Sounds of MoHo: July
These are the songs that Mount Holyoke students had on loop all July. Did your favorite songs make the cut? Find out by visiting our Spotify playlist here. You can follow the Mount Holyoke News on Spotify to catch all of our latest staff playlists.
Britney Spears speaks to Los Angeles court about decade-long mistreatment
On June 23, the long-reigning “Princess of Pop,” Britney Spears, appeared remotely in front of a Los Angeles court and asked them to end her 13-year conservatorship.
According to the official website of the Judicial Branch of California, “A conservatorship is a court case where a judge appoints a responsible person or organization (called the ‘conservator’) to care for another adult (called the ‘conservatee’) who cannot care for himself or herself or manage his or her own finances.” In this case, the conservators are Spears’ father and her attorney.
‘Hacks” tells the story of an unlikely friendship between two female comics
In “Hacks,” the Emmy-nominated HBO Max comedy-drama released in early May, a stubborn 70-year-old veteran comedian meets her match in a self-obsessed, flannel-wearing 25-year-old humorist. The most promising part of the 10-episode series is the unlikely bond between Deborah Vance (portrayed by “Mare of Easttown” actress Jean Smart), a stand-up comic based in Las Vegas, and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a comedy writer who has been canceled due to an off-color tweet about a gay senator.
Lorde returns with the song of the summer and announces new album
Was ‘In the Heights’ a win for representation?
As fun as they are, flashy, showstopping musical numbers cannot save “In the Heights” from the criticism that emerged on social media following the musical-drama film’s release in early June. The motion picture, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer and star of the Tony-winning Broadway musical of the same name, was difficult to watch. This was in part due to its failure to center Afro-Latino actors, despite taking place in the New York neighborhood of Washington Heights, known as the “Little Dominican Republic.”
‘Long Distance Relationship’ exhibition showcases artist collaboration in a socially distanced world
During a year largely defined by social distancing, lockdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have found comfort in virtual events. Online art galleries and events have enabled artists to continue creating and displaying their works throughout the past year. For 15 student artists from the Mount Holyoke College classes of 2020 and 2021, the “Long Distance Relationship” virtual exhibition allowed them to share their “Senior Studio” capstone course projects with the Mount Holyoke community and a wider virtual audience.
Michelle Zauner has been busy, but she still has time to make bangers
Michelle Zauner, better known by her stage name, Japanese Breakfast, has had a busy spring. Her memoir, “Crying in H Mart,” was released in April and reached number two on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Zauner then released the third Japanese Breakfast studio album, entitled “Jubilee,” in early June. Both the memoir and album have defined my June: the book’s jacket is still filled with sand from a trip to the beach, and I have particularly enjoyed playing “Jubilee” in the car with the windows down.
‘Seaspiracy’ is an expose of a capitalistic hellscape
“Seaspiracy,” a Netflix documentary released on March 24, attempts to draw viewers in as it takes them on a journey across the globe. It begins by explaining how ocean debris affects marine life, and the film soon transforms into an in-depth look at the corruption of the fishing industry and the destruction of the ocean it causes. Here’s what “Seaspiracy” explores through its investigative journalism.
‘The Art of Remembering’: Exploring nostalgia during COVID-19
‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’ is a nostalgic trip with a twist of self-acceptance
Russian Club hosts annual poetry night, ‘Wild Honey’
Chances are that if you’ve spent any amount of time on the Mount Holyoke campus, you have probably encountered at least one of the many flyers that can be found urging students to “TAKE RUSSIAN: NOW IS THE TIME.” This past week, the department welcomed the Mount Holyoke community to the annual arts event “Wild Honey: An Evening of Russian Poetry.” The event is named after the play by Anton Chekhov and hosted by the Mount Holyoke Russian Club.
A Queer Analysis of ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’
Anpa’o Locke ’21 wins Best Experimental Film award at the Five College Film Festival
Relyn G. Myrthil ’19 lands Silkroad ensemble internship
Sounds of Moho Playlist: February Edition
[Image text: WMHC has been Mount Holyoke's independent, student-run radio station since 1952. To catch WMHC’s most recent programming, scan this QR Code or listen on air at 91.5 FM.
WMHC Music Director Top Songs from February:
Sophie Maxfield '21→ NOTICE by JIMMY EDGAR
Lucy James-Olson '22 → Reason to Believe by Vagabon ft. Courtney Barnett”
Watching ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Bachelorette’ with rose-colored glasses
Anyone close to me knows that I’m a hopeless romantic who watches ABC’s popular reality dating programs, “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” to see love-crazed singles attempt to find their future spouses. I became interested in the franchise as a sophomore in high school, and I have been obsessed ever since. As a white viewer, I wasn’t focused on the shows’ lack of diversity even though the majority of contestants were white and the first Black lead, Rachel Lindsay, only appeared in 2017.
Obama and Springsteen team up for Spotify podcast
Chloé Zhao ’05 Paints an Intimate Portrait of Transient Life in ‘Nomadland’
Following the pattern set by her earlier films, Chloé Zhao ’05’s “Nomadland,” which launched on Hulu and in select theaters on Friday, Feb. 19, is an intimate portrayal of an often overlooked community. Frances McDormand stars as Fern, a woman who lost her husband, her job and her town — Empire, Nevada, a real place which closed after the local factory shut down — and embarks on a journey that takes her across the country and back again in pursuit of work and meaning.
‘Framing Britney Spears’: An in-Depth Look into Toxic Celeb Culture
“If Britney can get through 2007, you can get through anything” is just one of the viral pop culture phrases often thrown around social media. But the 2021 New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears” urges the audience to consider Spears today, living under the conservatorship of her father. The documentary provides an extensive view of the pop sensation and her career, dealing with the life of Spears not as a celebrity, but as a person.