Mount Holyoke News — Sept. 10, 2021

Mount Holyoke News AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1917 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

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MOUNTHOLYOKENEWS.COM Megan Dear ’22

Mamou Samaké ’22, Simone Jacob ‘22, Allia Jahanbin ’22

Lucy Sternberg ’23, Leah Pendi-Robinson ’22

Bria Carlson '23, Helen Roane '23, Skye McDonald '23

Michela Marchini ’22 Eva Volckova ’22

Emily Fetsch ’23,

Sarah Forester ’23, Car olina Alvarez ’23, Erin Foley ’23, Fionna Kennedy ’23

Charley Kidd ’23

Michela Marchini ’22 Eva Volckova ’22

Michela Marchini ’22, Eva Volckova ’22

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NEWS: COVID-19 on campus

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A&E: ‘The White Lotus’ review

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ENVIRO: Healing crystals

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EVENTS

September 10, 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.facebook.com/themhnews www.twitter.com/mtholyokenews_

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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

Interim Copy Chief Emma Watkins ’23

Human Resources Annabelle Mackson ’23

Editorial Board News

Sports

Ella White ’22, Katie Goss ’23 & Mariam Keita ’24

Tasnia Mowla ’23, Jahnavi Pradeep ’23 & Ladin Akcacioglu ’24

Books

Cat Barbour ’24 & Ella Jacob ’24

Global Amelia Luo ’23 & Sophie Soloway ’23

Health & Science Zoe Greenberg ’23

BY ROSEMARY GEIB ’23 PHOTOS EDITOR Students decked from head to toe in class colors, seniors donning graduation gowns and Frances Perkins Scholars waving purple pom-poms flooded the Gettell Amphitheater and Pageant Green on Sunday, Aug. 29, to kick off the return to in-person classes. In the midst of a pandemic that continues to ravage the globe, Convocation provided students with a reason to celebrate and feel the comfort of community belonging after being unable to gather at the College since March 2020. If the energy at Convocation is at all indicative of the upcoming year, Mount Holyoke students can look forward to having the time of their lives.

Welcome MoHome!

Editor’s note: The photos on the front cover were taken by Rosemary Geib ’23 and Ali Meizels ’23. Class mascot graphics on the front cover and throughout this issue were drawn by Anjali Rao-Herel ’22. The front cover was laid out by Maggie Donovan ’23 and Rose Sheehan ’22.

Environmental

Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23

Photos

Event Highlights

Graphics

Friday, Sept. 10

Copy Editors

Love the movie “Pitch Perfect?” Well get off your screen and watch Mount Holyoke’s three A Cappella groups perform live on stage at the amphitheater on Sept. 10 at 8:30 p.m. There will be sign-ups to audition for the groups after the show! Masks must be worn at all times.

Free and open to Mount Holyoke students.

Gettell Amphitheater 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Rosemary Geib ’23 & Ali Meizels ’23

Opinion/Editorial

A note on the front cover

Gigi Picard ’22

Arts & Entertainment Rose Cohen ’22

. Mount Holyoke News

Anjali Rao-Herel ’22 Audrey Shannon ’22, Rose Sheehan ’22, Kylie Gellatly FP ’23, Lauren Leese ’23 & Ella Jacob ’24

Layout Editors

Maggie Donovan ’23 & Zoe Tang ’24

Features

Web Editors

Rebecca Gagnon ’23

Anika Singh ’24

Publication Guidelines Mount Holyoke News does not endorse any of the opinions or views expressed within the pages of the paper, excluding staff editorials.

All content copyright of Mount Holyoke News. All rights reserved. Mount Holyoke News does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age.

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MHN reserves the right to refuse submissions on the basis of, but not limited to, advertisements considered to be libelous, obscene, defamatory or discriminatory.

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Email submissions to mhnews@mtholyoke.edu by Sundays at 5 p.m. for publication the following week.

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Sunday, Sept. 12 Fall 2021 Involvement Fair

The Involvement Fair showcases all student groups on campus! Come to Skinner Green on Sunday, Sept. 12, from 1-3 p.m. to see how you can get involved on campus. From club sports to arts, cultural to academic and dance to politics, whatever your interests are, there is a group for you at Mount Holyoke.

Free and open to Mount Holyoke students.

Skinner Green 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 10 Fire, Friends & S’more Fun

Join the Outing Club for a friendly campfire this Sunday! Enjoy a s’more and meet other MHOC members and leaders. A special welcome to new students and new MHOC members! Stop by 7-8, at the fire pit near blanch.

Free and open to Mount Holyoke students.

Fire Pit near Pratt Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

September 10, 2021

NEWS

. Mount Holyoke News

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Amber Douglas named new dean of Mount Holyoke College

BY KATIE GOSS ’23 BUSINESS MANAGER & NEWS EDITOR

role,” as Douglas described it. She plans to continue her work in student success at the College in this new role. She will be working closely with the Dean of Faculty, vice president of Academic Affairs, vice president “The dean of the College position is, I think, a nat- for Student Life, vice president for Diversity, Equity ural evolution of some of the success work that I’ve and Inclusion and the vice president for enrollment. been doing and that my colleagues in Student Success Douglas not only wants to focus on academic success, and Advising have been doing over the last several but also the academic journey that students take, years,” newly appointed Dean of the College Amber which includes other aspects of their life at the ColDouglas said. lege, such as co-curricular activities.

Mount Holyoke announced that Douglas had been To reach her goals, Douglas is focusing on supportappointed dean of the College on Aug. 27. She will lead ing students’ exploration of the curriculum, academic the Division of Student Success, integrity and academic support. which was originally called the One aspect of these aims is conStudent Success and Advising “College is a tremendous in- tinuing the improvement of the department. This division inschool’s advising model. cludes the offices of Academic vestment of not only students’ “One of my biggest goals is Deans, Fellowships and Accessexperiences, time and money, to continue to hone our advising Ability Services. but also families, resources model and make sure that we reDouglas has worked at the ally continue to land that in a way College since 2005, where she and energy. We want to make that reflects what students want first started teaching as an assure that feels like a valuable [and] what faculty want,” Dougsistant professor of psychology las said. “[We want] to make sure investment.” and education before eventually students feel supported from the becoming a tenured professor. In moment they step onto our cam2014, she became the faculty dipus, as they’re graduating and - Amber Douglas rector of Student Success Initiabeyond.” tives, where she began working In addition to these goals, with College President Sonya Stephens, who was dean Douglas also wants to focus on student retention, acaof faculty at the time. demic resilience and making sure students feel that When Stephens became acting College president being at Mount Holyoke is a valuable use of resources. in 2016, she created the Office of Student Success and “College is a tremendous investment of not only Advising and asked Douglas to become its inaugural students’ experiences, time and money, but also famidirector. In 2017, Douglas took over the role of dean of lies, resources and energy,” Douglas said. “We want to studies. She has described her role as a faculty mem- make sure that feels like a valuable investment.” ber as being “really focused on the student academic In regard to academic resilience, Douglas menexperience.” tioned that guiding students in figuring out what they The dean of the College is an “old title, but new do want, from experiences where they learned what

Photo courtesy of Samara Douglas Rosenthal Amber Douglas, above, has worked at the College since 2005, when she was hired as an assistant professor of psychology and education.

they do not want, is important — even if it involves failure.

“That is a component of success, where I think in some ways it’s a little bit scarier to think about how failure fits into that. But, I think it’s an important part,” Douglas said.

According to Douglas, being in this new role will allow her and her colleagues to advocate for students, as they are in a stronger position to do so.

COVID-19 infections on campus send 7 students into isolation

BY GILLIAN PETRARCA ’23 STAFF WRITER

Editor’s note: The data, information and interviews referenced in the following article were most recently updated on Sept. 8. On Sept. 9, the College released an update to their COVID-19 protocols, which included clarifications concerning testing, quarantine/isolation and contact tracing on campus. These are the experiences of some Mount Holyoke students prior to the Sept. 9 clarification.

When Mount Holyoke College announced its return to the first in-person semester since March 2020, they did so with substantial expansions to the Community Compact. Among other requirements, the College mandated that all students, staff and faculty receive a COVID-19 vaccination either on or before move-in day.

According to an Aug. 11 email sent to the community from President Sonya Stephens, the College had, by that point, achieved a student and staff vaccination rate of 89 percent, reporting 23 vaccine exemptions for

religious or medical reasons. This vaccination rate is well above the state-wide vaccination rate in Massachusetts, which is 66 percent, as well as the nearly 76 percent of Massachusetts residents who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The College also requires compliance with twiceweekly asymptomatic PCR COVID-19 tests as well as masking while indoors. Yet despite the strict guidelines and high vaccination rates, seven students have tested positive for COVID-19 within the first two weeks of full-capacity residency.

According to the College’s COVID-19 dashboard, these seven cases developed over the period of Aug. 23 - Sept. 5, resulting in a 0.085 percent positivity rate and 60 percent of isolation housing remaining unoccupied.

During the Spring 2021 semester, with 700 students living at Mount Holyoke, on-campus infection rates averaged at 1-2 positive tests per week. Within the first two weeks, 13 out of 2,967 tests came back positive, which constituted a 0.48 percent positivity rate, more than five times the College’s current rate.

Students also had significantly less mobility in the spring. The College’s Community Compact directed

students to stay within a 10-mile radius of the school, wear masks outside of their dorms at all times and not have guests within their rooms. Dining was takeout, self-serve was not available and students were not allowed into any campus buildings besides their residence hall or Blanchard Campus Center. Additionally, in-person classes were not held.

Students participated in twice-weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 tests, which they signed up for in Embark at the beginning of each week.

This semester, Mount Holyoke has relaxed most of its previous restrictions.

The College’s protocol in the event of a positive case, as laid out on the Mount Holyoke website, is that students will be notified of a positive test through a phone call from the Health Center. The Health Center will direct the student to isolation housing, where they will remain for ten days. When the student arrives in isolation housing, they will speak with contact tracers that will help identify and locate their potential close contacts on campus.

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September 10, 2021

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Students on contact tracing, isolation housing, cont’d u

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The College is following CDC guidelines to identify close contacts. CDC guidelines identify a close contact as anyone who has been within six feet of a positive person for more than 15 minutes over a 24 hour period.

Close contacts are recommended to quarantine if they have not been fully vaccinated, while fully vaccinated individuals or those who have had COVID-19 within the last three months may not have to quarantine.

Kelechi Ezeugwu ’23 said that she was notified by email about her potential exposure as a close contact with someone in her class. Ezeugwu said the email advised her to wear a mask indoors and outdoors, limit eating within six feet of people, monitor her symptoms and continue getting tested twice a week.

“I was a little concerned that I could not get tested over the weekend,” Ezeugwu said, as the Testing Center closure over the weekend and Labor Day prevented her from getting a test on Monday. “I live in a triple and have two roommates. Since I was not able to get test results, I decided to wear a mask in the room.

I was really afraid of being positive without knowing and passing it on to my roommates, who could also pass it on to other people without knowing.”

Ezeugwu said that the class in which she came in close contact with someone who tested positive was moved online by the professor until the following Thursday. The professor wanted to ensure everyone received a negative COVID-19 test before coming back to class. However, Ezeugwu said that this was confusing because she was still attending other classes in person while potentially being positive for COVID-19.

Nora Carrier ’23 expressed similar concerns. After Carrier’s roommate tested positive, they were told to follow the same procedure as Ezeugwu.

“When my roommate tested positive, the Health Center told me that as long as I didn’t develop any symptoms, I was free to go to classes and Blanch[ard] right away,” Carrier recalled. “They called me three days later to remind me to test, but other than that I didn’t receive any more information from them.

They’re doctors so I trusted them and followed their directions, but I was very surprised that I didn’t have to isolate,” Carrier said. According to the CDC, evidence suggests that people who are fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine, as in Pfizer or Moderna, are less likely than unvaccinated people to spread COVID-19 to others.

“I trust the Health Center and the medical professionals who work there, but at the time it felt like they were just letting me and my roommate’s other close contacts roam free, even though we could be asymptomatic carriers,” Carrier added. “Thankfully, we all tested negative later in the week, but it was a very stressful situation and I felt as though I wasn’t given a lot of guidance.”

Clare Messina-Fitzgerald ’23 entered isolation housing after being identified as a close contact and reporting symptoms to the Health Center. “I called the Health Center to let them know that I started to develop symptoms. They told me to stay in my room and begin packing and that they would get back to me soon about where to go for isolation housing. About

Photo by Ali Meizels ’23 The College’s on-campus testing center, located in the Abbey-Buckland MultiPurpose Room, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

an hour later they called me back and told me where to go for isolation,” she said. According to College policy, students who test positive will remain in isolation housing for ten days, after which they will be released from isolation housing and do not have to participate in the College’s asymptomatic testing program for the next 90 days.

In isolation housing, all students have their own rooms and bathrooms. Meals can be ordered online and are delivered between 1-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Students are expected to call the Health Center every day they are in isolation to report their symptoms.

“I’ve definitely called them to report my symptoms and had to leave a voicemail before,” MessinaFitzgerald said. “I’m concerned that if I was having terrible symptoms they would not answer.” For nonhealth related needs, students are told to contact a designated non-medical Health Center employee. This employee may supply students with ibuprofen or deliver them packages from auxiliary services. MessinaFitzgerald mentioned that the person assigned to help her has been accommodating. “She’s helped me get a lot of things, she brought me one of my packages from [Auxiliary Services] and a water heater to make tea,” Messina-Fitzgerald said. “She made herself available to me over the holiday weekend.”

In terms of classes, Messina-Fitzgerald said that all of her professors have been understanding and that two of her classes have been moved online for the time being.

“I definitely think the College is relying on vaccines to prevent students from having severe cases,” Messina-Fitzgerald said. “I don’t think the College would be prepared to deal with a serious case or handle a large outbreak on campus.”

September 10, 2021

Features

. Mount Holyoke News

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The return MoHome: COVID-19 protocols divide students

BY REBECCA GAGNON ’23 FEATURES EDITOR

Whether you’re a first year stepping onto campus for the first time or a senior experiencing waves of nostalgia while walking around the Mount Holyoke campus, there are new experiences to discover as the College welcomes back the full capacity of students for the new academic year. Although a majority of students seem glad to be back, some feel anxious about returning. Opinions vary widely on how the school is handling the COVID-19 pandemic and the protocols that should keep our community safe.

“I’m really happy to be back, and I’m very excited for kicking off some of these classes,” Lucy Manlick ’22 said. “I’m definitely glad that we’re back and starting things up again.”

Jen Matos, assistant professor of psychology and education, stated that they feel some of the same relief that students do about being back. “I think being back on campus lets us take a kind of a deep, although a masked, breath. A deeper breath about feeling like we’re back at home, you know,” Matos said. “We call it MoHome for a reason.”

Returning to campus has allowed students to participate in activities they missed during the time away, even though there are some limitations.

Avni Wadhwani ’23 described how she missed simply running into people on campus. “Just being able to walk into somebody’s room or … see somebody around instead of having to … make a conscious effort to schedule time,” she said.

Manlick echoed that she missed hanging out with people, and although she has only been here for about two weeks, Molly Brown ’25 stated that she loves everything about being on campus so far, especially the people.

“I love being here,” Molly Brown ’25 said with a laugh. “I love the people … [and] everything, everything, everything.”

“Everyone’s so friendly,” Brown emphasized. “I feel like I’m able to walk up to anyone and have a good conversation. Even if you know we don’t have to become best friends.”

Although there is a general feeling of excitement about being back, it is not the same MoHome we left a year and a half ago. Among the many changes are the new rules put into place to keep our community safe. Some of these new guidelines include wearing masks indoors, getting tested twice a week, limited indoor dining, having a limited number of people in your room, needing to swipe to enter buildings and participating in contact tracing. Some of these rules are only here for two weeks as everyone settles back onto campus, but others are here indefinitely. For example, students should get used to swiping to enter buildings, having a limited number of people in their rooms, and participating in contact tracing, all which will be enforced for the foreseeable future.

“I feel as though the College has very clear plans in place related to COVID-19 safety,” Claire Williamson ’23, an RA at Prospect Hall, said. “I think the College is well prepared from a health and safety standpoint.” Williamson added that she thinks the College is still figuring out how to have a large number of stu-

Photo by Rosemary Geib ’23 Students eat dinner under the tent on Skinner Green during the first week back. The tent, installed prior to move-in, can seat up to 800 people.

dents in one place at once while continuing to maintain COVID-19 protocols, which is evident during the lunch and dinner rush in the Dining Commons. However, Williamson also said that she does feel safe on campus. “I also feel a greater sense of security knowing that at least 95 percent of residential students are fully vaccinated,” Williamson finished.

Manlick, Brown and Wadhwani also expressed that they feel the College was prepared to welcome its students back onto campus and have done well enforcing the guidelines so far.

However, this feeling that the College is prepared and feeling safe on campus is not shared by all who have returned.

“I have personally been incredibly disappointed,” Lucy James-Olson ’22 stated. Although they were exposed to COVID-19, James-Olson said they never received an email about contact tracing. Instead, they had to learn about what to do in that situation from their friends, not from the College itself. “It feels like MHC has abandoned us with the bare minimum information and expects us to take on full responsibility for the safety of the entire community,” James-Olson continued. “Even [the] faculty seems to be uninformed about COVID-19 protocols. If I wasn’t as close as I am to graduating, I would not stay at this institution.”

James-Olson isn’t alone in their frustration. The campus seems to be filled with mixed emotions about returning and differing opinions on the College’s conduct regarding containing the spread of COVID-19.

Matos acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the campus, in light of the particularly infectious delta variant and the possibilities of other variants as well.

“I think that there’s still this awareness [that] things could change,” Matos said, “and that language is everywhere.” They continued to state how, on Mount Holyoke’s website and professors’ syllabi, everything is “subject to change.”

Even some students who are mostly excited to be back are also experiencing anxiety as they adjust to living on campus and attending in-person classes. Ac-

tivities such as being in a room full of people or eating near others can be nerve-racking.

“Sometimes I’m in a crowd of people and I’m just like, this is maybe not the right number of people that we should have in one place at one time,” Manlick described. She continued to say that having many people in one place makes her worried about spreading the delta variant, even to people who are fully vaccinated.

Other worries present have to do with the College’s protocols for having students take their health into their own hands.

“My biggest concern is that the administration is using the community compact to abdicate all responsibility for student safety and force students to be solely responsible for our own health,” James-Olson said. “The combination of their very limited guidance regarding COVID-19 safety guidelines, and their requirement for students to sign the community compact makes it nearly impossible for students to take meaningful action and demand clarity and responsibility from the administration.”

Although Williamson believes the College has been prepared to welcome students back onto campus, she added that she feels her job as an RA is more difficult this year than it would have been in previous years.

“I feel that I’m put in a difficult situation of having to enforce rules related to health and safety when [first] these rules are not my own and [second] I am not an expert in health and safety,” Williamson said.

She also stated that some students take the rules very seriously while others are more laid back, and she can see both sides. She doesn’t want to stop people from having fun, but it is also her job to enforce the rules and make sure everyone is safe.

With a change as significant as returning to campus at full capacity, a wide range of emotions and responses have engulfed the Mount Holyoke community.

For now, student sentiment remains uncertain as we move forward in this unusual set of circumstances.

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GLOBAL

September 10, 2021

. Mount Holyoke News

US ends 20 year old war, leaving Afghani civilians in the lurch

BY MADHAVI RAO ’24 STAFF WRITER

After a 20-year insurgency against the U.S. government, the Taliban, an Islamic militant organization, has taken control of Afghanistan. The extremist takeover was hastened by the U.S.’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in July and August 2021. The militant group’s seizure of power has caused human rights concerns for citizens of Afghanistan.

On April 14, President Joe Biden announced that U.S. troops would withdraw from Afghanistan, ending an ongoing war that spanned two decades. Biden stated that “[The U.S.] no longer had a clear purpose in an open-ended mission in Afghanistan,” Al-Jazeera reported. This decision was fully implemented on the Aug. 31 deadline, when the last U.S. troops left the country. The withdrawal of the U.S. military led to the rapid conquest of the country by the Taliban, resulting in the extremist organization’s capture of the capital, Kabul, on Aug. 15.

During the reign of the Soviet Union, the USSR extended forces to Afghanistan as a way of supporting Photo courtesy of Flickr the communist government that existed there. In 1989, Above, soldiers board a plane to leave Afghanistan following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all American troops by Aug. 31, 2021. the Soviets were driven out by Islamic fighters. The subsequent power vacuum led to the creation of the can troop presence to respond to escalating Taliban Abhilash Medhi, assistant professor of history at Taliban, an Islamic extremist group consisting mostly attacks, or pull out,” Hashmi continued. “In my opin- Mount Holyoke College, commented on the conditions of students, in 1994. When it first emerged, the group ion, President Obama made a crucial mistake when of people in the country: “In terms of inflation, food was described as consisting of “Islamic purists and Af- he decided to continue the American presence in Af- security, poverty, etc. the country might face similar ghan patriots” by The New York Times. The movement ghanistan after Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. problems as it did under Taliban rule in the 1990s. Peowas initially welcomed as a form of relief against the Remember, the U.S. attacked Afghanistan in 2001 to ple are already lining up to sell household items for Afghan warlords that played a part in driving out the eliminate the threat from al-Qaeda coming from that money. One statistic states that one third of the counSoviet soldiers. However, in 1996, the Taliban declared country. Ten years later, bin Laden was killed not in try now has food insecurity.”

Afghanistan an “Islamic Emirate,” ruling with a con- Afghanistan, but deep in Pakistan.”

One reason for the economic instability is the servative view of the religion which was intolerant of “Over the 20-year arc of the war, it has been a story withdrawal of U.S. aid to the country. Foreign aid acother religions and oppressive of of U.S. overreach and, at times, counts for nearly half the legal economy of Afghaniwomen’s freedoms. By 1998, the a self-deluding refusal to face stan, according to a report by The New York Times, militant group had taken control “In terms of inflation, food se- facts,” American journalist Da- meaning that stopping this inflow of cash could lead to of most of the country. vid Ignatius wrote in an opinion a serious financial crisis in the nation. The exit of U.S. curity, poverty, etc. the country piece for The Washington Post.

Following the 2001 attack by troops also removed a major source of tax revenue the terrorist group al-Qaeda on “The problem with the evac- from the country. might face similar problems as the Twin Towers in New York The Taliban’s conservative views are also a source it did under Taliban rule in the uation, in part, was that military City, Osama bin Laden, the head and civilian efforts were operat- of concern when considering the country’s future. In a 1990s. People are already lin- ing on different clocks,” Ignatius report on the conditions of human rights in Afghaniof al-Qaeda, was harbored by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The ing up to sell household items said. “The military raced out by stan, Amnesty International stated, “Women and girls U.S. military launched airstrikes July 1, embracing the generals’ continued to face gender-based discrimination and for money.” alongside Afghan Northern Allicredo, ‘speed is safety,’ and leav- violence throughout Afghanistan, especially in areas ance ground forces and deposed ing behind only a token force of under Taliban control, where their rights were viothe Taliban rulers when they 650.” He continued, “The civil- lated with impunity and violent ‘punishments’ were - Abhilash Medhi refused to hand over bin Laden. ian withdrawal proceeded at a meted out for perceived transgressions of the armed According to BBC News, the U.S. slower pace, moving more like group’s interpretation of Islamic law.” vowed to “support democracy and eliminate the ter- ‘pond water’ than a rushing torrent, in the words of Medhi further clarified, “A large portion of the rorist threat” in Afghanistan. The Taliban returned, one four-star general. That was partly because Biden country was already under Taliban rule. In the south and the situation escalated into the longest war that had promised President Ashraf Ghani to avoid a rush and the east, in regions such as Helmand, Wardak and the U.S. has fought. With the withdrawal of the last for the exits that might trigger a panic. It turned out Paktia, there were entire districts which were already U.S. troops on Aug. 31, the future of Afghanistan under that it was Ghani himself who panicked and fled for his controlled by the Taliban.” Medhi continued, “The Taliban rule is uncertain. life, handing Kabul to the Taliban.”

Taliban’s strict doctrine is not dissimilar to how some “For at least the past ten years, the Taliban conOmid, a 26-year-old Afghani medical student, ethnic groups, such as the Pashtuns, were already livtrolled at least half of Afghan territory,” chair of In- told Al-Jazeera, “They gave us pens and taught us ing. However, for groups such as the Hazaras, the Uzternational Relations on the Alumnae Foundation and about freedom, and then just as quickly, they took it beks and the Tajiks, these developments can be very Professor of Politics Sohail Hashmi said. “The people all away,” referencing the end of U.S. presence in the troubling. The Taliban takeover means very different in rural Afghanistan — the majority of the population country. In an interview with the news outlet, he went things for people based on their ethnicity and gender.”

— have been under Taliban rule. The choice facing on to explain that the main concern for many Afghani Massoud, a shopkeeper in the capital city of Kabul, President Biden was to prolong this stalemate for yet civilians at the moment is staying out of poverty, as told Al-Jazeera, “The former governments were full of another presidential administration, escalate Ameri- well as finding a means of leaving the country. corrupt thieves, but now, we have no freedoms.”

September 10, 2021

. Mount Holyoke News

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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‘The White Lotus’ is a biting — but toothless — satire

Graphic by Gabby Gagnon ‘24

BY LUCY OSTER ’23 STAFF WRITER

“The White Lotus,” one of the most talked-about television shows of summer 2021, is deceptive from the onset. The series begins with a mystery, but as it unfolds it becomes clear that hot-button issues such as class struggle and race are at the center of the narrative. Although I first became interested in the HBO six-episode limited series upon viewing the opening shots, which display a dead body being loaded onto a plane, I noticed the show ends up leaning more toward satire than a sincere whodunit.

The series takes place at a resort in Hawai’i and revolves around the lives of the accommodating employees and a gaggle of guests. It is the most recent HBO series to feature rich people griping about their first-world problems, following in the footsteps of the impeccable “Succession.”

While “The White Lotus” initially includes the viewpoints of the hotel staff, thereby broadening the scope of perspective usually seen on television, I soon became aware that the show mainly ends up focusing on its wealthy white characters. Ultimately, the show works as a satire on the privileged, but left me feeling empty because it replicates the imbalance it’s attempting to critique.

Throughout “The White Lotus,” the audience hears the fun, senseless arguments of the upper class.

The dialogue, which some see as the main appeal of the show, can be very funny, especially when viewers can relate to the crises of the rich. At one point, for example, one of the main characters, Mark Mossbacher (Steve Zahn), has an existential crisis on what it means to be human saying, “Like gay, straight, whatever, we’re just monkeys. We’re just fucking monkeys.” But, occasionally, I felt that the dialogue was more like a caricature of the most inane things a person could say.

In one scene, Nicole Mossbacher (Connie Britton), a CFO of a tech company, turns to her teenage daughter, who is criticizing her father, and asks if she’s going to “cancel him? Dox him? Sic the K-pop stans on him?” Nicole’s use of “K-pop stans,” a term that often appears on Twitter, feels inaccurate and goofy. How would this busy corporate worker know about doxxing and the world of K-pop?

Throughout the first season, I noticed the show continues to rely on Twitter-sourced language. Olivia Mossbacher (Sydney Sweeney) and her friend Paula

(Brittany O’Grady), two college-aged guests staying at the resort, can best be described as part of the socalled “dirtbag left,” neglecting the civility of liberalism. True to the culture of young internet leftists, Olivia consistently makes fun of her mother’s liberal, Clinton-esque politics. At one point, in a clear reference to American financier Jeffrey Epstein, Olivia even snarks that her parents are “high-end pimps for a billionaire sex pervert.”

I found the deluge of Twitter references entertaining but deadening because it recreates the social media echo chamber we live in without providing any substantive critique of it. The constant rehashing of Twitter discourse and the same trite talking points had me wondering if the show would add anything new to the political conversation about class differences. I hoped the outsider perspectives of the employees would jolt the “The White Lotus.” If employees’ narratives were included, the show could break out of the cycle of critiquing privilege by demonstrating privilege.

Unfortunately, the employees don’t ever receive full character arcs. We only see the employees burdened by interactions with the resort’s guests. As viewers, we witness the resort’s manager, Armond (Murray Bartlett), indulging a guest. Then, we see his subsequent annoyance once the guest turns away; however, we never access the parts of Armond’s personality where the guest does not play a role. The

show’s satire revolves around the treatment of the working class, but we never truly hear their side.

Perhaps part of the reason the inner lives of the employees are so reduced is because “The White Lotus” was filmed during the pandemic. This made it so that the actors had to quarantine and shoot exclusively at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui. The show makes use of this limitation by treating the resort as its central setting, only concerning itself with the characters within its walls. When the employees leave the resort, they’re not seen again until they return. Toward the end of the first episode, one employee gives birth; she only reappears during the last episode, when she enters the resort again.

The show being filmed during the pandemic potentially excuses the fact that it bases itself around the elite guests. But how can the show criticize white Americans visiting a Hawaiian resort while inviting an entire television show cast and crew onto the island of Maui?

“The White Lotus,” despite its obvious humor, is a snake eating its own tail. The show points out the hypocrisy of rich white people arguing over their flaws and doing nothing to fix them, but the show fails by outright ignoring the perspectives of its lower-class characters. At one point, Mark Mossbacher comments: “Obviously, imperialism was bad, but it’s humanity.

Welcome to history. Welcome to America.” And I can’t help but feel that the show agrees with him.

8

ENVIRONMENTAL

September 10, 2021

. Mount Holyoke News

Photo courtesy of Max Pixel As the COVID-19 spread throughout the country, some welleness culture companies, like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, enouraged customers to try using crystals, as could reportedly heal their pandemic-related anxieties.

Healing crystal trade runs on exploitation of labor and environment

BY SIONA AHUJA ’24 STAFF WRITER

After spending years being dismissed as a mystical, new-age spiritual fad, healing crystals have seeped into the mainstream through a combination of social media aesthetics and the wellness juggernaut.

Despite general economic stagnation during the pandemic, the sales of near-gemstones like amethysts and clear quartz skyrocketed in 2020. Since 2015, demand for crystals has more than doubled in the U.S. Diana Prado, who owns a small crystal shop in Longmont, Colorado, told The Guardian, “Sales have increased as if it was Christmas time.” Despite opening their store in January 2020, Prado and her mom survived the economic crash brought on by the pandemic and even saw $2,000 in additional profits every month.

Uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 provided some people with opportunity for reflection and healing. In the meantime, popular culture, including celebrity companies like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, influenced some to turn to the likes of crystals.

Some crystals reportedly have properties that could dissolve many pandemic-related anxieties. According to the website of Indigo Healing Arts Collective, a wellness studio in Wallingford, CT, yellow calcite can “boost the immune system and improve the metabolism.” Black tourmaline is used to “strengthen the immune system, balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and detoxify the body.” Hundreds of these rocks — in clusters, raw, or polished — are found at one place in America: Tucson, Arizona.

Walk into the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and you will find yourself in geode heaven. Held annually in Tucson, it is the largest crystal show in the world, and the place where almost every American seller buys their supplies. “If you’re in the United States, and you own a crystal shop, you go to Tucson,” Julie Abouzelof, owner of Moonrise Crystals, said in an article for The New Republic. The mineral show also hosts sellers from across the globe.

While these crystals may be considered “healing” to those who collect them, a look into the underbelly of the industry offers a very different perspective. Information about the origins of these rocks, what conditions they are mined in and their detrimental environmental impacts is scarce, murky and often overlooked.

The truth is, rocks like those sold in Tucson are often extracted in countries with unregulated labor laws, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

Eighty percent of the population in Madagas-

car living outside cities lives in poverty, subsisting on less than $1.90 every day. Despite being a mother lode of natural resources, including ocean jasper, a type of rock only found in Madagascar, the country faces high rates of exploitation and the miners are paid insufficient wages. Between two and four workers are recorded to die in the mines every year.

“There’s the possibility of landslide, that happens a lot here. The soil falls on them and they die,” Many Jean Rahandrinimaro, the deputy mayor of Anjoma Ramartina, a town in Madagascar that sits upon the largest rose quartz reserves in the world, told the Guardian in a 2019 interview. The workers are prone to inhaling the fine particles of these rocks, leading to the risk of lung cancer and silicosis. Child labor is prevalent; the U.S. Department of Labor and the International Labour Organization estimated around 85,000 children work in the mines of Madagascar.

The controversial $66 jade egg sold by Goop has come under fire for falsely claiming to improve vaginal health and sexual performance. Moreover, there are many petitions in circulation asking the company to disclose the sources of its gemstones. Given how expensive jade is, people have speculated that Goop could be sourcing the rock illegally from Myanmar.

Tens of billions of dollars worth of jadeite are traded annually through an industry that is buried in environmental corruption. The jade industry is controlled by unscrupulous companies and is central to conflict between Myanmar’s government and the rebel Kachin Independence Army/Organisation. “The jade business is wreaking havoc on the people and environment of

Kachin, where the stone is mined,” Global Witness, an international NGO that investigates environmental crimes, said in a 2015 report on the jade industry.

While the origins of the crystals themselves might be vague, the environmental detriment that the multibillion dollar crystal industry poses is clear. Two of the largest copper mines in New Mexico that produce chrysocolla, a blue-green stone that is said to dissipate feelings of anxiety and guilt, and pyrite, a metallic cluster that theoretically encourages creativity and leadership, are reported to “generate an estimated 2 billion gallons of acid and metals contaminated seepage every year, requiring water treatment in perpetuity,” according to the environmental group Earthworks. These mines have also contributed to severe surface and groundwater contamination, which has led the State of New Mexico and the U.S. Department of Justice to file natural resource damage claims against the mines.

The near-gemstone trade, unlike the precious metals trade that includes gold and diamonds, is not under strictly-enforced regulations. Unethical practices escape close scrutiny by sellers or buyers through marketing tactics and a lack of transparency among mining companies. Environmental sustainability and higher ethical standards in crystal sourcing can be achieved through pressuring the government to issue fair trade certifications to crystals and their likes, petitioning for proper policies and wages for miners and buying from trusted sellers who are transparent about their sources. Without proper regulations, nothing can get rid of the vibes of human exploitation and environmental corruption.

Photo courtesy of Max Pixel Many crystals with “healing” properties are mined in countries with unregulated labor laws, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

C

BOOKS 9 Cozy up with new releases and fall-themed favorites September 10, 2021

. Mount Holyoke News

BY CAT BARBOUR ’24 & ELLA JACOB ’24 BOOKS EDITOR & BOOKS EDITOR, COPY EDITOR

As the end of summer approaches, the desire to fill bookshelves with autumnal prose grows. The Mount Holyoke News has compiled a list of fall-themed books to get readers into the autumn spirit.

“Real Life”

by Brandon Taylor Wallace has complicated feelings about going back to university. Growing up as a Black and queer person in Alabama, Wallace built protective walls around himself. Now, those walls have made it difficult to create a new group of friends.

Taylor follows Wallace in this relevant tale as he navigates complicated familial relationships and overt racism. Microaggressions like “wealthy white people fling[ing] bits of bread at koi and talk[ing] in hushed, slurred voices about the changing demographics of the university” are detailed throughout the novel. With Wallace stuck in a situation The New Yorker calls “a worthy subject of satire,” Taylor brings injustices and gatekeeping in academia to life.

“Real Life” is Taylor’s debut novel. A microbiologist by training, he is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The novel, a New York Times Editor’s Choice, was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize.

“Night Film”

by Marisha Pessl When Ashley Cordova’s body is discovered in an abandoned warehouse one October night, veteran investigative journalist Scott does not believe the official ruling of suicide. Digging through the details of Ashley’s life and death, Scott discovers that her father is none other than Stanislaus Cordova, an infamous cult-classic horror film director who hasn’t been seen for more than 30 years. After a failed past investigation into Stanislaus’ story costs him both his marriage and his career, Scott risks losing even more when he begins to chase the growing mystery once again.

Influenced by authors such as Agatha Christie, Shel Silverstein and Truman Capote, Pessl is a graduate of Northwestern and Barnard. Her previous works include “Special Topics in Calamity Physics” and “Neverworld Wake.”

Photo courtesy of Flickr Anthony Doerr, the bestselling author of “All the Light We Cannot See,” will release his upcoming novel “Cloud Cuckoo Land” on Sept. 28.

“Cloud Cuckoo Land”

“Squashed”

by Anthony Doerr

by Joan Bauer

“Cloud Cuckoo Land” follows the lives of five strangers — Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno and Konstance — separated by more than 500 years of history. With powerful imaginations, the strangers resort to youthful hope and perseverance amid imminent danger. Their faith lies in the story of Aethon, a child who dreams of turning into an eagle so they can fly to a paradise in the sky. The protagonists each interpret and relate to this story in their own way. Anna, a 13-year-old orphan in 15th-century Constantinople, reads the myth as a form of escapism, while an old prisoner of war named Zeno presents a play adaptation of Aethon’s story. These characters’ stories serve as a reminder of the timelessness of tales.

Doerr, author of “All the Light We Cannot See,” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author. He has won five O. Henry Prizes and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

Ellie desperately wants to win her small town’s pumpkin-growing contest. She and her pumpkin, Max, are in close competition with rival farmer Cyril Pool. In this YA tale, Ellie must face this challenge while balancing a growing romantic relationship with Wes, a corn farmer, and a complicated relationship with her father. For a taste of Bauer’s humorous prose: “Not all vegetables are this draining. Lettuce doesn’t bring heartache. Turnips don’t ask for your soul. Potatoes don’t care where you are or even where they are. Tomatoes cuddle up to anyone who’ll give them mulch and sunshine.

But giants like Max need you every second. You can forget about a whiz-bang social life.”

Bauer is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author who is also a screenwriter, songwriter and public speaker. Her other works include “Hope Was Here,” “Soar” and, most recently, “Raising Lumie.”

u

2021 O JAM u

Join the classes of 2022 and 2024 as they present O JAM, a performance of Mount Holyoke’s three A Cappella groups — the V8s, Nice Shoes and M&Cs — on Friday, Sept. 10. The Amphitheater opens for seating at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. Sign ups for A Cappella auditions will be available after the show.

10

SPORTS

September 10, 2021

. Mount Holyoke News

Game of the Week: Mount Holyoke sports compete once more

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics Mount Holyoke Volleyball huddles at their first game of the season.

BY GIGI PICARD ’22 SPORTS EDITOR

After 542 days of waiting, Mount Holyoke College fall sports have begun their first official competitions.

The first teams to kick off their season were Mount Holyoke Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer and Volleyball.

Cross Country On Sept. 3, the cross country team ran at the Wellesley College Invitational on the 5k course.

The team placed fourth overall, with Lauren Selkin ’23 in first place. It was Selkin’s personal best by 42 seconds and first win as a Lyon.

“I was very excited to be back to in-person training and competitions,” Selkin said. “I really missed … being able to compete, so being back on a course and [having] people to run against was thrilling.” With a new season ahead, Selkin is “looking forward to working hard, competing, racing alongside my teammates and working to achieve our goals for the season.”

Tessa Lancaster ’25 finished 15th in the race and second for the Lyons. “I’ve rarely seen so many smiles on the line just before a race, and I couldn’t ask for a better atmosphere going into my first college race,” Lancaster said. “As for my own time, I’m really proud of it, especially considering courses with rolling hills have been a challenge for me in the past.” Lancaster described the cross country preseason as “an amazing experience.”

“I felt instantly welcomed by the team, especially the upperclassmen, who really helped set a positive tone from the first meeting,” Lancaster added.

Olivia Johnson ’25, Bridget Hall ’24 and Emily Hood ’24 joined Selkin and Lancaster in the top five.

Both the results and the general experience left Cross Country Head Coach Chris Kibler hopeful for the coming season. “The Wellesley Invite was a ton of fun for everyone. I was most proud of my team for their excitement and positivity in a time [when] many student-athletes would … feel overly nervous and overwhelmed,” he said. Kibler believes the team will “achieve things no other MHC Cross Country team has done.”

Volleyball

Soccer

Like the soccer team, Mount Holyoke Volleyball opened their season with two matches on Sept. 1 and Sept. 4. The team’s first match was at home against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Trailblazers, ending in a loss in 3-1 sets. McKenna Crosby ’23 produced a team best of seven kills, three aces and two digs. The records didn’t stop there: Chelsea Galicia ’22 finished with a team best of 15 digs.

Volleyball’s next match was hosted by the University of Saint Joseph. The Lyons fell to the Blue Jays after a “five-set thriller,” bringing their season record to 0-2. Still, performances from several team members shone through, with Sarah Bishop ’22 setting a team best of 12 kills and nine digs.

Galicia came up with a team best of 24 digs in the game. Lucie Berclaz ’25 finished with six digs in the match. “I think the team as a unit is incredibly strong,” Berclaz said.

Berclaz stated that during the game, “each player was able to come back from every mistake they made.” In a word, Berclaz described the team as “resilient.” “We pushed for every single point.

There was so much skill and potential showcased in the game that it makes me very excited for the rest of the season.”

According to Berclaz, Volleyball spent some of their preseason doing team-bonding exercises such as mini-golfing and building cardboard boats to race against each other. Those exercises “ allowed us to gain a sense of who each individual is as a player [and] as a person and how we can grow with them,” Berclaz said. “This is something that will set us up for success.”

After a long time away, Head Coach Iris Carpio is excited that spectators will be allowed back in the stands on Oct. 8, and eager to be able to work with such a “special group” in the first place.

“It was great to have everyone together for the first time in over 520 days,” Carpio said. “As the coach, I definitely sensed from the athletes the urgency to step away from all that has been happening in the world and simply be with one another — to train for a sport, and compete in a sport that brings each of us so much joy.”

Mount Holyoke Soccer began their season with two matches under new Head Coach Breena Proctor. “I want to thank [Interim] Director of Athletics Erica Lemm and the entire search committee for entrusting me with leading the soccer program at Mount Holyoke College,” Proctor told the College in a press release. “I am beyond thrilled to lead this group of people and to be a part of the entire MHC community.” Proctor was a volunteer assistant coach for women’s soccer at Springfield College in 2020. “Everyone at MHC is so supportive, and the community has made me feel welcome in my very short time here,” Proctor commented. “[The team] instantly clicked and ha[s] done a great job build[ing] a positive, hard-working culture among themselves. From a coach[’s] standpoint, it’s amazing to see.”

Lyons Soccer officially opened at an away game against Colby-Sawyer College, culminating in a 2-1 win against the Chargers. The two goals by midfielders Rocio Perez-Salas ’24 and Hannah Keochakian ’25 sealed the victory, aided by goalkeeper Shannon Breen ’24, who came up with two saves. There were impressive performances by the rest of the team as well: Lily Connelly ’24 finished with one shot and a shot on goal and Avery Livingston ’25 made two shots in her first collegiate appearance.

Three days later, the soccer team hosted Skidmore College for their first home opener. The Lyons fell 7-0 to the Thoroughbreds, putting the season record at 1-1. Keochakian, Fionna Kennedy ’23 and Connelly collectively came up with four shots while Breen had 11 saves in the match.

Proctor gave her perspective on Soccer’s opening weekend. “A win in our first game is great for the program, especially [for] a program that has struggled in the past. We executed our style and team identity well,” Proctor said. “Sure, it was a tough loss against Skidmore, but we all recognize that this is part of the process. … We are going to have lots of growing pains. For us, it’s not about the wins and losses — it’s about the process and ways we can find success.”

Field Hockey The next team to commence their competition season was Field Hockey. Roger Williams University hosted the team on Saturday, Sept. 4, for a match, which concluded in a 3-2 loss against the Hawks. Forward Kass Lawrence ’22 scored both goals for the Lyons.

Goalkeeper Rachel Katzenberg ’25, who made 11 saves in the game, said the team fought hard for the entirety of the match. “We watch the film, learn what we did wrong and fix it the next time around,” Katzenberg said. “We do not sit around and make the same mistakes.”

For Katzenberg, the loss was still encouraging evidence of the team’s fortitude. “This team

plays with lots of heart and doesn’t give up. I noticed that on day one but witnessed it in our opening game.”

Head Coach Andy Whitcomb also had some insights about the team. “In full disclosure, preseason has been incredibly difficult,” he said.

“We’ve asked [for] a lot [from] our players, and right now, we are practicing until almost 10 p.m. because we still don’t have our field.” Whitcomb called the players “incredibly resilient, positive [and] upbeat” despite the unfavorable circumstances. “They represent everything good about Division III athletics: They are in it for love of the sport and one another,” Whitcomb stated.

September 10, 2021

COMMUNITY

. Mount Holyoke News

11

^ R HOROSCOPES ^ R Aug. 23 – Sept. 22

With all the beginnings the new semester brings, you are in your element. Bask in this energy, and don’t get too caught up in the small things. It’s your time — don’t waste it, Virgo!

March 21 – April 19

Sept. 23 – Oct. 22

It’s going to be a rough week, Aries — we won’t sugar coat it.

However, by Friday, the moon will meet up with Venus, leaving you poised for an epic date night.

It’s time, Libra. You can’t keep running from your problems anymore. Lean on the balance of the Libra moon to face your fears. Maybe they won’t be as bad as you think.

April 20 – May 20

Oct. 23 – Nov. 21

It’s okay to get your hopes up about something, even if it’ll demand a little patience. Good things are inching your way — the wait will be worth it, dear Scorpio.

It’s a good time to make a friend, or something more. Eat outside with someone you want to get to know, and take a gamble on the balance brought by the Libra moon. Hopefully it will quell the yellow jackets, sweet Taurus.

May 21 – June 20

Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

Gemini, stop right where you are. Take a moment to take in the sounds around you. Pause your mind for a minute and hear the birds, the wind, the chatter, the printer, the clicking of keys, the silence. You’re doing just fine.

A long drive could do you some good after this stressful week, O Sagittarius. Take some time this weekend to see the beautiful sights of the Pioneer Valley. Look out for bright colors in the sky.

June 21 – July 22

Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

It’s been a tiring week. Some of your problems might be more managable if you make a point of going to bed earlier. Plus, you have to be well-rested for all the excitement Venus’ positing will bring you this weekend. Are you ready, Capricorn?

You could use some fresh air. Lay on the green, Cancer.

Take a walk around upper lake, Cancer. Celebrate Venus’ ideal position on Friday with a romantic date under the tent, Cancer. Whatever you do though, avoid birdwatching.

July 23 – Aug. 22

Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

Tap in to your wild side this week, Leo. Wear that ridiculous hat, or that cool fuzzy coat. Mix fruit loops and cocoa puffs.

Find a new friend by making a bold compliment. You’re hot stuff and the world is your oyster.

Aquarius, this is a good week for creativity and productivity. Flaunt your artistic energy, let go of that mental tension and just let things flow. Ride this wave and make the most of it.

Fred and Moose

Feb. 19 – March 20

Friday’s Venus positioning is exciting for most of the signs — especially you, Pisces. Now is a good time to get intimate. Or, if that’s not what you’re into, take some time for rest and selfcare. Leave the door open for a new friend.

BY SILVIE SCHLEIN ’23 STAFF CARTOONIST

Note From the Editor Dear Mount Holyoke community, Thank you for visiting this copy of the Mount Holyoke News, an independent newspaper run by and for the Mount Holyoke community since 1917. Throughout this year, we as a campus organization are striving to represent and uplift the diverse voices of our community. It is our responsibility as an independent paper to report the truth, challenge injustice and share your stories when you want to be heard.

If you would like to become a member of the Mount Holyoke News, check out our applications page on our website or find us at the involvement fair on Sunday, Sept. 12. If you would like to get in contact with the paper, pitch a story or send us feedback, you can reach us at mhnews@mtholyoke.edu.

Thank you for your continued support of student journalism.

Sincerely, Declan Langton Editor-in-Chief