May 2, 2018: Wall on Paresky lawn protests Israel, U.S. borders
Wall on Paresky lawn protests Israel, U.S. borders
By SAMUEL WOLF NEWS EDITOR
On Tuesday, April 24, the Coalition for Immigrant Advancement (CISA), the International Club (IC), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Vista collaborated to put up a wall on Paresky lawn. The wall, which contained images of Palestinian and Latinx struggle, was designed to invoke both Israelibuilt walls and the walled areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Yesterday, it was formally taken down to celebrate the demolition of barriers.
The groups also released a joint statement through an allcampus email that detailed the intended purpose of the structure. “By putting up a mock wall on the center of campus, interrupting the space between Paresky and Sawyer, we hope to force our fellow students to refect on the impact of walls like these – and all militarized borders – on the daily existence of millions of people,” they wrote.
The statement also explicitly linked the Israeli and U.S. walls. “As students committed to justice, we know that Israel’s apartheid wall and Trump’s border wall in the United States are two sides of the same coin of white supremacy and settler colonial violence,” the statement said.
The wall’s Palestine-inspired murals contained writings such as “Gaza will be free,” “visit Palestine” and “Israel is an apartheid state.” One mural, titled “Theft of Land,” depicted the diminishing of Palestinian land in the Middle East alongside the destruction of Native American land in the United States. Several murals also protested American border fencing with statements like “demilitarize the border” and a statement calling for the United States to reduce deportation, detention and incarcera-
tion. Certain murals directly linked the Palestinian and Latinx struggles. One read, “From Chiapas [a southern Mexican state] to Palestine, resistir es existir [to resist is to exist].” Another depicted a Palestinian woman and a Mexican man, with a caption below them reading, “We didn’t cross the border/ The border crossed us.”
Amina Awad ’18, co-chair of Minority Coalition (MinCo) and head of SJP, explained the message behind the wall and her connection to the issue. “The wall is a testimony to indigenous resistance and solidarity across multiple borders,” she said. “This wall serves to both physically and metaphorically represent and start a discussion on the ways in which students on campus are afected by the violence of bor-
ders. The driving force behind constructing the wall for me was the violence enacted upon my family with the formation of borders, from my Palestinian grandfather not being able to return to Jerusalem – the city of his birth – after being forcefully displaced along with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians by the inception of the Israeli state 70 years ago, to my father not being able to enter the U.S. to attend my graduation because of U.S. immigration politics.”
Many of the wall’s creators emphasized the importance of the relationship between Mexico and Palestine as displayed on the wall. “One of the main reasons I wanted to be part of this project was because I believe it is necessary to have these conversations about the interna-
Subway on Spring Street closes
By REBECCA TAUBER NEWS EDITOR
This Sunday saw the final day of Subway on Spring Street. The shop, which opened in 2009, rejoined Spring Street two years after a prior location burned down in 2007. Owner Brigesh Patel previously owned a Subway restaurant in North Adams and an additional two in Williamstown, but he sold
the other Williamstown locations last year and the North Adams location last week.
Patel claimed that he closed the Spring Street location for both familial and economic reasons. “When we first opened, we used to stay open until 11 [p.m.] because there were so many students,” he said. “I remember the first few years, we actually had to push people out at 11. Right now,
we would be lucky if we had people until 9.”
In addition to competition with other businesses on Spring Street, Patel believes that recent changes to the College’s meal plan also played a prominent role in lowering his business’ success with College students. This past fall, the College made three changes in meal
SUBWAY, PAGE 5
GARFIELD HOUSE WAS BROUGHT OFFLINE IN THIS YEAR'S HOUSING LOTTERY, WHICH WAS DELAYED UNTIL SATURDAY. THE COLLEGE PLANS TO HAVE A DIFFERENT DORM OFFLINE EACH YEAR DURING RENOVATIONS, TURNING MANY FLEX ROOMS INTO DOUBLES.
tional solidarity between Mexico and Palestine,” Vista member Katrina Martinez ’18 said. SJP member Hattie Schapiro ’18.5 emphasized the importance of “[reminding] our fellow students that both the U.S.-Mexico border wall and the Israeli apartheid wall have wrought unimaginable violence on people, primarily people of color and indigenous people.”
Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí ’20, a member of Vista and CISA, warned against seeing the wall as collapsing the two struggles into one. “The wall does not seek to confate the struggles of the Palestinian people and Latin American migrants moving through the border,” he said. “If that was our intention, we would have crammed both visual conversations on one side of the wall. But
we did not. We used the two different sides of one wall to make it clear that injustice, prejudice and abuse of power [are] both present in the borderlands of the United States and of Israel.”
Accompanying the construction of the physical wall was an event on April 25 in Hopkins 002 followed by a candlelit vigil beside the wall. Entitled “Transnational Solidarity: From Mexico to Palestine,” the event featured two speakers, Gazan activist Rawan Yaghi and Professor of Comparative Literature Amal Eqeiq, and was well-attended by students and faculty. “As we begin our conversation about settler colonialism and construction of borders, I think it’s really important to remind ourselves that we are right now in a settler colonial state, that we are standing on
Mahican land that was stolen,” Awad said at the commencement of the talk. Awad then introduced Yaghi, who currently lives in Gaza and spoke through Skype. “Gaza is surrounded by borders, whether material borders or imaginary borders,” Yaghi began. “Borders in Palestine hold many purposes. The most obvious one is controlling peoples’ movements, which has clear practical and psychological efects… It creates a psychology of people who cannot say when they can leave a place and when they can enter a place. Every moment in their lives is controlled by another entity.” Yaghi highlighted what she viewed as the two main efects of building a wall around Gaza. The frst, she said, was dehumanization. She claimed that, when Israelis no longer come into regular contact with Palestinians, it becomes easier to view Palestinian people as non-human, making it “easier to create false narratives and to create fear among populations.” The second rationale that she saw was economic. “Gaza has become a confned market, or a captive market, for Israel’s goods,” she said. “They feed their goods into this place and make sure that their goods are being consumed. This creates a stable economy for them.” Yaghi also drew attention to the difculty that Gazan people face in crossing these borders. “[Gazans] can’t leave the country without Israeli permission, which will not be granted to them,” she said. “Even those who want to get medical treatment have tremendous difculty fnding their treatment in Gaza… Sometimes they don’t get that approval unless they’re blackmailed or asked to cooperate.” Yaghi then called attention to the protests currently taking place across Palestine.
By TARAN DUGAL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Earlier this month, College Council (CC) passed a bylaw change that stipulates the addition of two new positions on its Appointments Committee, which reviews self-nominations from students for appointment onto a number of student-faculty committees. As a result of the new bylaw, the Minority Coalition (MinCo) Steering Board will be responsible for appointing two representatives from its own board to the Committee.
According to CC’s Vice President for Commitment and Diversity Tania Calle ’20, the bylaw change came as a result of a “general sentiment on the part of students of color that there was not enough diversity represented on student-faculty committees.” Calle explained that the bylaw was also enacted in order to try to resolve the disconnect between students of color and representation on student-faculty committees. “In the past, it was brought up to us that several students of color who applied for positions on certain student-faculty committees felt like they wouldn’t have a place on the committees they wanted to most be a part of,” she said.
According to Calle, the proposed change to the bylaw itself became a relatively contentious topic among members of CC, who ultimately agreed to pass it after some debate. One concern raised among CC members was that other organizations, such as the Committee on Diversity and Community,
could be responsible for enacting such a change. This notion was eventually disregarded, however, and CC and MinCo representatives worked together to draft and pass a bylaw that members of both groups found satisfactory. The bylaw stipulates that any two representatives from the MinCo Steering Board, not just the co-chairs, are eligible to join the Appointments Committee. Members of both CC and MinCo will meet this weekend to decide which MinCo Steering Board members will ultimately be placed on the Committee.
Calle emphasized that students should capitalize on the work done by CC and MinCo to address the issue of representation. “I definitely want to encourage students of color to apply not only to student-faculty committees, but others as well, because it’s extremely important to ensure that the voices of minority students on campus are equally represented,” she said. “When you only have a select amount of students of color applying to these committees, it makes it exponentially harder to try and guarantee anything close to proportional representation.” Calle drew parallels between the new bylaw and other issues of representation on campus. “There are a lot of movements on campus right now that are relevant to other issues that are extremely similar,” she said. “Take the movement for the creation of an Asian American Studies program, for example. That’s a movement that a lot of students are very passionate about and have a lot of support for. SEE WALL, PAGE 4
I think that having a stake in these various movements of representation on campus is super important and that all students, especially students of color, should try and be more active with regard to these campaigns.”
SOPHIA SHIN/PHOTO EDITOR
CISA, IC, SJP and Vista created the wall to protest borders erected by the U.S. and Israel. Murals emphasized solidarity between Mexicans and Palestinians.
KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR
Editor-in-Chief Rachel Scharf
Managing Editors Reed Jenkins and Tesnim Zekeria
Communications Director Taran Dugal
Executive Editors Shaheen Currimjee, Nicholas Goldrosen, Brooke Horowitch, Danny Jin, William Newton, Jane Petersen, RB Smith and Li Yu
News Editors Rebecca Tauber and Samuel Wolf
Opinions Editor Haeon Yoon
Features Editors Lydia Duan and Jeongyoon Han
Arts Editors Faris Gulamali and Kaira Mediratta
Sports Editors Cassie Deshong and Charles Xu
Photo Editors Katie Brule and Sophia Shin
Business Manager Isabella Wang
Financial Manager Teo Pollini
Financial Analyst Mark Sisco-Tolomeo
Head of Advertising Esther Baek
Subscriptions Manager Chris Fleischer
Word on Te Quad
If you could name a cryptocurrency, what would you call it?
By KATIE BRULE AND SOPHIA SHIN PHOTO EDITORS
COLE O'FLAHERTY ’ 21 Trent-coin by Ella.
MICHAEL GORDON ’ 20 Gagabucks.
Gil.
Te 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 College community. The Opinions section is designed to reflect the varied views and ideas of the College 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 hy3@williams. edu by Sunday at 5 p.m. for inclusion in the next Wednesday issue. Op-eds range in length from 650-800 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.
Will it be dingles in Dodd or treks to and from Tyler Annex?
Let's
What an ending.
ON THE RECORD
“The wall itself is a manifestation of the discomfort students experiencebecauseofthe reality of border violence in México and Palestine, whether through direct experiences or indirect attacks on their identities.” "Saul," on the mock wall, page 4.
“For anyone interested in joining a club that is deeply concerned with making Williams a healthier place, you shouldstopby.Ourdoor isalwaysopen.”
Johanna Wassermann ’18 on Peer Health, page 5.
“Birding is something thatmaybeonestudenta year is really into, but I’ve noticed in the last couple
of years an increase in student interest, and I fnd that encouraging.”
Hopkins Forest Manager Drew Jones on birdwatching, page 7.
“If this solid effort is just the start for Studio Ponoc, then Studio Ghibli just might see its offshoot turn into a serious competitor.”
Cecelia Messbauer ’21 in her review of Studio Ponoc's Mary and the Witch’s Flower page 9.
“The marathon is such a tough beast; it knocks you down and breaks you over and over again until you ask yourself why you even bother fghting.”
Rachel Asher Hyland ’09 on placing fourth in the 2018 Boston Marathon, page 11.
WILLIAMS WEEK Every week is Williams week, but this time there's free food and activities.
be honest: Subway was the only thing that reminded you of civilization here in Williamstown.
JESSICA CHEN ’ 18.5
HOUSING LOTTERY
College contributes $400,000 to build new police station
By BROOKE HOROWITCH EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Earlier this month, the College gave $400,000 to the town of Williamstown to assist with the construction of a new police station in the former Turner House on Simonds Road. The new facility will be more secure and efcient than the current station, which is located in the Town Hall building on North Street.
If the building plans are approved at an upcoming town meeting, the station should be completed by next summer.
According to Town Manager Jason Hoch ’95, the project is expected to cost $5 million in total. The College’s contribution will cover any unforeseen expenses and ensure that the station will be maintained for many years to come.
“Currently, the plan uses the donation as a contingency should it be needed during construction, and, if not, it can be used as a fund for future maintenance of the new building,” Police Chief Kyle Johnson said. “The donation provides options and breathing room for the project and is very appreciated.”
Hoch also appreciated the donation. “It reduces the burden of debt to the community,” he said. Such a donation is not unprecedented. “The College works closely with the local community on all kinds of projects and issues,” Assistant to the President for Community and Government Afairs Jim Kolesar ’72 said. The College previously gave $5 million toward the construction of Mount Greylock Regional High School and assists with other capital eforts. “The health of community is closely tied in with the health of the College,” Kolesar said. “College-related people have higher expectations for local institutions than others.”
The new police station will allow ofcers to more efectively
serve the local community. The current facility, which was once the College’s Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, cannot efectively accommodate both police and Town Hall business. “The current station is horribly outdated,” Hoch said. “It does not meet modern safety standards.” As a result, town administrators and police officers have talked about building a new station for many years.
“The discussion gained momentum in the last five years through the urging of the Williamstown Police Association,” Johnson said. Architects from Caolo and Bienek Associates designed the blueprints for the new station. The project will preserve the Turner House and add a small extension. “It is not a wildly complex project,” Hoch explained.
Nevertheless, the impact of the new station will be notable. “It will serve the needs of the department as well as the public in a more efcient and safe manner,” Johnson said. He mentioned that the new station will have separate areas for those in custody. “Currently, prisoners enter, exit and are processed in areas shared with the public, with the exception of the
Students construct, demolish wall in protest
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“It’s a peaceful protest for people to say that they have not forgotten their right of return, and that their causes will not be turned into one where all they are looking for is two more hours of electricity or more aid,” she said. “It was also to highlight that we are sick of borders and that people are tired of having their lives on hold, which is what living in Gaza feels like sometimes.”
Eqeiq then spoke to the audience on the intersections between Mexican and Palestinian struggles. “Palestine is used to having support from Latin America,” she said, citing a history of connectedness between Palestine and the Latinx community.
Such support became visible after Israel’s West Bank barrier was built in the early 2000s. Prominent Latinx activists painted murals on this wall that linked Palestinian struggles with their own. These murals were a strong infuence on students’ creation of the mock wall at the College. For example, artist Gustavo Chávez Pavón painted two identical murals, one in Mexico and one in Palestine, with a Palestinian woman looking outward and the words “to exist is to resist” written below her. The Palestinian mural has since been painted over, but the Mexican one remains.
Eqeiq emphasized the importance of such artwork for the Palestinian community. “When you see the mural every day, you start to embody it.” Yet she warned of the limitations of activism through art. “In some ways, art on murals is a great thing, but there’s also something about not romanticizing part of the wall… Murals disappear. Walls don’t, yet,” she said.
Eqeiq also described other forms of Palestian and Mexican intersectional activism through artwork. Khaled Jarrar, a Palestinian artist, took a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and had it forged into a ladder. Another artist, Raeda Saadeh, took pictures of Palestinian students going to school with ladders strapped onto their backs.
Some students have reacted critically to the presentation and
to the mock wall protest. One student at the presentation asked what the alternative to a border wall was, given that the wall has helped reduce bombings and other attacks in Israel. “By building the wall, if anything, Israel prevented dialogue,” Eqeiq responded. “If you want to look at numbers and statistics, you can look at the number of Palestinians who have been killed.”
Another student, Solly Kasab ’21, decided to write a statement taking issue with the anti-Israel aspect of the demonstration. Describing his rationale for writing the petition, he said, “I could not believe that they would put up such a onesided and practically hateful demonstration. As to the undocumented immigrants, I completely support that cause. But to label Israel an apartheid state? That is an attack on me and Jews at large.” Kasab also saw a link between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. “Anti-Zionism is a myth, a fabrication,” he said. “Why would you not want the Jews to have a national homeland, especially after the tragedy of the Holocaust? Should they wander forever in the Diaspora, being shunted from place to place as country after country rejects them?”
Another SJP member, Lili Bierer ’19, expressed similar sentiments. “Confating antiZionism with anti-Semitism, or smearing our wall project as antiSemitism, is a horrifying disservice to the very real experiences of anti-Semitism my ancestors faced,” she said.
The construction of the mock wall has also expedited the creation of a group called Students for Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue (SIPD). “We had been planning to start the groups for several weeks,” Hannah Goldstein ’20, one of SIPD's founding members, said. “We were planning on launching the group in Fall 2018 but realized many members in the community were looking for a place to learn more about the confict and talk about their perspectives right now.”
“I am proud of the ways in which the wall has encouraged our community to reflect on the brutality of these borders.” "Sally"
Some Jewish students, however, stand in solidarity with the demonstration. Eliza Klein ’19, a member of SJP, sees her Jewishness and her pro-Palestinian activism as interlinked. “My Jewish values compel me to stand against injustice wherever I see it, from the U.S. to Israel/Palestine and beyond,” she said. “As a Jew, I stand frmly against all Zionist violence committed in my name… My Jewish friends and I were part of this mock wall project not in spite of our Jewishness, but because of it. We believe that occupation and apartheid are not Jewish values. Liberation and solidarity are."
Goldstein characterized the group as non-ideological and focused on fostering dialogue. “SIPD is neither Zionist nor anti-Zionist, neither Anti-Palestine nor AntiIsrael,” she said. “Instead, our goal is to foster a welcoming community space where diferent opinions can be shared. We realize there are many nuances to the confict/occupation and that it is impossible to have a conversation without bias. With that in mind, our goal is to be as open and understanding as possible about biases and how they impact understanding, bringing in as much perspective and empathy as possible.”
So far, the group has held one meeting and has put up a poster in Baxter. It reads “Pro-Israel. Pro-Palestine. Pro-Peace. Let’s foster dialogue” and is displayed next to a SJP banner expressing solidarity with Gaza. Goldstein emphasized that the intent of this display and the group as a whole is not to protest any other student group. “The reason we are creating this space is not to
workagainstotherorganizations on campus, but rather to give open opportunities to engage in further dialogue welcoming all communitymembers,”shesaid.
Overall, many of the students who constructed the wall are satisfiedwiththeresponsethat it received. “The wall has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, particularly from dining hall employees and faculty members,” said "Sally," a pseudonym for a studentgranted anonymity “I am proud of the ways in which the wall has encouraged our com-munity to reflect on the brutality of these borders.”
"Saul," another student granted anonymity, saw the unease that students felt at the sight of the mock wall as potentially productive. “In light of the discomfort some students havefelt over the wall, it is important to realize why the project came to exist,” he said. “The wall itself is a manifestation of the discomfort students experience because of the reality of border violence in México and Palestine, whether through direct experiences or indirect attacks ontheiridentities.”
In recent days, several proPalestinian banners and infographics on campus have been defaced. “I came to Paresky this past Saturday in the morning to findtheGazabannerhanging from only one end,” Vista memberJovanaCalvillo’18said.“SJP hungtheGazabannerinsolidarity with non-violent Palestinian protesters who continue to be shot by Israeli forces. 50 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since [March 30]. Five of those killed were children, and two were journalists. This act is an attack at Williams on my people, those oppressed by borders.” Several infographics on Pales-tine were also torn down from Paresky auditoriumonApril25. The mock wall was formally torn down at 12 p.m. yesterday while Latinoamerican and Arab songs of protest and celebration played in the background. The destruction of the wall was in-tended to symbolize the elimina-tion of walls everywhere, wheth-er on the U.S.-Mexico border or GazaandtheWestBank.
to aid in its building and maintenance.
holding cells in the basement that are also accessed via the public entry,” he said. “While we take steps to prevent it, it is not uncommon to have a prisoner cross paths with a victim, witness or any member of the public needing to address any type of business in the police station with this layout. The new station will have a sallyport with a private, secure entry, booking, holding and exit area for prisoners away from the public and public areas of the station.” Additionally, it will have more work space for ofcers and locker rooms where they will be able to change clothes and shower. The College’s gift will help this improved station become a reality. “It was a phenomenal piece to get the project over its last funding hurdle,” Hoch said.
Monday 4-23-18
11:29 a.m. Williams Hall: An ofcer was dispatched for damages resulting from an unregistered party. The plastic cover to the wall thermostat was missing. The light cover near the sink was smashed. One of the emergency lights in the bathroom was broken, and another section was missing.
11:39 a.m. Williams Hall: The Safety and Environmental Compliance Ofce informed Campus Safety and Security (CSS) of paraphernalia found in the D entry. Ofcers responded to a report of a covered smoke detector and collected photo documentation and evidence. The students received a $250 fne for indoor smoking and a $500 fne for tampering with fre safety equipment.
Tuesday 4-24-18
6:00-8:00 p.m. Gladden, Carter, Fitch, Dodd, Garfeld and Morgan: Ofcers discovered marijuana and smoking materials during spring fre drills. They took photos and collected evidence; they referred violators to the Dean’s Ofce.
8:09 p.m. Susan Hopkins: An ofcer discovered six juvenile chickens inside an aquarium during spring fre drills. The aquarium had a clamp light with an aluminum refector on it, which was plugged into a power strip. Photos were taken. The Safety and Environmental Compliance manager confscated the chicks and aquarium.
8:11 p.m. Garfeld House: An ofcer discovered a smoke detector covered with a plastic shopping bag and coat hanger during spring fre drills. Ofcers took photos and issued a $250 to $500 fne for tampering with fre safety equipment.
Thursday 4-26-18
8:01 p.m. Southworth Apartments: WPD called CSS to request that an ofcer respond to a report of an unwanted guest.
Friday 4-27-18
4:48 p.m. Agway Gate: A grounds foreman reported a vehicle parked on the grass. Five cars were found parked partially on the grass. A couple of students
6:16
They disposed of the alcohol and broke up the party. They referred violators to the Dean’s Office.
Saturday 4-28-18
5:38 p.m. Bronfman Science Center: Ofcers responded to a report of water pouring through the
1:01 p.m. Jerome Drive: Williamstown Police Department (WPD) contacted CSS about a dog complaint. A Williamstown resident had contacted WPD about two dogs running loose on a College-owned property.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS.
The police station will move to the former Turner House, which is located on Simonds Road. The College will contribute $400,000
By RB SMITH EXECUTIVE EDITOR
I had the pleasure of getting to know Andrew Bloniarz '18 last year when he was one of my Junior Advisors (JAs) in Dennett 4. We sat down to talk about everything from running and Russian to the rigors of student life and his dreams for the future.
How do you like working at Goodrich?
It’s probably one of the best parts, if not the best part, of my time at Williams. I’ve been able to work with a bunch of diferent people whom I don’t overlap with socially and in a lot of other ways. Especially managing this year, I’ve learned a lot about responsibility, delegation and time management – it’s been a big learning process – one that I’m super thankful for. But I don’t drink cofee! That’s the big scam [laughs]. I’m in it for the bagels. I am a bagel boy.
You went to Russia, right? Tell me about Russia.
I did go to Russia! That’s part of my crusade to make the most of my time at Williams and have them pay for as much as possible. This was my third spring break trip paid for by the school. Sophomore year, I went to Baja California in Mexico for two weeks for a research feld trip, and my junior year, [I traveled to the] Outer Banks for Geosciences research. In North Carolina, I got to live in a house with my professor and 10 other students, and we had a great time. And then I went to Russia, thanks to a grant that the Russian department applied for! We had fve days in Moscow and fve days in St. Petersburg. It was really awesome to fnally be surrounded by the language that I’ve been studying for so many years now. That was really, really fun.
Tell me how you came to double major in Russian and Geosciences.
Both are great majors. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I started at Williams … Then,
One in Two Tousand
sophomore year, I started taking Russian because I needed Div. 1s. I heard great things about the department, and I really liked learning a language in high school, and I was like, “I’ll try a new one now.” So I tried it, and then I fell in love. I started taking Geosciences because I loved being outside for lab, and I loved the professors, and they all have really great dogs. So it was just a great group of people to be with, and then by the end of my sophomore year, I was like, “Alright, you know what, I’ll just declare this as a major.”
You were a JA as well. How was that?
That was great! I loved it. I mean – what a funny question. I knew you were going to ask about this [laughs]. I want to be careful with how I talk about it because I had such a great time, but I recognize that I have certain identities such that the system is made for me in a lot of ways, and I don’t want to discredit the difculties that a lot of people legitimately had as JAs or as freshmen in the system. But on the whole, I think it’s a really wonderful thing – it’s one of the biggest things that sets us apart from other similar institutions, and I care about it a lot. Of course, it was really hard at certain times, but also so fulflling and really, really wonderful to get to know 20 freshmen so intimately like that. It really meant a lot to me.
So you’re going to be leaving soon – what do you feel like your time here has impressed upon you?
It’s interesting – I think the stress defnitely piles up over the years here. I think about when I was a freshman, and I was super enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky, trying everything, doing everything. I joined a bunch of clubs, I was running all year, I was working at Goodrich and leading a WOOLF [Williams Outdoor Orientation for First-Years] group. All of these things were happening in my freshman and sophomore years, and then as the semesters passed by, it got harder and harder to do those things. Now,
ANDREW'S HOMETOWN WANTAGH, N.Y.
ANDREW'S RESIDENCE POKER FLATS
I’m just doing Goodrich and schoolwork and trying to be a human being and hang out with my friends, and that is so hard… I cannot wait to not be in a stressful environment like this one. But I feel like this place has given me a much deeper appreciation for people – I’ve met so many wonderful people here, and I’ve come to have a deep belief in people, if that doesn’t sound too cheesy. People are really great. And there are some bad people too, but I think the good really outweighs the bad.
Okay, so I feel like you’re known as a very friendly person. Is that something you think about?
I think I’m just really loud, but thanks for characterizing it as friendly. But I don’t know - I feel like this is going to reveal my deep insecurities, but I don’t want people to think I’m networking [laughs]. I worry about that a lot, like, “Do these people think I’m just trying to be friends with them to get ahead?” Because that’s never on my mind – I don’t know, I think a lot of it
defnitely ft some of them, and we are not without fault – but yeah, I forget. And especially only having done cross country in my junior and senior years and then having it end pretty unceremoniously – I didn’t have a fantastic last race or anything like that, and I didn’t make it very long in the season because I’m not particularly fast – it just sort of ended… I never really had a moment of closure, like, “Okay, my nine-year career of running for a competitive team is ofcially done, let’s think about it.” It was just like, “Whoop, on to the next thing.”
You were team captain, though, right?
all, but generally, there is a lot of homophobic sentiment in the people there, so is that really what I want to do to myself for nine months after graduating?
SOPHIA SHIN/PHOTO EDITOR
BIGGEST SECRET DOESN'T DRINK COFFEE
was just trying to make this place more comfortable for me. By being so friendly and feeling like I recognized people and I knew them and they knew me, I really sunk deeper and deeper in the community here and the space here in a way that made me feel more comfortable. So I think it was purely a self-preservation comfort thing, and it worked out really well because, you know, I want to feel a certain way and be treated a certain way by people, and the best way to make that happen is to treat other people well - it sounds kind of biblical [laughs]. But if I can treat other people well, and then other people treat me well, that’s an A-plus in my book.
So you run cross country as well.
Yeah, I run cross country –sometimes I forget that I was an athlete at Williams. When people think of athletes or sports teams, I don’t think they tend to think of cross country, just because whatever stereotypes are associated with athletes, I don’t think we ft a lot of them – we
I was! Yeah, believe it or not, those goofballs voted for me. It was a good time, but it was really hard – being a captain was really, really hard. I learned a lot about my working style – my friend has this expression that I’m going to botch right now, but it’s like “peeves and needs” – knowing what you need from other people and what irks you about working with other people. I learned a lot about that through being a captain.
So what’s next for you?
For the summer, I’m going to be working in and living above a soup kitchen in Boston called Haley House, which I’m souper excited about [laughs]. But yeah, I’m really excited about this summer opportunity, but I’m also thinking more critically about it. Haley House is a pretty big organization that does a lot of diferent things –it has some subsidized housing that it manages, it has urban agriculture plots, it has a transitional employment program for formerly incarcerated people in a cafe that they own – so I’m really excited to dive in and learn about all the diferent elements of such a dynamic non-proft organization. After that, who knows? … I’m still waiting to hear back about a Fulbright –maybe by the time this is published I’ll know. I sure hope so. I don’t know if I’m going to take it if I get it... Russia is cool and
It’d be really scary and challenging; I’d be teaching classes in English at a university, and they intentionally don’t put you in Moscow or St. Petersburg, so I would be in Siberia or the Far East or something, so defnitely less populated. They asked in my interview, “So how would you feel about being the only American there?” It’d be kind of scary. It’d be hard, but I would love to live abroad for a little while, use my Russian, learn about the Russian people outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg. And I want to communicate what it is to be an American that isn’t the image the media portrays. So I’m waiting to hear back about that… I think it’s really easy to get swept up in all the wonderful opportunities that are presented and feel like you should be doing something, whether or not you actually want to, so I feel like I need some time away from here to really learn about myself a little more – spend some time thinking and understanding what it is I really want to do.
So you’re the last senior One in Two Thousand – any words of wisdom for the rest of us?
It’s so hard, because everyone’s experience is so diferent, and mine’s only one of many. I certainly have regrets about how I went about my time here, both academically and personally, but I guess the biggest piece of advice I could give is really to just lean into relationships with other people. Be friendly, get to know everyone you can and you’re comfortable with, your professors especially … They’re such wonderful people and care about me so much. I encourage students, especially underclassmen, to develop some of those relationships with professors. Find the ones that fll you up academically – that’s a really weird way to phrase that – but really, the best part about Williams is the people. Really.
Astronomy department builds strong student community
By JOEY FOX CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The College prides itself on giving personal attention to every student through mostly small classes and approachable professors around every corner. This is perhaps nowhere more true than in the astronomy department, one of the College's smallest departments. Composed of two distinct majors, astronomy and astrophysics, the department graduates around three to six majors each year. Both majors require introductory physics and math courses, as well as a handful of lower- and higher-level astronomy courses. The astrophysics major difers from the astronomy major in that it requires more physics and math classes and is overall more pre-professional, with a graduate school track.
The astronomy and astrophysics faculty, however, want people to know that the department is not as intimidating as it may seem and that a student does not need to be an astronomy major or a physics whiz to get involved.
“You don’t have to want to be a professional astronomer or astrophysicist to take astronomy courses or major in astrophysics,” Chair and Professor of Astronomy Karen Kwitter said.
“We’ve had alums who have gone on to law school, medical school [and] business school.”
Johnny Inoue ’20, an astrophysics major, agreed. “Astrophysics is daunting, and there’s going to be a lot you don’t understand,” he said. “But if it’s what you want to do, if you think it’s cool, you can do it. There are resources to help you and professors there to cheer you on.” Despite difculties, Inoue has found the department to be a welcoming place where he can succeed.
Though the astronomy department here may be small, other institutions do not even ofer such a program.
“Williams is one of the only colleges that ofers an astronomy major for undergraduates,” Brendan Rosseau ’19, a double major in astronomy and economics, said. “Usually, to get that kind of specifcity, you need to get it as a graduate degree.”
For Rosseau, who knew he wanted to pursue astronomy as a high school senior, the existence of the major was a motivating factor in his decision to attend the College. “That really appealed to me – that a school that’s this good [with] small class sizes ofers specifcally astronomy,” he said. That said, the department is hardly monolithic, and its students and faculty have widely
varying interests under the umbrella of astronomy and astrophysics. Kwitter’s feld of study is in nebulae, or “gas clouds that are emitted by stars near the ends of their lives,” she explained. She is teaching a course this semester on the interstellar medium and emission nebulae. Inoue wants to work for NASA to join the efort to send humans to Mars. Rosseau is interested in the privatization of space travel and hopes to work for a private spacefaring company such as SpaceX.
Despite these lofty dreams, Rosseau believes that the tightknit group of majors and faculty keeps him grounded. “There’s a great atmosphere,” he said. “It’s got a real team feel to it... You learn a lot about your fellow students and your teachers in a way that I haven’t experienced in other classes and departments.”
Inoue has had similar experiences with the department. “It’s a really close group. Like most things [at] Williams, it’s not cutthroat – there’s a GroupMe for the tutorial I’m in,” he said. “Everyone’s really friendly, and it gets to feel like more of a group of friends than just a class.” Indeed, it’s the collaborative community that keeps even the smallest of departments alive and well here at the College.
ANDREW BLONIARZ ’18
KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR On average, the department has the lowest number of declared majors, with approximately three to six.
Ephs fock to spring birdwatching event in Hopkins Forest
By RB SMITH EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Although the cold, wet weather may drive many away from outdoor activities in Hopkins Forest and the surrounding wilderness, a select few await the advent of spring with bated breath. Because while April might bring showers, it also brings a plethora of bird life. Countless species of birds stop over in Williamstown on their way north for the summer, and the small but active community of Berkshire birders is outside rain or shine, eager to catch a glimpse. I went out on a bird walk led by Hopkins Forest Manager Drew Jones to see what had birders all atwitter.
Luckily, when we went out early Saturday morning, the rain had briefy abated. We were each given hefty binoculars and began to roam around the periphery of the Rosenburg Center, peering into the surrounding underbrush.
At first glance, nothing seemed particularly special. A robin hopped back and forth on the soggy grass, pecking for worms, and a handful of chickadees flitted around a feeding tray that Jones had spread some birdseed on. Jones’ commentary, however, made the experience amount to more than a simple walk in the woods.
Drawing on years of experience, Jones shared with the group interesting facts and remarks and was constantly on the lookout for new birds.
The din of morning birdsong that seemed to many of us a chaotic mass soon became an insightful indicator of a detailed list of the species in the area; every new call instigated a new hunt into
the brush to find the bird in question. As time passed, we began searching further afield and noticing rare and different birds that would have otherwise flown under our radar.
Jones’ bird walks and his excitement to share his years of birding knowledge with students are part of his broader goal to foster interest in the natural world and passion for its conservation.
“Part of my mission is to help students, and the public as well, with nature educa-
tion and promoting the forest,” he said. “It’s a nice way to get people out in the forest and interested in nature.” He also has fun at these events.
“I enjoy it myself, and I enjoy imparting what knowledge I can about nature to people,” he explained. The bird walks began as part of alumni weekend programming, but in the past couple of years, he has begun leading walks for students and community members.
In the future, he hopes to make the walks more fre-
Flag display involves attentive process
By SHAHEEN CURRIMJEE
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Why are the College’s fags sometimes at half-mast? Who is in charge of their stealthy raising and lowering? I sat down with Assistant Director for Custodial Services and Special Functions Dan Levering to talk about these stately questions regarding the fags on Paresky lawn, outside the Facilities Ofce, at Weston Field and on Cole Field.
The raising and lowering of these fags mark the College community’s commemoration of various important occasions, from personal celebrations to national times of mourning. Throughout the year, there are specifc dates, such as Sept. 11, on which the fags are stationed at half-mast. Levering also receives notifcations from several listserves, including American Flag Express and State House Events, which inform him about other reasons that require fags to be lowered. “Most of the time, these events are related to famous or important or political fgures,” he explained. Recently, the fag was lowered to pay respect to James Miceli, a former Massachusetts state representative, who passed away on April 21. Notifcations that pertain specifcally to Massachusetts are sent from Governor Charlie Baker’s ofce. For nationwide events — such as school shootings or the death of important fgures, such as Barbara Bush — the President of the United States needs to declare a
presidential proclamation in order for a fag to be lowered.
On campus, the College’s fags are also completely removed during severe weather or high winds. “The Paresky fags are expensive, being as big as they are… That’s an 18-foot fag,” Levering said. “So it looks nice up there, but when you pull it down, it’s huge.”
When Levering receives a notifcation to lower the College’s fags, he sends out the word to the custodial crew at Paresky who lower the fag on the lawn, the custodian for the Facilities Ofce for the fag outside of it and the ground’s crew that takes care of the fags across the road at Weston Field. The fags’ status is of interest to fag devotees in the Williamstown community as well, Levering said. “Quite a few folks who are patriotic … contact me about their concerns, or if [the fag] is getting too faded or if there’s a tear,” Levering said. “Many community members are on the listserv of when these fags need to be lowered, so if we’re a moment late, we’ll get an email along the lines of, ‘Hey, did you see the alert?’”
Sometimes, Levering receives spurts of notifications all at once. “This month, we heard about the death of a police officer, two service members and Barbara Bush, so the flag was up and down a lot,” he said. At other times, the fags are lowered for restoration. For example, because the Paresky fag lies in between the lines
of east and west and the “wind blows over the mountain right in between Sage Hall and Paresky,” Levering explained, the fag can be damaged. The fag material, therefore, needs to be durable, and the bigger the fag, the better it is built.
Flags on campus are replaced every year, and old fags are “folded according to protocol, and we have an employee take them to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in North Adams [to properly dispose of them].”
Levering recounted fond stories regarding the fags and the College community. A few years ago, a “father of an alum contacted [the College] about his daughter who was going to be married in the next month, and he was wondering if he could get an American fag to be fown over the campus, folded and presented to her as a wedding gift,” he recalled, smiling. Naturally, the College purchased a fag, few it over the campus for a day, lowered it and returned it to the father.
Flags are symbolic to campus life in other ways as well.
The College purchases fags from students’ home countries to fy on Commencement Day.
“This year, we are fying 60 fags,” Levering said.
If fag devotees or newly interested students want to learn why the fag is at half-mast, Levering has started sending in Daily Messages with more information on the occasion that has prompted Facilities to lower the College’s fags to halfstaf on a given day.
quent and better advertised, in addition to organizing some means of transportation to and from Hopkins Forest for interested students, all with the intention of increasing exposure and getting more students interested in the activity.
“Birding is something that maybe one student a year is really into,” Jones said. “But I’ve noticed in the last couple of years an increase in student interest, and I find that encouraging.”
One such student is Jonah Levy ’18. Levy got interested
in birding in the summer after his frst year at the College, when an online video about common birdsongs in Maine sparked in him the revelation that the fascinating world of birds had been sitting right under his nose.
“Something clicked, and I was like, ‘Holy cow, I have literally been hearing that all my life,’” Levy said. “I realized that there was this sort of untapped well of knowledge about the world around me that I had never paid attention to, and I wanted to interrogate
that and dig it up and fgure out what was going on.” Levy began birding both around his home in Maine and in Williamstown and has since become an avid practitioner. He particularly values the calming efect of focusing so intently on something other than schoolwork, as well as the spontaneity and excitement of a rare and unexpected sighting. He described one remarkable encounter at the top of a 20-foot pine tree of of Gale Road, where a tiny juvenile parula warbler alit on a branch right across from Levy to investigate him.
“I felt regarded – that he was recognizing me as another curious being,” Levy said. “And because he was a juvenile, and because they usually breed in remote forests up north, I might have been the frst human he’d ever seen in his young life. Either that, or he thought I was some strange fruit.” These extraordinary chance encounters, although certainly rare, are less unusual than some might think. On our brief two-hour walk, we had a number of awesome sightings, including the first red-breasted grosbeak of the migration season, here a week earlier than expected, a pair of male northern flickers fighting over a female with their gaudy yellow tail feathers and a rare breeding pair of wood ducks nestled in a shrub beside a pond. Many of us got a taste of what makes the activity so enthralling.
“It was a wonderful way to wake up and start the day,” Emily Elder ’20, a novice birder who attended the walk, said. “I would defnitely go again because I feel like I only scratched the surface of the bird world!”
Best Outdoor Study Spaces
With the belated and much-awaited arrival of spring, we at the Record couldn’t stand another minute being cooped up inside. After having spent half the year trudging to Sawyer in the snow, we scoped out the best outdoor spots on campus for studying and savoring the warmth.
Yes, the marble slabs provide excellent fodder for Falk memes, but they are also great for buckling down and barreling through a hundred pages of philosophy reading on a Sunday afternoon.
From the Eyes in front of WCMA to the artisanal chairs near the museum’s entrance, the space is sure to spark inspiration for your essays.
TUNNEL CITY
Are you a fend for cafeine or more of a tea connoisseur? Either way, the tables outside of Tunnel City are a perfect place to lounge around with your course packets open and the breeze on your face.
ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
Need a setting to do away with your problem set fretting? Head to Zilkha for certifably fresher O2, serotonin-inducing sunshine and greener pastures all around. Mother Earth approved.
Last Saturday, students participated in a bird walk event in Hopkins Forest where they learned about nature, forestry and birdwatching.
RB SMITH/EXECUTIVE EDITOR
KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR
Many factors impact when the five American flags on campus are displayed at half-mast.
MARBLE SLABS
WCMA
Sports Information presents Aaron Pinsky ’06 and Frank Deford Awards
By CHARLES XU SPORTS EDITOR
In Grifn Hall last Thursday, Sports Information handed out its ninth annual Aaron Pinsky ’06 Student Broadcasting Award and the 29th annual Frank Deford Award, recognizing six students for their dedication to covering the College’s sports teams. This year’s ceremony featured Ian O’Connor, a sports columnist for ESPN and the author of four books, including two New York Times bestsellers.
The Pinsky awardees were Angela Chan ’19, Tobi Popoola ’19 and John Toomey ’18. Three seniors won the Frank Deford Award: Adam Dulsky ’18, Jay Habib ’18 and David Vascones ’18.
Sports Information Director Dick Quinn opened the ceremony by explaining the origins of the two awards. The Pinsky Award commemorates the life of an exceptional commentator, student, JA [Junior Advisor] and French horn player who lost his life to brain cancer in 2010. Before Pinsky’s passing, Michael Needham ’04 and Zachary Ulman ’06 asked Sports Information to create an award in their friend’s name so that he could be memorialized in the Eph community. Quinn said of the award’s legacy, “Aaron has not been forgotten and will not be forgotten.”
With Pinsky’s parents Lincoln and Peggy and his sister Rachel, in attendance this year’s award recognized
Chan, Popoola and Toomey for their contributions.
Chan has captured and edited game footage for highlight videos and the Eph Spotlight video series. “Sports [Information] was my first job on campus; I've been a videographer since fall of my first year,” she said. “It means a lot to me to have my work recognized in the form of the Aaron Pinsky Award, especially given the award's history and commemoration of Aaron.”
Popoola, who has worked alongside Chan to produce highlight clips, expressed
similar sentiments. “I have learned so much from working in Sports Information since the fall of my freshman year and hope to use the experience attained in my career endeavors,” Popoola said. “Working with [Dick Quinn] and Angela has been amazing.”
Finally, Toomey received a plaque for commentating on football, men's and women's basketball, softball and baseball. He also wrote game stories for women’s tennis, a sport he had no prior experience in. “Covering sports has allowed me to really feel like a part of the Williams com-
munity, and to receive the Aaron Pinsky Award is a huge honor,” he said. Toomey will go on to intern at SportsNet New York after graduation.
After the Pinsky Awards, Quinn introduced the Deford Award, created in 1990 in the name of the celebrated sports writer and novelist. Dulsky, Habib and Vascones were recognized for their outstanding work as Sports Information assistants.
Dulsky covered both football and basketball. In his final two years in Sports Information, he coordinated the work schedule and shifts for
men’s and women’s basketball. “Frank Deford was the best sportswriter of all time, and to win this award associated with him is one of the highest honors I could have received,” Dulsky said.
Habib covered track and field, cross country and lacrosse in his four years as a Sports Information assistant and will continue to work in sports as an analytics associate for the New York Mets after graduation. Habib spoke of his relationship with Quinn and Associate Director of Sports Information Kris Dufour. “Quinn and Dufour are
such enthusiastic yet downto-earth bosses — they’d actually disapprove of me using the term ‘bosses’ to describe them — that they make the work easy,” Habib said. “We all share a real passion for sports, and I’m just glad I did a good enough job for them in my time here.”
Vascones came into Sports Information without any knowledge of inputting scores but has learned to navigate volleyball, ice hockey and baseball stats in his stint. “I'm especially honored to be recognized with the Frank Deford Award because, for me, it's a sign of hope that going out of my comfort zone to learn a new skill has been worthwhile and a lot of fun, too,” Vascones reflected.
Following the Sports Information Awards, O’Connor took the podium and recalled befriending — and competing against — Tim Layden ’78, whom he believes to be “the best sportswriter in America” and underrated by the public. Later on, O’Connor spoke of his journey from being a student at Marist to working for Deford at The National Sports Daily. After writing a feature on Harlem streetball legend Earl Manigault, O’Connor recalled that Deford called The New York Times to fnd out who the columnist was —the beginning of their professional relationship. “Whenever you join together two great American institutions like Frank Deford and Williams College, it’s a very special thing,” O’Connor concluded.
Men’s lacrosse advances to NESCAC semifnal afer splitting two games this week
By WILL GENTILELLO STAFF WRITER
No. 4 men’s lacrosse (9-7) advanced to its third NESCAC semifnal after beating No. 5 Connecticut College 10-4 on Saturday and losing to Middlebury 20-13 last Wednesday. The men hosted Connecticut College on Farley-Lamb Field. Goals were hard to come by in the first half, and the teams were tied at one at the end of the first quarter. The Ephs established a twogoal halftime lead, outscoring the visiting Camels 3-1 in the second quarter. Williams opened the scoring in the contest when John Hincks ’20 scored 90 seconds in off a feed from James McFarland ’18. Connecticut College tied the game at one when Jordan Foster scored an unassisted goal 42 seconds after the Hincks score. Williams gained a 2-1 lead when Hincks, assisted by Jared Strauss ’21, netted his second goal just 10 seconds into the second quarter with the Ephs a man up. The men extended their lead to 3-1 when Kevin Stump ’20 took a pass from
By CHARLES XU
Team: Men's tennis
Hometown: Wayne, Penn.
Residence: Fayerweather
Major: English and chemistry
Snack bar order: Chicken shawarma
Cory Lund ’21 and fired into the upper right corner.
With 11:19 left in the first half, Connecticut College's Jack Rutter registered an unassisted goal to narrow the Eph lead to 3-2. Stump scored his second goal of the contest at 8:38 when his shot towards the left post bounced off a Camel defender and rolled past goalie Hunter Rosenthall to put the Ephs back up by two.
In the first half, the Ephs outshot the Camels 20 to 10 and the Ephs owned a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal. Connecticut College won six of seven face offs in the first half, but the Camels committed seven turnovers to the Ephs' five. Williams collected 12 ground balls to Connecticut College’s eight. Williams wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the third quarter. The Ephs netted two goals in the frst fve minutes, with Hincks scoring his third goal and Brendan Hofman ’20 netting one of his own, giving Williams a 6-2 lead.
With 5:07 remaining in the third quarter, Stump set McFarland in close, and McFar-
What sports did you play in your childhood?
I've been playing tennis since I was about 8 years old and competitively since I was probably about 10. But I've always played a bunch of sports. I was big on soccer and played that until eighth grade. I played a little basketball and dabbled in baseball for a little bit, but tennis was always my favorite, and I had to choose one coming into high school just because tennis is a year-round sport. So I've been playing tournaments as a junior up until college.
Why did you choose to come to Williams ?
It was a pretty easy decision for me at the time — Williams has always been number one for me. I was really interested in academics and tennis. I think the big thing for me was that Williams was ranked number one in the country academically and ranked number one tennis-wise. They had just won the national championship the year before, so that made my decision pretty easy. I came and visited, and I really loved the players and the coach.
land scored on a high shot, increasing the Ephs’ lead to 7-2.
The Camels answered McFarland’s goal eight seconds later when they won the face of, and PJ Kelleher scored of of a pass from AJ Vazquez.
With 1:10 remaining in the third quarter, the Ephs notched their eighth goal. Lund came around the goal to catch Hincks' pass and then turned and fred into the net over Rosenthall's left shoulder. Williams took an 8-3 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Camels opened the scoring in the fourth quarter when Kelleher scored from distance of of a feed from Gareth Gacetta at 9:03.
Exactly three minutes after the Kelleher tally, Hoffman netted an unassisted goal when he squeezed past two defenders and beat Rosenthall with a quick shot into the left side of the goal, bringing the Williams lead up to 9-4.
Strauss scored the fnal goal of the game when he converted of a pass from Hincks with 21 seconds remaining, making the fnal score 10-4 for the Williams win.
What is your relationship with head coach Dan Greenberg ’08 like?
Coach Greenberg has been absolutely instrumental to not only my growth, but the team’s growth over the four years I’ve been here. This being our best year here, he’s helped me out tremendously, and I think pretty much everyone on the team looks to him as an older brother, if not father fgure as well. He’s always happy to impart knowledge upon us and talk tennis, too. But he’s more of a life coach than anything. Tennis-wise, he has helped my teammates and I out in incredible ways, creating an outstanding culture and setting a daily example of what it means to be a member of Williams tennis. We’re truly lucky to have one of the best coaches in the country.
What’s it like leading the team with tri-captains Sachin Raghavan ’18 and Jordan Sadowsky ’18?
All three of us have really just tried to create a good culture, and I think the most important thing was setting the ground rules this fall and letting the younger guys know what we expect from the
Eph head coach George McCormack praised the eforts of his defense. "The diference today was the defense and an opportunistic ofense," McCormack said. "They play a very good zone, so patience is key, and our defense played much more [aggressively] than they did in our last game, and this was a great bounceback win for us."
George Peele ’20 stopped nine shots by the Camels and allowed four goals.
The Ephs were defeated by the Panthers last Wednesday. Middlebury took control early on, and A.J. Kucinski, assisted by Henry Rieh, scored the first goal of the game at 12:51. Within the next minute, Frank Cosolito netted a score for the Panthers to bring the game to 2-0. The Ephs answered back with two goals from Hoffman and Lund to tie the score. Middlebury’s offense soon picked up and took over for the remainder of the quarter, netting five straight goals from Danny Jacobs, Riehl, Kucinksi and Cosolito to bring the score to 7-2 at the end of the quarter.
team. Everyone on the team did a great job of buying into that culture, and I think that’s the most important thing. Everyone bought in from day one, so I think this team really cares, and that has made the captains’ jobs really easy. Sachin, Jordan and I have a fantastic relationship. We are always hashing things out and trying to make the best decision — it’s never an individual decision, which I think is most important. They have always been willing to make sacrifces in order to beneft the team, constantly demonstrating the selfessness necessary to be leaders. And I’m fortunate to call them some of my best friends too — they’ve really made this experience a pleasure throughout the year.
It’s impressive that you and the tri-captains can still maintain the teamaspect in a more individual sport like tennis.
Yeah, I think that’s one of the things that makes us one of the best teams in the country right now. We have 14 guys on the team, which makes it a big team. And we only feld around seven to nine guys in a match, so a lot of guys end up not playing. It’s very easy to think that tennis is
Williams came out with a bang early in the start of the second quarter with a goal by Stump at 14:25, assisted by Hincks. The Panthers soon countered back with a goal by Jacobs but were evenly matched when McFarland netted a score to bring the defcit to just four goals. The Panther ofensive power soon picked back up with four unanswered goals in the remainder of the frst half by Jacobs, Riehl and Chase Goree. At half time, the Panthers were up 12-4 on the Ephs. In the same fashion as the previous quarter, the Ephs scored the opening goals, by the eforts of Lund and Stump. Middlebury soon responded with three straight goals by Parker Lawlor and Riehl to bring the score to 15-6 at 6:47. The men netted two unanswered goals by Matthew Seligson ’20 and McFarland, but this was soon matched with three straight Middlebury goals by Kucinski and Michael McCormack to end the quarter. The score going into the fnal quarter was 18-8 in Middlebury’s favor.
Williams netted the frst score of the fnal quarter with a goal by Ryan Gibbs ’20, as-
an individual sport. It is in the sense that you play a lot of singles matches and one-on-ones, but as a team, you can make [opposing players] feel like they are on an island out there or that they are playing against 14 guys instead of six. We are really good at making other teams feel that kind of pressure, like they are playing everybody out there at the same time. I think that’s a testament to everyone being so bought into our culture and bringing out the best of each other. “Good plus good” is one of our mantras, and everyone is always positive each day on the court, whether it’s mid-October when we just fnished the of season, or it’s the middle of the season battle.
What was it like playing in the Oracle Cup in the fall?
I ended up winning the northeastern division, so Coach Greenberg and I headed down to Rome, Ga. I ended up winning my frst match, and I lost my second match, both of which were very close. I played my best match in the third-place playof, so I ended up being third in the country, which was great. But for us, the team events are in the spring, so it was a great stepping
sisted by Hincks. Middlebury soon answered back with two straight goals by Luke Peterson and Harry Giarrusso to bring the score to 20-9. The Eph ofensive machine took control of the remainder of the game with scores from Gibbs, Lund, Seligson and Hincks, but time ran out on the clock before Williams could seize the win. The fnal score was 20-13 favoring the Panthers. The Ephs used two goalies. Peele finished with nine saves in 45 minutes of play, and Harry Gahagan ’21 made two saves in 15 minutes in the net.
The Ephs were led by Lund with three scores and two assists. He was followed by Gibbs, Seligson, McFarland and Stump with two goals each.
"Tough road loss to a good Middlebury team,” McCormack said. “We're looking forward to hosting this weekend and getting a couple of really good practice sessions in prior to the game."
The men's win against Connecticut College advances them to play top-seeded Wesleyan next Saturday in the NESCAC semifinal.
stone and something we could use to improve upon and give us momentum going into the winter and the of season. I’ve never been quite as interested in the individual results, but I think [the tournament] was a great springboard heading into the of season and then fnally coming up into the spring.
Anything else to add?
I think for me, the big thing this year has been the contributions from my team. This has been my best year of the four I’ve been on my team. Coach Greenberg likes to say “it takes a village,” and everyone has been contributing massively day in and day out. Because of that, we’ve made ourselves so
and that year-round desire is something that’s impossible to teach. I wouldn’t trade any of these guys for the world.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.
Sports Information presented the 29th Frank Deford Award, recognizing three seniors for their dedication to the College's sports teams.
Rachel Asher Hyland ’09 places fourth in Boston Marathon
By CASSIE DESHONG SPORTS EDITOR
On April 16, strong winds, showers and temperatures ranging from 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit tested the runners in the 2018 Boston Marathon, but Rachel Asher Hyland ’09 placed fourth in the race — much to her surprise. “When I frst saw the weather forecast for Monday, I thought for sure it would change,” Hyland said. “When it didn’t, I felt a familiar heart-racing anxiety and a pit in my stomach. How could I possibly have to run Boston in extreme heat in 2012 and a headwind and freezing rain in 2018?”
Hyland is a seasoned runner, having competed in nine marathons, but the 2018 Boston Marathon was unlike any other. “Since 2012, I line up for the marathons with a specifc goal time in mind,” she said. “So, it's not just to fnish the marathon. [I wanted] to run a faster time. For this particular marathon, I had to throw the goal time out the window because the weather was so bad. My goal was just to compete well and move up in the second half and try to place well.” Hyland started running in high school. She continued her running career at the College, competing on the cross country and track and feld teams. “There were so many people on the team, so it was great to
feel part of something big,” she said. “Everyone was passionate about running, the outdoors and exploring new trails. There were all sorts of team traditions, like the summer newsletter [and] co-ed relays, that made it really fun.”
Hyland became interested in running marathons when she returned home from college every summer. She was infuenced by one of her coaches from her hometown in Illinois who had run marathons.
Hyland has a workout plan to prepare for the 26.2-mile races. Usually, she does a long workout on Wednesdays and a long run plus a long workout on the weekends. When doing longer workouts or runs, Hyland tries to meet up with friends. “I usually run wherever I can meet up with a teammate or a friend,” she said. “That's what makes it fun for me. It would be great if that meant running on trails all the time, but usually it's running around the river in Boston or on an indoor track during the winter when the weather is bad. There are nice, shorter trails around Andover that I get on for easy days.”
In the 12 weeks leading up to the Boston Marathon, Hyland ran between 80 and 100 miles.
While training, Hyland spent a lot of time doing multiple hill repeats, so that when she got to Heartbreak Hill in Boston, she felt comfortable. “The frst hill after the frehouse always
feels the hardest, but for some reason, I hardly noticed it,” she said. “Getting up those hills was perhaps the most efortless part of the entire race.”
Hyland also believes that the number of spectators plays a role in her performance. “There are so many spectators near Heartbreak Hill and for miles 18 to the fnish,” Hyland said. “The middle miles were more tough. Miles 8 through 13 had less spectators and were also a part of the course that I hadn’t run on that many times. So, I was less confdent during those miles.”
Marathons are difcult not only because of the distance, but also because pacing and mentality during a race play such an incredible role in a runner’s success. “The marathon is such a tough beast; it knocks you down and breaks you over and over again until you ask yourself why you even bother fghting,” Hyland said. “And then you realize that lining up is a huge privilege and that each time you show up to a race, you get stronger.”
Hyland didn’t become comfortable with marathons overnight, and her preparation for a marathon is extensive. But she still loves running marathons. “It takes a long time to feel really confdent and smart when you race a marathon,” she explained. “There is so much that goes into it – there is fueling, hydration, prepara-
tion beforehand and mental toughness. But I think that is what I like about marathons.”
If Hyland had to choose her favorite race experience, it would be the 2015 Chicago Marathon. “Boston’s course is my favorite marathon, but I can’t say it was my favorite experience just because the weather truly was miserable,” she said.
“The Chicago Marathon in 2015, which was my frst time qualifying for the Olympic trials, was great because my whole family was there. I had a lot of friends there, and I qualifed by a lot. So I ran the last six miles just feeling really happy, knowing that I was going to run under the time that I needed to.”
Men's track places second in NESCAC finals
By ZEKE COHEN TEAM CORRESPONDENT
On Saturday, men's track and feld fnished in second place behind Middlebury in the 2018 NESCAC Championship, totaling 140 points. The Ephs got out to a hot start in the 10000m. Co-captain Ben Decker '18 led for nearly the entire 25-lap race, grinding out a 30:30.00 for the win. Zachary Dulabon '18 ran the frst 5000 meters near Decker, holding on for a 31:15.22 sixth-place performance. Ryan Cox '20, meanwhile, took a more conservative approach, closing hard for a 31:18.30 seventh-place run. In the 110m hurdles, Dan Renwick '21 and co-captain Tom Riley '18 both qualifed for the fnals. They would later fnish seventh and eighth in 15.37 and 15.39, respectively. Jeremy Thaller '19 also qualifed for the fnals in the 100m, fnishing ffth in 10.95.
In the 3000m steeplechase, the group of Peter Kirgis '20, Jacob Kahrs '19, Kenneth Marshall '20 and Jake Lange '20 put together one of the best performances of the meet. The men each ran personal bests by a combined 71 seconds. Kirgis fnished in 9:20.74. Kahrs and Marshall fnished right behind in ffth and sixth in 9:22.59 and 9:22.73, respectively. Lange, meanwhile, cut over a minute of of his debut from two weeks ago, fnishing eighth in 9:28.87. Williams also started well in the feld events. In the shot put, Liam Pembroke '18 fnished seventh, throwing 13.60 meters. In the javelin, James Heinl '19 fnished second with a mark of 51.60 meters, while co-captain Tobias Muellers '18 was fourth with a mark of 51.22 meters. Heinl returned for the hammer throw, fnishing sixth with a mark of 47.29 meters. Muellers, meanwhile, returned shortly
thereafter in the long jump, winning the event on the fnal jump with a mark of 6.90 meters. Riley placed sixth with a mark of 6.55 meters. In the 4x100m, the team of Karol Regula '21, Trent Hall '21, Riley and Thaller fnished ffth in 43.30. Tristan Colaizzi '20 turned out a fantastic performance in the 1500m, closing hard for third place in 3:53.13. Lucas Estrada '20 was ffth in 3:55.02, while Ben Hearon '20 rounded out the scorers, fnishing eighth in 3:57.32. Muellers returned to compete in the 400m, fnishing second in 48.22 seconds, while Cole O'Flaharty ’21 broke the 49-second barrier for the frst time, fnishing in 48.91 for sixth. After an impressive 800m performance from Kevin LaFleche ’20, who kicked extremely hard to fnish second in a national-qualifying 1:51.10, the Ephs held a small lead going into the last third of the meet.
Williams continued to perform well, but Middlebury proved even stronger. In the pole vault, Pierceson Brown '18 cleared 4.55 meters to fnish ffth, while Riley cleared a personal best 4.40 meters for sixth. In the 400m hurdles, co-captain Ian Mook ’18 ran a personal best 55.87, just out of scoring position.
Muellers returned for his fourth event of the day in the 200m, fnishing sixth in 22.07. O'Flaherty returned as well, fnishing ffth in 22.01. In the high jump, Ian Kagame '19 and James Dunivan '19 each cleared 1.83 meters for ffth and sixth, respectively. Going into the last three events, the 5000m, 4x400m and 4x800m, the Ephs were down by 20 points and were fghting with Tufts to secure the runner-up position.
In the fnal events, Williams was strong, holding of Tufts to clinch second place. In the 5000m, Grifn Colaizzi '18 weathered tough pack conditions to fnish fourth in 15:11.64. In the 4x400m, the team of O'Flaharty, LaFleche, T. Colaizzi and Muellers fnished second in an impressive 3:18.84. Closing out the meet in the 4x800m, Estrada, Nick Gannon '20, Kirgis and Hearon took third in 7:48.11.
Although the men did not win, head coach Ethan Barron was proud of his team. “We threw down today, and that's what matters,” he said. “We were a team, working together, feeding of of each other's energy. Middlebury ran a great meet, and they deserved the title.”
The Ephs will return to competition next weekend at the Div. III New England Championship, hosted by MIT.
"Izabelle has done a great job all season long. She comes to practice each and every day with a positive attitude ready to work. She learns from every opportunity and competed really well this past weekend. We are all proud of her eforts."
Hyland is grateful to the College for her success in running. “I owe a lot of my success, especially after college, to [head coach] Pete [Farwell ’73] and the Williams program because while I was at Williams, I didn’t over-train. I had a few small injuries, but nothing major. By the time I graduated, I still felt hungry to race and continue competitive running.”
Hyland graduated from the College as a Spanish and psychology double major. She currently teaches Spanish and is an assistant coach for the cross country and track and feld teams at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. The beauty of working at Andover is that her work
schedule is not rigid, allowing her to still enjoy what she loves to do. “I don’t have to be in my ofce from 8 [a.m.] until 3 [p.m.] every single day,” Hyland said. “If I am not teaching one particular day until later, I can use that chunk of time to
Men’s crew closes out season in Worcester
By CHARLIE IDE TEAM CORRESPONDENT
Men’s crew raced against strong competitors this Saturday on Lake Quinsigamond for the team’s fnal regular-season race of the year. The 1V placed fourth, while the 2V, 3V and 4V4+ in the Varsity 4 race placed last.
A stif headwind battered the course and challenged crews throughout the morning. First up, the 4V4+ lined up against Trinity, WPI and Bates. The Williams novices rowed the frst part of the race well and came through the 750-meter mark just about even with Trinity but of the race leaders, WPI and Bates. Failing to handle the stif headwind, the boat lost rhythm and composure in the next 750 meters. In the fnal 500 meters, the men managed to pull things back together for the fnal sprint. However, they were too far back to catch Trinity. Bates fnished in 7:33, WPI in 7:39, Trinity in 7:46 and Williams in 8:05. "I thought everyone did really well. We will get them next time," stroke seat Osamah Qatanani ’21 said.
The 3V raced against St. Joseph’s, Holy Cross and Tufts. The men got of the line slowly but found their groove several hundred meters in. The Ephs fell behind and were a length back on Tufts. Throughout the race, they were unable to make a move back on Tufts. St Joseph’s fnished in 6:38, Holy Cross in 6:51, Tufts’ 3V in 6:53, Tufts’ 1N in 6:54 and Williams in 7:03. "The 3V has been making re-
markable improvements every day, and although we weren't thrilled with how the race went today, we are really excited to hone it in for championship season," Steven Kreuch '20 said.
The 2V raced against the same competitors as the 3V. In the 2V race, the men had a strong starting sequence and came through 750 meters just a seat or two of the leaders and ahead of Holy Cross by half a length. A large wind gust knocked the Ephs out of their rhythm, and they were never able to recover. The other crews pulled ahead of the men as they struggled to fnd the rhythm and composure they had earlier in the headwind. Bates fnished in 6:31, St. Joseph’s in 6:33, Tufts in 6:42, Holy Cross in 6:49 and Williams in 7:00. The 1V lined up against the same competitors. The men had a strong high stroke sequence but bobbled their shift and fell a bit behind. Throughout the race, the Ephs sat behind the Jumbos, not gaining or losing seats on their opponents. St. Joseph’s fnished in 6:20, Bates in 6:27, Holy Cross in 6:33, Williams in 6:36 and Tufts in 6:44. Sam Ellison '18 shared his disappointment in failing to capitalize. "We struggled to fnd [the] groove we established in [the] week leading up to this race, but this will fuel the fre leading into next week," Ellison said. On Saturday, the Ephs will be back on Lake Quinsigamond for their frst race of the championship season.
Cori has had a great progression in her game this year. Her game is getting close to being where she wants it to be, and this past weekend was a leap in the right direction. Cori is reaping the benefts of the work
–Head coach Nate Hoey
she has put in, and that is fun for her and the team.
–Head coach Tomas Adalsteinsson
PHOTO COURTESY OF RUNNERSWORLD.COM.
Rachel Hyland '09 raced in the Boston Marathon in harsh conditions and finished with a time of 2:44:29.
Chan led her team on the second day of the Williams Invite on Sunday. She shot a one-over 73 and received medalist honors for the tournament.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.
Tristan Colaizzi '20 fnished third in the 1500m with a time of 3:53.13, helping the Ephs place second.