Photo by Nina Sydoryk '26. On Thursday, April 13, the monthly Interfaith Lunch featured panelists for More than an Ally week.
By Nina Sydoryk ’25
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke’s More Than An Ally Week made its third annual return this month, with this year’s theme designated as “Practicing Accompliceship Within & Beyond the Gates.” This theme centers around providing the College’s community with the tools and skills necessary for practicing accompliceship, which can be actualized when they leave the College, hence the title including “beyond the gates.”
“It's a process of trying to gauge where the campus is in relation to showing up in allyship to each other and then based on that we figure out what resources/events would be more useful for students,” Co-Chair Grae Wason ’23 said of the process of organizing such an event.
Speaking on new dynamics and campus culture, Wason noted an excitement among underclassmen regarding activism. “We saw during orientation with Springies and fall admitted students [that they] were excited about engaging in allyship, but didn’t always know how to engage,” they said.
This influenced how they thought through and decided on not only this year’s theme, but also the week’s individual events. Wason noted that “specifically regarding allyship across racial groups, we have seen a lot of energy from white students, but not always an awareness of where to start. This is what motivated us to create the Navigating White Privilege Dialogue for white-identified students on Friday the 14th.”
Three events, sponsored by the College’s MoZone Social Justice Peer Educators, took place over the course of the week of April 10, following the commencement of the 2023 program on Saturday, April 8, with an official panel discussion titled “The Will to Advance: Navigating White Spaces.” This panel and other More than an Ally events highlighted MoZone’s commitment to providing a “space for MHC students to continue self-educating,” according to Wason.
On April 11, the week began with an informal dinner for “BIPOC students to discuss any takeaways or questions from The Will to Advance: Navigating White Spaces in collaboration with the Peer Health Educators,” according to the event details on Embark. Students who did not have the opportunity to attend Saturday’s panel will be able to share their experiences at the College in other ways.
April 13 saw the authors of the book “Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice,” as panelists in discussion.
This month’s Interfaith Lunch was also held in collaboration with the More Than An Ally Week theme and spotlighted a discussion with Hind Mari, Abed Jaradat, and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marcella Runell, authors of “Teaching For Diversity and Social Justice” (4th ed.), Chapter 8: Religious Oppression. The panelists discussed their individual experiences, on both personal and professional levels, within the social justice education field, within a religious context. In respect of students observing Ramadan and Passover, a Kosher meal was served in to-go containers towards the end of the event.
A book signing and reception event was hosted by the Office of Community and Belonging later that day.