate Director for Engagement and Weatherbie Curator of Academic Programs Ellen Alvord of the MHCAM. The professors, Alvord and Sparling Williams gathered “to research and propose the purchase of artworks that could be used in the classroom CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
u
‘The Fool.’ details the feelings that accompany a breakup, cont’d u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
According to Giordano, The Fool card centers around new beginnings, new opportunities and taking a leap of faith. As someone recently heartbroken, Giordano initially resisted the meaning of this card. “It’s like, I don’t want new beginnings, I want to go back [to the relationship], when it was fun, not sad,” they said, summarizing the first verse. The second verse revolves around the Ten of Swords, Strength reversed and The Fool. Giordano explained the Ten of Swords alludes to feelings of betrayal, while Strength reversed focuses on looking inward to find self-confidence. Due to the card’s appearance in all three readings, Giordano repeats “I’m The Fool” throughout the song’s chorus, reflecting on what its recurrence might mean at each moment the three readings take place. Giordano described the reading mentioned in the last verse, which included the Queen of Cups, The Sun and The Fool, as a positive one. “The last tarot is sort of me coming back to myself and finally moving forward,” Giordano said. As the constant throughout the three readings, The Fool took on a different role in each verse. A card of new beginnings, it prompted Giordano to embrace
new opportunities instead of dwelling on the past. “[In] the end it’s like, yeah, we’re healing, we’re growing, we’re expanding, we’re moving forward, we’re writing songs, we’re releasing [the song],” Giordano said. After finishing the song, Giordano played it for their dad, who encouraged them to keep going with songwriting and recording. When asked where the song was recorded, Giordano pointed across their room, in the direction of their garage. Full of dreamy reverb and echoes, the song mirrors the environment in which it was recorded, which was vital to Giordano’s creative process. “One clean vocal take just didn’t sound like what I was hearing,” they said. “Not like metaphorically, like ‘I was hearing the song,’ but this was actually what I was hearing [in] my garage. … It’s paved, and there [are] echoes.” Within the first few seconds of the song, birds begin chirping. Giordano clarified the bird sounds were already there, outside their garage. They wanted to place the listener in their recording environment, so they made sure to accentuate the birds. “I think a lot of recorded music is way too sterile and too smooth,” they said. “I’m a little quirky and I do double takes and I have bird sounds,” they joked. In addition to accentuating the atmosphere of
the recording space, Giordano explained they used a method called doubling, in which multiple audio recordings are overlaid. They used this for both vocals and guitar, which provided them a fuller sound. Even though “The Fool.” is Giordano’s first single, they did not find its release daunting. Part of the reason was because they initially had no intention of sharing it with anyone — without the pressure of potential reactions from listeners, Giordano was able to more readily embrace pushing boundaries with their music. Now that “The Fool.” is out in the world, Giordano said, “I just want people to feel. I want it to bring up whatever it’s going to bring up for you.” “[In] life and in terms of passion projects, [the idea of perfection] shrinks your world. … If I’m being honest, I don’t know how to play guitar. I don’t know how to produce. The songwriting thing … I did it, so I know how [to] now,” they said. For Giordano, the risk paid off — and they encourage others to take chances with their projects, too. “My closing remarks is that you go make art, people. Stop being bitter, stop being jealous and go do things you don’t know how to do,” they declared. “The Fool.” is available to stream on iTunes, Spotify and Apple music. Giordano is currently writing songs for a five-track EP, expected to be released sometime this fall.
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
11
‘Fear Street’ trilogy review: A nostalgic slasher extravaganza BY ANIKA SINGH ’24 STAFF WRITER
The “Fear Street” trilogy is Netflix’s latest attempt to give viewers a few spooks this summer. Based on R.L. Stine’s teen horror novel series of the same name, the trilogy makes a decent attempt to cater to the teens and adults who have read Stine’s novels. The plot, spread out over the course of three movies, follows the history of a longtime rivalry between two towns — Shadyside, the supposed killer capital of the U.S., notorious for its serial killers and high murder rates, and Sunnyvale, a thriving town prospering in every way as conditions in Shadyside only worsen. Shadyside’s long history of serial killers is connected to the witch’s curse of Sarah Fier, which haunts the residents of Shadyside. Leigh Janiak, the director and co-writer of the three screenplays, has taken on an ambitious project with the “Fear Street” trilogy. With the release of these three films, arranged to come out a week apart from one another (July 2-16, 2021), Janiak seems to trust that viewers will tune in to see what “Fear Street” has to offer. The audience may be compelled to watch the entire trilogy because of the recurring cliffhangers and the promise of a full explanation of the witch’s curse as the story progresses. Janiak hooks viewers’ attention by dividing the work into three different eras and following storylines classic to the horror genre, such as the age-old witch hunt. The “Fear Street” trilogy strives to make a compelling horror saga, but fails in many aspects because of its simplicity and reliance on devices such as cliffhangers and nostalgia. Though this story tells a captivating tale, it results in a mixed experience for the audience.
“Fear Street Part 1: 1994”
The first installment of the series, set in 1994, provides viewers with a dash of nostalgia. With a soundtrack featuring the alternative rock band Pixies, the film returns to an aesthetic era defined by online chat rooms. In the first scene, the audience is given a taste of what “Part 1: 1994” has in store, beginning with a mass murder after-hours at the secluded Shadyside Mall. Residents of Shadyside are used to killings like this, so much so that Deena (Kiana Madeira), a sentimental band kid, is simply annoyed by them at this point. She feels she has bigger problems, such as her recent breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Sam (Olivia Scott Welch). Toward the beginning of the film, the two attempt to navigate the changing status of their relationship. But when Sam accidentally disturbs Sarah Fier’s grave after a car crash, the two face new complications concerning the witch’s curse. Sam then becomes the newest target of the supposed witch’s curse, and Deena and her friends begin working together to protect Sam from the notorious and seemingly immortal Shadyside serial killers. “Part 1: 1994” tries its best to draw upon the slasher genre by paying homage to the hit ’90s movie “Scream” and referencing the supernatural horror film “Poltergeist.” Its nostalgic approach falls short at times, as this repetitive formula brings nothing new to the genre. “Part 1: 1994” becomes more interesting in
its third act, when the audience is told there is more history to the witch’s curse than initially meets the eye. By referencing the previous murder spree at Camp Nightwing in 1978 and introducing past survivors of Sarah Fier’s curse, “Part 1: 1994” does a decent job encouraging audience members to watch the other installments of the “Fear Street” trilogy.
“Fear Street Part 2: 1978”
We are transported back to the ’70s in the second installment of the trilogy, which tells the story of two sisters, Ziggy (Sadie Sink), a misfit from Shadyside, and Cindy (Emily Rudd), an uptight camp counselor who wants nothing to do with the town. When the witch’s curse strikes again, Cindy’s boyfriend goes on a killing spree, resulting in him eventually becoming known as the “Camp Nightwing Killer.” While the first film introduces viewers to the witch’s curse and develops interesting protagonists, “Part 2: 1978” strengthens the storylines of these figures and begins to answer how the main characters of both films are supposed to beat the curse of Sarah Fier. The second installment is definitely stronger than the first, because it brings an air of mystery and has the right amount of gore. But it comes across as scattered at times as it juggles two storylines, shifting back and forth from the murder spree at Nightwing to the unfolding of the roots of the witch’s curse. Like the first installment, “Part 2” plays on the viewer’s nostalgia by blasting the hit ’70s punk rock song “Cherry Bomb” by the all-female band The Runaways.
“Fear Street Part 3: 1666”
The final installment of the series finally gives viewers the answers to questions teased from the start. The film takes us further back in time to the life of Sarah Fier, revealing the events at the heart of the witch’s curse. The plot also explores the cause of the division between Sunnyvale and Shadyside, not explained in the previous installments. Janiak makes an impressive directorial choice to bring back actors from the previous movies to play colonial-era characters. Still, the sudden shift to the 17th century leaves the film struggling to make the “witch accusation” trope interesting enough to enjoy. The storyline borrows heavily from the infamous Salem witch trials — a common choice within the occult horror genre, as evidenced by films like “Paranorman” and “The Autopsy of Jane Doe.” But Janiak, through compelling plot twists, manages to make “Part 3: 1666” intriguing nonetheless. Midway through its runtime, the film shifts gears and returns to 1994, where the final fight against the Shadyside killers and their mastermind occurs. The shift from Sarah Fier’s origin story to the slasher-themed ’90s is oddly refreshing after an hour spent in Puritan New England. The third installment has the potential for a satisfying and thrilling conclusion, yet it falls short in its cliched storytelling.
The trilogy as a whole
Through her own unique directional style, Janiak makes a noble attempt to honor past giants of the horror genre while putting her own spin on existing
horror tropes. The use of pop culture references keeps the audience interested; however, these factors, or the lack thereof in some parts, leaves the films with limited room for plot progression. The trilogy seems to make up for its faults in other areas by not shying away from gory character deaths and adrenaline-fueled fight scenes. Janiak stays true to the horror genre by providing the right dosage of carnage to the “Fear Street” trilogy. Viewers and critics have often critiqued horror films for their metaphorical approach to providing sustained commentary on specific social issues. While some movies, like Jordan Peele’s 2017 directorial debut “Get Out,” achieve this smoothly, films in this genre are often unable to balance commentary on these issues and the horror genre formula. The “Fear Street” trilogy, which uses these metaphors and symbolism to a suitable extent, while providing the right dosage of gore and spooks, just manages to find a balance between horror and social commentary. In terms of representation, “Fear Street” does a fairly good job developing Sam and Deena’s relationship in a layered way throughout the three films. Recent horror releases have made a significant effort to include queer relationships, such as Netflix’s “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” It’s refreshing to see queer characters take the lead in this genre and be defined by more than just their sexuality. Although it certainly has its flaws, the “Fear Street” trilogy is a satisfying enough gore compilation for the average horror fan. Viewers can stream the film on Netflix.
12
BOOKS
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
Rivka Galchen’s witch-trial novel blends historical fact and fiction BY MARGARET CONNOR ’23 COPY CHIEF
Don’t let the title fool you — Rivka Galchen’s second novel “Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” is as far from contemporary popular fantasy as the Earth is from the sun. Based on an assemblage of historical documents from the seventeenth century, “Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” is a fictionalized account of the real-life story of astronomer Johannes Kepler’s mother, Katharina Guldenmann Kepler, an accused — and acquitted — witch. Taking place during the early 1600s in Leonberg, a Protestant town in the Holy Roman Empire, “Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” is an unusually nuanced portrayal of persecution, complicated by microscopic and macroscopic conflicts. Katharina Kepler is a widowed apothecary in her seventies, kept company by her dear cow, Chamomile. Her trouble begins when a former friend, Ursula Reinbold, accuses Katharina of poisoning her with sour wine. Although the allegation is unofficial, as word spreads, Katharina’s family begins to fear for their livelihood, and encourages her to charge Reinbold with slander. This, unfortunately, has the effect of legally formalizing the accusation of witchcraft, and as the book unfolds, more and more townsfolk come forward to accuse, defend and castigate Katharina. Galchen formats “Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” as an epistolary novel — a work presented as a series of documents — reflecting the myriad of records that served as her inspiration and sources while writing this book. Told in roughly chronological order, the book comprises legal filings, court interviews and letters from her youngest son, Johannes, and Katharina’s own testimony. As she herself is illiterate, Katharina must dictate her account to her neighbor, Simon. Indeed, literacy and the tensions of a literate body of power in a semi-literate society play a powerful role in the story. One of Galchen’s strengths is her ability to convincingly and compellingly tie her narrative into the real historical events of the early 1600s. Without becoming overly expository, she incorporates into her story the studies of Johannes Kepler and the death of his mentor Tycho Brache, the then-recent work of Martin Luther and the social and economic effects of the Little Ice Age. These color the daily lives of Galchen’s characters as much as the petty squabbles and pettier officials persecuting Katharina. Galchen’s portrayal of history never feels like a flat, matte backdrop or a showpiece spectacle — it feels like the authentic narration of a person living through troubled times. “Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” takes an unusual perspective on the witch-hunt narrative. Rather than rehashing Arthur Miller’s 20th-century play, “The Crucible,” perhaps the best-known work in the tradition, Galchen delves into the unique intricacies of her own story, exploring exactly why Katharina has been charged. Katharina has a reputation for imposing on the other townsfolk, in large part due to asking others to read her son’s letters and help her respond to them. While her children have had enough education to read and write, this brings them a new host of problems. One of
her sons’ wives reads lurid pamphlets about cannibal- humor that characterized Galchen’s earlier works, the ism and witch-burnings; Johannes struggles story descends into anguish and uncertainto find employment at a university due to ty as the case against Katharina builds. a tract he wrote in his youth. FurtherIt’s no wonder Galchen would more, his efforts to find “heretical” choose to make a distinction beliterature in a Europe divided by tween the early-novel catfights faith keep him away from his famof the Real Housefrau of Leonily for stretches of time. berg and the later horrors of Katharina’s persecution prison, pogroms and infant has many causes: prejudice, mortality. Over the course ignorance, fear, greed, vulof the narrative, the death nerability. The attacks atof children becomes as tributed to Katharina are much a part of the narrarevealed to be commonplace tive’s emotional core as misfortunes and illnesses Katharina’s trial. When easily explainable to a modshe leaves her town to live ern mind, but not so to her with Johannes in Linz, a fellow townsfolk. The reader, far-away town where she unlike the characters, recogwill not be recognized, nizes that crop failures are Katharina becomes close the fault of a changing climate with his young daughter, and poor governmental manMaruschl, who loves plants agement, physical disability is and cows as much as she does. the result of dangerous working It’s a touching, humanizing conditions and Ursula Reinhard’s moment for the oft-cantankermysterious illness is more gynecoous widow, and Galchen’s ability logical than supernatural. According to to quickly flesh out her characters Ursula’s brother, “She can’t urinate without prevents their interactions from feeling shouts of pain. She cries in front of important Graphic by Jieru Ye ’23 saccharine or overwrought. guests. Her husband says she doesn’t funcRivka Galchen presents readers with tion for him anymore”; another townsman says, “It’s a fictionalized narrative made real by the powerful tied to the moon.” tangibility of its setting and the emotional depth of its As far as its structure, the novel is well-paced. protagonist. Beyond simply writing an interesting hisGalchen wisely elects to skip over Katharina’s long torical drama, she pens an uncommonly sensitive and periods of travel and inactivity, focusing instead on multifaceted meditation on persecution and the messy, moments that further the plot and develop its themes multifarious forces that come together to scapegoat a regarding the power of stories and the human cost vulnerable, elderly widow. Though set four hundred of bias. The novel’s feeling of narrative progression years in the past, “Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a comes less from legal proceedings than from shifts Witch” lays bare biases and systems relevant to this in mood and tone. Beginning with the same eccentric very day.
Two members of the Mount Holyoke class of 2021 win the new Mariposa Prize, cont’d u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
to address issues of gender, race, colonialism and migration.” Before the acquisition of Mendoza’s works, the MHCAM had very few pieces by Latinx artists, according to Associate Professor of Latina/o and Latin American studies David Hernández. “[It was] a challenge to engage with the museum,” Hernández said, referencing the lack of diverse artworks available for viewing at the MHCAM before the seminar. Following Mendoza’s wishes, the Inaugural Mariposa Prize competition was simple and open-ended. Latinx students were urged to respond
to Mendoza’s pieces in a one-page submission, potentially taking on a multimedia format. Hernández said various entries included photographs, drawings and narrative reflections. When asked whether he had any advice for college-aged Latinx artists, Mendoza encouraged students to “surround [themselves] with ideas, explore possibilities, experiment, be present and get involved with communities.” “Be mindful, critical and, most importantly, emphasize self-care. Find a few good mentors whose opinions you trust. Don’t procrastinate,” Mendoza said. Mendoza’s pieces “Mariposa/Butterfly” and “Immigrant Shoes” are currently available for virtual viewing via the MHCAM website. To see them, visit artmuseum.mtholyoke.edu.
August 2, 2021
SPORTS
. Mount Holyoke News
13
COVID cases grow in the Olympic Village as competitions carry on
Photo courtesy of Dick Thomas Johnson, Flickr As of July 29, 2021, there were 198 COVID-19 cases reported in the Olympic Village, including two players from South Africa’s football team.
BY GIGI PICARD ’22 SPORTS EDITOR
After a year-long wait, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have officially kicked off. Due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in Japan that led to a state of emergency, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are not allowing spectators. Now, the athletes are paying the price — and not just from a lack of fans to cheer them on. The athletes themselves are testing positive for the coronavirus, resulting in either self-isolation from other athletes or disqualification from the Olympics altogether. CNBC reported that two days before the opening ceremony of the games, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world is on the verge of another wave of the pandemic. After they arrived at the Olympic Village, three members from South Africa’s football team tested positive for COVID-19. CNN reported the three as football players Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi and video analyst Mario Masha. As a result, the entire South African Olympic team went into quarantine. The most recent example of an athlete testing positive for COVID-19 was USA pole vaulter Sam Kendricks. According to ESPN, he took home a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics and gold at the past two world championships, and holds the American record for the highest jump at 19 feet and 10.5 inches. Kendricks will not be able to compete in the Olympics, though some of his teammates are still permitted to. He reportedly showed no symptoms and is currently isolating at a hotel. Several Australian track and field athletes were briefly told to isolate as well, as they were in contact with Kendricks. The Guardian reported the number of COVID-19 cases in the Olympic Village has hit 198. The Games themselves will feature 33 sports, with baseball, softball, skateboarding, karate, sports climbing and surfing added to the program. It began July 23, 2021 with the televised opening ceremony. One day before the ceremony took place, the creative director of the opening ceremony, Kentaro Kobayashi, was fired. CBS News reported that a video of a 1998 comedy routine he performed resurfaced, in which he seemed
to “joke about the Holocaust.” The Associated Press shared a statement by Olympic Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto. “We found out that Mr. Kobayashi, in his own performance, has used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy. We deeply apologize for causing such a development the day before the opening ceremony and for causing troubles and concerns to many involved parties as well as the people in Tokyo and the rest of the country,” Hashimoto said. The televised event was hosted by sportscaster Mike Tirico and co-anchor of Today Savannah Guthrie. According to NBC Sports Group, Tirico said the Opening Ceremony “is a memorable part of any Olympic Games, but perhaps it has never carried more meaning given the circumstances the world has been facing.” Guthrie also offered insight, saying, “[People] want to watch that moment when someone’s life changes before your eyes. I’m excited. I think people are going to really catch the fever. There is nothing like the Olympics.” The ceremony lasted approximately four hours. NBC Sports reported drones flying over the sky during the ceremony to create an image of the Earth, with fireworks displayed as well. The ceremony also featured tap dancers dressed as carpenters, who danced as other performers assembled Olympic rings out of wood from Japanese trees. The seeds of the trees were planted by athletes of various countries who participated in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Additionally, athletes from 205 countries, including the Refugee Olympic Team, came out in Japanese alphabetical order, each with at least one flag bearer. The International Olympic Committee insisted on both a male and female flag bearer per country to promote gender equality; however, not all nations complied, with some having a sole male or female flag bearer. The final three teams were Japan, France and the United States, as they are either future host countries or the current host country. The finale of the ceremony consisted of a torch relay, concluding with Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron. Several major Olympic stories have come from women’s sports in judo, swimming and gymnastics.
Japanese brother and sister judokas became the first siblings to win gold on the same day, according to Today. Uta Abe defeated her opponent in the women’s 52-kilogram category. “This was a dream for us,” Uta told reporters, when asked about achieving simultaneous gold medals with her brother. “It makes me believe dream comes true as long as I try to achieve it.” Her brother, Hifumi, won gold in the men’s 66-kilogram category, hours after Uta. Meanwhile, in the pool, Lydia Jacoby made headlines at NBC News as the first American from Alaska to swim in the Olympic Games. Jacoby took home gold in the 100-meter breaststroke, dethroning fellow American Lilly King, who won bronze. The Olympic pool is 50 meters, but since there is only one 50-meter pool in Alaska, Jacoby is used to training in short course yards. Still, that didn’t stop her from dominating at the Olympic scale. “I was definitely racing for a medal,” Jacoby said. “I knew I had it in me. I wasn’t really expecting a gold medal, so when I looked up and saw the scoreboard, it was insane.” Even with major successes in the pool, the main story of this week came from women’s gymnastics. Partway through the team finals, U.S. gold medal favorite Simone Biles pulled out of the competition after the vault event, due to a medical issue she later revealed was tied to her mental health. “Warmup in the back went a little bit better, but then once I came out here, I was like, no, mental is not there, so I just need to let the girls do it and focus on myself,” Biles said. Biles scored a 13.766 out of a possible 15.8 points during the vault because of an unexpected switch in her routine. The four-time Olympic gold medalist competed in Team USA’s first rotation, bailing out of her Amanar and only completing a 1.5 twist on a 2.5-twisting Yurchenko, then taking a big stumble on the landing. Her teammates knew immediately that something was wrong when Biles seemed to lose her place in the air during the vault. In the qualifying rounds, Biles had a score of 15.183. Since her withdrawal, Biles has revealed on social media that she is struggling with a phenomenon gymnasts call “the twisties” — a dangerous kind of mid-air vertigo that can be extremely hard to shake. Last Friday, Biles said she “literally can not tell up from down.” Without Biles, the United States women’s team won the silver medal. Biles hoped to continue competing in the individual events, which includes the individual all-around and individual apparatus events — floor exercise, beam, vault and uneven bars. CNBC reported Biles also pulled out of the individual allaround, an event in which she won gold at the 2016 Rio Games. “[Biles] will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week’s individual event finals,” USA Gymnastics commented. “We wholeheartedly support [Biles]’ decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.” Her teammate Jade Carey took her place in the all-around final, alongside Suni Lee for Team USA. Carey had originally placed ninth in the qualifying rounds. In an interview with Hoda Kotb on the Today show, CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
u
14
SPORTS
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
Despite multiple crashes, 2021 Tour de France goes on DECLAN LANGTON ’22 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
For the second year in a row, Tadej Pogacar, the 22-year-old Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates, has won the Tour de France, the annual cycling grand tour that traverses France each summer in a pack known as a peloton. Starting this year on June 26 in Brest, a town in Bretagne in the northwest of France, and concluding on July 18 at the Champs-Elysees in Paris, this Tour began with crashes that shaped the field for the next three weeks of racing. The Tour de France has taken place nearly every summer since 1903, when the race was just six stages occurring in July. This year, the Tour de France consists of 21 stages with two rest days: three weeks of intense racing covering around 3,414 kilometers, with individual stages of up to 249.1 km. The Tour stages can include sprint and mountain top finishes, climbs through the Alps and Pyrenees, flat and hilly rides across France and time trials, where riders compete against the clock to gain or lose seconds against each other. The race is broken into five different prizes: the yellow jersey for the overall winner (the cyclist with the shortest time); the green jersey for the points classification (often won by the best sprinter); the polka-dot jersey (for the most climbing points); the white jersey (for the best young rider –– the fastest overall time achieved by a rider 26 years old); and the super-combativity prize (awarded in Paris to a rider who was aggressive throughout the Tour and animated many of the stages). During every stage, eachach jersey is worn by the current leader of its classification. A combativity prize is awarded to an individual at the end of each stage. In 2021, Pogacar became the youngest rider ever to win the yellow jersey at two consecutive Tours. He was not just the overall winner, but also the leader of the white and polka dot jersey classifications. Pogacar started his lead in the eighth stage of the Tour in the mountains. He won a total of three stages this year, the first being a time trial in Stage 5, followed by two back-to-back stages in the Pyrenees, Stages 17 and 18. Wout van Aert, a Belgian rider from Team Jumbo-Visma, also dominated the field. He came close to the yellow jersey in the first week of the race and finished overall in 19th position. Van Aert also took three stages in the high mountains of Stage 11, in the time trial on Stage 20 and, finally, on the iconic sprint into Paris on Stage 21. Stage 15 led to a victory for Colorado’s Sepp Kuss, a teammate of van Aert. “It was really a special day and it’s cool to know that you won a stage in the Tour de France,” Kuss said afterwards. Michela Marchini ’22 is a fan of his back in the U.S. “One of my favorite riders, Sepp Kuss, won his first stage ever in the Tour this year, and I was so happy,” she said. This was Marchini’s second year watching the Tour. “It truly is a feat of human ability. I find myself in awe of the abilities of these riders constantly throughout the event,” she said. Though the sport isn’t necessarily popular in the
Perros-Guirec PARIS Chatou e Champs-Élysées ernea tagn u -Bre Fougères -de Mûr Changé Pontivy BREST Laval Lorient Tours Redon Vierzon
Land
Le Creusot Châteauroux Oyonnax Le Grand-Bornand Albertville
Cluses Tignes
Libourne
Valence
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux
Muret Mourenx
Pau
Luz Ardiden
lan -Sou Vella t-Lary a la ille) dorrorre-la-Vie An(A nd
Sain
0
100
200
300km
ns ude Carcassonne Quillan
Ga
int-
Sa
Malaucène
So Nîmes rgues
El
Céret
Pa
(Le
sd
Pa
e
e la la C Ca as se) a
sd
Photos courtesy of WikiMedia Commons The peloton, lead by team Deceuninck–QuickStep, heads into Carcassonne on Stage 13. Mark Cavendish is fourth in line, preparing for the sprint.
U.S. — Kuss was only one of four American riders — Marchini still found herself invested. “I remember missing a stage one Friday and checking the rankings after the fact and seeing so many huge differences in the general classification from the day before,” she recalled. “Even though I now knew the results of the day, I was like, I have to watch this stage, because I need to know what happened, [how] all this got shaken up so bad.” Marked by crashes, the first week of the Tour saw the injury and occasional abandonment of many major names in the sport. Some observers believe these crashes created an entirely different race than usual. In an opinion piece published in Peloton Magazine, Australian sports journalist Sophie Smith wrote, “The peloton is battered, bruised and missing some of its biggest names after only the first week of the Tour de France, which has been marred by blame-game industry politics and well-documented crashes.” Australian sprinter and green-jersey favorite Caleb Ewan fell during a fast sprint at the end of Stage 3, also taking down Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan, a seven-time winner of the green jersey. In Stage 1, a crash caused by a spectator holding up a sign in front of the peloton led to major injuries across the group of favorites, including last year’s second place finisher Primoz Roglic and former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas of Wales. At the start of Stage 4, riders neutralized the first few kilometers of racing by ceasing to ride for several minutes to protest the dangerous conditions of the Tour de France created by the crashes. Smith called this protest “meek at best.” Sagan believed the riders should be doing more. “The riders, we have to change our mind, otherwise it’s going to get only worse. Nothing is going to change anyway. The last 10 years, it’s only worse and worse,” he said. Sagan abandoned the Tour before the start of Stage 12, citing the injury from his crash on Stage 3. “On Stage 3, the chainring hit my knee and entered the skin above the patella, leaving a deep wound,” he explained. After a few days, an infection developed in his knee, even though race doctors helped to clean it out. Without Ewan and Sagan, the sprint competition was left to the likes of van Aert, Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Fenix and the man who would take the green
jersey in 2021, Mark Cavendish of Deceuninck-QuickStep. Cavendish is an old and well-known name in pro-cycling circles, having previously won 30 stages in the Tour and one green jersey. Before 2021, his most recent Tour de France stage win was in 2016. This year, he shocked himself when he won four more stages, equalling the Belgian legend Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins. Cycling News called this season his “comeback year.” However, in the final stage into Paris, Cavendish took third, which prevented him from surpassing Merckx’s record. He lost to van Aert, who took first, and Philipsen, who came in second. Both of them are Belgian. Cavendish wasn’t originally supposed to be on Deceuninck-QuickStep’s 2021 Tour de France team. According to Cycling News, he had been looking to retire at the end of 2020, since he had no contract. “But a last-minute contract offer came his way from Patrick Lefevere with a one-year deal put on the table from Deceuninck-Quickstep,” Cycling News reported. Cavendish accepted this offer and competed in a few races with the team. Just a few days before the 2020 Tour, Deceuninck-Quickstep’s sprinter and defending 2020 green jersey winner Sam Bennett was injured, and Cavendish was placed on the team. Though he was unable to break the record, Cavendish said in a team press release, “I’m very happy. One month ago, I wasn’t supposed to do the Tour de France, and now I am here, after three weeks that will live long in memory.” Outside of the breaking records, the Tour de France had other goals for 2021: diversity and environmentalism. In April 2021, Frenchman Kevin Reza, the only Black rider in the 2020 Tour de France race and one of five Black riders in the 2021 professional peloton, spoke to Sky Sports News about a hope for progress and greater inclusion in cycling in the coming years. “I’ve known racism since I was young,” he said. “I am destined to know it by my birth and my origins; it is like that. Unfortunately, it is painful and degrading. But we are used to living like that, and it should not CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
u
August 2, 2021
SPORTS
. Mount Holyoke News
Admission Ambassadors offer advice, cont’d u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
in if they attend Mount Holyoke, and they walk up the stairs reflecting their mascot. These moments, when prospective students begin to grow excited about Mount Holyoke, are one of Smith’s favorite parts of her job. “Seeing that spark come across their faces, that I know I felt when I was a prospective student, is the best … [I] see that I am succeeding in giving them that excitement that I felt and that drew me to the position in the first place,” Smith said. While giving a tour, an Admission Ambassador is one of the first people that prospective students and their families interact with at the College, which influences what they think of Mount Holyoke. Smith recalled that when she was a prospective student, she was drawn to the sense of community and personal respect she received from the Office of Admission. “I wanted to be that person for new coming students,” Smith stated. “I want to, you know, show them that we care about them, as students and as people, and just sort of give them that welcoming first introduction to our campus community.”
Meghan French ’24, Summer Student Ambassador
Along with experienced Admission Ambassadors, the Office of Admission hired new ambassadors for the summer, such as Meghan French ’24, a neuroscience and behavior major. During her employment, French learned that a key aspect of any new job is having the ability to be flexible and think quickly on your feet. The training for new ambassadors took place over the course of a week at the beginning of June, mostly over Zoom. During this time, the staff went over things such as protocol and what to say during tours and information sessions. “We also did in-person meetings,” French recalled. “We did a mock tour, where a senior gave a tour, and we followed them around campus, and we kind of picked up what they were saying on the tour, just to give us an idea of what a tour looks like.” Each new student hired was also paired with a returning Admission Ambassador tasked with answering their questions and preparing them for their first tour. Although French has only been guiding tours for two months, she loves her job. “It really brightens my day to show the prospective students around campus and show them my favorite spots, especially when they’re engaged and they have questions,” French said. “It really is rewarding for me to talk about my school and represent my school in the best way that I can.” One of French’s favorite spots on campus to point out on tours is the Talcott Greenhouse and the Botanic Garden. “I’m a big plant person — I love plants,” French laughed. “So, I’m a little biased in this, but it’s definitely … my favorite. I love talking about the firstyear plant, and also the spring flower show with the prospective students.” She also loves going to the library atrium during tours to point out the Dale Chihuly sculpture. “I always, like, ooh and aah over it and make sure that everyone appreciates it,” French said. Her tour guide instinct for facts and stats emerged as she added that
the sculpture was donated by the class of 1937. Even though French has been giving tours for only a short while, she has been asked some unexpected questions. One happened after she toured a particularly quiet group when a mother approached her after the tour had concluded. French recounted the interaction, “She was like, ‘Hey, hey, you did a great job, it was a great tour. By the way, [I] just wanted to pull you aside and ask, what is the best way for Mount Holyoke students to meet men?’” French said, “I appreciate that she didn’t want to ask it in front of everyone and embarrass her daughter, potentially, but it’s still this very blunt, very straightforward [question].” French continued that, although it took her by surprise, she told the mother what her friends generally do to meet people, and said she was happy to help. French’s advice for anyone looking to join the staff of the ambassadors would be to go with the flow. Touring is filled with unexpected experiences and conversations — the trick is to keep her wits about her and take the surprises in stride. “When you’re talking with a student, that could go awry,” French said. “[Or] that woman who asked me about meeting men, I didn’t expect that [either], but I just go with the flow. Or I’m walking backward and my shoe falls off. … I have to go with the flow.”
2021 Tour, cont’d u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
be a habit.” “They manage to ban cheaters who take drugs, which is normal,” he said. “I think that racism and discrimination in general must be on a par with these kinds of acts. I do not see any other action that can be taken against racist acts.” Reza concluded, “As a minimum, you would expect to see a racist get punished like a doper. I think this is one of the best solutions. It would show they’re taking a strong stance in terms of supporting action against the various forms of discrimination within sport.” The Tour also tried this year to be more environmentally friendly, according to The Guardian. They wrote, “a race that used to leave a sea of plastic waste and litter in its wake, and clog up the high pasture of the Alps and Pyrenees with diesel fumes, is working hard to green up its act.” This year, for the first time, race organizers all used hybrid vehicles. Team cars, though, did not have to take up this adjustment. The Tour has released other changes to its plans on their website on a page called “Riding into the future.” Another change is coming, too, for the Tour in 2022: the start of the women’s race. “It is long overdue,” Jeremy Whittle wrote for the Guardian. The race will have multiple stages and will last about a week. “This is a huge moment for professional women’s cycling,” Anna van der Breggen, the current women’s UCI world champion, said. “It’s long been a dream for many of us to compete in a women’s Tour de France.”
15
Biles’ exit, cont’d
Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons Sibling judokas win gold on the same day at Nippon Budokan.
u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
Biles said, “Physically, I feel good. I’m in shape. Emotionally, it varies on the time and moment. Coming to the Olympics and being head star isn’t an easy feat.” During an interview with Tirico, retired Olympic USA swimmer Michael Phelps discussed how he can relate to Biles. “We carry a lot of things, a lot of weight on our shoulders. And it’s challenging, especially when we have the lights on us and all of these expectations that are being thrown on top of us,” Phelps said. Lee, the first Hmong American to participate in the Olympic Games, took gold in the individual all-around. Biles shared a video of Lee dancing with the medal on her Instagram with text saying: “THE QUEEN HAS ARRIVED.” According to the latest available updates from NBC Olympics, Biles has pulled out of the vault, floor and uneven bar individual event finals. Her teammate MyKayla Skinner will take her place in the vault finals after originally placing fourth in the qualifying rounds. In response to her choice, USA Gymnastics stated, “We remain in awe of Simone, who continues to handle this situation with courage and grace, and all of the athletes who have stepped up during these unexpected circumstances.” Meanwhile, across other sports Olympic and world records continue to be shattered by male and female athletes alike. For example, in men’s sports, 27-year-old Shi Zhiyong of China lifted 364 kilograms in weightlifting, breaking his own world record and earning him gold in back-toback Olympics. Then, in men’s swimming, the United States’ Caeleb Dressel and Australia’s Izaac Stubblety-Cook were two of several swimmers who set Olympic records and won individual gold medals. In women’s swimming, Zhang Yufei of China won an individual gold medal and set an Olympic record time, as well as helping China set a world record time in the women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay event. The overall medal count has the United States in first place, China in second place and the Russian Olympic Committee in third. There’s less than a week left of the 2020 Olympic Games. The summer paralympic games will begin on Aug. 24 and end on Sep. 5, 2021.
16
COMMUNITY
August 2, 2021
. Mount Holyoke News
Letter from the Mount Holyoke News 2021-22 Executive Board: An update to our anti-racism plan
Dear Mount Holyoke community, It has been a little over a year since Mount Holyoke News released its anti-racism plan with the intent of completing our goals in May 2021. In this following letter, we will walk through our successes, shortcomings and steps taken to diversify MHN and dismantle the systemic racism within our institution. To our constitution, we added this encapsulation of our values. It is from this statement that we build our goals for the following year: “Mount Holyoke News is committed to publishing strictly anti-discriminatory and transparently-produced content. We have a zero-tolerance policy on harassment, both inside and outside of the organization. All content affiliated with the Mount Holyoke News and its staff must be free of discrimination including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality.” Our original list of actions for the 2020-21 academic year was as follows: • Diversifying MHN • Training new members and editors • Amending the MHN constitution to include a statement about MHN’s commitment to publishing anti-racist and transparently-produced content • Providing an educational journalistic resource to the college through a mentorship program run by the executive and editorial board members. • Changing the editorial process by lengthening the span of the news week • Transparency in the executive board • Updating the MHN’s AP Style specifics and copy editing process • Reevaluating what it means for something to be “newsworthy” This plan was originally written in July 2020. During this time, we all still believed that we would be returning to campus and in-person publication for at least some point in the 2020-21 year. Additionally, this plan was written and released before any members of the executive board had attended the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training required during the 202021 academic year. A key goal for the end of 2021 is to have all members of our executive board attend this training. We will also be reevaluating our anti-racism plan more fully in September with our entire staff once we are able to meet in person. We are proud of the work we have done so far and the steps we have taken to accomplish the beginnings of our goals. We are also committed to reevaluating and reorganizing our goals for the betterment of the Mount Holyoke News as a paper and as a community in the 2021-22 academic year.
Places of success
This year, we succeeded in reevaluating what it means for a story to be newsworthy. This was most notable in the Arts & Entertainment, Environmental and Books sections. In these sections, we made efforts to cover not only breaking news, but human interest
pieces, fun reads and more art, especially made by the MHC community. This type of reporting brought us closer to accurately representing the Mount Holyoke community, because we were focusing on more aspects and more demographics of it. The Books section, for example, highlighted more writers of color than ever before. Setting the tone for this reporting year, our first term of summer reporting centered around the Black Lives Matter Movement and COVID-19. These focal points showcased our values in action. Additionally, we began work on eliminating as much bias as possible during our copy editing process. This happened first with updates to our style guide, which was for the first time made viewable on our website. This is important because it publicly shows how MHN uses language and meaning, and what words and grammatical structures we use to discuss topics. For example, in 2020, we made it our official style to capitalize the names of races, such as adding a capital “B” to “Black.” Using Google Docs this year also allowed for greater transparency in the editing process, enabling org members to see all changes made to articles, as well as who made them. Moving forward, we hope to expand our use of Google Docs, allowing copy editors to work collaboratively and check each other’s work for biases. Another success this year was increasing transparency between the executive board and the rest of MHN. To do this, we opened all meetings to the entire staff and sent our meeting minutes each week detailing who spoke and what was discussed. Also, on the executive board level, we updated the constitution to include our anti-racist statement (as seen above), which was a goal listed in the original plan. We additionally added a list of values for our organization to follow, beginning with anti-racism. Our working list of values is as follows: Inclusivity, Diversity, Fair representation, Anti-racism, Education, Transparency, Integrity, Excellence in reporting, Equity, Accessibility, Anti-discrimination and Accountability.
Places of continued work
Our efforts this year to diversify MHN were a strong start, but there is still work to be done. At the beginning of the year, we advertised all open positions to cultural houses and organizations on campus. This diversified the demographics of those who applied during this year by both race and ethnicity. Additionally, for the first time, MHN accepted all applications that came into our inbox with the goal of training those who applied to our staff in hopes of making MHN more accessible and less daunting to join. We are committed to being a welcoming place where students can come to write, edit, draw and get a feel for the news world. Continuing to diversify MHN is our main goal for the fall 2021 semester. Over the final weeks of the summer, we are planning to continue reaching out to cultural houses and organizations as well as finding more ways to get in touch with the entire student body at Mount Holyoke. In our original plan, we discussed updating the publication schedule to expand the length of our news week. This would allow for more time and discussion
between the editor-in-chief, managing editor of content, editors and writers. This did not happen during this past academic year because of how strenuous the year was, owing to our unusual schedule. Starting in fall 2021, we will be lengthening our news week by one day. We are still working to strike a balance between the work put in by the editors and writers throughout the week and the work done by the publishing team on publishing nights. Ultimately, we are all students at the end of the day, and a shift in timeline needs to be beneficial across the board, to both the writing and the people within our organization. In light of the limited availability of journalism education at Mount Holyoke, we hope to make MHN an educational resource for the community as well as a publication. In the chaos of this year, we are still trying to navigate how to best become a resource for the MHC community while also balancing our own lives as students. We hope to tap into alum resources more during this coming academic year. While continuing to accept all applications, we hope to be able to educate anyone interested in journalistic practices. One aspect of education at MHN is editor training, which we are continually working to adjust and expand. During this coming semester, a tentative goal is to provide anti-racism training to all members of the editorial board. We also will be working to create training materials for all sections and all roles on the paper. This will be a long and ongoing process, but with the work of the full organization, it should be in reach for the following year. Training responsibility will be shared by all members of the paper, which will make Mount Holyoke News a more collaborative, accessible and community-oriented work environment. While this letter does not address each point made in our original plan, it talks through a majority of our original ideas and where they now stand as far as becoming a reality. Mount Holyoke News is fully committed to continuing our anti-racist work through the 2021-22 academic year. A full update to our anti-racism plan will be released by the end of September, and will be published in the following edition as well as updated on our website.