This month, California approved their ambitious plan to rely on 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. Carbon neutrality is achieved by reducing the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, primarily by increasing energy efficiency and converting to renewable energy sources. Neutrality can also be achieved by balancing the remaining carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset by reduced emissions elsewhere. With its pledge, California has joined Hawaii as only the secon

Students from colleges and universities all over the world turn to social media as a place to connect with each other at the start of each new school year. Being away from home for the first time while having the chance to reinvent themselves results in students attempting to make new friends through social media apps. As a relatively small liberal arts college, students at Mount Holyoke have the opportunity to follow their peers’ lives through the lens of social media on a more intimate level t

On Feb. 25, 2015, Flint, Michigan resident Lee Anne Walters’ home’s water was tested for lead. The water’s lead content was almost seven times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s limit for lead in drinking water according to Michigan Radio. Walters realized something was wrong with her water in 2014 when her young children were getting rashes from swimming in their swimming pool and taking baths in their home. When one of her twin sons, Gavin, was eventually diagnosed with le

College students can easily feel anxious balancing school, work, friends and family while also trying to figure out the rest of their lives. For many, being on their own, maybe for the first time in their life, is difficult. Mix that with rigorous academic workloads and unhealthy sleeping habits and it can leave one’s mental health in a disastrous state. As academic and social obligations continue to pile on, students can be taught effective coping skills to escape anxiety and depression. Exerc

What are you doing this summer? “I got a job as a medical scribe, so I’m going to be working at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. I’ll be working at their family clinic, which is inside the Benedict Building.” How did you find out about this opportunity? “I was doing research online, and I Googled ‘medical internships,’ and it was one of the first things that popped up. It had really good reviews. It wasn’t through the CDC (Career Development Center) — it was just me,

While many college students rush to get ready in the morning, chances are the ingredients in their cosmetic products are the last thing on their minds — they’re concerned about putting it on their faces and making it to class on time. Paying attention to ingredient lists may seem like an unnecessary and tedious task, but ignoring it could have repercussions. Earlier this month, CNN reported that animal waste was one of the many toxins found in counterfeit makeup, or makeup produced to imitate br

Since 1837, Mount Holyoke College has provided resources to students interested in science and engineering, fields in which women make up less than a third of the population, according to the Miller Worley Center website. Nearly 30 percent of Mount Holyoke students major in STEM fields; this is significantly higher than the number of women who study these subjects at comparable coeducational institutions. To encourage an interest in the natural environment, the Miller Worley Center for the Envi

The U.S. is facing the most lethal opioid crisis in its history. Between 2002 and 2016, the number of deadly overdoses related to heroin increased by 533 percent nationwide, according to CNN. In Massachusetts alone, there were 1,501 confirmed opioid-related deaths last year, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the U.S. Department of Public Health estimates that there will be an additional 433 to 518 opioid-related deaths in the coming months. Although eastern Massachusetts has b