College Cabinet holds open town hall meeting for student questions
Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marcella Runell Hall and other members of the Mount Holyoke Cabinet held a town hall meeting open to students on Monday, April 26. In notifying students of the event, Hall wrote that the town hall would be “an opportunity for [students] to learn and ask questions about how the college works and about the present and future of Mount Holyoke.”
Chloé Zhao ’05 is first woman of color to win Best Director at the Oscars
Chloé Zhao ’05 became the first woman of color to win an Academy Award for Best Director at the 93rd annual Academy Awards on Sunday, April 25. Zhao, a Mount Holyoke alumna from the class of 2005, was nominated for three Oscars for her third film “Nomadland,” which received the Oscar for Best Picture.
Mills College announces closure as a degree-granting institution
College’s decision to close Gorse Children’s Center sparks outrage from faculty and community members
“Mount Holyoke has removed a really key part of what made me feel safe — not just [as] an employee, but made me feel safe living here,” said Assistant Professor of Politics Ali Aslam, who faced uncertainty in his child care options after the College’s recent announcement that it would close the Gorse Children’s Center.
Virtual Community Ambassadors Aim to Promote Remote Community
In an effort to continue cultivating community within its remote student body, Mount Holyoke recently introduced Virtual Cohorts into the Residential Life virtual programming. Student participants applied to join one of the cohorts supervised by a virtual community ambassador. According to the job description, a VCA “is an essential member of the administrative staff of Residential Life and plays a critical role following the College’s shift to remote learning.”
Campus Resumes Normal Operations at COVID-19 Operating Level 1
In-Person and Hybrid Classes Commence at Mount Holyoke
While the majority of course offerings this spring remain entirely online, Mount Holyoke began some in-person teaching this past week. According to Elizabeth Markovits, associate dean of faculty, the College is offering 17 hybrid courses, four courses with in-person meetings outside of normal hours and 29 that “occasionally” meet in person. Physical education classes, laboratory courses and independent studies also may offer in-person components depending on individual situations.
Rise in Positive COVID-19 Cases on Campus Leads To Residence Hall Lockdown
After a number of students tested positive for COVID-19 in North Rockefeller Hall, the College placed one floor — and then the entire building — under temporary quarantine lockdown.
According to several students, one floor of North Rockefeller was put under modified quarantine last week. When further test results showed cases on a different floor of the residence hall, the entire building was locked down — though students were still permitted to leave for normal to-go meals at the Dining Commons. During the quarantine period, Health Services visited the dorm to administer COVID-19 test swabs to students each day. The initial full-building quarantine period, which began on Jan. 31, was extended twice, once on Feb. 2 and again on Feb. 4.
College COVID-19 Restrictions Enter Phase 2 as Cases Continue To Rise
After an initial two-week quarantine period, Mount Holyoke College has officially marked a shift into Operating Level 2: Modified Normal COVID-19 Operations with Heightened Awareness. Residential students received a series of communications from the Office of Residential Life alerting them of the new restrictions and guidelines beginning on Feb. 1.