BY KATIE PRINCE '19
Shame. Shame is the only word that continually comes to my mind when I think about the recent executive orders issued by Donald Trump regarding the ban of any immigration from seven Middle Eastern countries. It's not only this national shame that comes to my mind, it is the shame shared by my fellow Americans who are not personally affected by this move and their apathy and literal disregard for those who are being deeply affected by this turmoil.
BY HANNAH ROACH '17
I don’t quite remember seeing my first swastika, but I do remember first realizing what it meant. Like many Jews, I felt the Holocaust sit on my consciousness and take a space in my identity. I remember listening to my mother talk about the reasons why my family would have been taken away — my two brothers were autistic, we were Jewish. My twin brother and I would be anomalies to whom someone whose name I could never remember would do something that I could never forget.
BY ANDREA HERNANDEZ ’19
In the early hours of August 23, 1994, 23 Cubans packed themselves into a 24 foot boat on the island’s coast near Matanzas. Among them were my loving parents and then 2-year-old brother. Unfortunately, as they prepared to embark, their trip was delayed by a mechanical failure. The group scrambled and was able to find a local mechanic who agreed to fix the boat. The next day, joined by the mechanic, they crossed through the Rio Yumuri to Florida.
BY CHLOE JENSEN '20
As the semester winds down and due dates that seemed months away start to near, I’ve noticed my stress levels skyrocket. As someone who generally cares about her academic performance, I have become aware of the huge emphasis on finals at college. Often, the emphasis on finals I tend to observe is the stress that surrounds it. In many ways, I feel as though the stress culture at Mount Holyoke — the constant discussion of grades, assignments, and lack of self care — has impacted my mental andemotional healthand caused anxiety surrounding finals, especially having never experienced them at Mount Holyoke.
BY KATIE PRINCE '19
Malibu Barbie better move over because there’s a new girl — and guy — in town. Mattel, the makers of the Barbie doll, released a new line of Barbies called “Fashionistas” that come in tall, petite, curvy and “original” body types. The new line also includes seven different skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 different types of hair. Ken got a part in the new look as well. All of these changes are in an effort to create a more diversified look for Barbie.
BY HALEY LUCIAN '17
As the results of the Nov. 8 presidential election settle in, we begin to look ahead at days to come. Often the most productive period for an American president is their first 100 days in office. Using the momentum of the election, a newly elected president will often pass several initiatives rapidly and lay a general foundation for later policies. But from what we know, president-elect Donald Trump’s policies are severely lacking in detail.
BY ASHLEY LUND '17
For as long as I can recall, voting in my first presidential election has been an occasion I have anticipated more than any other milestone. Nov. 8, 2016, the date of this year’s historic election, became the first time Americans would have the chance to elect a woman to our nation’s highest office. Also on Nov. 8 was the 179th anniversary of the first continuing women’s college — Mount Holyoke — opening its doors. As we gathered in celebration around Mary Lyon’s grave to honor her and the history of our revolutionary school, the significance of the moment was intensified by stickers bearing the words “I Voted” worn proudly on those among us. Casting my first presidential ballot for the first woman candidate for president of the United States while simultaneously studying at one of the Seven Sisters instilled within me immense pride and the belief that we had reached a turning point in our society where women could truly accomplish anything.
BY HANNAH ROACH '17
I hadn’t yet written about my experience visiting Auschwitz. It’s been five years since I traveled to the Auschwitz work camp and Birkenau death camps in Poland with a group of other Jewish teenagers. At the time, I was 15 years old and couldn’t quite find the words to talk about the experience.
BY KATIE CLARK '19
On behalf of Femmepowered, we stand in solidarity with our queer siblings of all identities and with all other groups who will be hurt by this election. For the next few weeks, we must act with a little more tenderness. We have to allow ourselves time to grieve and to process. However, after we grieve we have to act. We will need to find ways to organize and defend the rights that will be threatened in the coming four years. In the meantime, be gentle with yourselves and your peers and be safe. Below is the number of the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention hotline for queer youth. You are not alone, we will always offer a place to go for love and support on this campus.
Trevor Project: 866-488-7386
f you are unable to call, you can text “Trevor” to 1-202-304-1200 for help.
We know a lot of people are struggling today, both on and off campus. So whether you are a Mount Holyoke student, alum, staff member, professor, friend or what have you — we want to hear your thoughts. We will post everything on our Facebook/Twitter with your name (or not if you wish to remain anonymous). You can message us here, DM or email us at moneta.mhc@gmail.com
With love,
The Moneta Board
The members of Mount Holyoke Planned Parenthood Generation Action were shocked and heartbroken over the results of the presidential election. We, as students, advocates and activists, believe in open access to care and education as well as the right to feel safe and recognized in our communities, regardless of race, religion, sexuality, gender or country of origin. Donald Trump has promised to attack the rights and access to care that we hold so dear. Despite these threats, Planned Parenthood Generation Action will not stand down. We will continue to educate, advocate and fight for our rights.
BY MIRINISA STEWART-TENGCO '17
The past 24 hours have been a steady state of emotional upheaval for so many of us. I, a white-passing American citizen, have been crying today knowing that so many people who have shown me nothing but love and kindness throughout my time here at Mount Holyoke are now facing the alarming possibilities of hate crimes, deportation of themselves or family members and maybe even an inability to return to this school after going home.
BY MEGHAN RYAN '17
Every U.S. presidential election, there is rhetoric regarding the Electoral College and the extent to which a vote actually counts. In layman’s terms, the Electoral College is the body that directly votes for the president. ‘Normal’ citizens, on the other hand, can simply cast their vote in support of the number of electors awarded to a certain party. If there is a majority of Republican support, the Republican electors are awarded the opportunity to cast their vote for, presumably, the Republican candidate. The number of electors for each state is determined after adding the number of federal representatives and senators to which the specific state is entitled.
BY KATIE PRINCE '19
The conversation across the nation, sparked by our now elected president Donald Trump, has been about “locker room” talk — what it is or isn’t. The real concern is not that the talk in locker rooms be respectful, but also what this new president who has made comments disregarding the gravity of sexual assault will mean for the future justice for sexual assault survivors. I am worried for their stories — our stories — under this presidency. Will we be taken seriously or will we be treated like Trump’s alleged victims have been? Will we have articles supporting these women or will we get more articles protecting male egos in the midst of these women’s tragedies?
BY ISOKE SAMUEL '18
For my dear friend Elaine Reed who died on Nov. 9, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. upon hearing the results of the election; thank you for opening our minds and our hearts and reminding us to live.
Last night, over 4,000 miles away from Mount Holyoke College in a small Italian city, I crowded around a tiny computer screen with three Greeks and four Americans to watch CNN report the results of the 45th presidential election. With every state that turned red, the same people who hated the color of my skin since the day that I was born labeled all of the other portions of who I am as invalid and unimportant.
