Senate invites dining officials to discuss sustainability, changes
Senate Hosts Dining Services, debates new budget and engages in senator appreciation
On Tuesday, April 25, senate opened with a reading of the agenda, which included a discussion with an executive of Dining Services, E-Board updates, open floor and senator/senior appreciation. Following a brief welcome, the senate gave the floor to Geoffrey Searl, associate vice president for Auxiliary Services at Mount Holyoke. Searl introduced himself by remarking that he was new to the school, having only started in January, and highlighting some of his accomplishments thus far. Notably, Searl has worked to reopen many of the dining services closed due to the pandemic; he cited the Pub, the Deli and the implementation of reusable dishes as some of his biggest accomplishments. After this introduction, Searl moved on to discuss some questions senators had submitted.
Senate debates health and safety concerns
Cochary Pub & Kitchen reopens after almost three-year hiatus
After being closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cochary Pub & Kitchen in Blanchard Hall celebrated its reopening on the evening of March 2 with a night exclusive to members of the Class of 2023. The pub reopened to the entire student body the following night, allowing Mount Holyoke students to once again gather and dine in the space on the first floor of the Community Center.
SGA discusses recurring dining concerns and upcoming organization events
The senator for the class of 2024 mentioned concerns about the quality of the dining hall food. This is the second time that this issue has been brought up at the senate in the last two weeks. The senator stated that they had a friend who had found cardboard in their kale, and that, overall, they were concerned about the food standards. Senate leaders said they would, again, look into such concerns. They also stated that they were possibly looking into having Dining Services staff at an upcoming SGA Senate Town Hall.
Dining options restricted at the start of semester
“There is no eating anywhere in Blanchard Hall or the Great Room until further notice,” Marcella Runell Hall, dean of students, wrote in an email sent out on Jan. 21.
Other dining hall updates listed in the email took effect on Jan. 18. Students with Accessibility accommodations will be allowed to sit in the dining hall, while all other students are required to eat in dorms or outside until further notice. Mount Holyoke employees are also not allowed dining hall access until further notice. The meal plan will remain the same and commuter students may purchase meal swipes on the dining hall website.
Senate discusses campus election; addresses dining hall concerns
The SGA senate meeting on Oct. 19 began with a land acknowledgement, read by Chair of Senate Shula Mathew ’22, in accordance with the new Mount Holyoke College policy. The Nonotuck, Nipmuc and Pocumtuc peoples were acknowledged, as they once occupied the land that is now Western Massachusetts, including the Mount Holyoke College campus. The land acknowledgement also included surrounding Indigenous nations such as the Nipmuc, Wampanoag, Mohegan, Eastern Pequot, Mohican and Abenaki peoples. Mathew asked for a brief moment of silence after the acknowledgement was read in order to give time for reflection.
25-swipe limit in dining hall
Dining at Mount Holyoke College has gone through several changes during the 2021-2022 school year. Unlike before the pandemic, food may now be carried out of the dining hall, and students have access to limited inside dining but are encouraged to eat outside in a tent on Skinner Green. There have also been several changes to the meal plan, including a switch from unlimited swipes to a limit of 25 swipes per week. Yet, despite common misconceptions, dining swipes remain unlimited for the time being, as Dining Services navigates a transitional state between indoor and outdoor dining.
Mount Holyoke suffers staffing shortages
Mount Holyoke College is facing the same staffing shortages that have been affecting the rest of the country since the start of the pandemic. Employment in the United States is down nearly 3 million jobs from March 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with about half of those jobs coming from the food industry. The 1.5 million workers who have not yet returned make up about 12 percent of the food industry’s workforce.