How students influence energy consumption

BY SHILOH FREDERICK '17 

“Desserts with Sonya” doesn’t have quite the ring that “Nutella with Pasquerella” had, but Nancy Apple, the director of environmental health, safety and sustainability, hopes that a chance to dine with the head of the college will motivate students to actively participate in this year’s War of the Watts.

The history of J-Show at Mount Holyoke

The history of J-Show at Mount Holyoke

BY FLORI NEEDLE '20

Junior Show, or J-Show, is a time-honored tradition at Mount Holyoke College. According to materials from the Mount Holyoke Archives, it began in April 1901 and continued intermittently until 1921, save for one show in 1919 that did not occur because of World War I. J-Show originally had a different name, and was once called the Junior Play and Junior Vaudeville.

Beyond the Gates: Ali Safran '14

Beyond the Gates: Ali Safran '14

BY HALEY ROBINSON '17

Content warning: This column mentions sexual assault and domestic violence.

Ali Safran ’14 is anything but common. In June 2013, Safran started Surviving in Numbers, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence. 

Students wonder: How will MHC change in the next decade?

BY ISABEL KERR '19

The beginning of a new semester and a new calendar year has inspired Mount Holyoke students to reflect on how the school will change over the next decade. The community's reaction to the Trump administration, the construction of the new community center and the future of alumnae relations in the coming years are at the forefront of the student body's minds. 

Students struggle with post-election talk at Thanksgiving with their families

BY SHILOH FREDERICK '17

Liz Post ’19 may sit out Thanksgiving dinner with her mother’s family this year. As a liberal-leaning independent, Post voted for Hillary Clinton in the general election, but members of her mother’s side of the family supported president-elect Donald Trump. Although Post and her family try to avoid discussing politics whenever they get together, she fears that after such a divisive election, any mention of politics might turn the dinner table into a battleground. “I feel like it’s too soon for me and I feel like it’s too soon for them to come to terms with [the election],” said Post. “I don’t think that politics have ever been more personal than in our lifetime.”

Past presidential election hype at Mount Holyoke College

BY MICHALA SAWYER '17

On Oct. 7, 1960, Mount Holyoke News published the results for the campus mock election. Nixon won by a two-to-one margin over Kennedy and reflected the actual voting results later published in November of that year. The students overwhelmingly favored Nixon over Kennedy, with 92 percent of the student body participating in the vote. The faculty “were the only group voting … [that gave] a majority of the votes to Kennedy."

Scenes from election night across Mount Holyoke’s campus

Scenes from election night across Mount Holyoke’s campus

BY SHILOH FREDERICK '17

Packed with students on both the balcony and ground floors, the Great Room of Blanchard Campus Center seemed to be the most popular choice for viewing Tuesday night’s election results. Several students, however, opted to spend the night away from the big screen in Blanchard. They chose to watch the results in dorm common rooms, in academic buildings or they abstained from watching altogether. The following gives a glimpse into how election night was spent around the campus.

Six ways for college students to help battle homesickness

BY MICHALA SAWYER '17

It’s natural to feel homesick when you’re away from the place and the people who have always made you feel safe. Making and adjusting to a new routine, struggling to find time to relax and de-stress, having to always make the effort to seem on top of your workload while feeling like you’re drowning in midterm papers, class readings and lab reports — all of this can contribute to a deep yearning to go back home.

Family & Friends weekend: history at a glance

Family & Friends weekend: history at a glance

BY MICHALA SAWYER ’17

Inviting families into the Mount Holyoke bubble has only been a relatively recent tradition in the history of the College. The first Parents’ Day was in 1951. However, from 1958-1973, only students’ fathers were invited to visit their children and take part in an annual Father-Daughter dance. The weekend became open to all parents in 1974.

Advocate Hakeem Rahim promotes mental health discussion at MHC

BY SHILOH FREDERICK '17

Hakeem Rahim had one goal for the intimate crowd of students and counselors who gathered for his mental health and wellness talk in Gamble Auditorium last Friday afternoon: “We’re going to leave here knowing it’s okay to talk about what you’re going through,” he said. As a mental health awareness advocate, Rahim has been visiting schools all over the country trying to initiate conversations about mental illness. Mount Holyoke College was the most recent stop on his I Am Acceptance College Tour.