Mount Holyoke News AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1917 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2023
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Staff injured on Skinner Green, steam leak fixed BY BRYN HEALY ’24 STAFF WRITER
When students returned to campus on the weekend of Jan. 21, they were greeted by large piles of dirt and a wire fence with signs warning of danger surrounding a pit in the ground at the center of Skinner Green. Facilities Management began this excavation process due to a leak in the steam line that runs beneath the green. Throughout the day, workers were seen driving a van back and forth with supplies over pads placed on top of the Green’s muddy surface. At the end of January, the center of the excavation site contains two thin pipes, one green and one gray, overlapping a much thicker pipe and a blue rod sticking into one of the tubes. Karla Youngblood FP ’99, Associate Vice President of Facilities Management, confirmed in an email to Mount Holyoke News that the steam line that runs across Skinner Green developed a leak on Jan. 18 at approximately 10 a.m., the move-in day for new domestic students. In order to work on the leak, Facilities Management had to submit a Dig Safe permit to the state. The pipes under Skinner Green are part of the Central Heating Plant that heats the entire campus. According to the College’s website, the plant burns 6,500 gallons of #6 Fuel Oil daily during peak use. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the heat was turned
Photo by Emma Quirk ’25 The College informed the community in an email that Mount Holyoke employee sustained injuries in an accident while working on Skinner Green.
off in Skinner Hall in order to work on the leak. Youngblood stated that during this time, Skinner was able to stay warm due to residual heat. Early in the excavation, a Facilities Management worker sustained severe burns onsite. Per Raymond LaBarre, the Director of Public Safety and Service, Public Safety and
local emergency personnel were called. According to a student worker who wished to remain anonymous, the injury occurred when a worker fell into the pit and the standing water around the pipes. The pipes are directly connected to the heating system, so the water was “nearly boiling,” according to the student.
This would be an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violation under 1926.651(h) (1) which states that employees are not allowed to work in accumulated water without proper protection. According to the student, two additional workers were needed to help the burned worker out of the pit.
The College released a statement to the News in reaction to campus concern, writing that “Mount Holyoke is committed to the health and safety of all of its employees. We are fortunate that workplace accidents are rare. When an accident does occur, the College does whatever it can to assist the injured employee and take steps to prevent future accidents.” They confirmed that the excavation site has been secured since the injury. The administration did not answer any further questions, citing the need to preserve the employee’s privacy. On Jan. 30, after Mount Holyoke News began inquiring about the injuries incurred, the school sent out a statement to students. “We were recently in contact with staff and faculty to notify them that we are aware of an accident that occurred on Skinner Green a couple of weeks ago. Please know that the area has since been secured and the employee is receiving treatment and community support. In order to respect the privacy of the injured person, it is the College’s practice not to identify the individual. We want to thank everyone for their concern. As always, we encourage everyone to be mindful of your surroundings.” The steam line was repaired on Jan. 28 and 29. The site was refilled by Feb 2. Individual Facilities Management workers declined requests to comment.
Senate discusses announcements for the spring term BY PAIGE COMEAU ’26 STAFF WRITER
On Jan. 31, the Student Government Association opened its first senate meeting of the semester with a greeting to all the members, welcoming them back after the break. Following the reading of the agenda and the land acknowledgment, the meeting began with E-board updates. First, it was announced that during the spring semester, SGA Senate will be hosting several town halls in addition to their regular meetings. The guests and dates of these meetings are to be determined. Second, SGA President, Maille Romulus ’24, discussed the binder drive, which occurred on the evening of Jan. 27. In total, the SGA was able to order 33 out of the 70 binders requested. The deficit was due to several binders being out of stock, but the binders that were not able to be ordered will be ordered with a slight delay. The first 33 binders should be arriving soon. Senate closed E-board updates by discussing the latest issue of the Newsflush, to be distributed to the hall senators. Newsflushes should
be posted in all residence hall bathrooms. The senate then moved onto the open floor, where senators and representatives were welcomed to introduce themselves and their organizations or halls and to give announcements or bring up concerns. During the updates and announcements portion of the open floor, several students promoted upcoming events and deadlines. A member of the board of the class of 2025 brought up their upcoming Valentine’s Masquerade Ball, to be held on Feb. 10 in the Great Room from 8-11 p.m. A member of the class board for 2024 announced that they were still looking for actors and crew for J-Show. The link to sign up was sent out in an email on Feb. 1. Finally, an E-board member speaking on behalf of Residential Life reminded everyone that RA and orientation leader applications are due Feb. 12. More information about those applications can be found on Embark or on the TVs around the Student Center. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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Photo by Ali Meizels ’23 The Student Government Association hosted its first senate meeting of the semester to discuss the upcoming binder drive, Newsflush and town halls.
Over 50 mass shootings New legislation proposes to decrease prison occured during the first sentencing in exchange for organ donations month of 2023 in the US BY SOPHIE SOLOWAY ’23 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BY ANOUSHKA KUSWAHA ’24 NEWS EDITOR
Content warning: This article discusses gun violence, mass death, murder and suicide. As of Feb. 2, approximately 54 mass shootings have already taken place in 2023 in the U.S. The most destructive mass shooting of the year so far occurred in Monterey Park, CA, resulting in the deaths of 11 victims and the injury of nine others. On Jan. 21, a man opened fire at approximately 10:30 p.m. PT in the Star Ballroom Dance Studio. The shooter then attempted to open fire in the nearby Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra, CA, according to the Los Angeles Times. The shooting took place on the eve of the Lunar New Year, one of the largest holiday events in the
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area, during which members of the community gathered at a festival to celebrate. According to an article by The New York Times, the suspect is believed to have shot 42 rounds in Star Ballroom, based on the number of shell casings found at the scene of the shooting. He intended to continue firing at Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio but was stopped by employee Brandon Tsay, whose family owns the studio in Alhambra, per an article by CNN. The suspect attempted to evade law enforcement, but on Sunday, Jan. 22, was located after a van matching the description provided by police was found in the nearby town of Torrance. Upon law enforcement’s attempts to engage with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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A newly proposed bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives would allow in-state incarcerated people to remove between 60 and 365 days from their sentences in exchange for the donation of their organs or marrow, according to Insider. Though the bill — entitled “act to establish the Massachusetts incarcerated individual bone marrow and organ donation program,” according to CBS Boston — has not yet been passed, it has struck controversy among leadership within the state. Springfield Representative and co-sponsor of the proposed bill, Carlos González, pointed to the health disparities facing Hispanic and Black populations that put them at higher risks of diabetes, heart disease and chronic liver disease, according to Boston.com. The article reported that “Broadening the pool of potential donors, [González] argues, is an effective way to increase the likeli-
hood of those patients receiving crit- of financial gain, according to the ical care.” WGBH report, some worry that this Judith García, a co-sponsor bill would provide similarly unethiof the bill, also stated in a tweet that cal encouragement toward the decithe bill would provide incarcerated sion. individuals in Massachusetts with As Michael Cox, executive direstored bodily autonomy. Currently, rector of abolitionist organization according to WGBH, prisoners are Black and Pink Massachusetts told permitted to donate organs, though WGBH, “We were shocked to see the Department particularly the of Correction incentivization Some critics have spoken “couldn’t provide provision to inagainst these arguments, details on how stall a harvest prisoners can organ harvesting citing concerns that the currently” fulfill program in the bill would effectively act to Department of this task. Politcoerce people in prison into Corrections. … ico reports that the proposed bill You can’t essenorgan donation. may provide an tially let people easier pathway sell their organs for incarcerated people to seek out for freedom.” organ donation. To combat these concerts, acSome critics have spoken against cording to WGBH, sponsors of the these arguments, citing concerns bill have included in their proposal a that the bill would effectively act to committee that would involve “DOC coerce people in prison into organ leadership, an organ donor specialdonation. Though the law explicit- ist and two people from the Massaly prohibits the incentivization of chusetts District Attorney’s Associaorgan harvesting with the reward tion and a prisoners’ rights group.”
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