A Wartime Focus – Extra! Extra!

One of the main things that differentiated The Mount Holyoke News from the earlier The Mount Holyoke was its particular concern with events happening outside of the College, specifically World War I. The pages of MHN were filled with calls to donate or volunteer from organizations like the Red Cross and Y.W.C.A. Excerpts of letters received from friends and family in Europe were published in a section called “Open Letters.”

Report of knitting for December, 1917 and Report of the surgical dressings committee for the month of December, 1917 from the Red Cross. — *Left: Red Cross report, Mount Holyoke News, February 6, 1918.*

Open Letters. This department is to be for the printing of letters and extracts from the letters that you get from abroad -- that is, if you will let us have them. Any letter that you get from some one who is at the front, or at a hospital, or doing Y.M. or Y.W. work, will be welcome. We don't want the name of the writer or the recipient unless you care to give them. If the whole letter is not available for publication, send us extracts from it. Send that last letter from the Belgian or French soldier you correspond with. Help make this an interesting department by unsolicited contributions. The following note illustrates the spirit of the men in the trenches who for the past four weeks have been facing the tremendous enemy onslaught on the Western front. It was sent by a young British officer of the Highland Light Infantry, on his way back to rest after six days and nights of continuous fighting, and was recently received by his sister at Mount Holyoke College. Somewhere in France, March 28, 1918. "Dear ----, As you have probably guessed we have been fighting hard the last week and now are on our way back to rest. The great fight has begun and the first phase of it has gone to the Hun, but before long I fancy there will be another tale to tell. I suppose the people at home are now shouting that all is lost. Well, it isn't -- not by a long shot, and probably before you get this the papers will have told you that we still. have a few trump cards up our sleeve. I am afraid there will be no leave now for any of us until all this is over, and that won't be for a day or two yet. Have no fear. We are now going to a quiet part for a rest. We have had six days and nights hard at it continuously and are pretty tired. F." — *Right: “Open Letters,” Mount Holyoke News, May 8, 1918.*

Even during the “Great War,” as it was known at the time, students still found time for fun and games. This is reflected in the “Humor and Rumor” section which was home to short poems and jokes, often presented as things heard around campus.