Individuals sit around tables, in the Blanchard Great Room, engaging in a Senate meeting. The Great Room is a large, well-lit space, featuring large windows and elegant furnishings. Attendees are seated in a circular or semi-circular arrangement. Some individuals are seen addressing the group, while others listen attentively. Two Senate members stand on the stage, presenting two slides, one for the Land Acknowledgement and another for "Ice Breakers" on the projecting board.
Photo by Tara Monastesse ’25
By Tara Monastesse ’25
Editor-in-Chief
The first senate meeting of the 2024-25 academic year took place on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 24 in the Great Room. Led by Chair of Senate Nathania Amadi ’26 and Chair of Halls Coco Athas ’26, the meeting allowed both new and returning senators to introduce themselves and get acclimated to the updated senate meeting structure. Major updates included a restructuring of the senate’s town hall presentations, as well as the introduction of the Student Accessibility Committee.
After the Mount Holyoke College land acknowledgement, senators engaged in a brief “two truths and a lie” icebreaker led by Amadi and Athas. The senate leaders then outlined the Student Government Assocation’s four main pillars, or guiding values: equity and inclusion, shared governance, accountability and accessibility. They also explained that the senate, alongside committees and the SGA executive board, is one of the three main groups that compose the SGA system.
Members of the SGA executive board then introduced themselves to the senators and explained their various roles and responsibilities within the organizations. Assistant Vice President for Student Life Alicia Erwin and Director of Student Involvement Laura Sattler announced that they will serve as SGA advisors for senate meetings going forward. The SGA Executive Board also announced that they are still in need of an archivist, who will be responsible for taking senate minutes and records of meetings. Senators in attendance were encouraged to apply for the role.
The presentation also covered the role of committees in senate meetings, which included the introduction of the new student accessibility committee.
The senators then took a brief comprehension quiz to review the meeting’s information so far, which included questions on senator responsibilities and meeting etiquette. Afterwards, senate leaders held a brief open floor session for senators to make announcements about events for their organizations.
A representative from the Students of Color Committee announced that the group will be hosting a block party on Sept. 29 from 3:30-6 p.m. on the Abbey/Buckland Green, as part of the 2024 Hortense Parker celebration. A senator from the Mount Holyoke Outing Club also announced an online alum panel to be held on Sept. 30 from 4:30-6 p.m. by the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, where attendees can explore future career possibilities in environmental fields.
Afterwards, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marcella Runell took the stage alongside Amadi for a mock Town Hall, using the new approach that senate meetings will now take for Town Halls moving forward. Rather than being primarily a presentation, Town Halls will now be centered more heavily around audience participation and will have presenters actively engage with questions from senate attendees.
After introducing herself as a resource for student organizations on campus, Runell answered casual trivia questions submitted by attendees as a trial run of the new Town Hall system. Senators responded well to the new format, which Town Halls will now adopt moving forward. Before the meeting adjourned, senators were invited to fill out a form to submit their questions to President Danielle Holley regarding the College’s new strategic plan, MHC Forward. According to the College’s website, MHC Forward will map the College’s plans to further its academic opportunities and the student experience throughout the next decade and beyond.
Senate meetings will continue to take place every Tuesday from 7:30-9 p.m. in the Great Room unless otherwise noted.
Sofia Ramon ’27 contributed fact-checking.