Interview with Melissa White ’13.

At Mount Holyoke, one of the most valued features is the liberal arts education that encourages students to think critically and analyze all perspectives of their disciplines in a diverse and tight-knit environment. Beyond the College campus, Mount Holyoke belongs to a greater network as one of the Seven Sisters colleges that share the values of women’s colleges and the liberal arts. In keeping with these ideologies, the Asian Women’s Leadership University (AWLU) was created

“A lot of our storage collection is paper, because paper does not like to see the light of day,” said Linda Best, Collections Manager of the Mount Holyoke Art Museum as she punches in the number code and opens the doors to the art storage room. Inside are many rows of sliding painting frames, racks that keep the paintings straight and in the air, as if on a normal wall. Portraits of people and landscapes by long-gone art masters are suddenly exposed to the soft white light of the climate controlled room, which deviates only five degrees in either direction from the normal room temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Dickinson Hall kitchen was bright and warm last Thursday when the student board of the Mount Holyoke Outing Club (MHOC) held their meeting. The pleasant smells of tortillas and cheese wafted around the room from the stove, where several of the club members were making quesadillas for their weekly meeting. The club had gone on a hiking trip in the Adirondacks over Fall Break and was debriefing on what had worked and what they wanted to improve for the next trip.

With the fall semester halfway completed, students planning to study abroad in the spring are in a flurry of preparations, budgeting their expenses, filling out forms and booking flights for what will hopefully be a positive, life-changing experience. A large variety of majors are represented in students that study abroad, but often some students require more of the rigor available in the United States or prefer to stay in the Five College area. Other times, the specific major has opportunities that go beyond courses and excursions, allowing immersion in a real medical environment.

Let me begin by saying that I cannot believe that I am a junior already. It seems like only a bit ago I was a first year, overwhelmed by the new faces in my first class and wandering around the campus with a map clutched in my hands. Although I feel I have become much more confident in myself, occasionally that same nervous firstie in me arises, discouraging me from taking a risk or trying something new.

“In 2001, I was in the 6th grade at a school in Brookline. It was morning, and our teacher had been called to go to a meeting. She told us to continue our assignment until she returned. When she did return, she walked to the front of the class with a somber expression. “I have terrible news.” She stopped, and I can only imagine what it was like to break the news to us.

One of the most valuable aspects of the Five College community is the numerous opportunities students have outside of their own schools. Whether through internships, courses, employment or organizations, students can participate in five environments. One of the newest organizations in the community is the Five College Objectivist Society (FCOS) created by UMass first year student Nathan Fatal, who started the organization a month ago.

My first introduction to The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency was in the form of the HBO television pilot series. From the very first episode, I was hooked. The characters, plots and the setting of Botswana so intriguing that as I watched each episode, I felt I was part of the story, feeling the hot African sun on my face as I investigated cases with Mma Precious Ramotswe in her trusty white van.

Many people in the Five College community—from crew team rowers to students and environmentalists—are familiar with the Connecticut River. At 410 miles in length, running from Canada through Massachusetts, the river supports countless species, research projects, recreational activities and many other benefits. Recently, a new project has developed in the area that strives to foster renewed inspiration and interest in the river.