Photo Credits: By Tara Monastesse’25
By Madelyn Dalley ’27
News Editor
After introducing herself to the attendees, Student Government Association Chair of Senate Nathania Amadi ’26 began the Nov. 19 Senate meeting. Amadi opened the meeting with Mount Holyoke College’s Land Acknowledgement and allowed for a moment of silence before moving on.
After asking attendees to participate in a casual icebreaker, which asked them to name who they would put on their “hear me out cake,” Amadi listed off the highlight events of the week. A Bingo Night hosted by the Office of Student Involvement on Nov. 20, the Nepali Student Orignization’s Himalyan Night on Nov. 22 and the International Student Organizing Committee’s “Friendsgiving” event were all listed.
Amadi then provided information for “one-on-one Senate check-ins,” stating that senators can sign up to meet with either Amadi or Chair of Special Interests Natasha Rios ’27 to discuss comfortability and questions about Senate thus far. She provided QR codes to the senators for sign-up. Amadi noted that hall senators will be receiving a separate email about their check-ins.
Open Floor then began, allowing all senators to advertise their organization’s ongoing or upcoming events. Events included MHC After Dark’s movie showing of “Wonka” in the Dining Commons at 10 p.m. on Nov. 23, AWAZ’s Diwali Night festival event on Nov. 23 and Class of 2025’s Senior Sunrise event at 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 25 were all among the list of upcoming events. A full list of events, both upcoming and ongoing, can be found on the College’s Embark page.
In addition to the events, it was announced that the Office of Disability Services is holding a feedback survey. All participants will be entered in a $10 Village Commons gift card raffle.
After Open Floor, senators were allowed to discuss any concerns they had about issues on campus. The main topic of discussion was the Dining Commons, starting with a complaint from Association of Pan-African Unity Senator Jada Jackson ’26. They stated that their friend had received a raw burger during late night hours, and was met with a nonchalant response from the cook responsible. They also cited previous sightings of plastic and gnats in dining hall food, calling for better maintenance and care of food from Dining Commons staff. Multiple other senators agreed with this.
Additionally, multiple senators brought up mislabelling in the Dining Commons, ranging from geographically and culturally miscategorized dishes to lack of religion-conscious markings on certain foods. In response, Director of Student Involvement Laura Sattler mentioned the dining hall feedback form, which students could use to voice their concerns.
The mention of feedback forms prompted discussion of a lack of organization surrounding these feedback forms. One attendee stated that most students are unaware of the feedback forms, and that the many different feedback systems used by campus departments can be confusing. This attendee proposed a central hub for all department feedback forms, allowing for easier access for students.
One senator, who is a Frances Perkins Scholar, brought up concerns about the price of dining hall food spiking for commuting students without any notification from staff. This brought forth a larger discussion about lack of college communication and support for commuter students and Frances Perkins scholars.
Additionally, another FP senator mentioned a lack of products, such as paper towels, being sent to FP housing, leaving residents with no choice but to take supplies from other buildings. When she voiced this concern, the senator stated that she received a rude response from Facilities Management. Sattler reassured the senator that the issue has been brought up to Residential Life already, and promised communication with both the Office of Residential Life and FP students to resolve these issues.
Other concerns discussed at senate included the lackluster upkeep of the outsides of certain residence halls and lack of accuracy in the Dining Commons online menu.
After the final concern was voiced, Senate was adjourned until Tuesday, Dec. 3.