Jon Western (1963-2022), former dean of faculty, dies
Jon Western, former vice president of academic affairs, dean of faculty and Carol Hoffmann Collins ’63 Professor of International Relations, died on Jan. 29, 2022. His memory lives on through his wife, sons, students and colleagues.
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College, Western went on to earn his Master in Public Policy at the University of Michigan and his doctoral degree from Columbia University. Before arriving at Mount Holyoke College, he taught at Columbia University and George Washington University. Western also served at the United States Institute of Peace as a Peace Scholar-in-residence and the coordinator of the Dayton Upgrade Project. In these two positions, he directed and developed a peace-building organization in Bosnia. In 1992, he worked as an analyst in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research during the Bosnian War.
Blessed Bee brings magic to the Village Commons
Aimee Salmon FP ’23 builds her small business Africana Dance & Fitness
And one-two-three, and one-two-three and one. Dancing to the rhythm of the beat isn’t only something that people pick up for fun — it’s also a way to stay active. These two things — dance and fitness — inspired Aimee Salmon FP ’23 to build her own business helping people improve their health by letting their hair down and moving to music.
Students share favorite study spots around campus
Whether for a quiet slumber, an intense writing session or hours of studying, many students have favorite spots around campus to visit when they need to prepare for finals. Mount Holyoke News asked students via Instagram stories to share their ideal location for a study session — check out these spaces next time you need to knock out some homework.
Mount Holyoke College celebrates Indigenous Peoples Month
From screening films to hosting Indigenous speakers from local tribes, the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center is prepared to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Month this November. Mount Holyoke College, which is located on the ancestral land of the Nonotuck people, is working to promote and honor these events. The Zowie Banteah Cultural Center supports Native and Indigenous students on campus throughout the year.
Aaron Wilson ’24 and Camden Breckenridge ’24 begin mask making business
Dinosaurs, periodic tables, Blanchard bees, treble clefs and more have all begun to grace the faces of Mount Holyoke students this semester. This semester, Aaron Wilson ’24 and Camden Breckenridge ’24 have been making and selling masks with a myriad of different patterns at a table outside of the Community Center.
Artist Lenka Clayton’s new exhibition celebrates Skinner Museum’s 75th anniversary
Klara Grygo ’23 refounds Mount Holyoke College Mock Trial
Klara Grygo ’23, a politics major in her penultimate year at Mount Holyoke, has refounded the Mount Holyoke College Mock Trial Team for the 2021 season. The initial dissolution of the organization has led students like Grygo to take initiative in creating academic spaces on campus beyond the classroom. Grygo, president of the new MHC Mock Trial Team, has taken it upon herself to give the group a second life, essentially from scratch.
First-years adjust to college life
From different food to new cultural experiences to meeting new people, there are multiple aspects of adjusting to college life that can be difficult for first-year students. A new physical location, combined with an increase in social activity since the COVID-19 outbreak, has left some students feeling overwhelmed.
Mark Shea begins new role as SAW Center faculty director
Though writing a paper or preparing a presentation can seem overwhelming, the Speaking, Arguing and Writing (SAW) center is available to help students in need, now featuring newly appointed faculty director of the center, Mark Shea.
Shea, who is also a senior lecturer in the English department and the coordinator of the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program, became the faculty director of SAW at the beginning of the fall 2021 semester. Shea is also. The SAW program is a peer mentoring program that pairs trained student mentors with students looking for help with writing or speaking assignments.
Visiting Lecturer Martin Wilson draws upon his lived experience to prioritize LGBTQ stories.
Every Friday, Martin Wilson makes the hours-long commute from his home in New York City to the gates of Mount Holyoke College, where he teaches a class called Young Adult Fiction Writing. Wilson, a visiting lecturer in his first semester at Mount Holyoke, is aiming to cultivate an environment in which all stories can be told. Come rain or shine, Shattuck Hall is constantly buzzing with the clamor of creative minds at work.
Claying around: Tasha Elizarde ’22 starts small jewelry business
Raindrops trickling from clouds topped with rainbows, chains of yellow flowers and dazzling little planets are just a few of the earrings Tasha Elizarde ’22 has made and brought to the Mount Holyoke campus since she founded her small business, “Just Claying Jewelry.” Elizarde began making jewelry during the pandemic. “I started making jewelry during quarantine as a fun side gig,” she said. “I was kind of just interested in jewelry and wanting to pick up a new hobby.”
Letter to the Editor: Diary of a college move-in COVID-19-style
The readjustment: students return to Mount Holyoke after gap years and semesters
Like many colleges and universities around the United States, Mount Holyoke offered almost exclusively remote courses during the 2020-2021 academic year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This turn of events prompted some students to choose to take a gap year or semester instead of attending online classes. Mount Holyoke students who took one semester off were able to remain a part of the class year they entered college with. However, some who took a full year off are adjusting to a social life in flux and sometimes to a new class color and mascot, which has complicated the return to the College.
Liz Sevigny ’23 elected as a Circle K international trustee
Mount Holyoke College pairs with alum Alison Rogers ’12 and the program USEFULL
During the later months of the fall 2021 semester, the Mount Holyoke Dining Commons will begin implementing a solution to the challenge of maintaining the flexibility of takeout options without creating excessive waste. Starting soon, students will be able to take their meals to-go using returnable, reusable takeout containers. This program will allow students to keep the takeout option while also reducing waste. Currently, the Dining Commons is providing single-use compostable containers for students to use, both for eating in and takeout.
Admission Ambassadors welcome prospective students with in-person tours
Professor Ajay Sinha explores photography and Indian dance
Ajay Sinha, a professor in the art history and architectural studies departments, is using the summer to continue one of his research projects, a book, with the help of architecture major Sarannya Sharrma ’23. Sinha previously taught Sharrma in one of his classes and offered her an opportunity to help him with the manuscript of his book over the summer.
Mount Holyoke Review holds virtual publishing party
On April 23, the Mount Holyoke Review, a literary magazine out of Mount Holyoke College, held a virtual publishing party for their second completed publication. With 51 attendees, the Zoom session featured nine of its published writers who read their work aloud. While the readers performed, the Zoom chat function was used by some to encourage and praise each other.