Viral TikTok from Black students at Mount Holyoke College sparks conversation about HBCUs and anti-Blackness on college campuses
Following the discovery of an anti-black slur in Pearsons Hall, Black Mount Holyoke College students have continued the conversation about racism on campus.
Last week, a group of students posted a TikTok video discussing their experiences with racism and anti-Blackness as Black students at the College. The TikTok initiated a broader conversation surrounding anti-Blackness at academic institutions and how administrations and the federal government have lacked the appropriate responses to it.
Community members come together for annual Vespers celebration
Many students, staff and alumni joined in the fun brought by the warm and inclusive 2023 Vespers Concert. This year, Vespers had its debut on the night of Dec. 1 in Boston’s Old South Church and was hosted again on Dec. 3 at Mount Holyoke College’s very own Abbey Memorial Chapel.
Vespers has been a long-standing tradition at Mount Holyoke, with over 120 years of history. According to Mount Holyoke’s official website, the event is a space where “the community comes together to celebrate light and togetherness on a dark and cold December night.”
Newly founded Queer Action Collective advocates for queer liberation
Mount Holyoke College’s newly formed Queer Action Collective is a student group “advocating for queer [and trans] liberation on campus, statewide and nationally,” as stated in the @queeractioncollective Instagram bio. The organization aims to create a space on campus “where students could turn to if they felt like there was a queer and trans issue that needed attention from a collective that wasn’t MHC’s administration,” Vice Chair Aoife Paul Healy ’26 emphasized in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “The extension of ‘on campus, statewide and nationally’ lets us approach any issue brought to us, no matter how big or small.”
Emo and hardcore genres mix at Sour City Tapes Fest
Dorm-estic Exploration: Visiting the three youngest halls
How well do we all know the residence halls on campus? There are 18 dorms at Mount Holyoke College at the time of this article’s publication, gradually built following the fire that burned down the College’s original Seminary building in 1896. A colorful bunch, each has their own distinct quirks and drawbacks. Your personal taste may affect how you see each one, but they all have something to offer that truly makes their residents’ experience unique. This past week, I visited three dorms that stand out in their modernity.
Rachel Maddow discusses Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism
Adrienne Keene examines Native and Indigenous representation, land acknowledgments and ‘Land Back’ in hosted keynote lecture
Mount Holyoke College’s theme for this year’s Native and Indigenous Heritage Month is “Grounded” — “an affirmation of the deep connections between people, with land and with history that Indigenous cultures are based on. It is an affirmation that these things not only exist here, but that they can continue to be built,” according to the Dean’s Corner from Nov. 11.
Gracious Dinner shows off the culinary skills of Dining Services staff
Although Gracious Dinner was not set to begin until 5 p.m., by 4:30 p.m., there was already a long line of students weaving through the first floor of Blanchard Hall. The students closest to the Dining Commons entrance — the ones who got there to camp out first — sat cross-legged on the floor and chatted as they counted down the remaining half hour until the doors opened.
Director Kristen Lovell discusses her new documentary ‘The Stroll’
During the late 20th century, a district in New York City known as The Stroll became known for providing sex club entertainment and housing the drug dealing and sex work trades. It was during this time that Kristen Lovell — a transgender woman of color — and her fellow trans sisters began building a concealed empire of their own.
What is Ace Week, and why don’t more people know about it?
Previously Asexual Awareness Week, Ace Week, celebrated in the last full week of October, ran from Oct. 22-28 this year. Ace Week was instituted by activist and organizer Sara Beth Brooks and the founder of the Asexual Visibility and Educational Network, David Jay, in 2010. Despite these efforts, asexuality is still a misunderstood and underrepresented identity, even within the queer community.
Weissman Center trip coincides with the U.N. Vote for a ceasefire
For those who, like myself, are interested in geopolitics, an opportunity to walk through the Headquarters of the United Nations is remarkable in and of itself. Therefore, as someone who has researched the legacy of colonialism and imperialism, witnessing the U.N. General Assembly debate a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, even for just a few seconds, is a moment I’ll never forget.
Panelists discuss settler colonialism, US foreign policy and racialized grief at ‘Teach-In: Palestine in a Global Context’
Content warning: This article discusses state-sanctioned violence, colonial violence and mass death.
As attendees entered Gamble Auditorium for the “Teach-In: Palestine in a Global Context” event on Monday, Oct. 30, they were greeted by a warm and lively atmosphere with students and professors chatting amiably with one another.
The event lasted for two hours, ending with a Q&A session where written comments collected from the crowd were read aloud to panelists. Like the “Middle East Crisis” panel hosted in Hooker Auditorium on Oct. 24, signs were posted stating that no recording of any kind was allowed.
Horror, fairy tales, mirrors and beauty: Mona Awad discusses her new book ‘Rouge’ at Odyssey Bookshop
With confidence and vivid imagery, author Mona Awad read a passage from her latest book, “Rouge,” to an audience of enthralled listeners.
The Odyssey Bookshop hosted her in conversation with Mount Holyoke College English Professor T Kira Madden on Oct. 24. Students and community members sat in the audience, many having just purchased copies of the book.
Letter to the Editors: Highlighting the history of Palestinian liberatory art and its censorship
The College community honors Gloria Anzaldúa and Indigenous communities for Indigenous Peoples’ Day
To celebrate Latinx Heritage Month and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sponsored multiple events including, “Honoring the Ancestor, Gloria Anzaldúa: Joy, Love, And Liberation featuring Latinx Writers” and a field trip to the third annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Ceremonial Celebration in Newton, Massachusetts.
Hardcore scene flourishes at boisterous Marsh Arts House show
Hardcore punk enthusiasts and musicians alike crammed into the Marsh Arts House, a dorm at Amherst College, for a free “Western Mass Attack” show at roughly 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12.
Western Massachusetts has a lively community of hardcore genre enthusiasts, with venues including the Marsh House, the Jones Library, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst, the Rat Trap and the Hoff in Holyoke. The frequent shows held there draw a returning, dedicated and violent audience.
Naomi Goldberg ’04 shares insights about advancing LGBTQ+ equity
As it rained outside, students made their way to the Cassani Room in Shattuck Hall for a conversation with Naomi Goldberg ’04 about LGBTQ+ equity. Hosted by the Weismann Center for Leadership on Sept. 30, attendees sat in a circle snacking on muffins, fruit and yogurt as Goldberg discussed her educational and career journey.
President Holley continues the College’s Yom Kippur tradition
Guests were treated to a catered dinner featuring fresh rolls, melon, berries and bagels with lox after receiving an invitation from President Danielle R. Holley to break the Yom Kippur fast together.
Students and staff entered the Willits-Hallowell Conference Center on Monday, Sept. 25, with Jewish Student Union co-chairs Nina Baran ’25 and Jennifer Garcia-Isabel ’24 leading the “brakhot” — blessings to acknowledge being in community and gratitude for the food about to be eaten. As dinner began, Holley gave a short speech, introduced herself and spoke with each table of guests as they ate.
