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"Bringing Back the Songs We Need": The Narragansett Food Sovereignty Initiative at the Crandall Minacommuck Farm
No full textThis work seeks to understand Indigenous food sovereignty movements by placing them into historical context, connecting past colonial encounters with contemporary struggles surrounding food access. Food sovereignty goes beyond food security, taking into account deeper cultural connections to food. Outside of Native communities, food sovereignty movements are often misunderstood due to the individualized nature of each movement according to the culture from which it emerges. This goes back in part to a misconception of Indigenous nations, particularly those in North America, as one monolithic culture. In reality, each of the hundreds of Indigenous cultures across the continent have their own beliefs and traditions, and though there are some common threads between communities, what works to restore or improve one group’s food sovereignty may not work for another. Federal groups that provide funding for such movements, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, often do not allow for differences in cultural preferences when stipulating how funding must be allocated, and Indigenous peoples are made to either compromise their own values or not receive funding. On the ground, Native communities face harassment from non-Natives who see the enactment of Native fishing, hunting, or gathering rights—typically rights protected by treaties—in an ahistorical context that appears on the surface to be undeserved special treatment. These views have resulted in lengthy and expensive court litigations, harassment and property damage preventing access to resources, and in some cases outright violence against Native peoples. Fostering an understanding of food sovereignty movements and the long, complex histories behind them may help mitigate these kinds of instances, making the way back to food sovereignty easier for Indigenous communities.Histor
Environmental Research, Restoration, and Rehabilitation
No full textAs we learn more about the environment and our impact on it through our studies, we find it crucial to apply those concepts to the field and broaden our idea of what a classroom can be. While we range in our interests, we share the common goal of protecting and restoring the environment. Our individual internships include wildlife rehabilitation of birds in Eastern Oregon, aquatic vegetation study in Connecticut, coral research in Thailand, and wetland restoration research in New England. Though our experiences were varied, we can all agree that it is important to not only do research to understand the challenges our environment is facing, but to develop and implement a plan to address these challenges in the future
Rendered Rightless: Exercising Agency in Nation-Spaces
No full textDahagram is a community in Bangladesh, at least on paper. Despite being on Bangladeshi territory, it is completely surrounded by Indian territory. Prior to 2016, it was one of 163 enclaves which existed on either side of the Bangladesh-India border. Meanwhile, in mainland Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees live in the Kutupalong-Balukhali expansion site, also known as the largest refugee camp in the world as of January 2018. Bangladesh refuses to assimilate the refugees, and most of the refugees refuse to return to Myanmar due to ongoing persecution. Back in India, the Dalai Lama has been overseeing the Tibetan government-in-exile from Dharamsala since 1959. The Tibetan Autonomous Region, previously known as Tibet, has been occupied by China since 1950.
Despite their distinct contexts, the enclaves along the Bangladesh-India border, the Kutupalong-Balukhali expansion site, and the transnational nation of Tibet all have one thing in common: a strong community identity which persists despite tenuous or nonexistent ties to a nation-state. Through their very existence, they interrogate the nation-state system which has become hegemonic in our current geopolitical landscape. In my thesis, I deconstruct the assumptions made by this nation-state system. Then, I look at how these three communities interrogate these assumptions. These case-studies inspire questions such as: How does the dominant conception of territory limit the way we imagine community, allocate resources, and perform group identities? How do nation-states come into conflict with transnational communities as a result?
Some of the main works which inform my analysis include “The geographical mind” from Secondary Geography Handbook, written by Doreen Massey; Dipesh Chakrabarty’s “The Idea of Provincializing Europe,” in Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference; and Jason Cons’ Sensitive Space: Fragmented Territory at the India-Bangladesh Border. While looking at these communities through the interdisciplinary lens informed by these works, among others, the concept of nation-space gradually emerged. Nation-space exists in contrast to the nation-state. Nation-space also holds in parallel tension the understanding that a hegemonic nation-state system renders many communities rightless, while also acknowledging the agency exercised by communities which do not fit into this hegemonic system.
This concept of nation-space helps lead into the question my thesis is ultimately posing. How can reimagining the world through the framework of nation-space help conceptualize solidarities across borders? All three of these case studies consist of communities which reimagined solidarity outside of the ideological and territorial borders of the nation-state. Broadening our geographical imagination is imperative for not only understanding these transnational communities, but also for centering those solidarities which subvert and cross state borders. This reimagining is urgent. In a present where climate change is rapidly reshaping territory, reimagining space is not just the road to understanding; it is the road to survival. My thesis hopes to begin exploring the concept of nation-space. By interrogating territorial logics, I hope to illustrate how Dahagram, the Kutupalong-Balukhali expansion site, and the nation of Tibet have already begun reimagining geographical space.Critical Social Though
Childhood Trauma, Posttraumatic Growth, and Narrative Transformation in a Gender Inclusive Women’s College
No full textIn the late 1990s, a series of early life adversities (Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs) became a focus for the health community, as the effects of these traumas were diverse, covering both mental and physical health issues, and longstanding, reflecting neurological changes resulting from prolonged exposure to toxic stress. For survivors of childhood trauma, the college transition allows many to begin the healing process. However, most of the work studying growth from past ACEs has been done at large co-educational institutions, and which can silence survivors’ healing processes or be insensitive to the unique experiences a Gender Inclusive Women’s College provides. This mixed-methods study presents results from an investigation into posttraumatic outcomes (college adjustment and posttraumatic growth) for survivors of Adverse Childhood Experiences within a Gender Inclusive Women’s College environment, as well as student-perceived influences of such an environment on their growth narratives. In a sample of 103 first year students at Mount Holyoke College collected during the spring of 2019, it was found that 82.5% of students reported at least one major childhood trauma before entering college, and most reported at least three major childhood adversities. Major findings indicate that Adverse Childhood Experiences are negatively related to both first year GPA and college adjustment; supportive friend networks seem important in mediating this relationship. Findings from this study are used to explore ways in which colleges can work toward addressing the effects of childhood trauma in their student bodies.Psychology & Educatio
Reimagining Mount Holyoke's Past Through 3D Modeling
No full textIt is difficult to picture Mount Holyoke without thinking of its distinctive neo-Gothic architecture. Although this style plays a significant role in Mount Holyoke’s current identity, the campus looked very different at its founding in 1837. Mary Lyon’s vision for the layout of her female seminary depended on containing all aspects of campus life into one large, central building to promote order and discipline. The Seminary building underwent significant expansion in an effort to preserve Lyon’s ideal as the student body increased in size over the years.
When the campus acquired collegiate status in 1888, this ideal shifted. Mount Holyoke adjusted its architectural layout in order to remain competitive with similar institutions, adding smaller academic and residence buildings such as Williston Hall and Rockefeller Hall. Over a span of twenty-six years, three fires resulted in the destruction of the Seminary Building, Williston Hall, and Rockefeller Hall. Although the fires had no casualties, the campus experienced a great loss to its architectural history.
Studying how the college’s style and layout have evolved since its founding can give modern viewers a better understanding of Mount Holyoke’s shifting priorities throughout the years. Though the physical structures which once comprised Mount Holyoke’s campus may be lost, recapturing the experience of visiting these buildings is possible with modern technology. Archival photographs, building plans, and drawings which present a two-dimensional version of the past can be combined to construct a relatively accurate three-dimensional depiction of the site. This allows a viewer to virtually navigate the space and envision what it may have felt like to attend Mount Holyoke in the nineteenth century.
Although based on photographs, creation of the digital model depends on structural and historical assumptions. Images of the structures often deviate from what is recorded in the plans, and some information is missing altogether. Therefore, the model must be considered somewhat independently from the historical buildings. It represents a modern exposition of how a current Mount Holyoke student interprets the lost structures but should not replace the identity of the structure itself. The model should be used as a guideline for analyzing the architectural intentions of early Mount Holyoke, revealing how the architectural style contributed to establishing the school’s reputation as an innovative, welcoming space for higher education.Architectural Studie
Dipping Your Feet in Familiar and Foreign Waters: Gaining Transferable Skills Near and Far from Home
No full textTaking positions either abroad or back home domestically, our respective internships called us to evaluate the needs of our workplaces without compromising our individual learning expectations. Navigating new and familiar environments, our panel gained new appreciation for the places in which we found ourselves learning. We came to new workplaces with fresh eyes and enriched our perspectives using previously-acquired skills learned at Mount Holyoke. Whether it was translating marketing publications in the French countryside, assisting the senior site director in resolving critical and delicate situations in the Eternal City, supporting the international office of a major Italian university, or conducting research in a psychology lab in Eastern Massachusetts, we all gained transferable skills that will contribute to our remaining time at Mount Holyoke and to our future careers. Although working with a wide range of academic interests and internships, as interns, we found commonalities in the ways that we adjusted to our work placements and acquired knowledge that transcends specific fields or locations
Environmental Research, Restoration, and Rehabilitation
No full textUnderstanding the impacts of wetland restoration is an important part of informing this practice. In order to figure out which methods will best improve the ecosystem functions of wetlands, different restoration efforts need to be examined. This summer I helped contribute to this effort as a research assistant for the MHC Restoration Ecology Program. In my internship I worked both in the field and in the lab, learning a myriad of new skills from establishing experimental plots to measuring gas emissions in soil samples. I also assisted with the Restoration Ecology Summer Scholars Program, a summer program that introduces high school girls to the field of environmental science. Working with the students, and doing research, helped me gain a better understanding of what a career in environmental research would be like: one that requires a great deal of energy and devotion, but which also proves challenging and rewarding at the same time.As we learn more about the environment and our impact on it through our studies, we find it crucial to apply those concepts to the field and broaden our idea of what a classroom can be. While we range in our interests, we share the common goal of protecting and restoring the environment. Our individual internships include wildlife rehabilitation of birds in Eastern Oregon, aquatic vegetation study in Connecticut, coral research in Thailand, and wetland restoration research in New England. Though our experiences were varied, we can all agree that it is important to not only do research to understand the challenges our environment is facing, but to develop and implement a plan to address these challenges in the future
Demographic Differences in Access to Formal Sex Education in the United States
No full textThis paper examines differences in access to formal sex education among adolescents in the United States by demographic characteristics. Previous research has found disparities in access to sex education by demographic, though this issue has not been examined thoroughly in recent years (Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty 2008; Lindberg, Maddow-Zimet, and Boonstra 2016; Lindberg, Santelli, and Singh 2006). Research has additionally suggested that variation in average age at first sexual experience explains the different rates at which different demographic groups report receiving sex education before first sex (Lindberg, Ku, and Sonenstein 2000; Lindberg et al. 2016). Due to a lack of available data, researchers have been unable to distinguish between the different messages adolescents receive about delaying sexual activity. In this study, I describe demographic predictors of receipt of formal sex education using logistic regression models. I consider timing of sex education relative to first sex as it differs by demographic group. I also examine differences between adolescents who report learning “how to say no to sex” and those who report learning about “waiting until marriage to have sex.” I find consistently low rates of receipt of education about safe sex practices such as where to obtain birth control and how to use a condom. The lowest rates of formal sex education are among females, low-income adolescents, and those who do not complete high school.Sociology & Anthropolog
Media Production across Formats
No full textAren’t you supposed to have fun in the summer? This summer I did exactly that. I worked for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, a summer-long music festival run by a non-profit in Brooklyn, New York, as a lighting production intern. One of my favorite parts of my day included running the follow spot during shows to light up Grammy winners and musicians from all over the world. I learned about how much work goes into putting on concerts and the amount of hard work required to make the shows look and sound incredible. I am a double major in Film Studies and Studio Art and want to work in the film industry after graduation. I used my art skills during my daily tasks and then realized that most of the work I did this summer directly relates to the technical portions of filmmaking.In this panel, we explore different and new ways to produce media content, whether through social media, music festivals, advertisements, or entertainment. Through our professional experiences in media production this past summer, we gained knowledge about the industries we want to pursue after graduation. We’ve learned that acquiring an internship in media is certainly challenging and can be about chance, connections, or simply being persistent. One panel member worked as a lighting intern for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn music festival; one member was a production intern for WKYU PBS and its television program, Lost River Sessions; another member was a social media intern at National Geographic and a creative intern at a budding socialist think tank, and one panelist was a video production intern at Emporia Entertainment. Each member of our panel had unique experiences working in male-dominated creative industries and applied their knowledge from Mount Holyoke coursework and leadership to navigate their responsibilities
The Diner: A Senior Thesis Film
No full textThe Diner is a fifteen-minute short film, intended to be a pilot episode to a larger conceptualized series. It is a cross between a
murder mystery and a mundane day-in-the-life story about an American diner and the people who work there. This pilot follows Howie, the owner, and his relationships with the people he works and lives with. Throughout this project, I learned about myself as a director and writer. I learned how I can feed my passion of space, perspective and the representation of “American culture” and explore them further while writing, directing, and editing this project. I was able to test new ideas and experiment with a basket of characters who are all different in their own, special way. I’ve become attached to the characters the production created and I hope to do more with them in the future.
I wrote The Diner during the Summer of 2018 and heavily edited over the first few weeks of Fall 2018. Then was the hard part: convincing people to commit their time to help me make this film. I was lucky enough to get over ten students and local actors to join my cast and crew on a seven-day shoot over the months of October and November. This project would not have been possible without them. It’s important to highlight filmmaking’s collaborative nature; in filmmaking, recognizing other people’s hard work and being agreeable is half the job and leads to a set that runs efficiently and comfortably. The film was completed in May 2019. In addition to the completed film, I kept a production journal to follow the roses and thorns of this process and have completed an essay which elaborates on the academic and personal influences that helped shape The Diner.
Because of my interest in space and the mise-en-scene, I wanted to challenge myself to make this film take place (almost) entirely within the diner and also create a believable diner atmosphere. My goal is for the diner to function as a character in the pilot and in the series as a whole, which I hope to continue to develop. Perspective is also something I’m interested in experimenting with in film and writing. We see a different diner worker’s perspective of a 36-hour time period in each of the episodes that follows the pilot. These 36 hours are between two moments in the pilot: Howie’s son’s birthday celebration and the second Howie discovers a dead body in the foyer of the diner. This story quickly changes from a day-in-the-life story of the diner to a riveting whodunnit all in the first episode and I look forward to continuing it in the future.Film Studie