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MHC Collective to vote for unionization in November BY BRYN HEALY ’24 STAFF WRITER
In the second week of November, the MHC Collective, a group of 78 Residential Advisors and Residential Fellows, will vote as to whether they will form the first student union in Mount Holyoke College’s history. According to the National Labor Relations Board, in order to be recognized as a union by the Board, the majority of workers must vote in favor of unionization in an NLRB election. The vote only needs a simple majority of 40, not a super majority. The MHC Collective believes they have the numbers to easily reach this simple majority. In a statement to the Mount Holyoke News, the MHC Collective explained that they are “feeling confident going into this election. [They] have the numbers and determination from more than 80 percent of RAs and RFs.” Unions can also be formed by gaining employer recognition if the employer — in this case, Mount Holyoke College — agrees to voluntarily recognize the union. A post on MHC Collective’s Instagram explained that the school has not pursued this course of action. Mount Holyoke states that “the College believes that an election conducted through the National Labor Relations Board’s well-established processes and procedures is the appropriate means of determining majority support for the UFCW among the Residential Advisors and Residential Fellows.” According to The Shoestring, this deviates from other institutions such as Wesleyan University and Grinnell College, which have already voluntarily recognized student unions this year. Because Mount Holyoke College has not voluntarily recognized the Collective, its only path towards unionization is through a vote. Support for the MHC Collective has been growing within the Colleges. Alongside numerous posters around campus and an Instagram account with over 650 followers, they held an event entitled “S’mores for Solidarity” on Oct. 20 and a wear blue campaign on Sept. 29. In reaction to the “S’mores for Solidarity” event, the Collective shared on Instagram that they “had an incredible turnout and felt all the support,” and thanked attendees for coming. They also declared the wear blue campaign a success, even as it happened to fall on Mountain Day. “The amount of blue we saw [people wearing on Mountain Day] was truly incredible,” the Collective wrote on Instagram. Mount Holyoke RAs have been driven to organize by poor pay and working conditions. Erin, an RA
Photo courtesy of the MHC Collective The MHC Collective is confident that they will have the votes to unionize, meaning Mount Holyoke will likely join several other campuses whose student workers have joined together to form a union.
quoted on the MHC Collective Ins- released a statement saying that tagram, explains that “the current “our student workers have a right work conditions for RAs and RFs to choose what they believe is best are unsustainable for everyone. We for them. We want them to have all need a Union to have a voice in the the facts, to think through the iswork we do and to maintain consis- sues carefully and to make a well-intency within the role / expectations formed, autonomous decision about for years to come.” Previously, the whether unionization is the best Collective negotiated for a “base path forward.” salary of $7,493 On the for the academic Mount Holyoke The Collective is feeling year [for RAs] College webconfident going into this and … a base salsite, the party ary of $8,660 [for addresses queselection. We have the RFs]” according tions they believe numbers and determination RAs may have to their Instafrom more than 80 percent like, “can student gram statement. This nearly douworkers re-vote of RAs and RFs. bled their annual to de-unionize?” pay, according to and “I am an RA/ – MHC Collective The Shoestring. RF and do not Their demand for wish to be reppay during trainresented by the ing was also met. But the Collective [United Food & Commercial Workfeels that there’s still more work ers Union]. What are my options?” and negotiations to do for Mount If the vote succeeds, Mount HolyHolyoke to meet all their demands. oke RAs and RFs will join the RAs The Collective stated that without of the University of Massachusetts unionization, there “is nothing that Amherst. The Massachusetts Daily prevents [the administration] from Collegian wrote that UMass Ambacksliding” on all progress thus herst made history in 2002 for being far. Their demands, including those the first undergraduate labor union calling for a sole representative and in the U.S. Mount Holyoke would join better working conditions, have yet a small but growing group of underto be met. graduate unions around the U.S. if In response to the upcoming the MHC Collective votes to become vote, Mount Holyoke College has a certified union in November.
Photo courtesy of Maggie Coen ’25 Students wore blue on Mountain Day on Sept. 29 to express their support for the MHC Collective.
Senate meeting discusses parking shortage, Dining Services
Photo by Tzav Harrel ’24 The most recent senate meeting comes at a tenuous time for Mount Holyoke’s campus as many students are dissatisfied with COVID-19 protocols.
BY TARA MONASTESSE ’25 NEWS EDITOR
The Nov. 1 senate meeting began with a land acknowledgment from Chair of Halls Serynn Nowlin ’25, as well as an announcement that a donation link would soon be made available to support members of Indigenous nations. The evening’s
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agenda featured E-Board updates, as well as open-floor discussion between commission members and senators. This meeting was the first of the academic year to follow a typical senate schedule, as most of the previous meeting was dedicated to a Q&A session with Health Services Medical Director Cheryl A. Flynn. It was announced that Interim
FEATURES: Monsters Ball returns to stage
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President Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, Dean of the College Amber Douglas and Provost and Dean of Faculty Lisa Sullivan would be in attendance at the next senate meeting to discuss the College’s COVID-19 protocol with students. Shortly after the meeting, a Google Form for submitting questions for the session was distributed to students via email.
Additionally, Chair of Senate EJ Jankovic ’23 announced that submissions for the next installment of Newsflush, an Student Government Association newsletter distributed by hall senators in residence-hall bathrooms across campus, will be open until Nov. 11. The floor was then opened to senator announcements about various events on campus. Notable ones included the 2022 Fall Arts & Crafts Fair hosted by the Art History Student Association and Art Society at noon on Nov. 4 in the Great Room, a panel to be hosted by Asian American Students in Action on Asian American student activism on Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in Hooker Auditorium, a Mixed-Identity Student Collective game night on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. and a Big and Little Meet and Greet beginning on Nov. 13 hosted by the Class of 2024 Board. An open-floor period for students to express questions and concerns on behalf of themselves or the organizations they represent followed these announcements. Nina Baran ’25, senator for the Jewish Student Union, relayed student concerns that parking on campus is severely limited to the point that students — especially those living in Dickinson Hall — cannot park outside of their own residence halls. Jankovic responded by noting that long-term plans to fix student
S&E: MHC plans to pursue geothermal heating
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parking availability on campus will likely take five to 10 years, but in the short term, students who are infrequent drivers can store their cars in the more spacious Ham and Macgregor Halls lot if able. Jankovic noted that while theoretically only enough parking passes are sold as there are available spaces, the system is only sustainable if outside visitors do not occupy spots reserved for students and if cars are evenly distributed across each campus parking lot. Additionally, student-athletes expressed concerns that the dining hall hours are incompatible with their practice schedules, often resulting in an inability to access substantial dinnertime meals when they arrive at Blanchard Hall in the late evening. Another student echoed this concern, noting that a friend of theirs is unable to eat in the evenings after the Baraka-Halal station closes. SGA President Maille Romulus ’24 noted that food shortages and –-specific staffing issues have been recurring since the beginning of the pandemic, and working toward better dining resources for students has been an ongoing conversation. The meeting concluded with commission members introducing themselves to senators and discussing concerns related to their representative issues.
OPINION: UK Prime Minister faces critique
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FEATURES
November 4, 2022
. Mount Holyoke News
Charlayne Hunter-Gault speaks on new book, ‘My People’ BY EMMA QUIRK ’26 STAFF WRITER
Content warning: This article mentions racism. On Oct. 27, 2022, Mount Holyoke College welcomed Charlayne Hunter-Gault to speak with Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum about her new book “My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives.” Hunter-Gault, as Tatum stated during their talk, is “a civil rights hero, award-winning journalist [and] author of several books.” She was the first Black, female student — and one of the first two Black students ever — admitted to the University of Georgia. In her early career, Hunter-Gault worked as an editorial assistant at the New Yorker magazine, accepted a Russell Sage Fellowship and worked as a reporter and anchor for WRC-TV. In 1968 she joined The New York Times, and while there created the Harlem bureau. In 1978, she became national correspondent for Public Broadcasting Service’s “MacNeil/Lehrer Report.” Hunter-Gault was a chief correspondent in Africa for National Public Radio and then became bureau chief and correspondent in South Africa for CNN from 1999 to 2005. She is the recipient of two National News and Documentary Emmy awards and two Peabody Awards. The conversation between Hunter-Gault and Tatum took place in the Community Center Great Room and was attended by students, faculty and community members. The event was hosted by the Odyssey Bookshop in collaboration with New England Public Media, the College’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Weissman Center for Leadership. As guests entered the room, they were greeted by the owner and president of Odyssey Bookshop, Joan Grenier, and other Odyssey employees. They were given the opportunity to purchase “My People,” as well as Tatum’s book “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” (2017). DEI Fellows and Weissman Center Fellows also welcomed the guests. The event began with DEI Fellow Soleil Doering ’24 reading the College’s land acknowledgment, followed by welcomes from both Grenier and NEPM’s president Matt Abramovitz. Lauren Gaia, chief of staff and strategic communications in the DEI Office, then introduced both Tatum and Hunter-Gault. The speakers settled into armchairs onstage to a standing ovation. With candor, authenticity and wit, Hunter-Gault shared insights about the inspirations, beliefs and life experiences that led to the book. Before the conversation officially began, Jean Denton Thompson, a Freedom Rider — a civil rights ac-
Photo courtesy of Emma Quirk ’26 Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum, pictured above, pose together and hold up their most recently published books.
tivist who protested against bus segregation in the 1960s American South — and educator, was introduced to Hunter-Gault. “[The two of them] sang a freedom song that has long since been forgotten. … [It was a moment] that I will remember for the rest of my life,” Jonencia Wood, assistant vice president for DEI said. “It was absolutely incredible and awe inspiring.” Tatum began the discussion with Hunter-Gault by asking how she decided what belonged in her new book. Hunter-Gault stated that when she talked to her editor, Sarah Reed, she was encouraged to “pick out the things that [she liked], and that [she] may think people haven’t seen or read.” She then explained, “The first time I did that, you wouldn’t be able to carry the book home tonight.” As Hunter-Gault spoke, she emphasized that there were many women in her life that inspired her. “I owe, in the first instance, becoming a journalist to my mother. … When I told my mother that I wanted to be like [fictional comic reporter] Brenda Starr, she didn’t look at me and say ‘that’s not what little Black girls do in the South.’ … She said, ‘Well, that’s what you want to do,’” Hunter-Gault said. “Nobody in the segregated South ever told me I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.” In explaining this, she refuted the idea that people living in segregation lacked hope and joy. Instead, Hunter-Gault reiterated throughout the conversation, as well as in her book, themes of the impor-
tance of resilience, understanding history and taking action. “We have been challenged for generations, and yet look at us. … Look at me. Now, I’ve had to fight for some of it, but I won — and I’m sure everybody out here could give you a similar story,” Hunter-Gault said. She talked about former U.S. representative and civil rights activist John Lewis, and how he expressed in the late 1960s that activism within local communities is as important as activism on a national scale. She warned that “we can’t sit at our tables or among our friends and complain about what’s going on in the country and stop there. … We have to get out and talk to people. … It’s up to us to work in whatever capacity [we can].” She continued to explain that communication is vital to progress, and each individual must do their part. Some students were struck by Hunter-Gault’s ideas about community, and felt inspired to take action. “She really emphasized the necessity of interacting with the real people affected, or ignored, by these political events in order to create real tangible societal change.” Doering said. Doering also stated that she plans to get more involved in her local communities because of Hunter-Gault. Despite facing violent racism, Hunter-Gault was able to pursue her dreams of going to the University of Georgia and becoming a journalist. She said her ability to be calm and persevere through adversity is owed to her grandmother who taught
her Bible verses. One, in particular, helped her through tough times: “[Even] though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, … I will fear no evil.” She explained that the lesson she took away from this, saying, “You don’t have to be a preacher’s kid or the granddaughter of a saint. But if you teach your children history, they will grow up to be very optimistic people, because our history is full of optimism,” Hunter-Gault stated. Hunter-Gault turns her attention to the positives. “[Hunter-Gault] is a woman that has had to overcome immense hardship at every turn in her career and I thought the way she chose to talk about overcoming those obstacles was beautiful,” Doering stated. Tatum asked Hunter-Gault to speak about living in South Africa for 17 years. Hunter-Gault said that South Africa is experiencing many similar issues to the United States. “Everywhere you look, democracies are under strain and stress,” Hunter-Gault stated. “I don’t know how many of you know this, but South Africa … was the first country, before this one, to write into its constitution protections for gay people. … It’s time to stop reporting on Africa in terms of the four D’s — death, disease, disaster and despair,” Hunter-Gault said. She wants to highlight positive qualities and not simply emphasize issues. Hunter-Gault shared some of her reasoning for the title and subject of her book. “I was feeling that it was
important to share the good lives of my people. … I got all kinds of people: Black, white, Native American, … but [I] was trying to write about people who have not gotten the kind of attention they should have,” Hunter-Gault said. She said that her book is not for any one type of person. “I look at people as people … [and] this book is for people who want to have some information that they may not otherwise have gotten.” On the topic of education, Hunter-Gault explained that she is trying to “call for a coalition of the generations.” It is a goal of hers to share her knowledge and understanding with younger people, and learn from them as well. “We’ve got to communicate and we’ve got to get [young people] interested,” Hunter-Gault said. “I just saw people who have helped make me who I am, and in some ways I thought, ‘How can I repay them and how can I help a younger generation appreciate … what some of the earlier activists were involved in?’” This idea of turning to the trailblazers who paved the way resonated with the audience. “It was inspiring and reminded me that while so much work has been done, our job now, and yours as young adults [is] to always ensure that underrepresented voices are at the table,” Wood said. “Because we are always stronger when we are together.” Hunter-Gault and Tatum had a palpable connection on stage. When Tatum asked Hunter-Gault the first question, after a warm introduction, she replied by saying that she might ask her a question later, because Tatum inspired her. “It was obvious that they both had immense respect and admiration for each other and I felt honored to have been able to witness them interact,” Doering stated. Cindie Huerta ’25 also felt inspired by the conversation, and stated, “It was truly powerful to see accomplished women of color who overcame much discrimination in the U.S. be able to come together and have this powerful conversation.” When looking toward the future, staff from the DEI office shared that they are looking forward to hosting and attending more communitywide events. “I hope that people continue to step out and attend events … to learn about stories and legacies that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to,” Wood said. “Learning about people’s cultures and differences is the way to grow together.” Hunter-Gault wants everyone to understand the past, learn about those who came before and keep their eyes on the possibilities of the future. “[Our history is] full of pain and tragedy and all of that, but we’ve overcome every time,” Hunter-Gault said. “Now we have to keep on keeping on, but that’s life. That’s life.”
Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra performs at Monsters Ball BY EMMA WATKINS ’23 MANAGING EDITOR OF CONTENT
A giraffe playing drums, a lion playing violin and a swan playing flute may sound fantastical, but all were a part of the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra’s Monsters Ball on Saturday, Oct. 29. Orchestra and audience members alike gathered in costume in Chapin Auditorium for a night of music and dancing. The orchestra began with the “Black Panther Suite” by Ludwig Göransson, featuring prominent drums and a harp solo. After the first number, Orchestra Director and Associate Professor of Music Tianhui Ng welcomed the audience to the event, saying that, “[[This is the]] first time we’ve been able to do Monsters Ball like this since 2019. We’re going to do some dancing!” Audience members were then invited to come to the dance floor for a brief waltz lesson presented by Victoria Schubarg ’26. Following Monsters Ball tradition, the first waltz played was Austrian composer Johann Strauss II’s “The Blue Danube.” Isabel Myren ’24, co-president of the orchestra, stated that “The Blue Danube” was one of her favorites from the night. “[It’s] just a great piece. … It’s one of those pieces that gets stuck in your head, and it will never go away, and you just start humming it during class. … It’s got so much variety in it, but it’s got enough sticking power to it,” Myren said of her love for the piece. Dancers dressed in costumes
ranging from butterflies to crocodiles, royalty to the Phantom of the Opera — and more — waltzed around the dance floor, accompanied by the orchestra. Once the waltzing audience members had taken their seats, the orchestra began playing movements from French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ suite, “The Carnival of the Animals,” beginning with “Introduction and Royal March of the Lion,” “Hens and Roosters” and “Wild Asses: Swift Animals.” Each movement conjured images of the characteristics of each animal, with a regal-sounding “Royal March of the Lion” and crowing sounds of roosters featured in “Hens and Roosters.” Then, Ng invited the audience to waltz again for Saint-Saëns’ “Tortoises” and “The Elephant.” “The Elephant” highlighted the thunderous double basses to invoke the idea of the movement of the large animals. Next, came “Kangaroos,” “Aquarium” and “Personages with Long Ears.” By this time, many dancers had formed a large circle at the center of the floor to dance together while couples swirled around them. The orchestra briefly stepped away from “The Carnival of the Animals” with Strauss’ “Emperor Waltz” before resuming with “The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods.” Throughout that movement, a clarinet solo imitated the call of the cuckoo. Continuing with bird imagery, the next movement was “Aviary” which featured flutes as bird calls. The next movement, entitled “Pi-
anists,” caused scattered laughter throughout the audience as the orchestra played variations of scales, demonstrating Saint-Saëns’ sense of humor in including musicians among the animals featured in the suite. Following “Pianists,” was “Fossils” which used a xylophone to make sounds that Ng described as reminiscent of “dancing bones.” Returning to Strauss, the orchestra played “Acceleration Waltz” before returning once again to “The Carnival of the Animals” for “The Swan” — which highlighted two cellists — and “Finale.” To close the concert, Ng donned a giraffe costume to conduct music from “The Lion King.” Despite the challenges facing live music over the last few years, the orchestra has been able to build back to what it was before COVID-19. Speaking about this process, Myren shared, “It’s definitely hectic, but there is also accomplishment with it. For example, we have a full board for the first time in [about] three years. … It’s really cool being part of building something back up. … I’m proud of everything that I’ve done so far.” “It’s just so enriching to be part of the orchestra — and to go to at least one of the concerts if you’re not in the orchestra just to see what it’s about,” Anna McGrath ’24, co-president of the orchestra, said. “I love orchestral music, and I think more people would love it if they were exposed to it more often.” McGrath also expressed interest in having more students join the
Photo by Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23 Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra played at their annual Monsters Ball on Saturday, Oct. 29.
orchestra. “If you’re a player that hasn’t played in a long time, you can still join the orchestra — it’s just a really fun time,” McGrath said. Ainsley Morrison ’25, a stage manager for the orchestra, also expressed a desire for students to come to orchestra concerts. She explained that one of the orchestra’s goals “is to continue adapting orchestral and classical music to a world that doesn’t necessarily view it in the same way it used to.” She expressed that “people being able to come and see what [the orchestra is] doing and how [they’re] changing things is really important.”
Myren, McGrath and Morrison all expressed excitement about future concerts, especially the operas that the orchestra will perform in the coming spring semester. “I’ve never played an opera. I think most players in the orchestra haven’t played an opera, so it’s a new experience for us and probably a new experience for most of our audience,” Morrison said. This semester, though, students should keep an eye out for the Mary Lyon concert, which McGrath explained “focuses on music written by women composers.”
November 4, 2022
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
. Mount Holyoke News
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Mar Simon ’23 opens ‘Martian Gallery’ exhibition in Blanch BY N. CIEPRISZ '26 STAFF WRITER
Art studio major Mar Simon ’23 showcased their exhibition “Martian Gallery” in Blanchard Gallery from Oct. 18-31. The exhibition offers students a chance to take a break from their busy lives and step into a lounge inspired by imagery of outer space. According to Associate Professor of Art and Chair of Art Studio Lisa Iglesias, “[Simon’s]’s exhibition brings into conversation social practice philosophies, strategies of installation and handmade processes — all issues which are relevant and concurrent in contemporary dialogues in cultural production. … [Simon’s]’s exhibition is unique to the artist’s visual language and vision.” Entering the space, viewers’ eyes are first drawn to a sign on the floor welcoming them to the titular “Martian Lounge,” which was originally titled “Abduction.” Changing the name of the exhibition effectively shifts its meaning as well: “I wanted it to be a space for people to spend their time in and chill, and if they want to sit here and look at it and enjoy themselves they can. … I kind of wanted to advertise it more as a lounge actually,” Simon explained in an interview with Mount Holyoke News. This effort to create a space for students to sit and enjoy themselves is evident in the room’s furnishings; the art adorning the walls is accompanied by a large, black bean bag and a bright green lava lamp, bringing together the otherworldly atmosphere. Simon continued, “The space is very
much about what’s fun. … People and embroidered with stars. “It’s come in and [say], ‘Oh my god, this very interesting to kind of strip is enjoyable.’ … I feel like it’s just all of [it] off … and then just spray been like a crazy few years — [a] paint over it, but I thought the texcrazy time — and I just wanted to ture was enough to give it a spacey create a space where people could vibe,” Simon said about the prohave fun [and] be chill. … It made cess of reusing the painting. me feel good to make a space like On the wall adjacent to the that.” painting, there is a large drawing The exhibition is full of many of a person with green skin and ankinds of media, but Simon high- tennae, which is a self-portrait of lights an animation projected onto the artist as an alien. Simon talked the wall by the door, greeting at- about the piece as an effective arttendees. It deist’s signature picts a group for the whole It just made sense to do of aliens walkroom, a way to aliens because I think ing from left to be present in it right, parallelfor its viewers.“I they have a very fun ing the viewer’s made this, so I aesthetic, and they’re kind experience as feel like I wantof nondescript beings. They ed to physically they step furdon’t really have a gender ther into the put a piece up gallery. Accordin here and be or race attached to them. ing to Simon, like, ‘Hey, I’m “The animation the artist,’” they – Mar Simon [is positioned said. They also so that when] referred to the you’re walking in, you’ve got your piece as a place where attendees alien walking in with you. … It just could take pictures, essentially made sense to do aliens because I with the artist themself. think they have a very fun aesthetSimon’s favorite part of the ic, and they’re kind of nondescript exhibition, however, was not their beings. They don’t really have a own creation. As viewers are led gender or race attached to them. around the room and end up by the Everyone can kind of relate. … It’s door again, Simon invites them via not like this is a specific kind of a note on the wall to create their person. It’s just a person.” very own alien with paper and At the back of the room, there markers available. As evidenced by is a painting sandwiched by two the many, many aliens, attendees pieces of cloth. Simon emphasized took this message to heart. “[Y]ou the importance of filling up the can see the incredible things that space, which included using the people have done. … [There’s] just drapery. Depicting a purple gal- such a joy in that. [People are] just axy, the painting itself is its own here [drawing] silly little aliens, mixed-media project, painted on a and I think it’s amazing,” Simon reused canvas from a past student said. This aspect of the exhibition
gives the audience a chance to be artists, too, letting them be a part of this act of creation. Considering Simon’s desire to make the lounge a space to relax, it seems fitting that attendees can add their own forms of self-expression. The wall demonstrates Simon’s point that aliens are accessible to all because of their versatility and lack of a set description — each piece of paper looks completely different from the one next to it, showcasing a different creator’s point of view. Simon pointed out a few of their favorites: “Some of these are from my family, because they came for friends and family weekend. This one is from my abuela, she drew my abuelo. … My abuelo actually immigrated from Cuba, and I think aliens, coming from a different planet, it feels like a way I could put a story together … that would be a reference to where I came from.” They also stopped to talk about two drawings placed at the very top that would have had to be placed there by jumping or using a ladder, seeming to appreciate the artists’ enthusiasm. “I think that’s what’s fun about this room, … you can kind of fill the space,” they said, referencing the ways they have worked to fill the space through their own aliens placed around the room. As impressive as the gallery was, Simon’s focus seemed to be on the art they could inspire others to create, saying that they would often check back to see what new drawings had been added and that they wanted to base their next work on the aliens others have
Photo by Emma Quirk '26 Mar Simon '23 displayed their self-portrait in their alien form in campus student exhibition.
created. Iglesias also spoke about Simon as an inspiration, saying “Mar and their MHC artist peers motivate me in my own practice and create a culture of imagination and possibilities here on campus.” Although Simon’s exhibition is no longer on display, Iglesias promised more art exhibitions in the future. Iglesias spoke more broadly about art installations at Mount Holyoke, saying, “There are a variety of ways that MHC students exhibit their creative research — as part of Art Studio courses, at the Blanchard Gallery, on campus [and] among other venues. … In addition, art majors create capstone projects that are public facing as part of their last “Senior Studio” course — so stay tuned for many such shows this April.”
‘The Car’ officially marks the Arctic Monkeys’ shift toward a new sound BY ELLA JACOB ’24 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR & COPY EDITOR
The Arctic Monkeys, a rock band from Sheffield, England, is perhaps best known for revolutionizing the English music scene, beyond rock, in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Akin to “Beatlemania,” the influence the band had on garage rock permanently shaped the production of rock music. With the release of “AM” (2013), their fifth studio album, fans recognized the band as an instant classic, with the album representing the coolness of revived indie rock that the band became known for. The record saw tremendous success worldwide, as it premiered #1 in the U.K. and 10 other countries, according to NME. Yet, with the production of “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” (2018), their sixth studio album released five years after “AM,” the band abruptly transitioned from the heavy guitar and drums fans had grown accustomed to. Jazzy and vintage synths combined with frontman Alex Turner’s wavering cadence have led to the creation of an album, and a shift towards a genre, better defined as psychedelic rock. With this recognition that the band had begun to explore a genre outside what many have grown ac-
Graphic by Mari Al Tayb '26
customed to, the release of “The Car” on Oct. 21 left some with the expectation that they would default to their typical indie-rock style, while others believed that this jazzy exploration was here to stay. The latter proved correct. “The Car,” totaling 10 songs, 37 minutes and 23 seconds, is the band’s seventh studio album. If one is to be frank, the sound of a car engine sputtering may be more enjoyable than the initial listening session of this anticipated album. Strung together by funky synths and orchestral instrumentals, each song sounded like it was meant to
be the first song on the album, ending with an anticipated buildup for a story that never came. By this, each one had a sublime “Bond” element, almost as if it were about to open the door towards British intelligence agent James Bond, contemplating some intricate affair on a far-off island as a mysterious, synthy orchestra accompanies him in the background. Albeit an enticing scene and mood, the sequence of said songs fell short of establishing a coherent, decluttered sound. “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” opens the album, becoming the first number fans had heard
from the band in years. Arguably one of their best songs since transitioning to a more jazzy-funk sound, “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” is a 10/10, whether working as a single or elevating the album as a whole. Establishing the aforementioned Bond mood, the song begins with an absence of vocals, only orchestral strings, followed by an arcane drum and piano intermission. Then, Turner reveals those palliative vocals, proclaiming, “Don’t get emotional / That ain’t like you.” The second time Turner references that he wishes his partner would “walk [him] to the car,” heavier strings are introduced that continue throughout the song, establishing a more dramatic, less funk-orientated sound than one may expect from the rest of the album. Lyrically, especially when accompanied by a sustained orchestral ballad, it takes the listener on a beautiful, mysterious ride. Most notably, when Turner initially sings, “So if you wanna walk me to the car / You oughta know I’ll have a heavy heart / So can we please be absolutely sure / That there’s a mirrorball?” He later follows with, “So can we please be absolutely sure / That there’s a mirrorball for me? / Oh, there’d better be a mirrorball for me,” asking whomever he is talking to — Is this worth it for both of us? Do you care about
me? Heeding the last lyric, Turner ensures that there will be a mirrorball for him. This mystifying tune abruptly transitions to a 70s-funk melody with the introduction of “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am,” the second track on the album. If David Bowie and Isaac Hayes had a child that grooved under a disco ball to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” this song would be that melodious incarnation. While it remains relatively upbeat throughout, the song becomes a bit moodier towards the end, then returns to its quintessential sanguine sound, a theme that is persistent across most tracks on the album. Another sharp transition from one vibe to another, “Sculptures Of Anything Goes” would fit right in with the “Stranger Things” soundtrack, evoking a scifi film scene, where the protagonist comes to a dawning realization of the danger of some high-intensity situation. Lyrically, the song feels like a mess, especially when combined with intense, anxiety-filled synths and instrumentals. With the first stanza setting the scene, it is no wonder that it may throw listeners off upon initial encounter: “How am I supposed to manage my CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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Cate Blanchett delivers her best performance yet in new, biting film ‘Tár’ BY JENDAYI LEBEN-MARTIN ’24 STAFF WRITER
Amid the multiple Halloween movies released this month, director Todd Field’s “Tár” was a standout. Starring Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár — the movie’s protagonist and namesake — the film follows one of the best maestros of her generation as she prepares to perform the only one of composer Gustav Mahler’s symphonies that she has never tackled. Early on in the film’s two hour and 38-minute run, Lydia is revealed to have had an incredibly impressive career in an interview by The New York Times’ Adam Gopnik, who plays himself. However, it quickly becomes evident that Lydia’s personal relationships, including those with her wife Sharon (Nina Hoss) and assistant Francesca (Noémie Merlant), are strained. Field, who is also the movie’s writer, uses glimpses of Lydia’s home life to suggest that her icy, professional exterior is not representative of her life being in order, but rather serves as a cover for her
tense marriage and crumbling professional relationships. Throughout the film, many of Lydia’s actions seem self-serving and inappropriate, from her extramarital relationship with a new, young cellist in the orchestra to her threatening a child that goes to school with her daughter. Viewers are forced to accept this as aligning with the personality of a world-renowned maestro, although the motivation behind the actions is, for the time being, hard to place. Strange occurrences, such as the appearance of anonymous gifts and recurring symbols, suggest that there is more amiss in the composer’s life than viewers are able to identify until the end of the film. In the last 45 minutes, it all unravels rather quickly. When asked about “Tár,” Samara Smith ’24 said that she found it oddly similar to “Whiplash” (2014), a film about a young jazz drummer (Miles Teller) whose mentor (J.K. Simmons) pushes him too far on his journey to become one of the greatest drummers of his time. While some of the themes between the
films are similar, such as the pressure and mental strain of being a professional musician, there are significant differences in “Tár” that make it a distinct viewing experience from “Whiplash.” One such difference is that, in “Tár,” viewers are introduced to Lydia at the pinnacle of her career and are forced to see her dramatic fall from grace, which creates a more strenuous relationship with the protagonist. Because viewers are introduced to Lydia at the her career’s peak, when she ruins it by trying to have complete control of the orchestra, the audience feels a stronger sense of her loss. Blanchett’s performance in “Tár” is, as usual, perfect. She portrays Lydia’s public persona with such precision that viewers are shocked — along with the people around her — when she cracks. When watching this film, it is hard to decide whether Lydia is a cold, calculating monster or a person who has made many mistakes during the course of a highly scrutinized career. This is due, in part, to Field’s careful direction and
Graphic by Gabby Gagnon '24
Blanchett’s skillful acting. She never lets anything slip through Lydia’s meticulously crafted exterior. “Tár” is a masterfully made film about a woman who believes that her success will allow her to outrun her actions, despite finding herself faced with the consequences of said actions. Though the film is a bit long
and by no means action-packed, the tension between Lydia’s personal and professional lives keeps viewers’ attention until the end. “Tár” is worth a watch and will be a part of conversations about intentional directing and flawless acting for many years.
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GLOBAL
November 4, 2022
. Mount Holyoke News
US museums return Nigerian Benin bronzes
Photo courtesy of Mr.TinMD via Flickr 31 Benin bronzes have been returned to Nigeria from notable U.S. museums. The bronzes were stolen in 1897 and are now housed around the world.
BY KIERA MCLAUGHLIN ’26 STAFF WRITER
Content warning: This article discusses colonial violence. On Oct. 13, 2022, CNN reported on a ceremony in Washington D.C., between some of the most prominent U.S. museums and Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments to return 31 Benin bronzes to their homeland of Nigeria. The National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum co-hosted the ceremony to celebrate this momentous occasion of repatriation. Many African artists and museums have expressed hope
that this will influence a continuous return of stolen objects from Western nations, according to CNN. CNN reported that one of the Benin bronzes being returned was a cockerel statue, which “was one of up to 10,000 artifacts stolen by British troops from the royal palace in the Kingdom of Benin,in present-day Nigeria, in 1897.” In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Diamond Abiakalam-Chinagorom ’25, an international Mount Holyoke Student from Nigeria said, “It doesn’t surprise me [that the artifacts were stolen] because I knew that artifacts were stolen in Benin[’s] history. Going into learning about colonialism, you find out when [the British] went into those villages they stole lots of
things.” She continued, “But I didn’t know it was that amount, 10,000 artifacts from one kingdom. And [from] one [ethnic group], not even counting the other cultures, that’s crazy. [The amount] was shocking, … but the deed was not.” Throughout history, Western nations have stolen and displayed African artifacts. In another article, CNN reported about the history of the Kingdom of Benin and the British troops that stormed and pillaged the kingdom. The article reflects on the items stolen from Benin in the 1897 expedition that are now scattered around the world in 160 museums and many different private collections. Dan Hicks, a curator at the Pitt Rivers Museum of the University of
Oxford wrote in his book, “The Brutish Museums,” that these museums were used to “legitimize, extend and naturalize new extremes of violence within corporate colonialism.” In a phone interview with CNN, he said exhibitions minimize cultures in order “to tell the story of the victory of Europeans over Africans.” He continued, “They were used ‘to inspire colonial administrators and soldiers … who fought these wars and thought they were doing so in the name of civilization.’” This history demonstrates that these museums, many now used for educational purposes, were created as a celebration of colonialist triumph. With restitution on the table, as reported by CNN, in 1981 “the British Museum reportedly claimed the Benin bronzes were acquired legally as ‘the British, [in their own words], were the legitimate authority.’” Hicks explained his research and “notes that bronzes preserved for centuries at Benin’s royal court have only been lost, neglected or destroyed since arriving in London,” the article continued. “His research led to the discovery of sculptures abandoned in broom cupboards and used as doorstops, and ivory artifacts repurposed as piano keys and billiard balls,” CNN explained. It is clear that these items that could have had great importance to Nigerian culture and religion were disrespected by the British, who violently stole the artifacts. Chika Okeke-Agulu, a Nigerian artist, art historian and professor at Princeton University said in an interview with CNN, that returning the Benin artifacts “could contribute in significant ways to the necessary task of repair, of healing long-festering psychological wounds inflicted on Africans during that moment of violent, rapacious encounter with European colonial machinery and ideology.” In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Aaron Miller, the
associate curator of visual and material culture and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act coordinator at the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, said, “I hope [the returning of the artifacts will accomplish what Okeke-Agulu suggested]. I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction.” He continued, “I primarily worked with Native American communities in this sort of work in the more recent past, and the impression that I get is that it is immensely important. I think it’s just part of what needs to happen.” Miller also talked about how the Museum is “dealing with … [and] talking about” the role of Western nations in historical seizure. Abiakalam-Chinagorom said, “I do believe [returning artifacts can contribute to healing “psychological wounds”] … because I feel like some artifacts are seen as art, … but it holds a lot of culture and means a lot to people. … [By returning it], people [can reconnect] to the culture that they didn’t know because of colonialism. … As someone who grew up with a lot of things being influenced by colonialism, any small chance I get to reconnect with my culture before there were Europeans on the continent is … really big.” As Miller explained, this is just a small step toward repatriation. Hopefully, it will influence other Western museums and collections to continue to return artifacts that are not rightfully theirs. About the importance of returning these artifacts to Nigeria, Abiakalam-Chinagorom said, “I think it’s important for people to see because then people are able to come in contact with their history. … When [the British] actually [looked] at these artifacts they thought, ‘Oh yeah, what’s the big deal?’ To you it is just an object, to some people, it’s a lifestyle. It is history. So when they bring this artifact home, people are able to have conversations about certain things and how colonialism is still reflective in our own city.”
Global sustainability conference comes to Mount Holyoke SOPHIE FRANK ’26 STAFF WRITER
This year, Mount Holyoke College’s Miller Worley Center for the Environment is a host institution for the Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education. The conference, which is hosted virtually, has over 4,700 attendees from 353 institutions across 23 countries. The event is hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, which works to “[empower] higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be … drivers of sustainability innovation,” according to its website. Meghan Fay Zahniser, the executive director for AASHE, said that “host institutions truly champion sustainability advancements in higher education” in a College news publication. Being a host institution means the College has been recognized by AASHE for its commitment to sustainability and has been given the chance to provide free conference access to its students. Mount Holyoke has set the goal of being carbon neutral by 2037 and has been making
changes to its building and dining standards in order to make life on campus more sustainable, as detailed on its “sustainability” website page. In addition to plans for the future, Mount Holyoke currently supports the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, which worked to make hosting the conference possible and allows students to delve into issues of climate justice and sustainability. Students have been given free conference access, with the recorded materials remaining available asynchronously following the close of the conference, according to an Oct. 12, 2022 MHC This Week newsletter. On its website, the conference describes its mission as “[bringing] together sustainability leaders from around the world … to share effective models, policies, research, collaborations and transformative actions that advance sustainability in higher education and surrounding communities.” Conference materials include virtual discussion groups, as well as lectures spanning topics from
Photo courtesy of Kenneth C. Zirkel via Wikimedia Commons Mount Holyoke hosted the Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education this semester.
“Centering Justice and Equity in Environmental Center Work” to “A Student-led Process for University Carbon Footprinting.” Speakers range from university professors to students to climate organization leaders. When examining events like this one, it’s important to consider what it truly means to be a global conference. Here, global inclusivity seems to come from multiple places — bringing in issues of sustainability from countries around the
world, the participation of diverse institutions and students and a focus on intersectional identities and how that pertains to the fight for climate justice. The conference did not always have a global focus, with both AASHE and the conference once representing only North America. Now, the conference has citizens from 23 countries in attendance. One of the panels, “Co-Learning Partnerships & Carbon Management in Denmark & Canada,” focuses specifically on
climate work in those countries. The other panels do not reference specific countries, but rather integrate global ideas and the work of many social justice groups into panels on a wide variety of topics. Multiple panels, including one called “Weaving for Resilience: Indigenous Knowledge and Placebased Learning in Sustainability Education,” discussed Indigenous approaches to sustainability, community and engaging with one another. Several talked about “racial equity and social justice,” according to AASHE. The “Is a Campus a Community if Everyone Isn’t Paid a Living Wage?” panel encouraged the institutions in attendance to look at themselves by examining “higher education institutions that voluntarily increased the pay of low-wage workers,” the conference description reads. Around the world, conferences such as this one, organizations such as AASHE and the College are working towards global solutions and community building, and examining their roles in fighting for social and climate justice.
Hampshire professor discusses recent political events in Latin America LAUREN CINCOTTA ’25 STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 25, 2022, in the Language & Culture Commons Lounge, the department of Spanish, Latino/a and Latina American studies hosted an event in collaboration with the politics and anthropology departments titled “A New Pink Tide?: A Conversation with Roosbelinda Cárdenas.” Cárdenas, a Hampshire College associate professor of anthropology and Latin American studies, joined professors and students for an informal, small group conversation about the recent election in Colombia. The election gave power to the country’s first left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, and first vice president of African descent, Francia Márquez. The discussion started with Cárdenas discussing some of the history of Colombian politics and the previous grassroots advocacy work Marquez had done prior to becoming vice president. Márquez has a history of environmental activism,
and first got involved in politics as a teenager organizing at the local level to stop large companies from conducting invasive operations in her community. The discussion continued with Cárdenas evaluating the excitement around the recent election and inauguration, as well as the challenges that come with forming a new government. Cárdenas noted that being part of grassroots movements can pose challenges when one gains political office and spoke to some of the nuanced differences between creating policy and activism work. The conversation also expanded to a broader discussion of recent developments in Latin American politics, specifically the question of whether or not a new “pink tide” is emerging. The first pink tide era in the early 2000s marked a resurgence among moderate left governments in the region after decades of control by right-wing governments, Reuters reported. Cárdenas explained that while that wave receded in re-
cent years amid the election of more conservative, right-wing candidates, it is still early to define a shift in Latin American politics as a whole, although early signs of change are present. An article in Reuters notes that in addition to Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Peru have seen similar shifts toward the left. According to National Public Radio, the recent election in Brazil between current President Jair Bolsonaro and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva “gave da Silva, who is a former two-term president, 50.9 percent of the vote compared to 49.1 percent for Bolsonaro. Da Silva will be sworn-in for a four-year term on Jan. 1,” cementing the strength of what is starting to be known as the “New Pink Tide.” The talk closed with a discussion about the types of reforms these new left governments may enact, and the influence of ideological shifts in the U.S. and other countries around the world on the elections.
Photo courtesy of Olivier Hansen via Wikimedia Commons Francia Márquez, the first Colombian vice president of African descent, is part of the “Pink Tide.”
November 4, 2022
SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT
. Mount Holyoke News
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Board of Trustees approves transition to geothermal energy BY CATELYN FITZGERALD ’23 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT EDITOR
Mount Holyoke College’s Board of Trustees recently brought the College a step closer to achieving carbon neutrality by 2037. The Board voted to transition the College’s heating and cooling system to one powered by geothermal energy. The decision was shared with the MHC community in the Oct. 19 edition of the MHC This Week newsletter, alongside other updates from the Board’s fall meeting. The transition to geothermal power, which the meeting summary referred to as the “College’s Energy Master Plan,” would reduce the College’s carbon footprint by an estimated 80 percent, per the summary. In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Raghu Raghavan, the College’s director of sustainability and associate director of the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, said that he had been working on transitioning the College away from natural-gas powered heating since he began working at the College in 2020. He explained that the carbon neutrality goal emerged from the recommendations of the Sustainability Task Force in 2018. Subsequent planning involved having consultants evaluate different ways for the College to reach its carbon-neutrality goal, Raghavan explained. He went on to state that the same group of consultants had previously worked with other schools in the Pioneer Valley. The resulting plan was “not very different from what they proposed to Smith [College] and Amherst [College],” Raghavan said. “We needed a solution that was geared towards the pretty strong heating requirements in the long winters,” he explained as to why
Photo courtesy of WGisol via Wikimedia Commons Geothermal heating can be installed vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The College is beginning to plan geothermal distribution loops on campus.
geothermal emerged as the best solution. Raghavan also emphasized the role of Interim President Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum in the project’s success. “The day she set foot on this campus, she pushed this project [through to the Board],” he said, adding that Tatum “commands a lot of respect.” According to the United States Department of Energy, geothermal heat pumps work by utilizing the earth’s near-constant temperature. The USDE explains that heat pumps circulate a fluid, such as water, through pipes that form a loop between the ground and nearby buildings. When the air temperature is cooler than the ground, the fluid will absorb heat as it travels
underground and then release that heat as it travels through a building. The reverse happens when the air is warmer than the ground, as the fluid absorbs heat from inside buildings and carries it underground, where it is released. According to Raghavan, Mount Holyoke’s current heating system circulates 200 F steam through the buildings. He went on to explain that 50 percent of this heat is lost during the distribution. In contrast, he explained, hot water systems such as some geothermal heat pumps experience much less energy loss during distribution and only need to be heated to 130 F to be useful for water heating. Geothermal energy represents a short-term investment with long-
term payoffs, according to an article from EnergySage, a solar energy resource site and marketplace. This article explains that upfront costs for a geothermal heat pump are high, particularly when ductwork needs to be installed or replaced, to which Rhagavan said the College will need to conduct excavation processes. Once the upfront investments are made to install the heat pump, however, energy-cost savings are significant, and in a household setting, the system will typically pay itself off in five to seven years, the EnergySage article said. According to an United States Environmental Protection Agency article, geothermal energy is not inherently fossil fuel free. Geothermal heat pumps require some electricity to heat or cool the water further so
that it can reach the desired temperature, the EPA article explained. This means that it is the responsibility of the user to source the additional electricity from a renewable source in order to minimize its environmental impacts. Geothermal heating and cooling brings with it the benefits of producing energy on-site rather than purchasing it from the grid, per the EPA. On-site renewable energy production shields users from volatile fossil fuel prices and grid blackouts, allowing users to better predict future energy expenditures. Additionally, on-site renewable energy production puts money back into the local community through job creation and long-term financial savings, the EPA explained. According to Raghavan, only phase 1A of the “Energy Master Plan” was approved during the recent Board meeting. This first phase consists of planning the distribution loops for the new hot water system. For the project to continue, subsequent phases will also need to be approved by the Board, potentially during their spring meeting, he said. If the process goes smoothly, Raghavan says that he expects digging for the new system to begin in the summer of 2023. Raghavan made it clear that switching to renewable energy is not the be-all and end-all of a sustainable future. Rather, geothermal and other technology-based solutions should be viewed within the larger context of overconsumption and adopted alongside reductions in energy use. Maintaining a focus on emissions reduction is “comfortable,” Rhagavan said, but the College’s community also needs to address issues of justice and lessening energy consumption as it strives for sustainability.
Tomato soup protestors instigate discussions about climate activism BY SARAH GRINNELL ’26 STAFF WRITER
Content warning: This article mentions the Holocaust. On Oct. 14, 2022, two climate protestors from the U.K. activist group Just Stop Oil were arrested for throwing tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” at London’s National Gallery, a Vox article reported. Just a week later, New York Post reported that two protestors from the climate activist group Letzte Generation, which is German for “last generation,” were arrested for hurling mashed potatoes at Claude Monet’s “Les Meules” in Potsdam, Germany. Most recently, on Oct. 27, a Netherlands-based protestor attempted to glue his bald head to Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring”, according to New York Daily News. In all three of the articles on the different incidents, each group cited the reasoning for their actions as being to promote climate awareness. This method of climate activism has instigated much debate, raising particular discussion around the use of art in environmental activism. In a video posted by MSN, the Just Stop Oil activists can be heard shouting, “What is worth more, art or life?” after throwing soup on the painting. “Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting, or the protection of our planet and people?” they continued.
The German protestors employed a similar message in their mashed potato demonstration, The Wall Street Journal article reported. The Vox article about the “Sunflowers” incident includes a tweet the group made after the protest that reads, “If it takes a painting … to make society remember that the fossil fuel course is killing us all then we’ll give you #MashedPotatoes on a painting!” Their stated goal was “to temporarily disfigure a treasured artwork and call out the people who would be more concerned about a painting than the planet,” the WSJ explained. Although Vox, NBC and the WSJ confirm that all paintings were behind glass and only the frames sustained minor damage, the protests prompted discourse on social media, with many raising questions as to the validity of the groups’ activism. Per the Vox article, some condemned the members of Just Stop Oil as mere “reckless protesters” who “had ruined van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ just to make a point.” Others, including the author of the Vox article, Aja Romano, saw the demonstrations as being effective in garnering “public interest or sympathy.” Helen Gloege ’23, member of the Mount Holyoke Climate Justice Coalition, accepted both perspectives in an interview with Mount Holyoke News. “There’s no particular [or] right way to be a climate activist,” she said. They mentioned the fact that the protest did not do any actual
harm to the painting itself and noticed that the protest was “getting a lot more attention” than many grassroots protests would receive. Still, Gloege recognized that these kinds of protests “sometimes can hurt the rest of the climate activist community based on how [they’re] interpreted.” Seeing as NBC cites that much of the media attention on these protests has been negative and centered on the public’s ire, Vox argues it has mostly served to divert attention away from the various groups’ actual messages. In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Art History Professor Ajay Sinha took a similar stance as Gloege, saying he would like to “give credit to the protestors for using tomato soup, as … there [are] toxins, that even if there had not been glass, the painting would have been preserved.” He pointed out that “they could have slashed it,” but their choice of targeting a painting behind glass suggests they had no intent of actually damaging the work. “They took responsible action,” Sinha said. Whatever stance one takes on the matter, the idea of art in activism is nothing new. As Vox mentions, these protests extend from a long legacy of using art as a form of protest. As Jezebel describes, “Destroying art is its own genre of political theater,” and its use in politics dates back to historical examples such as suffragists vandalizing Velasquez’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Graphic by Sunny Wei ’23
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‘The Car’ is an enigmatic look toward Arctic Monkeys’ future, cont’d u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
infallible beliefs / While I’m sockin’ it to ya? / Performin’ in Spanish on Italian TV / Sometime in the future / Whilst wonderin’ if your mother still ever thinks of me / Hallelujah.” If one is dedicated enough to analyze these lyrics over many listening sessions, coalescing with other fans on the “r/AlexTurnerIsAGod” Reddit thread, then “Sculptures Of Anything Goes” would appeal more to this class of listeners. With introductory chords that can only be described as sounding like the beginning of a cheap, vintage porno, “Jet Skis On The Moat” may make fans audibly laugh. Continuing with the funk theme present throughout the album, Turner avoids sticking to one pitch, push-
ing this to be a song distinctly filled with oscillating falsetto. Strings are introduced with the lyric, “Is there somethin’ on your mind / Or are you just happy to sit there and watch while the paint job dries?” Turner may be alluding to his hope that by the time the paint dries, the watcher should have made up their mind not only about how they feel about where they are, physically and mentally, but how they feel about Turner himself. The ending develops into a softer tune, with more resounding drums and a sustained guitar chord drowning out the silence from the absence of synths, appropriately leading into the next song, “Body Paint.” Introduced with decisive piano keys and a simple drum beat, “Body Paint” feels like futurism-lounge music, where one may dance with their partner in a manner com-
parable to “New Girl’s” Jess and Nick’s unperturbed and dawdling chicken dancing. Turner opens in a capricious falsetto, “For a master of deception and subterfuge / You’ve made yourself quite the bed to lie in,” soon followed with a chorus that details, “So predictable / I know what you’re thinking.” The bridge, “I’m watching your every move / I feel the tears are coming on / It won’t be long / It won’t be long / Straight from the cover shoot / Still a trace of body paint / On your legs and on your arms and on your face / And I’m keeping on my costume / And calling it a writing tool / And if you’re thinking of me / I’m probably thinking of you,” is introduced with an orchestral interlude, followed by delicate drums and strings and the introduction of a slightly harsher guitar. A feminine voice in the background
reverbs “keeping on,” after Turner sings said phrase, softening the song and introducing another character, highlighting that Turner is not alone in his observations. The reference to paint in the bridge alludes to the title of the previous track, perhaps emphasizing that as the paint has dried to completion, so have the decisions of Turner’s lover — perhaps, those decisions have left a permanent impression on his partner, one that Turner cannot see past. Toward the song’s end, the guitar has its solo, with Turner fading slightly into the background. “Body Paint” offers fans a glimpse of the band’s rock-centered past, while preserving the novel jazz-funk that the band has established as their preferred route. A Pink-Floydian take on their new sound, the sixth track “The
Car” begins with an acoustic guitar and soft piano overture, adding moderate drums and strings throughout the song. Absent any funk, any synths, “The Car” anticipates the listener to focus on the lyricism of the song, with the presence of “The Wall”-esque instrumentation serving as a cushion to anchor your focus toward the verses. Yet, the lyrics are jumbled and incoherent, almost as if Turner is speaking for the sake of speaking, not believing the conviction behind his words. With lyrics such as “But it ain’t a holiday until / You go to fetch somethin’ from the car,” and “Travel-size champagne cork pops / And we’re sweepin’ for bugs / In some dusty apartment, the what’sit-called café / You can arrive at 11 and have lunch with the English,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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OPINION
November 4, 2022
. Mount Holyoke News
UK’s first prime minister of color should not go without critique
Photo courtesy of Chris McAndrew via Wikimedia Commons Rishi Sunak, above, is the first person of color and of Indian origin elected as U.K. prime minister.
BY KAVERI PILLAI ’23 OPINION EDITOR
As an Indian Hindu living overseas, I started Diwali with lighting a diya in front of the Lord Ganesha idol on my desk. Within seconds of putting in a silent prayer for the god of new beginnings, I received news of new beginnings being celebrated elsewhere — the United Kingdom had elected Rishi Sunak to be their new prime minister. At the age of 42, Sunak is the first person of color and the first person of South Asian descent to become prime minister of the U.K, according to Reuters. Like many Indians across the globe, I couldn’t ignore how momentous a win this was. One of the most prominent colonial nations is now going to be governed by a man of Indian origin. Even the prime minister of India — Narendra Modi — posted a tweet on Oct. 24, 2022 commending Sunak’s win, saying “Special Diwali wishes to the ‘living bridge’ of U.K. Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership.” Yet, my initial joy was quickly replaced with concern as I perused text messages and news notifications cele-
brating his win. While I cannot refute the shocking coincidence of people celebrating Diwali and Sunak’s win on the same day, Modi’s tweet and the many posts claiming Sunak to be an Indian for Indians opens up the floor to critique. It is convenient to place Sunak on a pedestal for breaking the proverbial racial glass ceiling instead of holding him accountable for his political beliefs. With the U.K. entering a dreary economic period and Sunak making promises for recovery and stability, one needs to go beyond simply celebrating his election. It is our responsibility to acknowledge the precedent this election has set for people of color and the Indian diasporic community in the U.K. while questioning the possibility of typecasting him as a supporter of people of color when that is hardly the case. His conservative political beliefs and controversial past as the British finance minister, on the contrary, have hurt — and may continue to hurt — low-income communities and people of color. By simply focusing on and idealizing Sunak being a representation of the Indian community, we fail to critique an
elected public servant and discourage dissent against those in power, putting democracy and the people’s voices in jeopardy. While this critique in no manner diminishes the importance of a person of color being elected to the U.K.’s highest political post, it is important to understand what image of the Indian diaspora is being propagated here. While media companies rejoice on Diwali being celebrated on the same day as Sunak’s election, their inability to acknowledge Diwali as a Hindu — not Indian — festival homogenizes the Indian demographic. This propagates the idea of the successful Indian being Hindu, not of another religious background. Further, it makes becoming a prime minister seem simply attainable to the select few who fit criteria set by a superior group of predominantly white British people. Even if one were to go beyond the media’s portrayal of a man of Indian origin succeeding in the U.K., Sunak’s biography sent another alarming message to the public. According to a CNN article, Sunak was born to Indian origin parents who left East Africa for the U.K. in the 1960s, where he proceeded to study politics, philosophy and economics at Winchester College and Oxford University. He received his MBA as a Fulbright Scholar from Stanford University in the United States, according to Fulbright. To add to his rather glitzy academic background, the same CNN piece cited the Sunday Times Rich List of the U.K. ‘s 250 wealthiest people which mentioned his joint net worth with his wife Akshata Murthy to be 730 million pounds. Sunak also worked at banks and hedge funds, including Goldman Sachs, before starting off his political career in 2015 as a member of parliament for Richmand, York, according to gov.uk. Evidently, it is hard to root for a man with such a grotesque amount of wealth and privilege. In a viral interview clip, Sunak’s claim to have “no working class friends” only makes it clearer that the approximate 1.7 million Indians living in the U.K. — a number cited by the
Economic Times — hardly mirror Sunak. If anything, Sunak is probably the most digestible version of a person of color for a place like the U.K. that has such a strong, white colonial legacy and prospers on the exclusion of nonwhite and poor people. Without any comment being made about his politics, this image of a person of color walking through life like an Englishman disregards the struggle of many migrants in the U.K. and fails to echo the concerns of marginalized communities in the country. It is easy for us to dismiss the kind of work Sunak can do for underrepresented and marginalized communities in the U.K. simply based on his pedigree, but it is also his inept policies enacted during his tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer and his stringent conservative beliefs that mark him as bad news for low-income communities and people of color. His views on Brexit and immigration and economic expenditure align with quintessential Tory Party philosophy and beg us to question whether, no matter one’s ethnicity, political conservatives could ever help socioeconomic minorities. For one, the 2016 Brexit referendum led by the conservatives hinted at the U.K.’s shift toward stricter laws of isolationism and anti-immigration. According to a New York Times article Sunak, an all-time supporter of the British withdrawal from the European Union, claimed it to be a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for our country to take back control of its destiny.” Reuters, too, echoed Sunak’s alliance with the conservative party’s growing intolerance to migrants and asylum seekers, with the U.K.’s prime minister stating that he wants the net migration rate to fall. The Quint speculated on how Sunak’s views on immigration could translate into his policy agenda by mentioning the government’s upcoming actions to tighten the definition of asylum’ put in a parliamentary cap for people who seek to migrate and his support for the controversial Rwandan asylum policy that essentially sends in illegal immigrants to Rwanda “where they
will be assessed for resettlement.” These moves alone from the new government will set a regressive track for the supposed progress of the U.K. Sunak aims to build. Moreover, the reappointment of Home Secretary Suella Braverman marks the beginning of the end of the U.K. being a safe haven to people across the border. As mentioned in a Washington Post article, the irony of Braveman once “[complaining] that Indians were the migrant group that most overstayed their visas” and her admitting at a Tory Party conference that a “front page photograph of a flight deporting illegal immigrants was her ‘obsession’” disregards any Indian-claiming that’s being done with Sunak. If the leader of a nation truly had people of color and people of low income in mind, no matter nationality or ethnicity, Braveman as a voice in their cabinet would be antithetical to any shred of inclusive and community-centric belief. Categorizing Sunak as a voice of Indian migrants, especially after one is aware of his political beliefs and to what extent he could go to legalize his anti-immigrant sentiments, is absurd. His tenure as the chancellor didn’t make him a man of the people either. A Yahoo News article predicted that due to inflation and a rise in energy bills almost up to 2,800 pounds, the proposed 15 billion pounds financial support relief package would fail to aid working class families. Instead, pensioners largely benefited from this action. A Guardian article addressed Sunak’s big agenda on introducing tax cuts, a fiscal policy that benefits upper classes, and has pushed approximately 1.3 million people under the poverty line. With an October predicted inflation rate of 8.7 percent, Sunak’s sheer disregard for low-income communities suffering with loss of jobs, houses and wages, push us further to discuss if the people’s representative is as out of touch as he appears to be and if he truly knows nothing about the “working class.” The Tory nominee portrayed CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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Modern ideas surrounding wellness are toxic and need to be challenged BY SILAS GEMMA ’26 STAFF WRITER
Content warning: This article discusses eating disorders and mentions fatphobia. Wellness is an elusive concept because it is subjective and individualized. According to Pfizer, “Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes.” Wellness has become even more complicated with the aid of questionable claims and products in recent times. The pursuit of wellness in the 21st century has coalesced into a massive, profit-focused industry. In an opinion article for The Guardian, Margaret McCartney states that “the modern iteration of ‘wellness’ — defined, at least in part, by the need to purchase something to [attain] it — piggybacks on the multi-billion dollar diet, supplement and fitness industry.” As she points out, the commercialization of wellness has created a sense of exclusivity. The purchase and usage of these “multi-billion dollar” products has become privatized and separated from common, free methods of maintaining wellness, such as activities that can be engaged in with no monetary requirement. McCartney expresses the impression that products, such as “seaweed wraps” or “wellness vitamin shots,” are needed in order to achieve wellness, whereas previously, “street play” and other simpler social ways of achieving wellness were deemed sufficient. Companies selling wellness products tout groundless claims that their products will help to prevent, treat or cure certain ailments due to specially formulated ingredients or naturally derived compounds. Rhetoric surrounding the purity and benefit of wellness products has emerged as companies are taking advantage of the affectability of consumers to market their products. This is demonstrated by the compilation of cases reported by the Federal Trade Commission, one of which involved the corporation Bionatrol Health and the case brought against them in 2021 for forwarding
unfounded claims about the efficacy of their cannabidiol, or CBD, products in treating serious health conditions. This ultimately led to a $20,000 fine for the company and a mandate to notify its consumers of the charge, demonstrating the tangible ramifications of prioritizing profit over the health of consumers. Following the guidance of this constantly shifting modern wellness culture can lead someone down a circuitous path that only takes them further away from well-being. A study by the Centre for the Promotion of Imports Ministry of Foreign Affairs illustrates the ballooning demand in Europe for cosmetic products derived from natural ingredients. The annex to this study details the array of natural cosmetic products commonly used in cosmetics and care products, including artemisia, apple water, yarrow and ginkgo extract. While there is nothing inherently wrong with these ingredients, their usage in accordance with the modern wellness industry’s preference for natural over artificial has given them moral value. People consequently judge their worth based on whether they adhere to these standards. Through social media posts from friends and acquaintances, I have gleaned that it is more acceptable to share images of naturally-derived food items, such as smoothies that contain natural ingredients and require preparation, than artificially-derived food items such as frozen dinners. The former is seen as evidence of effort and proactivity to maintain health, while the latter is seen as a product of idleness or a lack of incentive to prepare something healthier. The popularity of organic-food firms further demonstrates the consumerist belief that naturally derived products are superior or more morally upright to provide for families. An article by USA Today captures this by recording the comments of a mother from Connecticut, “It’s [organic food] produced in a healthier way, without pesticides, without any bad things that contaminate the growth of the food and the growth of my kids,” she said. A Time opinion article additionally displays this through its promotion of organic products for children
and its covert disdain for parents who do not adhere to natural diet regimens for their children. Co-written by a mother, Anna Lappé and a father, Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician, the article cements how natural food rhetoric has permeated the media, the health care sector and everyday life. Citing their authority as parents, along with Greene’s profession, they proceed to lay out why organic food is superior to artificially derived food. Drawing from various studies, they mention the perceived risk of cancer, exposure to pesticides, or exposure “to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.” The usage of this kind of a hackneyed fear-mongering tactic, accompanied with citing various studies from reputed sources in order to bolster their claims, attracts more people to their doctrines. This testifies to the fact that producers take advantage of the impressionability of consumers such as parents by promoting ideas that artificial ingredients are harmful to a child’s health. Yet, impressionability is not equivalent to gullibility. The desire of parents to provide organic products stems from external factors, such as marketing, that draw on their interests to protect their children. Firms have profited off of this by forwarding enticing, although at times false, claims. Parents will purchase products in order to circumvent the guilt associated with purchasing socially unacceptable products. The current wellness industry is leading parents to feel as if they are failing if they do not adhere to the guidelines prescribed by the media, colleagues, doctors or other parents. This can have a negative influence on children and, in some cases, lead them to develop an unhealthy relationship with food. Inextricable ties exist between the wellness industry and the diet industry. According to the National Eating Disorders Association , “the term ‘orthorexia’ was coined in 1998 and means an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating.” The NEDA article discusses that this may include preoccupation with what future meals will look like or adopting a more regimented diet by eliminating certain types of food. The article points out that quantifying the num-
Photo courtesy of Marco Verch Professional Photographer via Flickr Multiple studies have shown links between toxic parts of wellness culture and disordered eating.
ber of people struggling with orthorexia is difficult, especially because it can mimic or be a part of other eating disorders. Per my own experiences, orthorexia can often manifest as excessive preoccupation with eating natural food, or food without artificially derived ingredients such as preservatives, colorings, pesticides or bioengineered ingredients. The NEDA article also states that orthorexia can present itself through the “obsessive following of food and ‘healthy lifestyle’ blogs on Twitter and Instagram.” This is a condition that can exhibit itself in various ways, requiring the consultation of an expert for treatment. The link between the wellness industry and the development of critical eating disorders is strong, indicating the danger of allowing the modern wellness industry to disseminate false information. A National Public Radio article demonstrates the connection between the wellness and diet industries by referencing the words of Nadia Craddock, a body image researcher. Craddock states that “there’s [a] very common error of equating health and thinness as one in the same.” In other words, the pursuit of thinness is justified as necessary for health and well-being, however those concepts may be defined
by an individual or wellness firm. It is crucial to note that not all eating disorders include the pursuit of thinness or result in weight loss. It is the misdirected promotion of health via wellness products — which may include weight loss products — that solidifies the connection between the diet and wellness industries. The propagation of modern wellness culture has tangible ramifications for consumers and ultimately does not lead to the improved health of individuals or collective society. Looking critically at wellness information opens up the possibility of truly achieving a more liberated and open way of living. Questioning news sources and personal beliefs, as well as considering the implications of diet culture — such as fatphobia — will lead to a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of wellness culture. The development of eating disorders and the time lost worrying about a product’s purity outweigh the possible gains of subscribing to this culture. Ultimately, it is a profit-driven and homogenized scheme to make individuals question if or how they are achieving wellness. In reality, wellness is a nebulous concept that is individualized and cannot be achieved by consuming elderberry extract each morning.
November 4, 2022
SPORTS
. Mount Holyoke News
7
Anne O’Byrne ’13 returns to Mount Holyoke as Lacrosse head coach BY LAUREN LEESE ’23 STAFF WRITER
This season, the Mount Holyoke Lacrosse team welcomed new head coach and College alum Anne O’Byrne ’13 back to the Lyons community. O’Byrne succeeds former Lacrosse Head Coach Miriam Esber, who was in the role for 14 seasons. A lifelong athlete, O’Byrne grew up playing softball in Florida, and then switched to field hockey and lacrosse when she moved to New England at the age of nine. A series of surgeries — four in high school and a fifth in college — confirmed O’Byrne’s love for competing. “It kind of solidified the passion that I had for sport, … wanting to get back to it and the feeling of loss when I couldn’t,” she said. O’Byrne played field hockey on the varsity team at Mount Holyoke College for four years, an experience which fueled her passion for coaching. “The field hockey team was a … community that I was really excited to be a part of,” O’Byrne said. “ I think that my experience, specifically the things that I learned as a student-athlete, really motivated me to want to share that same experience with student-athletes that I was coaching.”
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics Anne O’Byrne ’13 returned to Mount Holyoke College, her alma mater, as Lacrossse head coach.
Following her graduation from Mount Holyoke, O’Byrne coached at four other colleges, twice as head coach. She highlighted her time at Curry College as one of her most treasured professional achievements. “We had our winning season my first year, which is kind of difficult to do, and we had at least two All-Conference players that year,” O’Byrne said. “That was a big one for me.” In addition to her coaching positions, O’Byrne earned two master’s degrees, one in Sport Management with a concentration in Athlete Development and one Master of
Science in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology with a concentration in Human Performance, both from the University of Florida. “I got two degrees at one time, and I had two jobs, and it was probably the least sleep I’ve ever [gotten] in my life,” O’Byrne said. “It was very difficult but very rewarding.” O’Byrne’s decision to coach at her alma mater came easily, thanks to her existing knowledge of Mount Holyoke’s atmosphere. “As a coach, you always look for a place that you want to put roots down because you want to make an impact on the community,” O’Byrne
said. “I just had a lot of faith in the community at Mount Holyoke … because of my student-athlete experience. I think I was always looking for a community that was very supportive, but also academically rigorous, and also where they expected a lot from their student-athletes. I knew that was going to be true here. … It’s hard to find places like that, [that] you feel a strong connection to, so this [school] was an obvious choice for me.” In returning to Mount Holyoke, O’Byrne became colleagues with her former coach, Field Hockey Head Coach Andy Whitcomb, who alerted her to the open Lacrosse head coach position. “Coach [Whitcomb] does a great job of maintaining a network when we do leave,” O’Byrne said. “She makes herself … available to us as alums whenever we need her.” Speaking of their continuing relationship, O’Byrne said, “She’s very supportive of me, and she’s very reassuring that … if something’s hard, it’s okay.” O’Byrne described her coaching philosophy as “holistic,” expressing a desire to be there for her players both on and off the field. “I really believe that coaching the whole person is super important,” O’Byrne said.
“To push people to reach their potential and to make sure that they know that they have a safety net and support in any way they need it.” The current lacrosse team lineup impressed O’Byrne with their existing team cohesion. “I love that they’re all quite different from one another,” O’Byrne said. “But they all seem to get along super well, which I think makes the hard work easier. So I think their sense of humor and … their intensity and willingness to do the hard work … has been the most enjoyable part [of coaching them] so far.” “Our short term goals are to be competitive, as competitive as we can be,” O’Byrne said. “We have a great group of players right now. … I’m really excited about the dedication and intensity that they’re willing to bring to practice.” O’Byrne emphasized her desire to continue the legacy of those who came before her. “I think that this program is very storied,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for [Esber] and the things that she did here. My biggest hope is to do her proud [and] do the program proud, … [to] show up and show out, [and] make Mount Holyoke a formidable name in the lacrosse world.”
Soccer celebrates seniors, concludes season in game versus Wellesley
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics Hannah Keochakian ’25 assisted Ada Siepmann ’26, pictured, to score a goal in the home game.
BY EMILY TARINELLI ’25 SPORTS EDITOR
Mount Holyoke Soccer was defeated 3-1 by Wellesley College in their designated Senior Day game on Saturday, Oct. 29, at home. Despite the loss, the team recognized its five graduating seniors: defender Carolina Alvarez ’23, forward Posy Labombard ’23, forward Fionna Ken-
nedy ’23, defender Lo Jean-Jacques ’23 and midfielder Sarah Forster ’23. In preparation for the celebrations, the team decorated the Field House lounge and locker room in Kendall Sports and Dance Complex with balloons and streamers and presented each senior with personalized posters and gifts. “The team went really all out
in celebrating us,” Fionna Kennedy said. “We also had a great celebration right before the game where they gave us sashes and flowers, and they framed our old jerseys [for us].” She added that lots of family and friends were there to support the team in their game and senior recognitions. “Senior Day [was] really special this year because it was also our last game [of the season], so [it was] really meaningful and emotional. Letting our seniors know how much we appreciate them and understanding that this is the last time we’ll play with them [was] really special,” team member Anna Kennedy ’26 said. “All the seniors started in our game,” team member Orion Griesmer ’24 said. “They all played very well and brought a lot of energy and intensity to the game.” During the first period of the game, goalkeeper Clarissa Govea ’26 made five saves but the Lyons suffered an own goal in the 38th minute, bringing the Wellesley Blue to a 1-0 lead. In the second half, the Blue at-
tempted two unsuccessful shots before they landed a successful point in the 59th minute. At a 2-0 deficit, the Lyons amped up their play with two unsuccessful shots by Ada Siepmann ’26 and Hannah Keochakian ’25, and in the 62nd minute, Keochakian assisted Siepmann to a goal, bringing the score to 2-1. Wellesley quickly reacted in the 63rd minute with another successful goal that elevated the score to 3-1, which remained until the end of the game. Overall, the Lyons made 11 shots with contributions from Siepmann, Keochakian, Jean-Jacques, Fionna Kennedy, Sonia McCollum ’25 and Rachel Baleto ’26. Siepmann, Keochakian and McCollum also contributed to the team’s total of four shots on goal. The Lyons had a total of six saves, with five from Govea and one from goalie Shannon Breen ’24. Mount Holyoke Soccer concluded their season with a season record of 2-15-1. As a graduating senior, Fionna Kennedy said the best part of the
soccer team was her teammates. “The people are definitely what made my soccer experience what it was, and I think everyone else would agree with that. We definitely have the most fun,” she said. Fionna Kennedy also spoke about some highlights of the season, including beating fellow New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference competitor Smith College in conference play. In addition, she described the team as in the process of “being reborn post[COVID-19],” with the program doubling in size with 16 first-years total this year. “There’s some great talent there, so it’s looking up for [the] coming seasons,” she said. “I think this season was the start of something bigger for Mount Holyoke Soccer. We had ups and downs and lots of injuries, but I couldn’t be prouder,” Anna Kennedy said. “We grew so much as a team … and had a winning chance in every single game. The future of this program is [bright] and I can’t wait [for it].”
Club Corner: Introducing Ultimate Frisbee BY GENEVIEVE ZAHNER ’26 STAFF WRITER
on the soccer fields behind Kendall [Sports and Dance Complex].
Club Corner is a biweekly column dedicated to highlighting Mount Holyoke College club sports. This week, Club Corner spotlighted Ultimate Frisbee.
4. What is your favorite team memory? This past spring, we were yoked enough to qualify [for] and go to nationals! We road-tripped to Wisconsin, got to play some awesome frisbee, meet awesome people and have a lot of fun with the team. Overall, it was such an amazing experience and we placed fifth overall.
Answers by Jamie Eldridge ’25, captain. 1. Describe ultimate frisbee in three words. Goofy, uplifting [and] spirited. 2. What are the basics of ultimate frisbee? Think of it [as] a mixture between soccer and football, but instead of a ball it is a frisbee! We play 7v7, and you work with your team by throwing the frisbee to each other, without moving with the disc, to score a point by catching it in the end zone. It is a self-officiated sport, which encourages clear communication between teams and great sportsmanship. 3. When and where do you practice? We practice from 7-9 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays
5. Tell me about your coach. We have two wonderful — and new! — coaches, Paige Howell and Kate Powers. Paige and Kate are both very experienced ultimate players with a lot of knowledge to share and we are so lucky to have them. We also have two wonderful volunteer coaches, [Visiting Lecturer in Biological Sciences] Justin Baumann and [Kennedy-Shelkunoff Professor of Physics] Kathy Aidala, who are members of the Mount Holyoke faculty! 6. What’s the best part about ultimate frisbee? The best part about frisbee is our team culture. We strive to make our team as accepting and uplifting as possible, from en-
couraging and teaching new players to having all sorts of team bonding events throughout the year. Overall, the team truly does feel like a family, which makes it even more fun to play such a fun sport! 7. If you had to pick a song to describe ultimate frisbee, what would it be? “Man or Muppet” [by] Jason Segel and Walter. 8. Who would ultimate frisbee be perfect for? People who like to have fun, try new things, enjoy a competitive environment, without any experience necessary, and be just really cool and swaggy.
Photo courtesy of Savage Frieze Mount Holyoke Daisy Chain — the ultimate frisbee team — placed fifth at Nationals last year.
9. How can someone join the team? You can join our email list through Embark or DM our Instagram @daisychain_ultimate for more information! 10. Anything else to add? We are selling art made by our very own teammates for fundraising! Check us out tabling in Blanch or check us out on [Instagram at] @daisychain_ artguild.
Photo courtesy of Paige Howell Pictured above: Mount Holyoke Daisy Chain ultimate frisbee team dressed up as the Muppets.
Tomato soup, mashed potatoes and art engage climate activism, cont’d u
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
“Rokeby Venus” in protest of gender discrimination, as well as the Nazis using art as a political tool by destroying and looting important works, Vox reported. As a Marie Claire article on the topic put it: “Art and advocacy have a long and complex history.” In the Marie Claire article, artist Zaria Forman explained that “psychology has proven that we take action and make decisions based on our emotions more than anything else,” which she believes accounts for the effectiveness of art’s political use. Vox describes how the tomato soup protest was successful for its
ability to “activate our love of art, [and] our sense of wonder and awe and reverence.” These reflections complimented the questions posed by the protesters who tried to glue themselves to “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” “How do you feel when you see something beautiful and priceless being apparently destroyed before your eyes? Do you feel outrage?” and why do you not feel this same sense of loss for “the planet being destroyed before our very eyes?” they asked, quoted by NBC. Sinha added that “the idea [is] that these are objects of pride, and they are national heritage.” For this reason, although art is, in essence, “a useless object,”
Sinha emphasized how people “cherish [works of art] in such a way that we preserve them in these grand buildings,” even as global disasters such as the floods in Pakistan fall from many people’s consciousness, he explained. Sinha described this phenomenon by bringing up how “looking at art and these monuments becomes an integral part of becoming a citizen of a particular nation. Climate is fuzzier than that … nation is also fuzzy, but is embodied and concretized through these very specific processes. But climate, which transcends national boundaries … it affects everybody … it doesn’t feel like our property, our
heritage, as directly.” In Sinha’s opinion, art is therefore a way of bringing “tangibility” to complex social problems. “Last year, in the U.S., we saw the removal and breaking of statues … because statues are tangible,” Sinha described. Art makes these issues, such as systemic racism in the case of the statues, more visible and palpable by targeting objects that are “readily available” in “a public place” and in public consciousness, Sinha noted. “In medieval Christianity they broke images, and in Islamic cultures they broke images, but it was a fight at the religious level, and now it’s a fight at the level of capital-
ism,” Sinha explained, going on to explain that art is “really at the center of cultural politics.” Miranda Whelehan, one of the Just Stop Oil protestors, made a similar point, stating, “my fear is that they will only understand the reality of the climate crisis when it is on the doorstep.” It seems such globally beloved and iconic paintings as “Sunflowers,” “Les Meules” and “Girl With a Pearl Earring” have become the manifestations of this “doorstep,” and, as the Vox article shows, these activists’ approaches to environmental action succeeded in making climate change an international conversation.
8
COMMUNITY
November 4, 2022
Arctic Monkeys releases new album, ‘The Car,’ cont’d
f HOROSCOPES f BY CARRIE LEWIS ’23 & MADDEN LACOSTE ’23 HOROSCOPE WRITERS
u Sept. 23 – Oct. 22
Change your hair and change your socks. Your reflection is evolving. There is nothing more powerful than the confidence you possess. Do: Believe| Don’t: Bang
Oct. 23 – Nov. 21
April 20 – May 20
It’s your time! Make your name known. You’re a gift to all you encounter! Don’t be afraid to show your true self. Your lucky day is tomorrow. Do: Mount Holyoke News | Don’t: Build
Take your time! Be as gentle with yourself as you are with others. You deserve to be your own friend. Do: Present | Don’t: Browse
May 21 – June 20
Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
The roof is on fire. Does it reach the rest of the place? Sometimes, unlike fire, isolating your emotions is not healthy for the foundation. Spread wide, Gemini. Do: Portraits | Don’t: Blank
If the ceiling collapses, build your own house. You are more than capable on your own, but do not be afraid to rely on others. Flexibility helps. Do: Blue | Don’t: Crash
Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
June 21 – July 22
You are a leader by nature. Do not fear where you will go, as you will always create a home. Try something new this week, you might like it. Do: Steps | Don’t: Corners
The lake should be frozen by now. However, you can still see the fish swimming. Be careful not to fall in. Relax this week. Do: Movie night | Don’t: Threat
July 23 – Aug. 22
Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
Cracks on the sidewalk call your name. Even concrete can grow flowers. Playing with fortune is always fun. Wait for Friday! Do: Trip | Don’t: Gleam
Dance in a circle with a smile on your face. Will you dance in public or hidden away? Regardless, you are going to make the right decision. No one knows better than you. Do: Cheer | Don’t: Avoid
Aug. 23 – Sept. 22
Feb. 19 – March 20
Are you sure this is what you want? Would your past self agree? Let things come naturally, you have all the time in the world. Do: Glitter | Don’t: Glue
You are a porcelain doll. Be careful with yourself. You break it, you buy it. Try not to push yourself too hard this week. Do: Branch | Don’t: @mhc_crushes
Mount Holyoke News Mount Holyoke News is an independent student newspaper written by and for Mount Holyoke College students since 1917.
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there is not much to analyze, even upon a second, third or 10th listening. “Big Ideas” follows the same melancholic mood established in the track prior, serving as an aurally pleasing transition. When analyzing the song from an exclusively lyrical perspective, it is by far the strongest and most evoking. This track centers around Turner recollecting the success of and love from fans regarding their prior albums, emphasizing, “I’ve conjured up wonderful things / The ballad of what could’ve been / Over and out / It’s been a thrill.” There is a guilt Turner feels for exploring a style so divergent from what the band had produced for the past decade, with the song’s chorus communicating, “I had big ideas, the band were so excited / The kind you’d rather not share over the phone / But now, the orchestra’s got us all surrounded / And I cannot for the life of me remember how they go,” divulging the pressure felt for future albums to perform as well as the one’s from the distant past. In the outro, prefaced by yet another guitar solo in the album, Turner underscores that he “just can’t for the life of me / remember how they go,” emphasizing that the famed rock sound the band established their footing with, cannot come back. With “Hello You,” the band returns to their upbeat, funky sound. Accompanied by a synthy piano and rock guitar beginning, the first lyric, “Lego Napoleon movie,” ensures that this is yet another song on the album that may make listeners chuckle within the first 10 seconds. “Hello You,” says goodbye to the sound of the band’s past, “Hello you, still draggin’ out a long goodbye? / I ought to apologize for one of the last times,” looking forward to the now boundless possibility of the future. Another Pink Floydian-esque
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song, “Mr Schwartz” marks the album’s return to the enigmatic mood established in “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball,” drawing the listener back into the oracular roots that the album frames its songs around. With an acoustic guitar intro followed by a temperate piano melody, verse two, “Gradually, it’s coming into view / It’s like your little directorial debut,” is followed by the introduction of other instruments that create a tune faintly akin to Henry Mancini’s “Lujon,” transforming the enigmatic Mr. Schwartz, the song’s namesake, into an alluring figure and thus, an enticing tune. The album concludes with “Perfect Sense,” a fitting finale for the album. Distant drums and orchestral strings accompanied with lyrics such as “Sometimes, I wrap my head around it all / And it makes perfect sense” and “If that’s what it takes to say goodnight / Then that’s what it takes,” provide an ending that, by itself, may appear a bit boring, but in the broader context of the album, works. Although initially approached with contempt toward Turner and the Monkeys — Jamie Cook on guitar, Nick O’Malley on bass and Matt Helders on drums — as the yearning for what the band previously produced inflicted a premeditated aversion toward “The Car,” the album is impressive in its ability to traverse a funk-oriented, loungy aura while still maintaining a bit of the rock modus operandi that they became known for. Compared to the notoriety of their previous albums, such as “Favourite Worst Nightmare” (2007) and “Humbug” (2009),“The Car,” alongside the band’s new musical direction, has yet to solidify itself as a cult classic. As they continue to produce music better reflective of their acquired taste and growth beyond the grunginess of their youth, though, the Arctic Monkeys may find new footing and a refreshed name for themselves.
Rishi Sunak’s historic election should not overshadow his concerning politics, cont’d u
Editorial Board Anoushka Kuswaha ’24 & Tara Monastesse ’25
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March 21 – April 19
You may feel the tides changing, but stability will be your best friend. Double check your plans for Wednesday. Your week may be busy, but keep your eye on the prize. Do: Smile | Don’t: Message
. Mount Holyoke News
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to be a beacon of hope for people of color pinches me as I sit a couple thousand miles away from the prime minister’s office on 10 Downing Street. The media’s emphasis on color-coding his win and equating his government to India in the U.K., removes any kind of space for a critical judgment of Sunak’s political portfolio. Sunak’s campaign promise for newfound “integrity, professionalism and accountability” in the British government is tainted with the neglect and disrespect shown toward marginalized communities. The responsibility placed on Sunak’s shoulders to be an Indian for Indians stands in contrast to the fact that he
is the face of the conservative party that hasn’t uprooted itself from its colonial legacy. What I see is a country barely staying afloat in a sea of economic strife and division as a stagnant political party dominated by entitled and smug old men puppeteers, a man of Indian origin — who is as privileged and out of touch as his peers — to save its legacy. The image being sold of a palatable Indian British politician misleads perception of a diasporic community and sets unrealistic hopes for what can be done to help them. It is our responsibility to elect people who don’t just look like us but can fight for us and to challenge those in power to represent the needs of those that go unnoticed, even when it’s inconvenient to do so.