Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican challenger John Deaton met in Springfield, Massachusetts. on Oct. 17 for their second and final debate ahead of the Nov. 5 General Election. During the hour-long debate, hosted by GBH News and New England Public Media, the candidates grappled with each other’s visions for the future of Massachusetts as well as how they would function under a future Trump or Harris administration if elected senator.
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.
There were scarcely seats available in the Great Room on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 10, as students gathered to watch a live screening of the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. While the two candidates debated at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, a projection of the ABC News broadcast played for watch party attendees as they spectated from decorated tables under red, white and blue stage lighting.
Many students at Mount Holyoke’s 187th Commencement ceremony last May used the event as an opportunity to show support for Palestine amid the Israeli military’s ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
The bulk of the demonstrations were organized by I-Change for Palestine, a group of pro-Palestine student activists at Mount Holyoke. Advocating for Mount Holyoke’s divestment from Israel is currently one of their main goals.
On Saturday, June 24, a large crowd of custodians and their supporters gathered in Cambridge’s Galaxy Park to advocate for a strong union contract on behalf of the Service Employees International Union’s 32BJ chapter. The ensuing march served as the kick-off event for SEIU’s ongoing campaign to negotiate a better contract for 32BJ janitors before the current one expires on November 15.
In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, an annual commemoration overseen by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Mount Holyoke hosted a panel titled “Ending the Silence: Black Feminists Speak on Racial Terror and Gender-Based Violence” in Gamble Auditorium on the evening of Monday, April 24. In keeping with the 2023 SAAM theme of “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity,” the keynote panel centered discussions of gender violence examined through an intersectional lens.
Nine months after successfully unionizing at a store location in Hadley, Massachusetts, the Trader Joe’s United independent labor union has continued to advocate for workers’ rights. Since becoming the first Trader Joe’s location to have a formally recognized union following a 45-31 employee vote last July, the Hadley store and its workers have served as key players in the ongoing effort to negotiate a national contract between Trader Joe’s and the workers at its over 500 locations.
On Thursday, March 30, students and faculty gathered in the Language and Culture Commons in Ciruti Language Center for the German and Russian & Eurasian Studies department teas. Following statements from students and alums speaking in support of the two departments, Provost and Dean of Faculty Lisa Sullivan announced that the College had adopted a plan to ‘sunset’ the two language departments over the next few years.
In response to sustained pest activity within their residence spaces, members of the Gloria Anzaldúa Living-Learning Community organized and released a statement on April 1 titled “Gloria’s Community Response to ‘Recent’ Events.” It outlines the living conditions they have faced, including having their LLC community placed on the same floor as the laundry, trash, trunk and boiler rooms. It also describes the continued inaction from administration towards removing the gnats, cockroaches and ants found on the residence floor.
