Feb. 22, 2017: Joey Horn '87 resigns from Board following conviction

SPORTS P. 12

ARTS P. 8

Clark presents Monies

VOL. CXXXI, NO. 14

Women’s track takes silver at New Englands

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017

Joey Horn '87 resigns from Board following conviction Horn, her husband receive five-month prison sentences in Norwegian au pair case

By NICHOLAS GOLDROSEN and WILLIAM NEWTON NEWS EDITORS On Thursday, Joey Shaista Horn ’87 resigned from the Board of Trustees following the conviction and sentencing of her and her husband, Ragnar Horn ’85, for immigration and penal law violations in Norway. Norwegian police first began investigating the couple in December 2014 for breaking au pair laws as part of a case that has gained national attention in Norway as a referendum on the country's au pair program.

On Feb. 3, the Oslo District Court sentenced the Horns to five months in prison for lying to immigration authorities about their employment of two Filipino au pairs, one of whom was registered to work for a neighboring family, and using them as housekeepers rather than as au pairs. The Norwegian au pair program allows families to hire only one au pair per household.

While the Horns did not contest that they employed two au pairs between 2012 and 2014, they are currently appealing the court’s decision to interpret the nature of the work the au pair’s performed as housekeeping, rather than the light housework au pairs are legally allowed to perform. This interpretation ultimately led to their conviction under Norway’s criminal code for lying to the Directorate of Immigration about whether the women

they employed were au pairs or housekeepers. “On the grounds of said indications [the performance of housework], the court finds it proven beyond reasonable doubt that Ms. [Jackielyn Carino] Manzanero, Ms. [Jovelyn Mendoza] Carino and Ms. [Violeta Timoan] Emilio were housemaids for the Horns and not au pairs. It is therefore not necessary for the court to take a stand to other circumstances that have been asserted as indications that they were housemaids,” the court wrote, according to the official English translation of the judgment.

The court relied on specific discrepencies in the tasks the au pairs performed in reaching this conclusion. “During at least the warmer half of the year, [they] washed the cars every Saturday, changed the linen on the beds every week, not only the children's beds but also the grown-ups' beds and washed and ironed clothes almost every day,” the court wrote in its judgment.

The court largely rejected the au pairs’ claims for damages, as well as their claims of mistreatment, but did require that the Horns pay a fine of 372,000 NOK ($44,600 USD) to the state and 34,200 NOK ($4100 USD) to one of their au pairs.

The Horns have filed an appeal, which the Norwegian appeals court expects to receive shortly, contesting their sentence and penal law conviction for lying to authorities. The Horns believe that

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE

Joey Horn '87 and Ragnar Horn '85 speak in a video the College published in 2013 to celebrate the construction of the new Sawyer Library. the appeal, if granted, would likely be heard in 2018. While the court's original ruling called for an immediate sentence, their counsel stated that the sentence has since been suspended until the conclusion of the appeal.

“Mr. and Mrs. Horn have both acknowledged that they employed two au pairs when Norway's laws restrict each household to just one and that they allowed paperwork to be filed suggesting that one au pair would be working for their

neighbors,” according to a statement made on behalf of the Horns through Ragnar Horn's counsel, Svein Holden. “They sincerely regret their mistake and have apologized. They are appealing the judgment entered by the Norwegian court because, while they agree with the essential facts on which the decision is based, they do not agree with its legal conclusions and do not believe that the penalty is a just or reasonable punishment.”

According to President Adam Falk and Chairman of the Board

of Trustees Michael Eisenson ’77, the Horns have been transparent about their legal case since its onset in 2014.

“Ms. Horn contacted President Falk and me in December of 2014 to tell us that she and Mr. Horn had been accused of violating rules in Norway regarding the employment of au pairs,” Eisenson said. “She kept us informed as the legal proceedings advanced, and contacted the President and me again immediately following the judgement in the trial

in Norway. Ms. Horn called again on Feb. 16 to indicate that she was stepping down from the Board of Trustees.”

Horn’s resignation took effect 13 days after her conviction and sentencing were announced, but only a day after students researching the trustees for a Divest Williams project found and began circulating an English-language Norwegian article detailing the Horns’ conviction.

SEE HORN, p. 5

Applications to College CC approves Uncomfortable Learning as RSO S jump up 22 percent

By KYLAR SMITH EXECUTIVE EDITOR

By ISAIAH KRUGMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER This application season, the Office of Admission received a record-breaking 8577 applications for the class of 2021, a 22-percent increase in applications compared to last year.

The College saw not only an increase in the size of the applicant pool but an increase in its diversity as well.

“We also saw dramatic increases in applications from American students of color and international students,” Director of Admission Dick Nesbitt ’79 said. The Office of Admission has devoted more time to international recruitment, traveling further and for more time this cycle than in previous years.

These efforts, led by the new Assistant Director for International Recruitment Misha Garg, have proven successful; 22 percent of applications came from international students, an increase from 17 percent last year.

Changes in the College’s admissions requirements accompanied changes in the applicant pool. For the first time applications included the College Board’s redesigned SAT and lacked SAT Subject Tests, a previously required but now optional admissions supplement. “It’s likely that the change to our standardized test policy – dropping the subject test requirement – had the biggest impact on application numbers,” Nesbitt said. Eliminating the SAT Subject Test requirement removed another hoop that many prospective applicants were unwilling to jump through, especially if only required by a single school to which a student may apply, as many colleges and universities have dropped similar requirements in recent years.

Applications from low-income students went up as well, resulting in more applicants applying for financial aid. The larger presence of low-income individuals in the applicant pool is the result of efforts by the Office of Admission to eliminate barriers that discourage lowincome persons from learning of or applying to the College.

The SAT and its Subjects Tests, the ACT, the Common Application and the College Board CSS financial aid form all harbor costs that many low-income, high-achieving students cannot bear. In addition to the costs, the complicated and often intimidating application process can prevent the College from connecting with lowincome students who are often unfamiliar with the admissions process. Consequently, the College has sought to eliminate financial barriers for those applying. The abandonment of the SAT Subject Test requirement was done with this concern in mind. In addition, the College has allowed students to submit screenshots and unofficial score reports to eliminate the cost of sending scores.

The Office of Admission has been attempting to attract low-income students through pamphlets and mailings that demonstrate the College’s commitment to affordability and financial aid. The online “Quick Cost Estimator” reaffirms this commitment by providing students with a rough estimate of the cost of attendance given their financial background. The “Windows on Williams” program pays for low-income applicants’ travel to and from College for those would otherwise be unable to visit. The Office of Admission hopes to encourage admitted low-income students to attend by paying for the cost of travel to the College for Previews.

Nesbitt stressed that the increase in diversity of applicants reaffirms the College’s previous commitments. “The goal this year is to build upon the successes of the last several classes in enhancing the socioeconomic diversity of the student body while maintaining the high standards of academic excellence and community-mindedness that characterize Williams,” Nesbitt said. “Attracting a broader and deeper applicant pool is the first step in achieving that goal.”

USPS 684-6801 | 1ST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID WILLIAMSTOWN, MA PERMIT NO. 25

On Feb. 14, College Council (CC) voted to make Uncomfortable Learning (UL) a CC/Office of Student Life (OSL) recognized student organization (RSO). Now under the umbrella of CC, the group must be open to everyone and can no longer receive funding from anonymous donors, as it had previously done since its founding in 2014. The group must now submit a proposal for any of its potential sponsored events or speakers before the Finance Committee, which will present a recommendation for CC to vote on.

Last year, the group garnered national attention after inviting several controversial speakers whose events were subsequently cancelled. In October, UL invited writer and outspoken critic of feminism Suzanne Venker to speak at the College, only to rescind the offer shortly thereafter. In February, when the group invited author John Derbyshire, a self-described “race realist.”

WHAT’S INSIDE

President Adam Falk himself The club currently only canceled the lecture, stating consists of Wood, the club’s in his all-campus email that previous leader who is cur“many of [Derbyshire’s] ex- rently studying away for his pressions clearly constitute junior year at Columbia, and hate speech.”

Hank Lee ’19, who joined the Last March, in response club only this current year as to the controversy concerning UL, the College changed its policy regarding speakers brought to campus, mandating that only an RSO can bring speakers to campus. In addition, the College specified that student groups must report any funding they receive from nonZach Wood '18, president College sources.

Though UL is now an RSO, the group’s mission, according to club president vice president. When the club Zach Wood ’18, is still the underwent review in the CC same: “to broaden the range meeting last week, Lee joined of dialogue on campus and the meeting to provide more spark debate.” information to CC members “My aim is to be delibera- before they voted.“We’re tive, decisive and receptive to open to student input, open constructive feedback,” Wood to anyone who wants to join said. “For speakers, the aim is and absolutely our goal is to to fulfill the mission.” bring in speakers who inform

and educate productively,” Lee said.

“My main interest in getting involved in the club was to see more political conversation on campus and more conversation around issues that are challenging or issues that don’t get addressed super frequently,” he said.

As a new member of the organization, Lee is looking forward to the future of the club rather of UL than fixating on the divisive incidents of its controversial past.

“For me personally, I have not worried about the controversy element in the past, as someone who wasn’t part of the club last year,” Lee said.

“Instead, what I’m thinking about it, is: Are we

“My aim is to be deliberate, decisive and receptive to constuctive feedback. For speakers, the aim is to fulfill the mission.”

SEE UL RETURNS, p. 5

WEB FARABOW '18 AND ALLEGRA SIMON '18 WIN THE CC PRESIDENCY

BY A MORE THAN 300-VOTE MARGIN ... READ MORE ON PAGE 4

3 OPINIONS

A need for sanctuary in Williamstown

4 NEWS

Bal and Buckley reflect on their CC presidency

7 FEATURES

Professor Alan Hirsch grapples with false confessions

8 ARTS

"Accession Number" thrills at WCMA

12 SPORTS

Men's swimming trounces competition at NESCACs

MICHAEL GREEN/MANAGING EDITOR

2 OPINIONS

The Williams Record

Editor-in-Chief Jack Brent Greenberg

Sports Editors Brooke Horowitch and Danny Jin

Managing Editors Michael Green and Emilia Maluf Communications Director Francesca Paris Executive Editors Marit Björnlund, Reed Jenkins, Ryan Kelley, Rachel Levin, Maddy McFarland, Neena Patel, Lucy Putnam, Rachel Scharf, Skylar Smith and Tesnim Zekeria

Photo Editors June Han and Janeth Rodriguez Production Manager Michael Rubel Business Manager Scatt Macdonald Financial Manager Mark Tolomeo Director of Outreach Hayley Tartell

News Editors Nicholas Goldrosen and William Newton Features Editors Jane Petersen and RB Smith Arts Editors Shaheen Currimjee and Li Yu

Head of Advertising Isabella Wang Subscriptions Manager Greg Andreou

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THE WILLIAMS RECORD BOARD The decision by College Council (CC) to incorporate Uncomfortable Learning (UL) as a CC and Office of Student Life-recognized student organization (RSO) is a good first step towards making UL a productive part of campus discourse.

At its inception, UL had the potential to be a positive force of learning on campus. However, its invitations of Suzanne Venker and John Derbyshire last year, as well as qualms about anonymous funding, damaged the organization’s reputation. By last spring, UL was not contributing positively to the College’s academic or social environment. Through its decision to limit the ability to bring speakers on campus to RSOs, the College steered UL towards playing a productive role on campus.

Despite previous controversy, UL has the potential to promote meaningful campus discourse.

The group’s original intent was to cut against the College’s perceived orthodoxy on political and social issues — an important goal.

UL should follow this model by bringing in speakers whose views are not normally expressed on campus to foster conversations.

Many speakers with well-found-

Word on the Quad What's your favorite font?

By JANETH RODRIGUEZ PHOTO EDITOR

ERIKA GARCIA ’20

"Verdana."

A better UL for all

On the need for a more transparent and accountable Uncomfortable Learning ed, evidence-backed opinions that challenge us to think differently have important things to teach us.

In order for UL to play this positive role on campus, CC oversight is crucial. Most importantly, being an RSO prevents UL from soliciting and receiving anonymous donations. As an RSO, UL will also be held to CC regulations, which state that speakers will be met with approval or disapproval based on “perceived value to the community,” as stated in its bylaws. CC should ensure that it follows this standard, rather than sanction or threaten UL based on its representatives’ biases and prejudices.

It is also imperative that UL changes internally. As a two-member organization under the same leadership as last year, UL currently fails to capture an important range of voices across campus, despite the club’s mission to provide a platform for less-heard opinions.

At the outset, UL should publish its meeting times and locations. Last year, UL leaders stated that the organization was open but did not offer this information. If those leaders hope that UL will play a positive role on campus and be well-regarded by the College community, UL must host meetings that are truly

It's safe to say we had a [Poké] Ball.

STRAWBERRIES AT GOODRICH

Goodrich, we did not think we could love you any more.

PRESIDENTS' DAY

Can we agree that it is a little weird to party and do homework in the same venue?

More cost-efficient but fewer options.

A Monday off every now and then wouldn't hurt...

ON THE RECORD DARLA TORRES ’18

"Up until the seventh grade it was Comic Sans, but now that everyone hates it, I guess I have to hate it too."

JON BALL ’17

"Cambria."

sit in the organization’s meetings, suggest speakers and raise their voices if other members propose speakers who might not add value to the discourse on campus. Those who show up will make decisions; if UL offers the chance to contribute, take it.

For good reason, public trust in UL has eroded. If its leaders hope to rebrand the organization, they could consider starting a new group with a name not associated with past controversies at the College. If UL is insistent on keeping its name, however, the foundation of the organization beneath it must still change.

UL’s original aim was to provide opposing viewpoints critical to a full education at the College.

Going against the grain is not easy, and this was a bold and important goal. The subsequent warping of the organization into a mouthpiece for incendiary speakers lacking substance was a loss for UL and for the student body. At a college, however, where the student population turns over every four years, very little is irreversible.

To the leaders of UL, we implore you: When you pick up your work again this spring and onward, work for this community, not against it.

WINTER CARNIVAL

NEW CAPPUCCINO MACHINES

"Times New Roman, always, but also Lobster."

open and encourage the community to come – beyond the initial open interest meeting they are required to hold as an RSO. CC can and should play a role in encouraging increased UL membership by requiring that UL publish its meeting times. And, if membership does not increase, it is important that CC factor the club’s small size into its funding considerations.

In that vein, UL should send out an all-student survey encouraging the community to submit ideas for speakers. This way, students who might not feel comfortable in the environment of the club can still provide their opinions. There is no reason not to crowdsource brainstorming; doing so would benefit both UL and the community. The organization should also publish its constitution and bylaws so that the student body can understand the process by which it chooses its speakers. UL should also elucidate how its board is structured and how interested students can get involved.

Finally, students who are comfortable doing so have a responsibility to get involved with UL. Those students for whom UL is a safe space have the most responsibility of all: It is up to them to

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

WINTER FORMAL

MOIZ REHAN ’19

February 22, 2017

"At the time of the gift, the allegations were just that, and on a matter that in Norway would usually have been handled as a civil case, not criminal.

We didn't see a reason to wait years for the outcome of a civil matter.”

President Adam Falk, on the resignation of Trustee Joey Horn ’87, page 5.

“That powerful position of standing with your bow drawn is what makes it so real. On a computer it does not have that feeling.”

Anhui Huang ’20, on the virtual reality room in Sawyer, page 6.

Correction

“Many of these works of art have not been shown in decades ... Accession Number is an opportunity to bring them together once again.”

Christina Olsen, director of WCMA, on one of the museum's largest exhibitions to date, page 8.

A previous version of "The artist otherwise known as ...

Erin Hanson '19," published on Feb. 15, misstated the amount of shirts Hanson, the Feminist Collective and Dively Committee distributed to students for free. The number was 150, not 100.

“We've been playing with high confidence and focus since the Middlebury game. If we stick to what has been working – playing freely and with confidence – we can beat anyone.”

Tri-captain Dan Aronowitz ’17, on the men’s basketball team, page 12.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES The opinions expressed in signed columns are not necessarily those of the Williams Record editorial board.

Op-Ed and Letter Submission The Record welcomes op-eds and letters from all members of the Williams community. The Opinions section is designed to reflect the varied views and ideas of the Williams community, and the publication of any letter or op-ed does not indicate an endorsement of the views contained therein.

Submissions should be sent to amm16@williams. edu by Saturday at 5 p.m. for inclusion in the next Wednesday issue. Op-eds range in length from 700900 words and letters are 500 words or fewer. The Record will not publish pieces that have appeared in other publications. Pieces submitted to the Record are not guaranteed a spot in the upcoming issue.

For Record Policy information, please see our website, williamsrecord.com.

DOROTHY GAMBRELL ’00

Silence and colonial violence

Learning from UMichigan W y e olle e mus become a sa c uary cam us y

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The beginning of the Trump Presidency has signaled a major shift in American immigration policy, creating uncertainty among undocumented and international students about their statuses as both residents of the United States and, for some, as members of the College community. On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Though this executive order has met setbacks in the judicial system, it is representative of growing xenophobia and tightening laws surrounding immigration within the country.

It is time for the College to ensure its undocumented and international students that they are safe on campus despite this shift in attitude and policy by committing to keep its students’ information private.

This executive order and the general direction of immigration policy under Trump stand directly contrary to the standards that the College holds as a community. In his response to this executive order, President Adam Falk labeled it as “inconsistent with Williams’ essential values” and said that it “conflicts with our non-discrimination policy.” Simply saying that the executive order is against our community standards is not enough. While he pointed to the support services that the College provides, President Falk did not take a strong stance on the College’s policy regarding either the executive order or potential future immigration policies to be instituted by President Trump.

The approach that President Falk took, while helpful and positive, stands in stark contrast to the approach of University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel. President Mark Schlissel took a strong stance against the executive order, releasing a statement the day after President Trump signed the order. In this statement, he said that the University of Michigan “will not share sensitive information like immigration status, [and] campus police will not inquire about or record immigration status when performing their duties” and “campus police will not partner with federal, state or other

OPINIONS 3

The Williams Record

February 22, 2017

local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration law except when required to do so by law.”

These are concrete actions that the University of Michigan has committed to pursue in order to best help its community respond to the executive order. This makes a strong statement to international and undocumented students that the University of Michigan will do anything and everything in its power to inhibit the marginalization of members of its community.

The College should make a similar statement to its community, detailing specifically the steps and actions it plans to pursue in reaction to this immigration executive order and subsequent bills in the future.

This would represent both a strong tangible and symbolic stance that would reassure all members of our community. What makes the University of Michigan’s statement even more remarkable is that, as a public university, it uses state and federal funding as one of its main sources.

As a private institution, the College does not use federal or state funding in its daily operations, except in the form of Pell Grants that are awarded to students on individual bases, not to a school. Despite not having this obstacle, the College has declined to take a similarly strong stance against this executive order.

Though the executive order has been halted by the courts for the time being, I believe that the College’s lack of commitment to concrete policy in response to it sets a dangerous precedent moving forward. This is a turbulent time for undocumented and international students. It is likely that a revised version of this executive order will be implemented soon, and more policies that will deeply affect these marginalized groups will likely be put in place as well. It is important that the College take a stronger stand and commit to protecting its students when reacting to future immigration policy passed by President Trump, as only then can all members of the Williams community fully feel the security that is so necessary for us to thrive.

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the water protectors, indigenous organizers have requested that individuals On Feb. 7, the Army Corps of Engi- and institutions #DefundDAPL. neers, under the Trump AdministraThe strategy of defunding DAPL tion, announced that it will cancel en- comes from a recognition by indigenous vironmental impact assessment and organizers that the police beatings of grant the final easement for the con- their relatives, the bulldozing of sacred struction of the Dakota Access Pipeline sites, the denial of treaties and the poi(DAPL). Among other things, DAPL soning of water is a project made possidemonstrates the United States federal ble by people in glass towers in New York government’s continued prioritization and Washington. The billions of dollars of corporate profit over indigenous required to construct this pipeline come lives. Since the spring of 2016, indig- from banks that either don’t care about enous protectors and non-native allies how they profit or don’t understand that have been encamped at Standing Rock, they are bankrolling a genocidal project. fighting for their sovereign right to land Organizers have asked that individuand water and against the persistent als and institutions take their money logic of settler colonialism that normal- out of banks and investment strateizes indigenous dispossession. They gies that fund this pipeline, and over have overcome freez64 million dollars ing temperatures, have been withdrawn police violence and to date. The Seattle The Board of Trustees City Council recently what the United Nations has called “invoted to take its three decided to reject humane treatment.” billion dollars out of The DAPL is a Wells Fargo because divestment and now microcosm of the of the bank’s role in finds itself complicit in funding the DAPL. global impact of the fossil fuel economy At this point, it’s a neocolonial project. critical – land dispossesto make clear sion of indigenous that talking about dipeople, poisoning of vestment and DAPL marginalized communities at refinery is not an attempt to leverage the colosites and environmental degradation nial violence experienced by indigenous throughout the supply chain. DAPL people to advance a white environmenalso demonstrates the alliance of fos- talist project. Instead, it is important to sil fuel corporations, financial institu- recognize that divestment is a tactic that tions (who bankroll these projects) is being called for by indigenous people and state coercion (police power and in a de-colonial effort that seeks to aseminent domain) as the main enforce- sert indigenous sovereignty as well as ment agents of continued colonial vio- health of land and water. lence and climate devastation.

The College has not answered the call This is the reality of our political of those putting their bodies on the line. system. The only recourse to stop an The College has either decided that it illegal and immoral pipeline is for in- has a better understanding of what the digenous people to literally put their Standing Rock Sioux need in terms of bodies in the path of the triple alliance support than they do or that it is not of state, corporate and financial pow- interested in opposing human rights er. Other than the request for people to abuse and colonialism. The call from come to Standing Rock to stand with Standing Rock to the College is “stop

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funding our destruction, move your money elsewhere.” The response the College gives is “we put up solar panels, and our library is LEED certified!”

In the fall of 2017, students on campus mobilized in support of the fight against DAPL. On December 2, 2016, College Council (CC) put out a singleissue survey to the entire student body asking, “Should Williams stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline?” The response of the student body was overwhelming, with 92 percent of those who participated agreeing that the College should support Standing Rock. President Falk refused to come out publicly in support of the water protectors. In the spring of 2015, over 70 percent of voters in the CC election supported divestment of the College’s endowment from fossil fuel companies. However, the Board of Trustees decided to reject divestment and now finds itself complicit in a neocolonial project.

At best, the College is an institution of wealth and power that stands silent as fossil fuel companies and financial institutions perpetuate colonial violence; at worst, the College is funding the DAPL with our three billion dollar endowment.

In addition to the Board of Trustees rejecting divestment proposals from the majority of students, it has also now ignored the calls of indigenous people fighting for their lives. The institutional response, of course, includes the fact that our endowment cannot be flexibly moved, that our billions of dollars are locked into co-mingled funds that provide excellent rates of return. This is not a counterargument, but an example of the immoral logic of the College’s investment strategy in the context of structural oppression. It makes it very clear what this institution does and does not stands for.

Max Harmon ’18.5 is a critical geography contract major from Los Angeles.

Benjamin Beiers ’20 is from San Carlos, Calif. He lives in Mills.

The ‘elite mystique’ o

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as the “West Point of Wall Street.”

Instantly, I became a special perWhen I was in the eighth grade, son. I had that elite mystique However, I soon realized that I was introduced to John Botts ’62, a very collegiate, handsome guy in most people never had heard of a Williams t-shirt who also hap- the College. I am approaching 50 pened to be captain of the men’s years since graduation, and the tennis team. If I am trying to pin- anonymity still holds true, despite point when my bond with the Col- the No. 1 rankings and the incredlege began, I think that it was then. ible 19 of 21 Director’s Cups.

Several years ago, Rudolph, “What a cool guy,” I thought. “I want to go there,” to the school with the who was a part of the College for elite mystique, as I came to see it. It most of his life, told me that it had nothing to do with knowledge was now twice the school I knew, or achievement. It was an identity at least. No doubt about that. It is sought. I must add that I lived in a born-again school. It is no lona very Ivy kind of town. While that ger the once “rich boys’ school.” was not my parents’ background, I, This really hit me when I saw the very impressionable at the time, had Mountain Day videos and saw how much fun fellow Ephs were quickly picked up on it.

All the following years I studied having. The reason? Women! feverishly to get those As and to They showed such spark. Back in get on the honor roll. It was with my day, the College seemed inthe same fever I took the SATs. ert. Williams’ transition in many ways has been My shuffling feet phenomenal. distracted those However, I still around me. I got I got into the College, get the “Where’s into the College which, in the traditional that?” For several which, in the trayears out of both ditional sense, is sense, is forever my pride and promoforever my greattion, I have worn est accomplish- greatest accomplishment. a Williams hat. ment. In a difIn a different era, it had Only twice have I ferent era, it had any kind a really trementremendous snob appeal. recieved of acknowledgedous snob appeal. ment. I have long With Fred Rubeen unable to dolph ’42, professor of history, and my great sort out this elite school identity. college friends, we read The Prot- I am sure that most Ephs today estant Establishment in class. In were higher-minded than I was the 1950s, the College was No. 3 in in their pursuits of attending the NYC’s social register behind Princ- College. My daughter went to eton and Yale. By the time I arrived, Ohio Wesleyan, and I loved that the College had fallen into the 30s. school and her Buckeye friends.

The College’s huge transformation At times, I realized that I was began with President Jack Sawyer, more at home there. Unencumwho was shocked to see the school’s bered, however, my Eph pride social degeneracy, academic leth- will never wane.

I realize that students today argy and financial peril. I call him with their diversity of interests the “quiet revolutionary.”

After graduating, my ideas about will find the College of the past the elite mystique were confirmed; foreign indeed. I don’t think that for some, the Williams identity was there is a college in America that a social aphrodisiac. I remember has changed so much and all for meeting a preppy guy from Dallas the better. who said that only those at debutante Jim Barns ’69 was an Ameriparties and the like would know of Williams. He liked that. I was taken can studies major. He lives in aback. The College once was known Charlottesville, Va.

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CHAN LOWE ’75

A series of unfortunate injuries The i isible cos o mi d a d body ill ess y In elementary school, one of the most popular book series to read was A Series of Unfortunate Events. Well, I never read it, and I guess the universe decided that if I hadn’t read it, I would just have to live my own. My first 19 years were relatively uneventful, but in the span of two years, I have had a steady stream of one freak semester-uprooting accident after another: concussion one (hit my head on Tyler Annex’s cinderblock wall, sophomore spring); mono (junior spring), concussion two, complemented with neck and shoulder injuries (hit by another car on the highway, senior fall); and, if you count abroad, a broken ankle while learning to surf Australian-style (first week of study abroad, junior fall).

Although these experiences have been frustrating and painful, I recognize how fortunate I am to have injuries that I can recover from, unlike many in our community who follow a longer – or lifelong – path to healing.

But as someone who understands what it is like to be injured on this campus, I think that we need to pay more attention to wounds that are harder to classify. An injury can be physical – you can see the cast over a broken limb or the ice taped (with what seems like an entire roll of plastic wrap) on the hurting joints of athletes. But sometimes you don’t wear your injury; instead, it is carried with you, often silently, and can only be categorized under the umbrella term of “mental health.” Injuries like concussions, or illnesses like mono, are not visible, yet are still physically challenging. And, they are also mentally

and emotionally taxing, especially at the College, where daily academic and social stresses can wear on you even when you are feeling 100 percent.

I write this not to complain about my experiences, but to use them to highlight what I have learned about dealing with these kinds of unclassifiable injuries and to call attention to others who are facing similar challenges. With injuries at the College, one of my primary concerns is how to keep up with my work. Every accident I had forced me to take an “incomplete,” extending my workload – and stress – from my semesters into summer breaks and winter study. Forcing myself to read even when it caused headaches or trying to rally enough energy just to get to class were the unavoidable consequences of trying to keep going. But the emotional exhaustion of feeling unable to fulfill my most important role, being a fulltime student, was the most paralyzing.

Of course, the deans and my professors were kind and flexible with my assignment deadlines, but even this did not alleviate the feeling that scraping by as a student was just not possible.

In addition to the academic struggle, there is the social one. Although the College has resources for students struggling with mental health issues, these kinds of invisible injuries aren’t addressed fully by these resources. I have learned about myself through these injuries: that I need to see other humans throughout my recoveries; that I need to stay busy to the extent that I can; and that I need to have a heightened awareness of what my body and mind need.

But injuries are isolating by nature.

These “hidden” injuries are fatiguing,

making it hard for me to muster the energy to be with other people. At times, I found myself getting angry with people who didn’t seem to notice my absence or who noticed, but didn’t take the time to reach out. Although I realized that I needed to seek out others for help, I found it exhausting to explain what I needed or that I was not, in fact, “doing well, thanks!” After the car crash, I isolated myself because I didn’t have the energy to tell people that I needed extra support. This took a powerful toll on my emotional health and slowed my physical recovery process.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the mind and body are absolutely connected. We hear this all the time but not with the vocabulary that describes experiences like these.

Because I did not have any visible signs of injury, my suffering did not invite extra care. Several people on campus have told me that I must be okay because I didn’t break a bone … or that I was “just shaken up.” Such kinds of comments only worsen these situations. Moving forward, we would all do well to be more aware – a reminder that you can’t judge a book (maybe The Series of Unfortunate Events) by its cover. The College has a lot of structural support, but to truly make a “campus of compassion,” we need to open our minds to the overlapping experiences of mental and physical struggle and take a few extra moments to snap out of our own wild whirlwinds and tune into others.

Deanna Segall ’17 is an anthropology major from Potomac, Md. She lives in Prospect.

4 NEWS

The Williams Record

February 22, 2017

Roxane Gay speaks on politics, writing and protest

By CHELSEA THOMEER SENIOR WRITER “I think of myself as primarily a fiction writer,” Roxane Gay said at the beginning of the lecture she gave last Wednesday in Chapin Hall.

Though she began the event by reading an excerpt from her collection of short stories, Dangerous Women, she was aware that fiction, despite her love for it, is not the medium most people tend to associate with her.

Gay is most well-known not as a crafter of stories, but as a “Bad Feminist,” which is also the title of the collection of essays that was published in 2014 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. The success of the book – which she intended to title What We Hunger For, until her publisher told her that was “too many words” – cemented her status as the “Bad Feminist,” a label she does not always enjoy. “Sometimes when they say that,” she said last week, “I look around like, ‘Where is she?’”

A Nebraska native who currently teaches creative writing at Purdue in Indiana, Gay could have chosen a number of things to talk about last week. What she chose, not unambitiously, was “the state of the world,” by which she meant the state of American politics.

“I didn’t want to wake up … in the world where everything had become so precarious,” she said of how she felt in the aftermath of the election of President Donald Trump last November. She repeatedly received requests for inter-

JUNE HAN/PHOTO EDITOR

Author Roxane Gay addressed the ways in which she and her audience could use their freedom to speak at the College last Wednesday. views, questions from radio hosts about what it meant and what Americans ought to do next. She knew what she wanted to say, an answer she repeated to us: “I have no fuckin’ clue.” But Gay did not say that: “you can’t curse on the radio,” she said.

Gay said that what is happening in the United States is a disgrace – and that, she said, is putting it politely.

Her remarks addressed the way in which, in recent months, liberals have tended to use words and phrases that “make us feel good” but are ultimately little more than empty signifiers. She cited “Love trumps hate” as one example and pushed against the idea that former First Lady Michelle Obama’s

statement – “When they go low, we go high” – ought to be understood as universally applicable. Sometimes, she said, we need to go low, when we are faced with what is lowest. Pantsuits may be cute, she said, but they are “not going to get us to the Promised Land.”

As someone who has spent a great deal of her life in the so-called “flyover states,” Gay said she struggled with the common idea after the election that liberals simply need to understand the white voters in rural areas who voted for Trump. She conceded in the question and answer section following the lecture that, “There are a lot of people in Indiana who voted against their own interests.”

However, she went on to say that, in considering the motivations of rural voters, we also have to consider who they voted for: a man who has openly expressed and promulgated hate targeted at a few specific populations.

Gay challenged the audience to push their thinking beyond simple platitudes calling for greater “diversity” or “allyship.” Since the election, she said, she has found herself disillusioned with the kind of “distance” that the claim of one’s “allyship” allows. She is often asked to speak at colleges about diversity, she said, or in her words, she is often “invited to teach white people things that really aren’t that hard to figure out.”

Gay has decided not to simply go along with the platitudes. She wants to do more with her words. “What we seek is sanctuary,” she said, referring to communities threatened by Trump’s presidency. “I am a black bisexual woman,” she said.

“I am a very lapsed Catholic woman … This is how I use my freedom to speak.”

Gay said that she did not just want to speak at us; she wanted to converse, and it was a promise she kept. After the lecture, she took questions for nearly an hour, discussing everything from her Twitter presence (“I am the cockroach of Twitter. Until nuclear winter comes, I will be on Twitter”) to her opinion on using trigger warnings in the

college classroom, something she actually disagrees with, although she said she always ensures that her students are adequately “prepared” for difficult discussions.

In responding to a question about the tactics used by students at the University of California at Berkeley in response to a planned event with Milo Yiannopoulos, a senior editor at Breitbart News, which in effect asked Gay to clarify her position on the tactics that ought to be used against bigotry, Gay had her answer on the tip of her tongue. “People misinterpret what peaceful protest means,” she said. This answer sparked a burst of applause that was repeated several times throughout her talk.

“Martin Luther King believed in nonviolence, but he wasn’t a pushover.” Gay professed herself to be absolutely against any violence against people, but she admitted that she was not so worried about property; the truth, she said, is that property is not really that important, although it is certainly true that, these days, a lot of people seem to “care about property more than people.”

Gay’s lecture expressed her conviction of the injustice that is being perpetrated and her sense of sadness and uncertainty about what comes next. “I know we need to fight,” she said. “But I don’t know what that fight looks like.”

“I need to be able to breathe,” she said. “I need to believe that there is grace beyond disgrace.”

CC announces new leadership Bal and Buckley look back on CC term following recent campus election

By MICHAEL GREEN MANAGING EDITOR

By KATIE QUACKENBOSS CONTRIBUTING WRITER College Council (CC) elections for the Spring semester concluded on Saturday and that evening outgoing Co-Presidents Michelle Bal ’17 and Caitlin Buckley ’17 sent their final campus-wide CC email announcing the incoming representatives. Students voted in races of varied contestation for all positions, including the year-long executive positions of president, treasurer and vice presidents as well as semester-long positions of class representatives, parliamentarian and assistant treasurer.

Web Farabow ’18 and Allegra Simon ’18 will serve as co-presidents. With 609 votes, Farabow and Simon won the co-presidency over Amanni Fernandez ’18 and the ticket of Liam Pembroke ’18 and Pierceson Brown ’18. The presidential race garnered the greatest voter turnout yet, with just over 46 percent of the student body participating.

“Both Allegra and Web have devoted a substantial amount of their time here at Williams to serving the student body on College Council,” Fernandez, who received the second greatest number of votes in the presidential race, said. Fernandez emphasized the importance of diversity and acceptance at the College during her campaign and expressed confidence that Farabow and Simon will effectively address these issues. “I have no doubt that their co-presidency will bring us a step closer in achieving an atmosphere amongst our student body that prides itself on being inclusive,” she said.

Haley Lescinsky ’18, who previously served as a Class of 2018 Representative, will serve as CC treasurer. Lescinsky emphasized her experience on the Financial Committee as important for a successful term as treasurer. She was unopposed in her campaign.

Andres Villasmil Ocando ’20 will accompany her as assistant treasurer for the spring semester. This is Villasmil Ocando’s second semester in the position, a streak he hopes will assist him in “learning the ins and outs of the duties that the treasurer holds, so that [he] may, in the future, run for College Council Treasurer.”

Chetan Patel ’18 and Arielle Rawlings ’18 won the vice presidential race for academic affairs, beating Jason Kim ’19. Formerly serving as VP of Student Organizations and Class of 2018 Representative, respectively, Patel and Rawlings will split the year-long vice presidential term to accommodate Rawlings studying abroad in India this semester.

Patel will begin serving on Tuesday and Rawlings will take over the position next fall.

Morgan Spellman ’18 will serve as vice president for community and diversity. She won the position by a margin of nine votes in the most hotly-contested campaign for a VP position. Previously, she served as a Class of 2018 Representative after transferring to the College from Boston University this past fall.

Michael Rubel ’19 will continue to serve as VP for communications. This will be his second semester holding the position. Rubel proposed the amendment that created the position last spring and hopes to spend this

semester continuing the work he did in the fall. “[I hope to begin] larger-scale projects, including PSA campaigns surrounding alcohol and party policy on campus,” Rubel said.

Voters re-elected Ben Gips ’19 to the position of vice president for student affairs in an unopposed race. After also running unopposed, Maria Fernanda Heredia ’20 will serve as this year’s vice president for student organizations. She previously held the position of Williams Hall representative for the first-year class and sat on the Student Organizations Committee during her first semester on CC. The uncontested parliamentarian race went to Spenny Carrillo ’20. He takes the position over from Simon.

The class of 2017 representatives for spring semester will be Tressa Palcheck ’17, Harold Theurer ’17, Kevin Mercadante ’17 and Hanson Koota ’17. The six-person race saw increased competition from its fall counterpart, in which only two students ran and 23 percent of seniors voted. This past week, 40 percent of seniors took advantage of the opportunity to vote in their final CC election.

With so many members of the class of 2018’s active CC representatives moving onto executive positions, only three students ran for the class of 2018 Representatives positions. The default winners were Jordan Carfino ’18, Tony Fitzgerald ’18 and Karl Böcker ’18. Mairead Reynolds ’18 won as a write-in candidate with only eight votes.

Six sophomores competed in the race for the four Class of 2019 representative positions.

The winners and incoming representatives are Ziev Dalsheim-Kahane ’19, Lizzy Hibbard ’19, Abel Romero ’19 and Will Turett ’19.

The race for class of 2020 representatives was the most contested of any CC race this spring, with 10 students campaigning for the positions. The first-year CC representation model shifts each spring semester from dorm-oriented housing representation to full-class elections. The incoming representatives are Vijay Kadiyala ’20, Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli ’20, Christopher Mykrantz ’20 and Michael Ludwig ’20.

A total of 1056 students voted in the spring elections, making total voter participation 49 percent. Average voter turnout for the individual races was 39 percent, up from 35 percent in the fall elections. With many of the spring campaigns emphasizing the importance of student engagement in CC, the incoming representatives and executive board members plan to develop methods and events to encourage student participation and increase voter turnout in future CC elections.

Rubel said he was disappointed with voter turnout in this election. “We had real success in raising voter turnout last year with our fun ‘Civic Duty and Shake Your Booty’ event, so I’ll be organizing similar events going forward during my time as VP,” Rubel said. “Otherwise, I’m planning to explore different ballot software so we can present a more dynamic and accessible ballot to students. If it’s easier to see and fill out, more people will just do that.”

The new CC term began yesterday at a meeting where the outgoing representatives passed the torch to their incoming counterparts.

The one-year term of Michelle Bal ’17 and Caitlin Buckley ’17 as College Council (CC) co-presidents for the past year ended yesterday. The Record’s Managing Editor Michael Green ’18 sat down with Bal and Buckley to reflect on their time in office and their advice for their successors.

What were your greatest accomplishments as CC co-presidents?

Michelle Bal (MB): One thing is increased communication across campus, which was one of our goals this year. We have tried to broadly reach out to students and also have been working closely with the administration. As a result, more guests have come to stop by CC meetings than ever before. Michael Rubel ’19, in the new position of Vice President for Communications, has been amazing this year, and I attribute a lot of our success to his weekly emails getting information out about what CC is doing.

Caitlin Buckley (CB): I agree with what Michelle said. Better communication promotes better accessibility, encouraging people to reach out to CC. I was also excited that we were able to collaborate with the administration. Lizzy Hibbard ’19 worked on ensuring that Winter Study classes are covered by financial aid.

MB: We also worked on an increasing number of projects with CC this year. I attribute that to the group of representatives we had. Ben Gips ’19 did a great job with the ice rink. We built lights for the crosswalk. We worked on the food insecurity project, for which I give a lot of credit to CC members.

The undocumented and DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] students resolution we passed is really important.

CB: We also worked on our ongoing relationship with the board of trustees. The trustees are really invested in projects we are working on and in the future, CC will continue to work with them.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during your time in office?

MB: This past year hasn’t been an easy year for the student body. In light of [presidential] election season, it was a challenge and exciting opportunity for CC to make a difference.

CB: It was also a challenge to get voices outside from CC into meetings.

MB: It was great to get students from different groups, like Divest Wiliams, to talk about issues

on campus, but we’d like to see even more of that, so we can know what students are thinking. Class representatives try to represent their class, by hearing different opinions, but it’s hard if there’s only four [per class year].

CB: We tried to cast a wide net in where we were getting information, but sometimes it is difficult to find out what are the most important issues.

There are also little things that can cause a lot of people headaches, and it’s easy to not hear about them until one person says something.

MB: It was also a challenge to address misinformation, like how the trustees work. People ask ‘Which is the trustee that that works on food?’

However, the trustees focus more on the big picture. To address a lot of issues, students should go to the administration. They are shockingly easy to access and they are eager to meet students. Also, students think they can’t send out all-campus emails. The CC presidents are responsible for approving emails, and we always approved them unless they were spam.

What are the most important issues facing the student body now?

MB: Something we tried to work on, but also hope the next CC works on is mental health on campus. There is both a need to help students that are struggling and institute preventative measures to take care of things in the future.

CB: Wendy Adam [director of psychological counseling services] is doing a great job in terms of resources.

MB: Student engagement is something I’m hesitant to call an issue. It’s been a year of strong activism. However, it shouldn’t only be a certain group of students who have their voice heard on every issue.

CB: Issues facing us are not only confined to the Purple Bubble. We should look at the bigger picture and try to set the tone here.

Any advice for your successors?

MB: Reach out to as many people as possible, including random students that might want to be heard on a topic CB: Don’t be afraid to push, try to not to take no for an answer. If you push, there’s nothing that isn’t possible.

MB: We were told there was no way certain things were ever going to happen, but we’ve still seen changes, like the ice rink, 24-hour printer in Paresky and the crosswalk.

MB: Good luck to the next council, you have a lot of opportunity to make a difference.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE

Caitlin Buckley ’17 (left) and Michelle Bal ’17 (right) finished their term as CC co-presidents on Tuesday.

February 22, 2017

NEWS 5

The Williams Record

Horn '87 resigns from Board 13 days after conviction CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “I came across this in Divest, simply doing Google searches ... and from there it spread like wildfire,” Linda Worden ’19 said. “It was definitely something that would have surfaced anyway.”

The article, which included an incendiary remark Joey Horn made in a private chat threatening to send one of her Filipino au pairs back to her “straw mats in Manila,” quickly spread on social media that night.

Horn’s resignation took effect last Thursday, and the College announced it on the Board's website without fanfare at approximately 2 p.m. the next day. The announcement stated that she resigned due to “the need to focus on personal matters.”

While the College addressed Horn's conviction via her resignation, it elected not to address the legal issue when the Horns first informed the College immediately following the initial investigation in 2014.

“In December 2014, the Horns informed us that they were under investigation for violation of Norwegian law concerning the employ-

ment of au pairs,” Falk said.

“While they confirmed at the time that there had indeed been irregularities, the legal import of those violations had yet to be determined by the courts.”

Though the court had yet to officially make any legal determinations at that time, Ragnar Horn did publish a personal press release in December 2014, admitting that he and his wife had committed some of the violations of which they were accused, though not the penal law violation that they are currently appealing, and apologized for doing so. That same month, Horn withdrew his candidacy for a board position at Clarkson-Platou, an international shipbroking firm.

In June 2015, both Horns signed a gift agreement with the College to donate $10 million of the $15 million needed for the new dormitory that the College later named Horn Hall. At the time, the College was confident in moving forward with the donation despite the Horns’ legal issues.

“Horn Hall was named in gratitude for a generous gift,” Falk said. “That gift enabled us to build a badly-needed

residence hall, which now houses 60 students. At the time of the gift, the allegations were just that, and on a matter that in Norway would usually have been handled as a civil case, not criminal. We

“With respect to Horn Hall, we have seen nothing in the judgement of the court that would in my view call into question the naming of Horn Hall.”

Michael Eisenson ’77, chairman of the Board didn't see a reason to wait years for the outcome of a civil matter.”

The College announced the naming of Horn Hall in a press release on Sept. 17, 2016. When the College published the release, both development staff and senior administrators were aware of the Horns’ legal issues.

“When we created the press release announcing their gift and the naming of the building, we did know the Horns were involved in a

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legal issue back home in Norway related to an au pair,” Associate Vice President of Development Lew Fisher ’89 said. “We learned this from the Horns themselves but did not know the specifics of

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the case nor the particulars of Norwegian law.”

The College is unlikely to change the name of Horn Hall as a result of the Horns’ conviction. According to College policy, such a decision to rename a building would rest solely with the Board of Trustees.

“The College may also find it prudent to consider naming changes upon discovery of information that risks the integrity or reputation of the [C]ollege with continued use of a particular name,” the

policy reads. “Therefore, under unusual or compelling circumstances, the Board of Trustees reserves the right to remove an existing name or transfer the name to a different building. Existing buildings may be renamed with Board of Trustees approval and other spaces such as rooms through presidential approval.”

“With respect to Horn Hall, we have seen nothing in the judgement of the court that would in my view call into question the naming of Horn Hall,” Eisenson said.

In response to the news circulating through social media, many members of the College community expressed particular outrage concerning the au pairs' allegations of mistreatment and the College’s silence on that matter.

Given the personal nature of the accusations, Falk did not see a reason to offer a comment on any of the allegations made against the Horns prior to her resignation.

“The College does not have any general policies regarding the personal affairs of donors, nor of any alumni for that matter,” Falk said.

“It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the

personal lives of the Horns or any other alumni.”

Furthermore, he rejected a comparison of the Horns’ alleged mistreatment of immigrants to the current presidential administration's immigration policy and rhetoric that he openly condemned in multiple school-wide emails.

“My letters concerning the immigration policies of the Trump administration were issued not as a personal condemnation of the president but because of the direct effect of those policies on members of our community of students, faculty and staff,” Falk said.

In response to the controversy that arose from her case, Horn stated in a letter to the Board of Trustees dated Feb. 20, the full text of which may be accessed on the Record’s website, that she resigned for the good of the College.

“It was with great regret that I resigned as a trustee last week, but I thought it was necessary to reduce the chances that my legal case would disrupt the important work the Board is doing on behalf of the College,” Horn said. “The best interests of Williams have always been my primary concern and remain so today.”

New CC presidents embrace College's future

By EMILIA MALUF MANAGING EDITOR Last Saturday, Web Farabow ’18 and Allegra Simon ’18 won the College Council (CC) copresidency in an election with 46.8-percent voter turnout. The Record's Managing Editor Emilia Maluf ’18 corresponded with Farabow and Simon about their new term.

Congratulations on your win! How do you plan to collaborate and work as copresidents while one of you is abroad and the other is on campus?

PHOTO COURTESY OF WEB FARABOW AND ALLEGRA SIMON

Web Farabow (WF): Allegra and I will be working together closely even while she's abroad.

She'll collaborate in establishing priorities for Council, planning meetings, drafting resolutions and in anything else that doesn't require her physical presence. We plan to spend a lot of time on Skype!

Allegra Simon (AS): I second what Web said. I wish I could be on campus, but I'm very excited to be involved in all of the ways I can.

Allegra Simon '18 and Web Farabow '18 wave in a campaign photo.

What have you learned from the campaign process that you will take with you into your co-presidency?

AS: If we could accomplish one thing during the term, it would be improving dining, both in terms of food insecurity and in broader problems with the meal plan. Our current system encourages unhealthy eating decisions, doesn't make sense economically and leaves students without access to food between 3 and 5 p.m. This is an issue that CC has talked about for a long time, and it's one that we think we're well situated to address this year.

WF: The other presidential candidates did a great job of calling attention to the ways in which CC can feel inaccessible to students. Along with a lower voter turnout than last year, the campaign showed that we have a lot of room to improve on engaging the student body.

AS: The campaign was also great practice for us to figure out how to best communicate while I'm abroad.

What are some goals for your term, and how do you plan to achieve them?

AS: My priority is working to address food insecurity on campus. It's an unacceptable issue that effects every aspect of life on campus — particularly health.

This is an issue I've been working on with CC for a while, and I'm excited to work off of the momentum we've built and make some concrete improvements.

WF: My priorities are working to address food insecurity and mental health resources on campus. In addition to working with Council, achieving these goals will require close work with administrators and advocacy for CC's priorities across a wide range of committees.

If you could only accomplish one thing during your presidency, what would it be?

What challenges do you anticipate this term?

WF: One challenge with the spring term is that it's so short.

Many of CC's projects require a lot of sustained energy and engagement with the administration. We'll have the summer and fall to work on some of our longer-term projects, but it's important that we make the most of our spring term by hitting the ground running.

If you could change one thing about CC, what would it be?

AS: It would be great to see more student involvement beyond elected class representatives. We plan on working to engage more students by effectively communicating our agenda, as well as which administrators and guests are coming to each meeting, so we can get more voices in the room for important topics.

WF: I agree with Allegra. We have a lot of people who are excited to be on Council, but because the term is so short, it will be a challenge to get everyone acquainted with Council and set up with projects to work on in such a tight timeframe. That being said, we certainly feel up to the challenge and have a number of projects we're excited to begin with right away.

What are you most looking forward to about your term?

WF: I'm most looking forward to working with our spring Council! We have a lot of new faces on CC, including on the Exec Board. I was excited to see the degree of enthusiasm expressed in everyone's self nominations, and I'm excited to get to know a lot of new people by working with them on Council.

AS: I agree with Web! I'm so excited to work with such a great group. There were a lot of really cool ideas and important issues brought up in self nominations and during elections, and so I'm looking forward to what I know will be productive conversations and great accomplishments.

Uncomfortable Learning returns to campus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 being positive and productive in what we are trying to bring to campus?”

While a 14-member CC majority voted to approve the club, three members dissented, including Lizzy Hibbard ’19.

“One of the things that frustrates me most on CC is how we delegate time during those meetings,” Hibbard said. “For example, we spent several meetings talking about [approving Purple Valley Track Club], but we only spent one meeting discussing the ap-

proval of UL.” Hibbard felt like she did not have all of her questions answered and was concerned with the consequences of the upcoming leadership changes.

“In terms of how this might change UL, we will have to approve budgets for any speakers that UL wants to bring in,” Hibbard said. “When we vote on that, members can’t vote one way or another based on political reasons, but they can vote based on ‘perceived value to the community.’”

At press time, UL does not have anything planned for this semester, though Lee said that its first potential speaker may critique Social Security.

6 FEATURES

The Williams Record

February 22, 2017

One in Two Thousand

By TESNIM ZEKERIA EXECUTIVE EDITOR From his countless hilarious stories to his passion for public health and fashion, any interaction with Kai Cash ’19 is guaranteed to raise a smile. I sat down with Kai to hear about his rather unique (and somewhat frightening) travel adventures, salsa moves and growing fashion startup.

Mr. Cash! Can you tell me about your time in India?

I had a lot of fun in India.

I guess one defining experience that I had in India was when I was staying at a hostel and I met these two guys from Germany, and I don’t know how but they convinced me to buy a bike with the little money that I had from the Alumni Sponsored Internship Program grant. So, I bought a bike, and they were like “Yo, don’t worry, we’re gonna sell it in Nepal for double!” So I end up buying this bike, and I bought it in Indian currency so I didn’t know how much it was worth and rode it all the way to Nepal. I sold it and I realized there was no way for me to get back to Delhi, so I was just stranded in Nepal for a while. And I also realized that when I sold it back, I only made 20 U.S. dollars.

[Laughs.] So it really wasn’t worth risking my life. Also, I ate a whole bunch of food that probably amounted to the money I made from the bike. So it ended up being a useless experience.

So how did you get back?

The guys that I went with decided to pity me and take me back to the hostel, and then they ended up staying in Delhi for a little bit longer,

because I had no other way to get back.

getting your information from the sourced media. I also think my career interests in public health align with going to different countries and seeing the healthcare status around the world.

KAI CASH ’19

Alright! Can you tell me about your time in Liberia?

Yeah, another great travel story. One time we were driving from Monrovia to a town called Ganta, which is in the north of Liberia. So, you know, Scott Lewis commissioned the host family we were staying with and they were like “yeah man, don’t worry, we got you, we’re gonna commission this van, it’s gonna be great.” So you know, I’m all excited for this trip if it’s gonna be great.

They just paved the road, the Chinese just came in and built some new infrastructure in Liberia, I’m thinking this is going to be smooth sailing. I’m sitting in the van, you know, we loaded up, got on the road, everybody’s having fun . . . And then, it turns out that this van’s driving wheel doesn’t work! So the van is shaking more than an airplane does when it takes off! So I was really confused, and the guy was like “don’t worry about it, it does this all the time,” and I was like “well . . . okay?” So I looked at the host family guy and he was like “yeah, this is the best car they have” and I was like “okay cool? I mean if that’s what you think . . .” So then the car literally starts to die, and then we decide to pull over. Long story short, they try to fix the car with a scissor and a hammer [Laughs.]

At first the car was fixed, because the guy took the car for a test drive. I’m sure there’s a reason he didn’t put us back in the van when we went for the test drive, because he came back around and was like “yeah, it’s fine!” Then we all loaded back into the van, and we went all the way down the road maybe five

Do you have any other funny stories?

JANETH RODRIGUEZ/PHOTO EDITOR

HOMETOWN BRONX, N.Y.

RESIDENCE DODD HOUSE

seconds before the van just absolutely shut down. The steering wheel literally broke off and we literally almost flew into a ditch. So then we went into a restaurant and waited for another car. We get into the second van, and this guy that they commissioned and gave money to, decided that five U.S. dollars would be enough to fill the tank to go across the country. So he filled it to a quarter tank, and then drives 150 kilometers per hour, and burns out all the gas, and then we were stranded in the middle of nowhere! It’s pitch black, and his explanation was that maybe some water got into the gas tank. And I was just like, “water got into the gas tank?” And he was like “yeah, the only way to fix it is to rev the engine.” So we’re just sitting there in the darkness, attracting attention

FAVORITE PASTIME TRAVELING

by revving the engine, over and over again. And I just thought “this is it!” [Laughs.]

So I texted my mom, and I was like “listen, mom, we’re in the middle of nowhere, and I don’t know if we’re gonna make it.” And she was like, “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

And that was the last thing I heard from her. But then – silver lining – the revving of the engine actually worked!

Wow, okay. So can you tell me about why you’re into traveling so much?

I guess I’m into traveling because I did it a lot with my family growing up. Every summer my mom and I went somewhere different. I’m into traveling also because I think the best way to learn about different cultures is to actually be immersed in those cultures, rather than

So when I was in India, I really missed dancing at Williams, so I sought out this salsa club. I spent my money on going to the salsa place as a substitute for dinner, and when I get there, the guy is like “oh, we’re so happy to see you, feel right at home!”

And I’m like “this is great, can’t wait to start practicing,” and I then realize that salsa’s not the same in every country, because what they were doing was not salsa! So I was sitting there and he’s like “don’t you want to participate?” and I was like “no no no, you guys are experts, I just want to watch,” and at this point I’m realizing that I don’t have enough rupees to get back to the hostel, so I have to stay here until I can contact my roommate to come and get me. So he was like “you’re gonna stay here the whole two hours and not dance? Come on, come on.”

So I start to dance, and then they’re like, literally straightfaced, and they look at me and say: “What are you doing?” And that was my salsa story from India.

Aren’t you in Ritmo Latino?

Yeah, but apparently I just didn’t know how to do it right. I needed a lot more hips and a third leg. [Laughs] Okay – can you tell me about other things you do? I heard that you have a fashion company.

I own a clothing company. I started it my sophomore year of high school. I was really concerned at the time with the fact that I felt like I could design clothes that I’d rather wear and that I really didn’t have to deal with the lack of availability of certain styles that I wanted to wear and certain cuts, and I was also really interested in design at the time. And a friend of mine was really interested in black representation in the media and how all clothing brands were Western European in some way shape or form, and we wanted more people from the African diaspora to be represented at that high of a level in the fashion industry, so we decided to make a clothing company.

And it’s been ongoing ever since. We first started off with just graphic tees in our neighborhood and then we moved into making different cuts and different shirts, and then hoodies and hats, and right now we just have men’s apparel but, in our next collection, we’re moving on to women’s apparel as well, and then starting to distinguish between age groups as well. And at first it was really hard, it took a lot of capital to get it off the ground, but now it is smooth sailing and actually profitable, and it has been fun designing different clothes for people.

So when do you have the time to design, when you’re also juggling school, Ritmo Latino,and other stuff?

I don’t design during school.

I have sketches that I’ve done on breaks and stuff, but generally I leave the designing to my closest friend at home. And he does most of the designing, because he’s actually interested in business and fashion.

Virtual Reality room explores Facilities prevails during winter storm new technological frontier

By HANNAH LEBOWITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By RB SMITH FEATURES EDITOR Although some students may see Sawyer Library as a second home, many are unaware of all the surprises their familiar study spot has to offer. One such hidden gem is the virtual reality (VR) room, located beyond the Office of Information Technology (OIT) desk on the second floor. The room itself is humble: roughly 100 square feet with a desk, a computer and couple of chairs. Put on the VR headset, however, and boot up one of the many available games and experiences, and a little hall closet in Williamstown, Mass. becomes a whole different world.

The mystical aura of the VR room begins before the headset is even switched on. Students must first approach the front desk and request the “keys to the room of requirement” (a reference to a similarly mysterious room from the Harry Potter series) and the “wands” (the special name for the two handheld controllers with which the user controls the virtual world). There is no tutorial or training session; with keys and wands in hand, students are free to explore the myriad of worlds to their hearts’ content. I went with Chris Kim ’20, Anhui Huang ’20 and Nkem Iregbulem ’20 to try our hands at the futuristic technology.

We started with The Lab, a game developed by Valve (the same corporation that produces Steam, the software distribution platform from which all the VR games are launched). The Lab featured a variety of smaller set pieces — from an interactive comedy scene to a simulated hike up a virtual mountain to a spaceship-combat game to a walkable 3D model of the solar system. It was created to showcase all the possible applications of VR in entertainment and education and does an amazing job of capturing the variety of possible VR experiences. “It’s another level of

video games” Iregbulem said. ity or another for years, the VR “You feel so much more in the room as we know it today was moment.” Kim described it as only installed this past fall. Last “a much more personal expe- semester, the computer science rience, being able to see every- and English departments used thing in the game as you’d see the room as a part of their curit with your eyes, as if you were ricula, and this semester psyreally there.” chology is looking to use it as After building some confi- well. In the future, according dence in The Lab, we decided to to Amann, every department branch out and try a handful of will use VR in some way or anthe other independently devel- other. “What VR does very well oped games in the Steam library, is provide perspectives that are with which we had varying de- otherwise difficult or imposgrees of success. With this tech- sible to have in normal human nology still in its infant stages, experience. Imagine shrinkindependent offerings vary in ing yourself down to the size quality and polish. A parkour of a molecule and seeing your platformer called Climbtime chemistry project in three disuffered from touchy, confusing mensions and adjusting time to controls and better undercrash issues, stand chemical and a swordinteractions,” “What VR does well is and-sorcery Amman said. adventure provide perspectives that “Another exgame called perience could are otherwise difficult or be traveling Spell Fighter, although impossible to have in nor- virtually to a interesting camp mal human experience.” refugee in concept, and seeing had too the conditions many map and faces of glitches to the people in be enjoyreal time to able.

One better focus independent resources,” game that stood out, however, Amann said, referencing The was an archery tower-defense Displaced, a recent VR docugame called QuiVr. The vibrant mentary on refugees produced graphics and intuitive controls by the New York Times. “The created an exciting, immersive possibilities are incredible.” experience as the player fendDespite all the excitement ed off waves of enemies with a surrounding this new technolbow and arrow. “That powerful ogy, widespread implementaposition of standing with your tion remains just out of reach. bow drawn is what makes it so With hardware setups like the real,” Huang said. “On a com- one in Sawyer still relatively puter it doesn’t have that feel- rare, incentives for software deing.” Indeed, the visceral sensa- velopers to invest in VR remain tion of whipping an arrow out significantly less than those to of your quiver and burying it in invest in more mainstream 2D a distant enemy was a thrilling platforms. As interest grows, experience, and it showcased however, the College can hope VR gaming at its finest. to be on the cutting edge of the However, the potential of newest movement in media VR reaches far beyond video technology. “VR is a technolgames. I talked to Michael ogy that’s very hard to explain.

Amann, Classroom Technology To understand its potential as Specialist in OIT, who had a a human interface technology, major hand in bringing the VR you need to experience it,” said room to life. Although the Col- Amann. “To better understand lege has had VR in some capac- it, come give it a try.”

Michael Amann OIT

While students lay in their beds on Feb. 11, Dave Fitzgerald and his team in the operations department of Facilities were hard at work for the College; the Facilities team had known about the impending storm for days and spent the night anticipating its arrival.

Prior to every snow storm, Fitzgerald and his team come up with a “game plan,” altering their response according to the quantity, consistency and timing of the snow predicted. As grounds manager, Fitzgerald is in charge of overseeing the organization and execution of tasks assigned to 17 other Facilities workers.

Fitzgerald walked me through the game plan that the Facilities team devised for the latest snowstorm, which began last Wednesday at 11 a.m., went throughout the night and ended midday on Thursday. Since the storm lasted for 24 hours, it was important for the staff to divide into teams that alternated shifts so that no one put in long hours and grew fatigued. It is common for teams to work for 12-hour shifts, but Fitzgerald never assigns shifts over 16 hours for his workers.

As a result of this, the challenges posed while plowing rarely have to do with human error. The most consistent challenge that Facilities workers encounter when it comes to snow control is mechanical breakdowns. “You’re always going to have a piece of

equipment that’s going to break,” Fitzgerald said. Facilities keeps a running inventory of spare parts, but some machinery malfunctions require new parts that are not readily available. During the last storm, a piece of plow frame broke, which was not in stock.

Luckily, Facilities had time before the next snowfall to order the part, but this time slot is not always available. The Facilities team, in addition, works to keep ahead on its sand and salt supply.

The sand and salt storage building holds 300 tons of material, and Facilities ensures that the supply is 50-60 tons ahead when a storm is in the forecast.

Grounds management, however, is not the only section of Facilities that deals with snow control. Storm response is “a big team effort that involves the entire Facilities operation,” Fitzgerald said. Grounds management is in charge of streets and the turf field; anywhere a plow can access on campus. The custodial operation and trade shops are in charge of clearing snow from sidewalks, entryways and stairs – jobs that often involve shoveling. Whereas the majority of this shoveling occurs during working hours, the grounds management crew can be called on throughout the night to deal with snow control.

Although Facilities is diligent in checking weather predictions and planning in advance for storms, there are occasional weather surprises. Fitzgerald recounted the tedium of plowing a

parking lot when the predicted snowfall was one to two inches, only to have to cycle back an hour later and clear another few inches from the same space. Even so, his attitude regarding this winter is indisputably positive. “It’s a good feeling now that the days are getting longer, the temperatures are starting to rise … We can still get snow, but we’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

In April, Fitzgerald will celebrate his 29th year of working at the College. Before working in Facilities, he worked for three and a half years as a horticulturist at a private estate outside of Great Barrington, Mass. He describes his work in horticulture as “a lot of fun,” but as grounds manager he is responsible for more than just overseeing the garden maintenance that occurs in the spring and summer.

Fitzgerald explained that snow control is more stressful than grounds operations in other seasons because “snow can happen at any time, 24/7, and we have to respond.”

When asked if he still gets excited for the first snowfall, however, he assumed a momentarily melancholic tone. “To be honest with you, I used to like winter, before I had to deal with snow control. I used to do a lot of downhill skiing. But I don’t particularly care for winter anymore.

I’m always thinking about potential storms, even on weekends.

Maybe when the day comes that I retire, maybe then I’ll feel differently. We’ll see.”

JUNE HAN/PHOTO EDITOR

Grounds Manager Dave Fitzgerald has committed himself to battling Berkshire winters for the last 29 years.

February 22, 2017

FEATURES 7

The Williams Record

Professor Alan Hirsch raises awareness of false confessions

By JANE PETERSEN FEATURES EDITOR Chair of Justice and Law Studies Alan Hirsch leads a double life. One is that of the typical professor at the College: grading papers, lecturing and steadfastly challenging his students to adopt a legal perspective. The other is unknown to many of his students; Hirsch is an expert on false confessions, as he chronicles on his website, found at truthaboutfalseconfessions.com.

Hirsch’s website seeks to inform the general public about a serious problem in the criminal justice system as well as break down the misconceptions surrounding false confessions. The biggest misconsception is that people assume that “no one would confess to a crime he didn’t commit, except maybe someone deranged or subject to extreme compulsion such as torture,” according to the website’s “Frequently Asked Questions” page.

Hirsch argues that a false confession can result from a number of situations. For example, a suspect might black out and become convinced that he or she really did commit the crime. However, Hirsch says that most false confessions result from psychological manipulation at the hands of interrogators.

“The principal technique combines two steps. Interrogators express certainty of the suspect’s guilt and aggressively thwart his denials, as well as confront him with evidence, sometimes exaggerated or fabricated, that allegedly establishes guilt. Then they introduce themes ... that minimize the severity of the crime or the suspect’s culpability,” Hirsch said. “They are simultaneously communicating to the suspect the futility of maintaining in-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN HIRSCH

Professor Alan Hirsch documents his experiences as an expert witness on false confessions on his website: truthaboutfalseconfessions.com nocence and implying that confessing will avert serious punishment ... The problem with this interrogation technique is that it’s too effective – it breaks down the innocent as well as the guilty.”

Combatting this dangerous phenomenon is not always easy, but it is possible during trial with the help of expert witnesses, like Hirsch, educating the jury on what to look for in a confession. Hirsch is optimistic about jurors’ willing-

ness to accept the possibility of a false confession yielded by interrogation tactics. “Jurors are regular people drawn from the community. They are becoming increasingly aware of false confessions because people in general are,” he said.

Media plays an important role as well. Over the last few years, true crime has become an increasingly popular genre.

Programs such as Serial on NPR and Making a Murderer on Netflix have gained a huge

following and expose crucial issues that our criminal justice system faces, including the advantages prosecutors have over defendants.

Hirsch is confident that his work will have a long-term effect on how jurors see defendants and witnesses. “In general, the more people learn about the justice system, the better,” Hirsch said. “I think that’s particularly true when it comes to things that are counter-intuitive – such as the unreliability of confessions

and eyewitness testimony. We really can’t believe our ears and eyes, at least not unthinkingly.”

Hirsch’s website tells anecdotes of people across the country who have fallen victim to interrogation tactics and illuminates some harrowing statistics about the incarceration of innocent people. In a post from June of last year, Hirsch reported that “Of the Innocence Project’s 341 DNA exonerations, more than 25 percent gave

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full false confessions or incriminating statements.”

Hirsch has testified as an expert witness on false confessions 25 times, yet some particularly heartbreaking cases stick out to him. “A few stand out because they’re painful – cases where I failed to prevent the conviction of someone I’m convinced was innocent,” Hirsch said. “I have a case now involving a man who spent 38 years incarcerated before his innocence was established. He had signed a confession that was typed by a police officer and shoved in front of him. At trial, the officer testified that the man read the confession to himself before signing, but the man was illiterate.”

There is some light at the end of the tunnel for victims of this kind of manipulation. Hirsch’s website proposes a few specific policy reforms in detail that would curtail the interrogator’s ability to produce false confessions. Among other propositions, he advocates for the videotaping of interrogations as well as the ability for prosecutorial recusal when attorneys refuse to acknowledge concrete proof of innocence. Despite the unavoidable tragedy that surrounds his work, Hirsch plans on continuing his pursuit in doing whatever he can to minimize the detrimental impact of false confessions on convictions.

“I’ve been giving thought to a book that would combine engaging stories about my involvement as an expert in the criminal justice system and some sober discussion about ways to reform the system,” he said. “I also plan to continue my work as a trial consultant and expert witness, which is fulfilling and plays a small role in ameliorating a large problem.”

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8 ARTS

The Williams Record

February 22, 2017

‘Accession Number’ showcases the curatorial process

By LI YU ARTS EDITOR The first thing I noticed about Accession Number is its enormity: The exhibition contains nearly 400 works of art.

Spanning the entire first floor gallery space of Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA), Accession Number proves to be one of the museum’s largest exhibition to date and, perhaps, its most provocative.

On view since last Friday, Accession Number is an exhibition of all the works of art acquired by WCMA between early 1960 and the end of 1962, arranged in order by each work’s accession number – a code assigned to an artwork that indicates the year and when within the year it was acquired.

Damaged, lost or stolen artworks from the time period are represented in the gallery space by a blank square on the wall where the work would have been.

The result of these decisions is a dense field of artwork displayed in a patchwork fashion, in which ancient Song Dynasty vases sit across from landscape portraits from the 18th century. To accommodate the sheer quantity of items on display, the walls of the gallery, packed with unique works, showcase the art salon-style rather than with the individual and particular care, as would be typical of a curated exhibition. It is an exhibition that could almost be read as luxurious and ostentatious if it were not for the many empty spaces representing missing works of art. Instead, it becomes a visual history of the management of all the art obtained within two years of collection.

Accession Number is provocative in its transparency. The

JUNE HAN/PHOTO EDITOR

‘Accession Number’ catalogs and displays each of the works of art collected by WCMA between early 1960 and the end of 1962. exhibition is what you would call an “un-curated” show, indiscriminately displaying every single work in no intentional arrangement but rather the order in which each was accessioned. To make the experience less disorienting and more navigable, the museum provides what it calls a humble “brochure” – a 57-page booklet thoroughly equipped with the accession number and description of almost ev-

ery single work on display in the gallery, along with maps to indicate where every work can be found within the gallery.

In the introduction, WCMA Director Christina Olsen explains the goals of the exhibition: “Collections expand and contract of course, but they are also dramatically reinterpreted by curation and changing tastes. Many of these works of art have not been shown in decades because they’ve fallen

out of fashion or don’t fit the museum’s changing ideas about itself or because faculty no longer teach with them. Accession Number is an opportunity to bring them together once again.”

The tremendous effort given to the brochure inspires respect but also unsettles: Why does Accession Number have to make use of such a pamphlet in order to explain its conceptual gravity?

Shouldn’t any well-designed exhibition make limited use of such an external tool? What gets revealed in the process, however, is the collection history of the museum. The brochure, thus, transforms itself into a crucial component of the showcase’s experience, its explication and its deconstruction. It asks, what exactly goes into making an exhibition? What type of information does it specifically

provide? How does a museum decide which works of art to show and why?

The choice to do away with a highly-orchestrated viewing experience intimately reduces the gaps between the audience and curator and between the audience and exhibition.

Without any type of design to lead into developing specific understandings of the works, Accession Number transfers curatorial privileges to the audience instead; in an adjacent installation, the museum offers iPads on which viewers can choose to curate their own exhibitions from the works on display – not just a fun gimmick but a testimony to the rawness of the exhibition as well as a necessary response to one of the problems created by the structure of the project. The perfunctory information provided by the brochure seems to be the only effort made to explain each artwork.

Removed from any explicating context, the works of art on display maintain their individual mystique at the cost of a deeper level of understanding.

Through the integration of a “re-curating” device, Accession Number allows viewers to generate new contexts of their own to place the works in, thereby participating in the creation of meaning. In a sense, Accession Number resembles an installation rather than an exhibition – by reinventing the museum experience into an experience of the museum, Accession Number ends up being an art show that reveals more about the show than about the art.

Monies brings an avant-garde jewelry exhibition to the Clark

By WYLIE THORNQUIST CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRENCH.YALE.EDU

‘La Cour de Babel’ looks into the ability of language to unite and divide across diverse communities.

French film explores power of language

By GREG ZAFFINO STAFF WRITER On Feb. 13, the College’s French Film Festival, with its theme of “School Stories: Diversity and Adversity in New French Film,” kicked off with its first in a series of three movies, La Cour de Babel (The School of Babel).

This documentary follows a “reception class” for middle school students who have just arrived in France from non-Francophone countries and, therefore, must learn to speak French. Babel, released in 2013, is a relatively lesserknown foreign film, holding only two critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (both positive) and not appearing on Netflix.

There are some noteworthy aspects of commentary on the cinematic value of the movie, such as the interesting decision to focus the camera on the students rather than the teachers. In fact, the teachers in the classroom hardly ever appear on screen.

This strategy, removing not only the filmmakers but the teachers and supervisors from the lens of the camera, gives the documentary an organic feel with a clear focus – the students. Though a good documentary, it is unlikely that you will come across it without some serious effort given its relative obscurity to American audiences and inaccessibility. Discussing the more specific nuances of the film itself seems a bit otiose.

Therefore, I will focus on the conversation a film of this topic might produce, as well as the potential value of the remaining films.

Babel was screened after a lengthy and overtly political introduction from Brian Martin, professor of French and comparative literature. As much as topics like race and gender are often at the forefront of discussions involving identity, and rightfully so, language too deserves its spot in the limelight. As our primary method of communication, language serves a vital purpose. It allows us to express ourselves and for others to understand our own unique experiences. For this reason, it is the best tool we have to foster empathy.

Without this tool, one can begin to comprehend, though certainly not justify, the incidence of Americans yelling at immigrants to learn English, of loving mothers who support deportation policies that break up families or even how an affluent country of generally rule-abiding citizens can be so naively seduced by a petulant reality TV star pumped full of nationalism and bravado.

La Cour de Babel is aptly named. For those unfamiliar with the story, the film’s title is a reference to a story in Genesis regarding The Tower of Babel and the origin of language. In the story, a united humanity, speaking one common language, attempts to build a tower tall enough to reach Heaven. In reaction to this, “Indeed the people are one ... now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech,” said the Lord. It is a

bit of a somber realization to know that for many, the story of language’s origin doubles as one of division.

La Cour de Babel seeks to transcend our natural tendency to lose empathy for those speaking a different language by focusing heavily on the students and the hope and innocence they carry. Most of the students say they do not really like it in France. However, they do not want to go back to where they came from either; many of them are refugees. This feeling of not belonging is heavily emphasized in the opening scene in the film, when the students are debating over the translation of a phrase, with many of them arguing that there exists no French translation for that phrase.

Often, we think of language as an expression of our thoughts. However, this scene debunks that. If there exists no phrase to express a certain feeling, how can one ever be aware of knowing that feeling and be able to properly understand it? The set of emotions and thoughts is greater than the set of words we have to bring them out into the world. Language is not an expression of thoughts and feelings, but a limitation upon and an imperfect proxy of them.

The second film, Summertime, played last Monday, and I look forward to the next movie of the Festival, May Allah Bless France!, screening on Monday, with hope that it will cover equally thought-provoking topics.

I applaud the leaders of the Festival for choosing such a relevant and important theme for these movies.

Last Saturday, the Clark Art Institute welcomed the work of Gerda and Nikolai Monies, collectively known as the Danish company “Monies,” in a new one-day jewelry trunk show. Although luxury jewelry items remain closely associated with excess and ostentatious displays of wealth, the trunk show attempted to reframe them within an artistic context and examine jewelry for its aesthetic value.

Monies began in 1973 when husband and wife Gerda and Nikolai Monies began to work together to create unique and flamboyant pieces of jewelry that earned them the growing reputation that precedes them today. The two have training as goldsmiths and jewelers and have been studying, training and creating together for the past 40 years.

Today, their handcrafted jewelry is designed and produced in their workshop by the Copenhagen harbor, where Monies is always looking to find new designs and creative projects. In the past, Monies has collaborated with fashion brands to create unique collections and has more recently begun to focus on building its own unique brand.

Recently, Monies had a retrospective exhibition of its works at the Danish Museum of Art and Design, also known as the Kunstindustri Museum.

Over the years, the couple’s work has been a part of many exhibitions and shows all over the world.

Today, Monies sells its jewelry internationally, not only in its native Denmark, but in stores in Rome, Milan, Istanbul, Paris and across the United States. Since opening up a shop on rue Saint Honoré in Paris, Monies has opened up several more boutiques and is looking to expand further in the future.

While Monies prides itself with eye-catching shapes, it is certainly not ostentatious. Working in a limited palette consisting largely of blacks, greys, whites and golds, Monies creates dramatic shapes that are at once overwhelming and whimsical. Some of these include oversized chain-link necklaces, bold, blocky bangles and earrings of round, giant black and gold beads.

With large, chunky shapes and elegant, natural materials, Monies makes juxtaposition a central aspect of its work. On its site, the company describes its works as celebrating “elegance, avant-garde and humour.” It takes inspiration from a variety of sources, some of which being philosophically contradictory: equally employing a gold coating reminiscent of art deco and simple geometric forms that hail to the rise of modernism. With a distinct retro-futuristic charm, Monies departs from the highly contrived aesthetic of mainstream jewelry. Instead of taking precious metals and shaping them into facsimiles of natural forms, the jeweler takes natural materials and arranges them in highly artificial orderings.

I was reminded of the thick-beaded necklaces so popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Another clear source of inspiration is that of the materials themselves. Using animal components such as leather, horn and bone, Monies celebrates and emphasizes the natural materials that go into creating these pieces. The kitschy maximalist aesthetics of Monies’s jewelry are so beautifully captured in the mediums it works in, as it uses the material to elevate its pieces while simultaneously referencing back to the humble creations of nature. These materials come from a variety of sources and include unusual materials such as petrified wood, fossils, semi-precious stones, shells, coconut, amber, coral, cow horn, copper, seeds, stones and various metals. All of these serve to set Monies apart from others, not only in its uniquely proportioned designs, but in its respect for the materials as well. Rendering natural components into geometric accumulations of chain links, beads and discs, the jeweler possesses an ethos of deeply valuing its source material while simultaneously highlighting its natural beauty through highly unnatural forms.

Even for those not particularly interested in jewelry, the Monies show is proof of not only the validity of jewelry as an art form, but moreover that one need not be interested in an art form to appreciate the beauty of its simple craft.

JANETH RODRIGUEZ/PHOTO EDITOR

Danish jewelry company Monies uses natural materials to craft its chunky, iconically shaped products.

February 22, 2017

ARTS 9

The Williams Record

‘Uncle Vanya’ explores the parallels between play and life

By FERNANDA LAI CONTRIBUTING WRITER In a moment of passion, the professor’s wife, Yelena (Madeline Seidman ’17), and the village doctor, Astrov (Tom Robertshaw ’19), finally risk an illicit kiss. A young girl sitting across from me threw her hands over her eyes immediately, bury-ing her face in her mother’s shoulder for good measure. In contrast, the rest of the audience remained riveted, caught up in a rare moment when emotions are allowed to transgress the open air. In this production of Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya by the theatre department, the audience is distributed amongst the scene as they become part and parcel of the performance, calling attention to the parallels between the play and life. Thus when Astrov laments the tedium of living in the Russian countryside, one cannot help but feel as though he is also remarking on life in the Berkshires: “… my feelings have got somehow blunted.”

Blunted feelings in Uncle Vanya seem to be a question of necessity and survival, rather than just a result of prolonged isolation. When Serebryakov (Michael Tcherepashenets ’17), a pompous and gout-ridden professor, returns to his country estate with his young and captivating wife Yelena, his ill-humor is a poor recompense to his brother-in-law, Uncle Vanya (Terah Ehigiator ’18), and his

PHOTO COURTESY OF RANDAL FIPPINGER.

The insightful sharpness of the inspiring ‘Uncle Vanya’ production lies in the unexpected closeness portrayed between life and art. daughter from his first marriage, Sonya (Mia Hull ’17), whose frugal management and dedicated toil funded his lifestyle in the city. Serebryakov’s return not only tests old attachments but, in addition, leads to new and complicated ones; Vanya finds himself drawn to Yelena, who does not return his affections. She finds herself drawn to Astrov instead, who begins to visit the estate with increasing frequency. Unfortunately, Astrov is not there to visit Sonya, who has been nursing an attachment to him for years, and most certainly not to tend to Serebrayakov’s gout. Given the precarious

proximity of their feelings, it is perhaps to the benefit of all that everyone finds themselves a little dulled in their sentiments and blunted in their conflicts.

This site-specific production by the theatre department transposes Uncle Vanya from its summer Russian habitat to the snowy setting of New England without losing any of the intense intimacy and claustrophobia that the original play demands. By tailoring the play to an underused property, Mount Hope, this production brings the estate from 1910 back to life. As we are directed into different rooms between scenes by a wandering min-

strel (William Ouweleen '19), we are well aware that we are merely passing through another world. For example, when Sonya slides open a wall in the library to retrieve some bread and cheese for Astrov, it feels like a small revelation, rather than a gesture for the sake of narrative. Or when the Serebrayakov enters with his wife and daughter after a walk in the snow, the audience shivers involuntarily at the draft coming in from the open door – there is no need for us to believe in the snow, especially when we were instructed to leave our coats on the bus.

In this production, we find ourselves transported into a

world that feels truly lived in – events do not just happen offstage; they happen elsewhere.

The movement from room to room and scene to scene kept the tenor of each moment compartmentalized, even as these transitions kept things moving, quite literally.

Although it is physical movement that bridges each scene, it is the direction of our collective gaze that builds the narrative, as the performance often takes place in between the audience. Sonya’s longing gaze at Astrov alerts the audience to her feelings, even before she voices them, while Serebraykov’s perpetually distant gaze reminds us

of his peripheral centrality. I also could not help but notice that even as the characters complained of tedium, many among the audience found themselves struggling against the physical demands of the play, breaking into yawns that unconsciously echoed the play’s complaint.

Uncle Vanya may well be its own answer to the tedium it expresses. It is a production where two gunshots can be the least exciting moments, carried throughout by brilliant acting and heartwarming laughter; the sight of the usually elegant Yelena toppling over onto a chaise as she complains of boredom or when she tucks a pencil into her hair, candidly informing Astrov that she is taking it to remember him by; or perhaps when Astrov begins a drunken jig, only to excuse his impropriety (he is not wearing a tie). Ultimately, the insightful sharpness of this production lies in the unexpected closeness between life and art: the old nurse (Emma Mandel ’17) is the only character who shows Serbraykov genuine sympathy, going out of her way to help him out of his chair. As he hobbles off with his cane, she shuffles next to him, reminding him that she can viscerally understand the ungraceful condition of age – “I’ve got an ache in my legs too.” The chuckles from the audience in turn remind us that many there understand her words all too well and that the beauty of this production lies in how it never strays far from life.

Concert revives the golden age of jazz

By JOSHUA GREENZEIG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Syd tha Kyd, a collaborator with Odd Future and The Internet, released her first album, ‘Fin’.

Syd tha Kyd raps on anxiety and love

By ANNA SUN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Smooth instrumentals, classic R&B beats and dreamy vocals characterize Syd tha Kyd’s debut album Fin, first released Feb. 2.

Syd has previously worked with hip hop collective Odd Future as well as R&B band The Internet.

She is never been one to draw attention to herself, but Fin finally pushes Syd into the spotlight. The album is an amalgam of different musical influences, lyrical themes and vocal techniques, and Syd moves her R&B style in all different directions through the twelve tracks of the album. She pulls off a confident rapper persona singing over trap-infused hip-hop beats in tracks like “All About Me” and “No Complaints.” Other tracks feature her signature breathy melodies and soft instrumentals which add a delicate feel to the classic R&B love song cannon.

“Know,” the second track, is a tribute to the funky pop from the 2000s – think funky Timbaland beats and an Aaliyah attitude. The final song “Insecurities” ends in one last twist with a jazzy hi-hat and snare combo.

Fin is a deviation from classic R&B as well as from Syd’s previous work as part of The Internet. Syd’s affinity for mellow beats and deep instrumentals gives the album a darker feel than what would usually be associated with R&B. Hip hop, soul, trap and jazz are all thrown into the mix to create music that is both new and nostalgic. To top it all off, Syd’s incredibly dynamic range and

style tie all of these elements together to make each track on Fin fresh and memorable. Even with minimal features, each track has an individual feel and a unique sound. Fin is also a remarkable departure from The Internet’s Grammy-nominated album Ego Death because of the solo album’s further embrace of loose beats and soul influence. Whereas Ego Death is much more reminiscent of the heavy pace of Odd Future mixtapes and is stylistically less varied than the new album, Fin is more laid back and seductive, and it is clear that Syd’s taking advantage of her solo career to develop a musicality that is uniquely her own.

Thematically, Syd finds her niche in R&B by moving away from love and sex clichés, instead presenting more honest material through her lyrics. Moving forward from Ego Death, Fin ventures into the personal. Yet, the music and lyrics are not flashy by any means as Syd remains open and vulnerable through the album. Fin opens with “Shake Em Off,” a slow and stripped song that reflects on her anxiety about her career as she struggles with the perceptions of her peers and fans. She avoids glamorizing themes of sex and sexuality, letting her experiences speak for themselves. “Smile More” and “Know” candidly address struggles, love and lust in casual relationships with a vaguely sorrowful tone. “Insecurities” is a matter-of-fact and self-aware description of an unhealthy relationship, yet the track is so driven by its cool and collected

jazzy beat and flowing harmonies that it takes a close listen to understand the more serious underlying themes of the song.

Syd also breaks away from R&B tradition by curbing the age-old heterosexual romantic relationship of popular music, instead openly embracing her queer identity in her music and simultaneously defying polarized gender dynamics that are oh-so-prevalent in the music industry. In “Got Her Own,” Syd serenades a financially and emotionally independent woman.

It’s been done in the past, arguably in a condescending manner, by male singers. Yet Syd’s rendition of this theme doesn’t implicate an imbalanced and thus exploitive gender power dynamic; she asserts a queer narrative in a traditionally heteronormative space and does it all without batting an eye.

Fin is worth a listen or two.

Syd’s progressive R&B sensibility flourishes in her debut album. Her effortless falsettos and low sultry melodies pull the listener through the album’s twelve tracks, and with each song comes a new mood and a new sound. Fin continues Syd’s track record of understated but innovative musical styles; the album pulls heartstrings by playing with beats and lyrics that recall the early 2000s and progressing them using current musical developments in other genres. Syd does not seek to impress, but the album is impressive nonetheless. Fin is a fitting portrait of Syd both as a musician and as a person in an honest and intimate manner.

A seminal year in the history of jazz, 1959 proved an intriguing concept for last Thursday’s Williams Jazz Faculty Concert, called 59+58. As Professor of Music Kris Allen, director of the Jazz Ensemble, put it at the beginning of the show, “ask just about any jazz fan for their top ten albums, and four or five usually come from 1959."

The show opened with an original arrangement of Miles Davis’s All Blues” by saxophonist Mike Kolodny, who was actually the musician to suggest the theme. The rendition of the tune was anything but a rehashing of a song transfixed in the lexicon of most players.

Featuring odd time signatures and improvised solos by all the band members, the piece set the tone for the rest of the evening: The show would be a bombastic, in-your-face, tour de force of jazz that surged with the influences of multiple generations. Conor Meehan, artist associate in jazz drums, explained that he “could not help but approach this music with the adventurous spirit with which it was made,” a sentiment clearly held across

the entire band. Avery Sharpe, artist associate in jazz bass and director of small jazz ensembles, who toured with jazz legend McCoy Tyner, elaborated on the character of era: “A lot was happening musically, historically, racially.” Indeed, the spirit of 1959 was palpable throughout the room, especially during the show’s intense two-song peak. Allen’s bass and sax duo arrangement of the song “Peace” by Ornette Coleman pierced through the room as the two on stage improvised around each other. The politically salient “Fables of Faubus”

by Charles Mingus, arranged

by Avery Sharpe, was perhaps the highest point of the night.

Sharpe explained it was written as a protest in reaction to Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus’s use of the National Guard to prevent school integration.

Before starting the piece, Sharpe stated, “It is hard to not get political now, in today’s climate at least.” He later added that he wanted the song to be a “wake-up call” about the current state of race relations in America. Soon after, two students, Gabe Morosky ’17 and Nathaniel Vilas ’17, on the drums and piano, respectively, joined the band, showcasing the immense jazz

talent residing in the College's mucis department. Before the final song of the night, Allen invited back on stage Andy Jaffe, the recently retired College jazz legend. The “Duke Ellington of Williams,” as Allen put it, Jaffe and the rest of the band once again soared in the finale. If this was Jaffe’s last faculty show, he certainly made his presence felt with his incredible solos and dexterous comping.

Besides celebrating an incredibly important year in the jazz pantheon, the show served as an insight into the incredible music scene on campus.

The department boasts two jazz ensembles and two jazz combos that perform shows at the end of each semester as well as during events both on and off campus. If that is not enough live music for you, every Tuesday night from 7:30 to 9 p.m., there is an open jam session at The Log. Yet, for all the jazz talent on campus, student attendance varies greatly from show to show. Hopefully more students can take the time to see their peers and community members in these incredible performances. As Avery Sharpe put it, great live music “shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

10 SPORTS

The Williams Record

February 22, 2017

WUFO prepares for spring season

By REED JENKINS EXECUTIVE EDITOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Emily Chang ’20 averaged 7.0 points per game and a team-leading 1.8 3-pointers per game this season.

Women’s basketball falls to Tufts in first round of NESCAC tournament

By JAKE FOEHL STAFF WRITER

In the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament on Saturday, women’s basketball (15– 10, 4–6 in the NESCAC) lost to Tufts 58-40.

Despite turning in a significantly improved performance from their 61-27 loss to the Jumbos on Feb. 10, the No. 7 Ephs ultimately fell short of upsetting the third seed. Amanni Fernandez ’18 led the Ephs with 10 points and five assists, while co-captain Lauren McCall ’17 nearly had a double-double, finishing with eight points and eight rebounds. Three Tufts starters scored in double figures, and Jumbos forward Michela North tallied a game-high 14 points.

The Ephs controlled play through the first four minutes of the game. A layup by Kristin Fechtelkotter ’18 began a scoring spree that saw the women take an 8-7 lead by the 4:10 mark.

The advantage was short-lived, however, and Tufts went on a 10-4 run to emerge from the first quarter with a 17-12 lead.

The Jumbos quickly extended their lead in the second quarter, bringing the gap to 16 with under a minute to play in the first half. Two free throws by co-captain Devon Caveney ’17 brought the score to 32-18 at halftime.

McCall led the Ephs with six points at the break.

The women put together a more potent offensive attack than they had in the teams’ previous meeting, but the defense of the home team again made the difference. The Ephs coughed the ball up 15 times in the first 20 minutes, with 10 turnovers resulting from Jumbos steals.

However, Williams controlled the boards by a 21-16 margin, limiting Tufts from capitalizing on offensive opportunities.

The Jumbos sustained their double-digit lead throughout the third quarter, finishing the frame with the score at 48-30.

The Ephs continued to hurt the Jumbos with their offensive gameplan, but they could not overcome out of the second-half deficit. Turnovers proved to be the game’s deciding factor, as Tufts scored 26 points off 22 Williams turnovers.

Fernandez did her best to keep the women in the game, scoring all 10 of her points in the second half. She made several tough shots, including a silky step-back jumper.

Despite the Ephs’ efforts, the Jumbos continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, sealing their semifinal spot with the 58-40 win.

“Saturday’s game against Tufts was definitely a challenge for us,” Caveney said.

“They are a very good team, but we played them a lot tougher than our last game against them.”

The women finish their season with a record of 15-10 and graduate co-captains McCall and Caveney.

“We did not have the record we were hoping for this season, but we all had a lot of fun together through the ups and downs,” Caveney said.

Caveney’s scoring average of 13.1 point per game ranks third in the NESCAC. Having averaged double-digit scoring in each of the past three seasons, she finishes her career with 1047 points, the 16th most in school history.

McCall has been a key contributor for four seasons, starting all but one game in the last two years.

The Ephs will return key players Fechtelkotter, Fernandez and Lydia Zaleski ’18 next year.

Fechtelkotter led the NESCAC in blocks per game with 2.0 and tied for fourth in rebounds per game with 7.6. Guard Emily Chang ’20 led the team with 1.8 3-pointers per game this season and is expected to play a major role in the future.

“We had great team chemistry and always enjoyed going to practice everyday to the play the sport we all love together,” Caveney said.

As the Williams Ultimate Frisbee Organization (WUFO) heads into the spring season, it celebrates its 40th anniversary. The team hopes to build on its past tradition of success this season, as it works towards its ultimate goal – qualifying for and succeeding at Nationals.

Founded in 1977, WUFO is one of the oldest intercollegiate Ultimate Frisbee clubs in the nation and boasts a rich history of success on the national stage.

“It’s really cool that we’ve been around for that long,” WUFO President Jeff Sload ’17 said. “We’re definitely one of the longer-running Ultimate Frisbee organizations on the college scene.”

Sload also credited the club’s long tenure for the creation of an active alumni community.

“We have so many alums who are incredibly supportive of everyone,” he said. “We’re all over the place, and we’ll bump into WUFO alums, who will be hyped to see us.”

The club is coed, and it is roughly divided between three teams: the men’s “A” team, the women’s “A” team (La WUFA) and the coed open “B” team.

Christine Reed ’17, Lane Davis ’17 and Haley Lescinsky ’18 are tri-captains of La WUFA. “We compete against other women’s teams in New England and also nationally,” Reed said.

The team has both a fall and a spring season, with the most competitive Regional and National Championships taking place in the spring. Fall tournaments do not factor into qualification for Regionals and Nationals, allowing the team to focus on development.

Sload said that many younger

members of the team have not played ultimate before arriving at the College.

“The fall is really about developing newer players,” he said. “Ultimate is really interesting in that there’s this cadence to the season of bringing rookies onboard, teaching them the game in the fall and then incorporating them more in the roster.”

The men’s and women’s teams play in several tournaments, including the Purple Valley fall tournament, which is held annually at the College in October each year.

This past year, the tournament featured teams from Dartmouth, the University of Vermont, Amherst, Middlebury and the University of Connecticut. Reed described the competition as a oneday tournament with beautiful weather and competion against rival programs.

“It serves the function as being one of the first times the team is able to play together,” Lescinsky added.

While the fall season is focused on development, the spring season is focused on competing at the highest level at tournaments and end-ofseason competitions.

La WUFA has traditionally been a Div. III powerhouse, consistently representing the College at Nationals. Last year, the women were seeded No. 1 overall and reached the quarterfinals. This year, they hope to build on their success.

“Our end goal for the season is to do really well at Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals, which are like the playoffs,” Reed said. “We host both Sectionals and Regionals, so that’s really nice. In past years we’ve done really well at both.”

The men look to build upon the work they have done over the fall and Winter Study to compete well at the upcoming tournaments. Two weeks ago, the men defeated Ohio State and George Washington in the season’s inaugural tournament, impressive victories which bode well for the rest of the season.

Both teams will embark on a spring break trip to South Carolina, where they will play two important tournaments near the end of the season.

Rankings determined from the tournaments in the spring determine the team’s seeding for Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals. After a slightly disappointing finish to last season, which ended without a bid to Nationals, the men hope to improve their results this year, Sload said.

WUFO’s influence on campus includes more than just its on-field results. The club has helped to increase the popularity of Ultimate Frisbee on campus and has created avenues for those interested in becoming involved in the sport.

“Ultimate is definitely up and coming,” Lescinsky said.

“More than anything, WUFO is a group of people who love hanging out together and we play a lot more Frisbee than I think a lot of people realize,” Sload said. “A huge component of WUFO as an organization is about having fun and being with people that you love.”

Still, he stressed that the men’s and women’s A teams have been remarkably successful. “We’re competitive with the top 10 teams in the country, and we work really hard to make sure that we’re always competitive to get to Nationals and do our best there.”

All the Rest Men’s squash: The Ephs placed 20th overall at Nationals last weekend. The men won 8-1 against Colby on Friday, lost 5-4 to University of Virginia on Saturday and fell 5-4 to Brown on Sunday.

“We played without two of our top players due to injuries and came short in two winnable matches,” Head Coach Zafi Levy ’01 said.

“We didn’t have enough firepower this weekend, but all players competed hard and showed great potential for the future. I am very proud of the effort the team put forth this season.”

Some players will travel to Dartmouth for CSA Individuals from March 3-5, but Nationals was the final team competition of the season. The Ephs graduate cocaptains Jamie Ruggiero ’17

and John Shuck ’17, as well as Jack McLean ’17.

Women’s ice hockey: Last weekend, the women lost to Middlebury twice. Although goaltender Marissa Anderson ’20 had 36 saves on Friday, the Ephs fell 2-0. They lost 5-3 on Saturday. In the first round of the NESCAC tournament, the seventh-seeded women will face No. 2 Connecticut College in New London, Conn. at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Wrestling: Last Sunday, eight wrestlers traveled to the Futures Tournament at Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I. In the 149-lb. weight class, Yo Akiyama ’20 and Alex Pankhurst ’19 reached the tournament finals. Ultimately, Akiyama edged Pankhurst to take the title. In

the 147-lb. weight class, Nick Anselmi ’20 earned fourth.

On Friday and Saturday, the team’s top 10 wrestlers will compete at NCAA Northeast Regionals at Roger Williams in Bristol, R.I. The three best finishers in every weight class qualify for the NCAA Championships, which will take place on March 10 and March 11 in La Crosse, Wis. Men’s ice hockey: On a difficult road trip, the men lost 1-0 to Amherst on Friday and 5-1 to Hamilton on Saturday to finish their regular season. Having fallen to fourth in the NESCAC standings, they will play a rematch with fifthseeded Amherst in the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament. The puck will drop Saturday at 3 p.m. in Lansing Chapman Rink.

CAPTAINS’ CORNER: HANNA BEATTIE ’17 When and why did you start playing hockey?

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

By BROOKE HOROWITCH SPORTS EDITOR

Team: Women’s ice hockey Hometown: Whitehouse Station, N.J. Residence: Spring Street Default snack bar order: Lee’s omelet with bacon, cheddar, peppers and onions

I started skating at the age of 3 and began playing hockey when I was 4 years old. I have an older brother who plays, and my dad played hockey, so they really [influenced me to start playing]. At the outdoor club, there was figure skating and hockey.

I was with my dad and was watching some little girl figure skate, and my dad let me choose what I wanted to do. I turned to my dad and said, “I do not want to do that; I want to play hockey.” He was my coach when I was young, and he has pushed me all the way up. My brother and I would shoot on each other in the kitchen. I’d play goalie and he’d shoot on me and then we would switch.

What were your elementary and middle school hockey experiences like?

In elementary school, I played for a boys’ team – I played boys’ hockey until high school. In middle school, I played for my school team and a mixed-gender outdoor club team where I grew up. Then I started playing on a travel team with

only one other girl. When I was 11, I started playing girls’ hockey, so I played on two or three teams at a time.

Describe your high school hockey experience.

It was very different from my travel experience. I went to the Pingry School and a lot of the girls didn’t know how to skate. Only one other girl and I played club, so it was a different challenge. We weren’t great, but it was a lot of fun, and we got to teach our teammates a lot.

What was the recruiting process like for you, and why did you decide to attend the College?

I have a cousin who went here.

She is two years older than I and was on the hockey team, so I had insight on what the team and coaches were like.

After Div. I did not work out, I was choosing between Middlebury, Amherst and Williams.

I didn’t love the Middlebury coach, and the Amherst coaching staff was transitioning, but I really liked the coaching staff here. Also, the atmosphere of the school was great – everyone was really nice and welcoming when I visited. And it

doesn’t hurt that it’s the best school in the country.

and off the ice and be a good role model.

What are your favorite things about the women’s ice hockey team?

You won NESCAC Rookie of the Year and were an All-American as a firstyear and were named to the All-New England team as a sophomore.

What do those honors mean to you?

Oh boy, there are so many.

No matter the score, our team doesn’t give up, and I think that’s very commendable. We will be down 7-1 and will still be fighting to the last minute. Socially, I really like that our personalities are so different, and we all come from different backgrounds, but we get along really well.

I find our team absolutely hilarious, and I love hanging out with my teammates.

What is it like being a captain for the team?

I was captain last year, so I got two years of it, which I’m very happy about. My teammates are so hardworking that they make it really easy.

I’ve learned a lot over the past two years. I was [tricaptain] with two seniors last year, and I learned a lot from them. I learned that you can’t please everyone, but my goal has been to try to make the greatest number of people happy. I just try to lead by example, work hard both on

I’m very proud of them. I honestly didn’t even think of them when I was playing – I played for love of the game and my teammates, but it’s very humbling to get recognized for hard work.

How do you approach playing defense? What is your playing style?

I like to say that I’m an offensive defenseman. I like joining our forwards in the offensive zone, shooting, directing the power play and rushing the puck. Some teammates are more defensive, so they complement my style and make me feel safer and more comfortable rushing the puck.

What has playing in the postseason been like in the past, and what are your goals for this year’s NESCAC tournament?

Interestingly enough, we’ve played Trinity in every quarterfinal, but I don’t think that will be the case this year. We ended up beating Trinity my freshman year and going on to win the NESCACs, which was awesome. We lost in the quarterfinals the past two years. The seasons definitely ended too soon. The thing about our league is that anybody can beat anyone. We got swept by Conn., but I’m still confident we can beat them. So even though we’ll have an away game, I’m not too worried.

What is your major, and how do you balance schoolwork with the demands of a varsity sport?

I’m a psychology major. I’ve been strategically choosing classes, so I haven’t had any Friday classes in a while.

It’s nice that I have a longer weekend. I go to the library and get my work done before practice and try to manage my time around my hockey schedule so I can get everything done.

Who is your favorite professional hockey player?

Henrik Lundqvist.

February 22, 2017

SPORTS 11

The Williams Record

Hannah Cole ’17 reflects on running and skiing success

By BROOKE HOROWITCH SPORTS EDITOR Hannah Cole ’17 is a oneof-a-kind athlete. She played seven sports in grade school and is a member of the women’s cross country, Nordic ski and track and field teams at the College. Such versatility is rare, but her accomplishments in every sport are truly unique.

She has twice been named an All-American in both cross country and track. She has also competed in two Nordic national championships.

Cole has been involved with sports from a very young age.

She began playing soccer at the age of three and continued until she was a freshman in high school. When she was in second grade, her family moved from upstate New York to Canada. “The Canadian sports system is very different,” she said. “Sports meet just one to two times a week for about 15 or 20 minutes, so I just started doing everything.”

“The first thing I joined was the cross country team, because my brother ran,” she said. “I also played volleyball, basketball, soccer and hockey.

I did road racing, which was basically running on the sidewalk, and track and field.”

Before her first year of high school, Cole and her family returned to Honeoye Falls, N.Y. Cole was forced to adjust to the more intense, specialized American sports system.

She initially decided to pursue travel hockey and to run at her high school, but her year-round hockey schedule often conflicted with cross country and track meets.

Consequently, she chose to stop playing hockey and focused on running.

“I wanted to run because of the kids on my team,” she recalled. “I just fit in with them really well.”

Cole instantly made an impact in cross country. She was the only ninth-grader among her team’s top seven runners.

“It was an awesome opportunity to learn from everyone above me and look to four seniors for leadership and mentorship,” she said.

As a sophomore, Cole tried Nordic skiing because her school did not have a winter track program.

“I wanted to bridge the gap between cross country and track,” she said. “There was a lot of falling down and getting up at the beginning, but a great group of people encouraged me to come back the next year. I developed a love for it.”

She credited Bernie Gardner, a former professional skier who coached her in all three sports, for fostering that passion. “He lives and breathes running and skiing,” she said.

“He makes it fun and exciting. One of the greatest things about him is that he has this really special ability to build you up and ground you.”

Gardner also supported Cole throughout the college recruiting process.

“I loved Williams as a school ... but at [the beginning of my senior year], I had to decide whether I was going to run here or run and ski at another college,” she recalled. “I did not have the results base that the Williams ski coaches were looking for.”

That changed when a home race was cancelled midway through the season. Gardner instead brought Cole and her teammates to the Eastern

Cup, which was paired with a college carnival.

“Williams was there, and luckily I raced well that weekend,” she said. Soon after, she committed to run and ski at the College. “I’ve been incredibly happy here,” she said.

Cole appreciates how each team is unique. She loves the size and talent of cross country, the one-on-one attention she receives from the Nordic coaches and focusing on the steeplechase with a small group of track teammates.

Although every sport is different for Cole, she is a consistently strong competitor. Last year, when the cross country team won the national title, she earned fourth place at the championship meet. As a sophomore, she finished 12th in the 15k classic race at ski nationals and earned a silver medal in the steeplechase championship race.

These accomplishments are particularly impressive because Cole has overcome several health issues during her career. She had a stress fracture during her sophomore cross country season. In Jan. 2016, she became anemic and did not respond to typical treatments. “It was challenging to not have control over fixing the situation and not knowing the timeline,” she said. “I felt like I had been given a different body.”

Nevertheless, after a successful iron transfusion at the end of the school year, she returned to running in the fall.

Then, during cross country season, she injured her lower leg and was able to participate in only two meets.

“It was definitely not how I imagined my senior season,” she said, “but it did allow me to step

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE NORDIC SKI TEAM BLOG

A cross country and track All-American, Hannah Cole ’17 has been to two Nordic national championships. into the captain’s role.” Cross Country Head Coach Pete Farwell ’73 said he appreciated her determination, leadership and talent. “Her dedication in training is unsurpassed,” he said. “It is amazing that she is able to prepare for each sport so thoroughly while excelling in the classroom...

She is looked up to by all for her character and ability to listen and offer good counsel.”

Nordic Head Coach Jason Lemieux ’01 echoed these sentiments. “Hannah is an extremely dedicated athlete,” he said. “She is a student of the sport and is always interested in discussing training methodology, technique, strategy, nutrition and a variety of top-

ics relating to performance in skiing. Hannah is a very supportive teammate and does a great job combining a focus on individual performance into a positive team environment.”

Cole said the women’s Nordic team has seen significant improvement in her time at the College. “The team has gotten more competitive and cohesive each year,” she said. “We are shooting for a top-three finish sometime this season.”

As she looks ahead to track in the spring, she said she hopes to return to Nationals: “I think it would be wonderful to qualify again and have someone else from the team make it onto the national stage. It is a

totally different race when you have a teammate beside you.”

Cole also addressed her post-graduation plans. She majors in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry and molecular biology and is applying to chemistry and biochemistry research positions. She is also strongly considering medical school in the future.

However, she may try to continue skiing competitively next year, which would not surprise Lemieux. “I expect to see her continue her love of skiing well past her time at Williams, whether that be with a racing bib on or in a coaching role,” he said.

Men’s track and field places second at Div. III New Englands

By ZEKE COHEN TEAM CORRESPONDENT Last weekend, men’s track and field competed at the Div. III New England Championship, hosted

by Tufts. In a meet of the highest caliber athletes and teams in the area, Williams performed admirably, finishing second with 92 points. Tufts won the meet with

127 points, while MIT was third with 84 points.

The meet began on Friday, when Tom Riley ’18 and co-captain Tobias Muellers ’18 started the heptathlon, a two-day affair.

Muellers broke his own school record, scoring 4890 points and easily pulling away from the rest of the field. Riley battled closely with an athlete from Tufts and

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Co-captain David Folsom ’17 ran a 4:20.78 mile, finishing eighth.

an athlete from WPI before sealing a one-two finish for Williams with an exceptionally strong 1000 meter race.

Muellers, not satisfied with just seven events, returned shortly after to compete in the long jump along with Connor Harris ’18 and Christian Holway ’19. All three Ephs far outperformed their seeds. Harris jumped 6.96 meters, a new personal best, for third place. Just behind him in the standings was Holway, who notched his own personal best of 6.94 meters to get fourth place. And Muellers, not yet exhausted, jumped 6.66 meters for seventh place.

These results gave the Ephs the early lead, but while the men continued to perform well, other schools, notably Tufts, began to strike back.

However, the Ephs were not deterred. Jeremy Thaller ’19 matched his personal best 60 meter dash time of 7.02 in a preliminary heat and came back with a time of 7.03, a consistent performance that was good enough for fifth overall.

In the 1000 meter run, a duo

of first-years, Nick Gannon ’20 and Kevin LaFleche ’20, fared strongly. Gannon made a strong mid-race push to get into scoring position while LaFleche waited until the final 300 meters to pounce and finished with a new personal best of 2:31.21 for seventh overall. On top of that, Gannon finished ninth in 2:32.90. In the mile, a race that featured numerous surges and lulls, co-captain David Folsom ’17 ran tactfully, finishing eighth overall in 4:20.78. In the pole vault, Pierceson Brown ’18 had a seasonal best of 4.55 meters and finished fourth overall.

Despite these performances, Williams dropped significantly in the standings and was in fifth heading into the 3000 meter, 5000 meter, shot put and relays. Leading the change of momentum was Sam Wischnewsky ’20, who ran a personal best of 8:46.22 in the 3000 meter, finishing fourth in his heat.

In the fast heat, co-captain Peter Hale ’17 continued his streak of dominant victories, pulling away from a national-caliber

field after the first mile to finish in 8:17.37, the second fastest time in the nation this year and a new Div. III New England meet record. Hale has not lost a race this season.

In the 5000 meter, Noah Williams ’17 and Austin Anderson ’19 worked together and led the chase pack after two runners had separated from the rest. Their team tactics worked successfully, and they finished in third and fourth respectively with times of 14:59.01 and 15:03.34. Behind them, Mitchell Morris ’19 was in last place during the first mile but moved into position to strike and kicked hard over the final mile to finish in 15:10.45, good for seventh overall.

In the shot put, Magnus Herweyer ’20 continued the momentum, throwing a mark of 15.52 meters for second place.

During the relays, Williams was in a tight battle for second place with MIT. Despite having to compete from the slow heats in the distance medley relay and 4x800, a considerable disadvantage, the Ephs held

their own. Chasing only the potential marks of a later heat, the distance medley team of Jacob Kahrs ’19, Justin LeAndre ’18, Luke Hinz ’17 and Peter Kirgis ’20 managed to beat every team from both heats, winning in a time of 10:21.66. In the 4x800, LaFleche, Alex Cowen ’18, Robert Delfield ’20 and Folsom ran a time of 7:59.36, finishing in fourth overall and sealing second place over MIT. “Personally, it was one of the most exciting meets I’ve ever been to,” Folsom said. “The energy the guys on our team brought to the meet was awesome to watch. We had our eyes on first place, but ultimately all we wanted was for everyone to throw down their best performance. We were thrilled to get out there and compete against teams we had been watching all season, and we came away with a second place plaque that we are very proud of.”

This Friday and Saturday, the men continue their season at the All New Englands, held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Mass.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK “Daniel is a pleasure to coach. He has grown as a leader and performer during my three seasons as his coach. His talent, leadership and desire for this team to be great were on display [last] Saturday.”

DANIEL ARONOWITZ ’17

– Head Coach Kevin App

“It was exciting to see Hannah on the podium this weekend. She has been working hard for two years, and one of her primary goals this season was to earn a medal.

She’s a strong competitor, and I’m sure there will be more to come.”

HANNAH HUNSAKER ’19

– Head Coach Kelsey Levine ’10

MEN’S BASKETBALL

ALPINE SKIING

COLUMBUS, OHIO

PARK CITY, UTAH

Tri-captain Aronowitz registered 22 points and eight rebounds in the men’s 76-69 victory over archrival Amherst. The NESCAC’s fourth-leading scorer, he added two 3-pointers, a steal and a block in the first round upset. Aronowitz is the Ephs’ top scorer and rebounder.

Alpine co-captain Hunsaker, an All-American in the slalom last year, finished third at the Middlebury Carnival on Friday, propelling the Ephs to a fifth-place finish. Although it was her first time on the podium, she has placed in the top 20 at three other competitions this season.

12 SPORTS

The Williams Record

February 22, 2017

Men’s swim and dive wins 15th straight NESCAC Championship

By COLIN HOGAN TEAM CORRESPONDENT Last weekend, men’s swimming and diving earned its 15th consecutive NESCAC title at the NESCAC Swimming and Diving Championship, hosted by Wesleyan. The men earned a total of 1671 points, 269 more than second-place Amherst.

The meet began on Friday night with the 200 freestyle relay. The Ephs’ “A” team of John Freeman ’17, Ben Lin ’17, Curtis Maher ’19 and co-captain Grant Johnson ’17 placed second behind Connecticut College with a time of 1:21.76.

The first individual event of the evening was the 50 breaststroke. Jack Melnick ’19 touched third at 25.60. In the 50 butterfly, Tim Kostolansky ’18 gave the Ephs their first win of the night with a time of 22.06. Lin continued the sprinting dominance with a 50 backstroke win in 21.91. Maher and Freeman then tied for third in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.77, with Johnson finishing in eighth at 20.94.

The longest event of the session was the 500 freestyle. Andrew Trunsky ’20 finished sixth with a time of 4:37.10. He was followed by Dan Needham ’18 in eighth at 4:38.05.

The Ephs demonstrated their versatility in the 200 individual medley. Colin Hogan ’17 touched for second at 1:50.08.

Lucca Delcompare ’20 earned eighth with a time of 1:54.16.

Steven Kreuch ’20 provided a notable performance on the 1-meter board, finishing fourth with a score of 436.45 points.

The final event of the evening was the 400 medley relay. The A team of Lin, Melnick, Kostolansky and Johnson finished first and set a pool record of 3:18.20.

Saturday began with the 200 medley relay, in which the Ephs hold the NESCAC and meet record. The A relay of Lin, Melnick, Kostolansky and Maher fell just short of rival Amherst. They touched at 1:30.26 for second, 0.14 seconds behind Amherst.

The men had to rebound quickly, as the session immediately went into the longest individual event of the evening, the 1000 freestyle. Trunsky provided the Ephs with the muchneeded victory in the race, touching to an impressive time of 9:22.70. The next event, the 400 individual medley, provided the men with the opportunity to demonstrate their versatility.

Hogan and Bobby Rowledge ’18 represented the team well, finishing in fourth (4:01.60) and seventh (4:07.07), respectively.

Several sprint-based stroke events followed, and the Ephs had a number of strong performances. In the 100 butterfly, Lin took first, touching at 47.76 for a meet and pool record. Maher then earned fourth place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:40.85. Next, in the 100 breaststroke, Melnick and Clayton Morikowa ’20 claimed third

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Men’s swimming and diving won the NESCAC Championship meet with 1671 points and will compete at NCAAs next month.

(56.61) and sixth (57.15), respectively. The individual events for the session concluded with the 100 backstroke, in which Kostolansky finished fourth with a time of 50.57.

Night two concluded with the longest relay event of the weekend, the 800 freestyle relay. The A team of Trunsky, Maher, Delcompare and Johnson finished fourth with a time of 6:49.45.

The final day of competition began with the championship heat of the 1650 freestyle.

Trunsky claimed his second victory of the weekend with an NCAA B-cut of 15:44.05. The positive momentum continued for the Ephs in the 200 back-

stroke. Lin touched first, with a meet, pool and NESCAC record of 1:45.88. Just behind Lin was Hogan in fourth at 1:49.44, also an NCAA B-cut.

In the 100 freestyle, the Ephs were well represented by Maher and Jamie Finnegan ’19 in the top heat. Maher rounded off a successful weekend of individual swims with a third-place finish at 45.60, followed by Finnegan in seventh at 45.95. The men also had an impressive representation in the 200 breaststroke, with three swimmers in the top heat.

They finished with times within half a second of each other. Melnick led the charge in third with a time of 2:04.42, followed by Jack

Ferguson ’17 (2:04.77) and Morikowa (2:04.96) in fourth and fifth, respectively.

The individual swimming events for the weekend concluded with the 200 butterfly.

Delcompare touched sixth with a time of 1:51.82. He was trailed

by Rowledge, who placed eighth with a time of 1:53.66.

Kreuch finished off his NESCAC debut with a strong performance on the 3-meter board.

He came in third with a total of 477.80 points, moving up a spot from his preliminary position.

The Ephs sealed the win with a first-place finish in the final event of the weekend, the 400 freestyle relay. Maher, Finnegan, Johnson

and Lin stole the show with a pool record of 3:01.39.

Trunsky received the Rookie of the Year Award, and Lin was named Swimmer of the Year and Four Year High Point Swimmer.

“We struggled a bit the first two days, but the boys battled and showed great resolve,” Head Coach Steve Kuster said.

“Sunday was a much better day for the team with lots of great performances. It was a team win for sure.”

“It was truly a 24-person effort,” Johnson added.

On Mar. 15, the men will travel to Shenandoah, Texas for the NCAA Championship meet.

Men’s basketball upsets Amherst in quarterfinals Women’s track gets silver at Div. III New Englands

By JACKSON MYERS STAFF WRITER

Men’s basketball (18–7, 5–5 in the NESCAC) upset No. 3 Amherst on Saturday to earn a spot in the NESCAC semifinals. After a closely-contested first half, the men took control in the second, overcoming a late Amherst rally to prevail 76-69 on the road.

At LeFrak Gymnasium in Amherst, Mass., the archrivals met for the 221st time in history. A packed crowd held fans of both teams, and the spectators were spirited from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Amherst, ranked No. 18 in the nation, made two 3-pointers to jump out to an early lead, but the men soon equalized with long balls by Bobby Casey ’19 and James Heskett ’19. Williams briefly took the lead, but Amherst recovered in spectacular fashion with three consecutive 3-pointers. A Matt Karpowicz ’20 dunk momentarily halted the run but another Amherst three put the home team up by four.

Five of Amherst’s first six baskets were 3-pointers.

With 8:39 left in the half, the Ephs answered with a 10-0 run of their own. Kyle Scadlock ’19 came up with a steal and threw down a transition dunk to start the scoring spree. Heskett and tri-captain Daniel Aronowitz ’17 then hit back-to-back threes, and a basket by Aronowitz gave the men a 26-20 lead.

Amherst forward David George broke the run with a tip-

in, and guard Jayde Dawson tied the game with 3:40 left, draining a three-pointer and a foul shot.

The teams remained deadlocked until Aronowitz converted a three-point play in the final minute of the half to give the men a 31-30 lead at the break.

The first half saw five lead changes. Amherst’s offense relied on success from behind the arc, shooting an impressive 50 percent from long distance in the half.

The first eight minutes of the second half transpired in the same manner as the first half. For the first six minutes of the half, the two teams traded one-point leads, apart from a 21-second interval during which Amherst held a two-point lead. Chris Galvin ’18 hit a 3-pointer with 13:50 to play, giving the men a 43-41 lead. Casey and Amherst’s Eric Conklin traded layups to bring the score to 45-43.

With 11:27 left, however, the Ephs started to pull away.

Scadlock kicked off the run with a reverse layup following a nice cut to the basket. A mixup in the Amherst defense on the next possession left Scadlock all alone at the top of the key, and he sank the open three, giving the men a seven-point lead, the largest held by either team at that point.

Scadlock was not done. He blocked Johnny McCarthy’s 3-point try and converted a tough second-chance bucket at the other end to make the score 52-43.

Not to be outdone, Aronowitz nailed a 3-pointer on the next

possession before Cole Teal ’18 sank a jumper from several feet behind the arc to invigorate the Williams fans. Two foul shots by Scadlock set the score at 60-43.

In five minutes, the Ephs had put up 15 unanswered points, nine of which came from Scadlock.

The men cooled off significantly after the run, but Amherst could not take advantage; the teams combined for four points over the next three minutes. Finally, Amherst made a layup to end its eight-minute scoring drought.

With 2:15 to play, Amherst began intentionally fouling to buy time, executing this strategy with remarkable success. Amherst guard Reid Berman sank consecutive threes, and a Dawson layup brought the deficit to just seven. However, tri-captain Mike Greenman ’17 converted six free throws in the late minutes to bring the lead back to double digits. Two Amherst threes in the final 30 seconds cut the final deficit to just seven, but the men left the court with the 76-69 victory.

App was thrilled with Saturday’s result. “The guys played with tremendous confidence and effort for the entire 40 minutes,” he said. “For the first time this year, we didn’t let the pressure hurt us but instead embraced it. Our crowd was unbelievable, the game was high level and the team performed. I couldn’t be more proud.”

On the game, Amherst shot 36.9 percent for the field and

39.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Ephs finished with a 47.2 percent mark from the field and 36 percent from deep.

Aronowitz led all scorers with 22 points, moving to 19th alltime in program history. His eight rebounds also tied for the game high. Scadlock, the engine of the Ephs’ game-breaking run, finished with 16 points.

McCarthy led Amherst in points with 15, and Dawson, the NESCAC’s second-leading scorer, had 14.

The men lost four of their first five games in conference play, but they have won six of their last eight, starting with a Jan. 22 win over No. 10 Middlebury.

“We've been playing with high confidence and focus since the Middlebury game,” Aronowitz said. “If we stick to what has been working – playing freely and with confidence – we can beat anyone.”

Saturday’s win was the men’s first NESCAC tournament victory over Amherst since 2007. Amherst defeated Williams in the 2013 and 2014 NESCAC finals and had won the past five meetings. The Ephs now lead 120-101 in the all-time series.

In the semifinals, the men will face top seed Tufts, who defeated Hamilton handily in the quarterfinals. The No. 13 Jumbos beat the Ephs by 25 points in the final weekend of the regular season.

The rematch will take place at 2 p.m. next Saturday in Medford, Mass., with the tournament final the following day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Tri-captain Mike Greenman ’17 made six of his seven free throw attempts in the final two minutes of the men’s 76-69 win over Amherst.

By CAITLIN UBL TEAM CORRESPONDENT In a close meet that came down to the final event, women’s track and field placed second at the Div. III New England Championship on Friday and Saturday.

From the start of the field events to the last lap of the 4x800 meter relay, the women, showing their speed, strength and heart, battled with No. 1 MIT for the team title. MIT scored 149 points to win, the women scored 140 to earn second and Bates, Middlebury and Tufts each scored 62 in a threeway tie for third.

On Friday, two Ephs competed in the pentathlon. Caitlin Ubl ’19 had a personal best in high jump, leaping 1.49 meters. She placed 11th with 2761 points.

Summer-Solstice Thomas ’20 continued her successful indoor season and jumped to a personal best of 1.70 meters in high jump en route to a third-place finish. In her second pentathlon ever, she ran a gutsy 800 meter to end the day, earning a personal best of 2:28.06 and 3203 total points.

The next day, Chloe Rogers ’17 and co-captain Candice Dyce ’17 each jumped 5.54 meters to tie for second in the long jump. The duo went on to place first and third in the triple jump with personal bests. Dyce jumped 12.07 meters and Rogers jumped 12.05 meters, each surpassing the 12-meter barrier for the first time. Emma Egan ’20 and Helene Hall ’18 both cleared 1.70 meters and tied for first in the high jump.

After a third-place finish in the pentathlon, Thomas jumped 1.61 meters for fifth place in the same event.

In the throwing circle, Alejandra Moran ’17 threw the weight 14.51 meters for eighth place.

Katie Loftus ’19 capped off the impressive field event performances with a personal best in the pole vault. She cleared 3.40 meters to finish eighth.

The distance medley relay was the first running event of the day, and the team of Stella Worters ’18, Anna Fitch ’19, Katie Spence ’18 and Maggie Peard ’17 started the women off strong with a third-place finish in a time of 12:25.26. Worters also ran the 1000 meter in a fast and strategic race and crossed the line in 3:06.69 to place eighth.

Co-captain Laney Teaford ’17 held off a kicking MIT runner with her ferocious finish, running 2:57.16 for first place.

The sprinting events began with the 60 meter dash. Kennedy Green ’19 ran a personal best of 7.86 seconds for third place, breaking the school re-

cord by .08 seconds. Megan Powell ’20 continued the Eph sprinting success. In the 400 meter, Powell ran a personal best of 57.98 seconds for second and continued on to finish sixth in the 200 meter in 26.16 seconds.

Anna Harleen ’18 also scored in two individual events; she ran 5:04.50 for third place in the mile and came back to place fourth in a fast 3000 meter, finishing in 10:13.32.

In the 5000 meter, a trio of Ephs worked together to score a combined 18 points. Emma Zehner ’17 ran 17:47.66 for second place and helped push Emma Herrmann ’20 to a personal best time of 17:52.26.

Herrmann pulled away from a surging competitor in the final lap of the 25-lap race with a blistering kick to finish third.

Victoria Kingham ’18 ran a gritty race and finished fifth with a time of 17:58.23.

The Ephs lined the final turn of the track to cheer on their teammates in the final two events of the day: the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays.

All the competing athletes had already run at least one event earlier in the meet and showed their strength by turning in stellar performances to end the day. Co-captain Alzya Ngbokoli ’17, Sierra Loomis ’20, Powell and Denver Williams ’19 finished second in the 4x400 meter relay with a combined time of 4:00.45.

Peard, Anna Passannante ’20, Spence and Teaford ran a time of 9:40.35 in the 4x800 relay to claim sixth.

Although the women came up just short of the win, they competed with tenacity, putting constant pressure on MIT. “The team competed with tremendous effort from event one to event 21 this weekend,” Head Coach Nate Hoey said. “We supported each other and showed resilience in the face of adversity and fought to the very end.

We are looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

“I have honestly never been so proud to be a member of this team,” Dyce said. “The team has impressive depth with loads of talent and potential in each event and class year. The amazing team culture and work ethic allowed us to battle with MIT. I know we will use this momentum to pick up some final qualifying times and marks for NCAAs.” This weekend, some of the women will travel to Roxbury Community College in Boston, Mass. to compete at All New Englands, while others will race at Boston University.