Starting April 8, the COVID-19 Testing Center will no longer be open on Fridays, an April 6 “MHC This Week” email announced. At the senate Town Hall that took place on April 5, Cheryl Flynn, the director of Health Services at the College, said that the recent change in hours is due to staffing shortages at the testing center.
Senate hosts Town Hall with College Health Services representative Cheryl Flynn
The April 5 Mount Holyoke College senate meeting started with a Land Acknowledgment read by Shula Mathew ’22. Afterward, the E-board reminded senators that all materials for SGA E-board and Class Board elections are due on April 10. Chair of Halls Sophia Jung ’22 also announced that anyone interested in participating in her study, the “Immersive Virtual Reality Psychology Study,” should reach out to her through email.
Students prepare to celebrate Ramadan on campus
The full length of Ramadan will be celebrated during the academic school year this spring for the first time in many years. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and use this time to focus on and explore themselves both within and outside their religion for 30 days.
College updates guest policy to allow visitors on weekends
Updates to the spring semester guest policy were sent to the Mount Holyoke community on Feb. 18. Due to the College now operating at a Level One status in regards to COVID-19, guests are now allowed on weekends as of Feb. 25. From Fridays at 10 a.m. to Sundays at 10 p.m., students are allowed to have one guest visit. Overnight guests are allowed.
Senate discusses AccessAbility, upcoming Binder drive, Jorge’s unusual lifespan
College hosts series of talks on antisemitism during spring semester
On Feb. 10, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Kijua Sanders-McMurtry sent an email out to the Mount Holyoke community discussing the College’s efforts to educate the community on antisemitism. The letter focused on the progress made so far as well as steps forward in preventing it on campus.
Indigenous remains repatriated from Mount Holyoke over 30 years later
“It feels good that we got to this place, but it is tempered with [the fact] that it should have never happened in the first place, and [that] it took this long for it [repatriation] to happen,” Aaron Miller, associate curator of visual and material culture and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act coordinator at Mount Holyoke, said.
Senate discusses November break testing, menstrual products in res halls
Before Senate started on Tuesday, Nov. 9, senators were asked to sit with their commission groups so they could work together towards the end of the meeting. Kim Kindred FP ’24, the senator for the Western Equestrian Team, read the land acknowledgement before the meeting began with updates from the E-Board.
EJ Jankovic ’23, the chair of halls, updated senators on a few requests made in previous meetings. There will now be gluten free dessert options available at the Dining Commons classics station by request. Additionally, lawn care and facilities work will begin at 9:00 a.m. when possible, instead of the previous time of 8:00 a.m.
UMass Amherst sends out alert after call from armed man
COVID-19 policy updates: College allows vaccinated guests at events
The College sent out an update on Oct. 20 about new COVID-19 policies. Effective on Oct. 25, Emeriti faculty and other retired staff members are allowed to enter and use the Williston Memorial Library and Kendall Sports and Dance Complex as long as they show proof of vaccination and get tested by the College regularly.