May 2, 2018: Wall on Paresky lawn protests Israel, U.S. borders

ARTS P. 8 New Japanese animation studio debuts first film

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2018

Women's track and field places first at NESCACs

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 reflect 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-

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. 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 affected 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-

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 conflate 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 effects… 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 effects of building a wall around Gaza. The first, 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 confined 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 difficulty 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 difficulty finding 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.

SEE WALL, PAGE 4

Subway on Spring Street closes CC changes bylaw to increase

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 SEE 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.

KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR

MinCo representation on student-faculty committees

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.

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.”

WHAT’S INSIDE 3 OPINIONS A statement of Jewish and Israeli solidarity 4 NEWS College donates to construction of new police station 7 FEATURES Examining when the College's flags fly at half-mast 9 ARTS Student playwrites showcase work at Purple Valley Plays 11 SPORTS Rachel Asher Hyland '09 takes fourth in Boston Marathon

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2 OPINIONS

The Williams Record

Editor-in-Chief Rachel Scharf

May 2, 2018

Arts Editors Faris Gulamali and Kaira Mediratta

Managing Editors Reed Jenkins and Tesnim Zekeria

Sports Editors Cassie Deshong and Charles Xu

Communications Director Taran Dugal

Photo Editors Katie Brule and Sophia Shin

Executive Editors Shaheen Currimjee, Nicholas Goldrosen, Brooke Horowitch, Danny Jin, William Newton, Jane Petersen, RB Smith and Li Yu

Business Manager Isabella Wang Financial Manager Teo Pollini

News Editors Rebecca Tauber and Samuel Wolf

Financial Analyst Mark Sisco-Tolomeo

Opinions Editor Haeon Yoon

Head of Advertising Esther Baek

Features Editors Lydia Duan and Jeongyoon Han

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Will it be dingles in Dodd or treks to and from Tyler Annex?

SUBWAY CLOSES

Let's be honest: Subway was the only thing that reminded you of civilization here in Williamstown.

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Totally-not-a-scam.

ON THE RECORD CORRECTION “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 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 should stop by. Our door is always open.”

Johanna Wassermann ’18 on Peer Health, page 5.

“Birding is something that maybe one student a year is really into, but I’ve noticed in the last couple

of years an increase in student interest, and I find 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 fighting.”

Rachel Asher Hyland ’09 on placing fourth in the 2018 Boston Marathon, page 11.

In last week’s op-ed “Demanding Asian American Studies: A 27-year long struggle for curricular equity,” the last name of Ayami Hatanaka ’18 was mistakenly spelled Hatakana.

WRITE FOR THE RECORD. MEETINGS: PARESKY 209 | 8 PM WEDNESDAYS

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 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.

DARIN LI ’21

OPINIONS 3

The Williams Record

May 2, 2018

Looking out for others

Standing in solidarity with Israel

A love letter to Peer Health

Addressing campus discourse around Zionism

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Content warning: The first paragraph of this op-ed discusses abusive relationships.

I joined Peer Health after getting out of an emotionally abusive relationship. It was Winter Study of freshman year, and I had spent my first semester supporting a partner who was controlling, possessive and deeply depressed.

It was my first “real” relationship, and it was hard to see my partner hurting.

So, I tried to help. I woke him up most mornings, brought him food and stayed up late listening to him and helping him with homework. Before long, we had developed a co-dependent relationship, one where he couldn’t function without my help and I craved the feeling of being needed. It was only after he withdrew from the College that it really hit me: I didn’t know how to take care of people without drowning in them.

I care a lot. I’ve been told this both as a compliment and as a criticism. On the one hand, I truly enjoy helping people.

It’s fun to surprise my friends by leaving notes and chocolate outside their doors.

There are few things I enjoy more than a heartfelt conversation. It is immensely rewarding when someone feels safe enough to confide in me, but I have a hard time with moderation. I overschedule myself with commitments and conversations until I’m spread too thin and I breakdown. Especially after that first semester, I realized that the way I cared for people was unsustainable.

I signed up for Peer Health’s Call-In Walk-In (CIWI) training that Winter Study. It was about 25 hours long and covered everything from academic resources to unhealthy relationships. With each topic, we practiced active listening, which combines body language, verbal cues and open-ended questions. When done right, it should accomplish two things: provide a safe space where the speaker feels validated and heard, and create healthy boundaries so that the listener doesn’t completely drain themself.

Emotional labor is really hard. It is disproportionally borne by the femaleidentifying population at Williams and rarely gets the appreciation it deserves.

But I also think it is the reason I still love this place; people really care about each other. There’s a genuine culture of “checking in” with friends and tending to their needs. This same love bleeds into everything students are involved in, from the JA [Junior Advisor] system and athletic teams to activism and student organizations. The fact that we are so critical of this institution indicates

just how much we care about this place and its people.

Over my four years in Peer Health, I’ve held almost every board position available. I’ve seen our office transform into a warmer and more accessible space. I’ve been inspired by upperclassmen and underclassmen who are deeply concerned with the wellness of the student body. All of this has shown me the many ways we can help each other.

One of the simplest ways to care for people is to provide them with the resources they need to care for themselves.

When students walk into our office (Paresky 212, past the bathrooms in that little hallway), they’re usually surprised by how many resources we offer. Everything – lotion, Emergen-C, menstrual products – is free. The one exception is Trojan condoms, which are still ridiculously cheap at five condoms for a dollar.

This year, I worked as the “canine coordinator” and learned how non-human companions can also help. Ellis, the dorkiest dog in Williamstown, visits for weekly puppy therapy. He is always excited to see people and gets so worked up that he has to wiggle his whole butt instead of just his tail. Additionally, we’ve put on a few kitten therapy events (thanks to Associate Professor of Biology Luana Maroja!) and had over 100 students attend. Whenever people come in to see Ellis or the kittens, I watch their faces; stressed expressions melt into wide smiles. Instantly, students shed a little of the heaviness they’re carrying.

But, at the end of the day, it still comes down to people. Even though I’m the only “certified” listener in the room, I’m rarely the only one listening. People are quick to open up to each other in this space. A conversation about Ellis will turn into one about taking time off from Williams. People will text their friends to stop by because they know how happy seeing a dog will make them. Strangers laugh together over Ellis’ antics or the painfully cheesy pamphlets in our office.

Working with Peer Health has taught me so much about how to care for other people and myself. It’s been an integral part of my four years. For anyone interested in joining a club that is deeply concerned with making Williams a healthier place, you should stop by. Our door is always open. (That was a cute end line, but it’s important to know that we are actually only open Sundays through Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m.!)

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In television, there’s typically a clear divide between episodic and serialized shows. Episodic works focus on singleepisode stories instead of overarching plot lines, while serialized shows depend more heavily on season-long arcs. The best show of the decade, however, earns such a title precisely because it refuses to belong to either category.

Atlanta, Donald Glover’s inspired creation, mostly centers around a 30-something named Earn navigating the rap scene with his rapper cousin Alfred (aka Paperboi) and perpetually stoned friend Darius. Glover often describes the show as “Twin Peaks with rappers,” but in reality, the show is more like an all-black, extremely temporal version of Seinfeld. Atlanta episodes often feel random and about nothing. Even the aforementioned plot description offered is only superficially true, as many episodes barely reference the music industry. Like Seinfeld, however, it is also simultaneously about everything. Every episode of Atlanta packs in countless pop culture references and social commentaries. For instance, in the sixth episode of Season 2, entitled “Teddy Perkins,” the main plot centers around Darius attempting to buy a piano from an intensely creepy Michael Jackson facsimile, but the episode pays homage to Jordan Peele’s blockbuster film Get Out and addresses topics from skin bleaching to the purpose of art.

Recently, shows like Black-ish and Master of None have garnered acclaim for directly tackling social and political issues, but they have done so on an episode-by-episode basis. Black-ish has dedicated episodes to police brutality and interracial dating, while Master of None has addressed immigration and LGBTQ issues. Atlanta raises the bar, touching on many cultural hot button issues in a single episode, unlike Black-ish or Master of None, which do so over several months. While this style may seem overly ambitious, packing so many ideas into a given episode actually works for Atlanta. In the second episode of Season 1, Earn pleasantly converses with a man and his trans former girlfriend in one moment and witnesses

negate Palestinian claims to that same geographical space. History is complex.

Note: When this piece was written, A peaceful solution requires comproits original purpose was as an op- mise from both sides regarding what ed for the Record. In order to gather they consider their legitimate national signatures as a show of support and and territorial rights. solidarity, the author has circulated it Starting passionate, critical and around the campus community. hard-hitting discussion when discussWe, representing a wide range of ing Israel, Zionism and the Middle opinions and speaking as individu- East requires recognizing the followals, not as representatives of student ing dangerous arguments: groups, faculty departments, ideolo● Denying Israel’s right to exist, gies or our wide variety of identities, as well as delegitimizing the Zionist denounce the growing movement and Jewattempts on campus to ish State: Assaulting We are not shielding Jews’ legitimacy as delegitimize Israel or compare it to an apartpeople, Jews’ valid Israel from any or all aclaims heid state. We stand in to the land or solidarity with Israel criticism, and certainly Jews’ right to national and the Jewish people self-determination in there are grievances and against the way Israel crosses the line Israel is portrayed that that must be addressed. from legitimate critidelegitimizes differing cism to an aggressive points of view and, conhistorical negationism. sequently, the state’s right to exist.

Labelling the founding of Israel a coWe share a commitment to a two- lonial enterprise distorts the meaning state solution with a Jewish, democratic of colonialism and negates the Jewish Israel living peacefully beside a demo- people’s ongoing relationship with the cratic Palestine. We do not see how any- land of Israel. one who claims to support the two-state ● Demonization: Equating Israel and solution to bring peace can delegitimize Zionism with the 20th century’s worst one national movement or another. racist ideologies, such as South African We urge supporters and critics of Apartheid or Nazism, or treating Israel Israeli policy to hold their discussions as uniquely cruel in order to deny it with the following points in mind: moral legitimacy, is not only demon● The State of Israel fulfills the Jew- strably untrue but inflammatory and ish people’s national aspirations in incompatible with aspirations for peace their ancestral homeland. This affirma- and mutual respect. tion acknowledges the Jews as a people ● Double standards: Calling Zionunited by a common past, culture and ism – but no other national movement language rooted in their homeland, the – racism, holding Israel and its army land of Israel. to artificially high standards by which ● Israel is a democratic state that no other nation or military is judged promises to offer all its citizens, includ- or subjecting Israel to disproportionate ing Palestinian and Arab Israelis, “full criticism while not denouncing similar and equal citizenship and due repre- acts in neighboring countries are all sentation in all its provisional and per- acts of bad faith. manent institutions,” as Israel’s DeclaWe regret to note that, among othration of Independence guarantees. ers, activists in the SJP [Students for ● Affirming Israel’s and Zionism’s Justice in Palestine] and BDS [Boycott, legitimacy and acknowledging Jews’ Divestment, Sanctions] movements historic claim to their land does not repeatedly make these dangerous ar-

guments, crossing over a line from legitimate criticism of Israel to menacing and pernicious claims whose subjects cross into the realm of anti-Semitism. We condemn those who reject the state of Israel entirely rather than debating one policy or even a group of policies, instead suggesting that Israel is fundamentally illegitimate.

We urge honest critics of Israeli policy to keep the debate focused on the actions and policies of all the participants in the conflict rather than Israel’s essence or Israel’s right to exist. We welcome forthright and tough judgement of Israeli policy and government, but we rebuke those who would delegitimize or demonize the Jewish state.

We proclaim loudly and for all to hear that the voices of some members of this community will not be silenced.

The College’s commitment to academic freedom and diversity does not stop at this controversial topic, and we invite critical commentary and free expression on both sides of this issue.

We are not shielding Israel from any or all criticism, and certainly there are grievances that must be addressed. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a nuanced and complex situation, and we welcome productive bilateral discussion and two-sided dialogue that avoids these three Ds: delegitimization, demonization and double standards.

We hope this statement of solidarity can foster a better dialogue on campus about both this critical issue and other controversial discussions of our time.

We recognize that the College we call home is only as powerful as the academic freedom that it expresses, and our personal and intellectual growth only occurs through a continued commitment to free speech and academic discourse.

Solly Kasab ’21 is from Great Neck, N.Y. His major is undecided. For a full list of 65+ signers supporting this statement, see the online version of this oped at williamsrecord.com.

Johanna Wassermann ’18 is from Washington, D.C. She is an English major with an environmental studies concentration.

On Atlanta

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a police officer brutally beating a mentally ill man in the next. Neither Earn nor the show acknowledges this violent tonal shift, and the episode moves seamlessly into another scene, which seems intentional. In this episode, Atlanta is reminding its audience that discrimination is a daily reality for many, and a drawn-out existential autopsy is not required every time we witness it. Problems of race, gender, sexuality and more exist and intersect with every other part of our lives. Such blending and blurring of lines is another reason behind Atlanta’s unique greatness.

There are comedies, there are dramas, there are combinations of the two, and then there is Atlanta. Many of the show’s writers are television rookies, a fact clearly evident in how they blatantly ignore storytelling conventions. First, there are four main characters in the show – Earn, Alfred, Darius and Van (Earn’s baby mama and sometimes-girlfriend) – but each of them sometimes goes weeks without appearing on screen. Van didn’t appear until episode 4 this season, and since then, Earn has only been featured on screen in one episode, the most recent one. So, when such important characters swerve in and out of the literal and figurative picture, the show becomes more of a short story anthology series. When Alfred is led on a wild goose chase all over town in pursuit of a simple haircut or when Van drags Earn to a weekend getaway in an eerie German town, the show feels like an open-world video game. Every turn down a random street or interaction with a new Atlantan feels like the gateway to a whole separate story, and that makes Atlanta a show worth returning to week after week.

Despite being one of the best shows of the decade, Atlanta is frustratingly hard to praise because it’s so hard to characterize, categorize and contextualize the show within the arc of television history. That seems to be by design. Donald Glover and company aren’t just rewriting the rules of storytelling on screen; they’re rewriting the rules for how we talk about storytelling on screen. It’s on us to figure out what those rules really are.

Mandela Namaste ’19 is a political science major from Buffalo, N.Y.

DARIN LI ’21

Why primary elections matter How to make your voice heard this year y This coming Nov. 6, there will likely be quite a hubbub on campus. In the first nationwide election since Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency, members of all parties will be sending in their ballots and looking to send a message to Washington and to their local governments about how they want our country to be run. But long before we get to that point, every state will hold primary elections to determine who exactly will be on that ballot. Over the next few months, the Democratic and Republican (and Libertarian and Green and Working Families and Reform and so on) nominees will be decided by you, the voters of America. But why, you ask, would you bother to do your civic duty and vote in primaries? I’ll explain.

The simple fact of American politics is that, unfortunately, most elections are naturally uncompetitive. The Cook Political Report, a top election prediction newsletter, currently rates 100 U.S. House of Representative seats as competitive for this coming November – less than one quarter of the 435 seats composing the House. This means that, for around three quarters of Americans, the general election for the House isn’t where the action is – it’s the primary.

While there are more competitive Senate and gubernatorial elections than there are in the House, the primary is still the main competition in around half of all states. (There are exceptions to this in California, Washington and Louisiana due to a special top-two primary system. One thing that makes voting so complicated in the U.S. is that every state has a different way of doing

it.) Basically, if you want to make your voice truly heard, the primary election is often the best place to do it.

But beyond the simple mechanics of American elections, primaries are an incredibly important tool in deciding how the country is governed. Both mainstream parties face clear divides presently: the Republican Party between Trump-style nationalism and old-school conservatism, and the Democrats between big-tent moderation and unabashed progressivism. I don’t know nearly as much about the Libertarian or Green Parties, but I imagine they are going through existential crises as well, because aren’t we all? Anyway, even if you’ve never voted in your life, I imagine you have some thoughts and opinions on all of these issues, and a primary is the best place to act on them.

I know this is an op-ed and not an admissions brochure, but I’m still going to do an FAQ with things you might be wondering, like: When and where is my state’s primary? Vote.org, a non-profit founded to achieve 100 percent voter participation in the U.S., has got you covered. If you put in your address, it will tell you exactly where your polling place is. As for the when, The New York Times has a very helpful calendar of elections, or you could just Google it.

How do I register? Once again, Vote.org’s got your back. They’ll help you register and apply for an absentee ballot if you won’t be home on Election Day. Does my vote really matter? Last year, a race in the Virginia House of Delegates was exactly tied. Had one more person voted in either direction,

their preferred candidate would have won. Your vote matters.

The government sucks; why would I want to participate in it? Guess what the best way to make the government not suck is? Voting! If you are eligible to vote but choose not to go to the polls, then you have forfeited your own ability to change things how you see fit. No matter how much you hate the mere idea of the American bureaucracy, the best way to protest is to vote against it, not ignore it completely.

But time is of the essence! I’m sorry, Illinoisans, but your ship has sailed – your primary was over a month ago.

And Texans, the first round of your primaries has already passed, but the second round, where the Democratic nominee for governor and loads of House races in both parties will be decided, is still to come. West Virginians, Ohioans, North Carolinians and Indianans, yours is on May 8, so act quickly! As for the rest of us, we have a bit more time, but they’re still coming up fast.

According to an article by The Washington Post published in the middle of the 2014 primary season, only 14.6 percent of eligible voters voted in their states’ primary elections that year (“Voter turnout in primary elections this year has been abysmal,” July 23, 2014). This means that fewer than onesixth of all voting-eligible Americans decided who got to be on the ballot for everyone else. This year, don’t let yourself become part of the five-sixths that lets other people take the wheel – make your voice heard, and vote in primaries.

Joey Fox ’21 is from New York, N.Y. His major is undecided.

May 2, 2018

NEWS 4

The Williams Record

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 efficient 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 Affairs Jim Kolesar ’72 said. The College previously gave $5 million toward the construction of Mount Greylock Regional High School and assists with other capital efforts. “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 officers to more effectively

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 to aid in its building and maintenance. serve the local community. The current facility, which was once the College’s Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, cannot effectively 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 efficient 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

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 officers 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

dog complaint. A Williamstown resident had contacted WPD about two dogs running loose on a College-owned property.

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 influence 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?”

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 firmly 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."

Another SJP member, Lili Bierer ’19, expressed similar sentiments. “Conflating 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 conflict and talk about their perspectives right now.”

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 different opinions can be shared. We realize there are many nuances to the conflict/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

“I am proud of the ways in which the wall has encouraged our community to reflect on the brutality of these borders.”

"Sally"

work against other organizations on campus, but rather to give open opportunities to engage in further dialogue welcoming all community members,” she said.

Overall, many of the students who constructed the wall are satisfied with the response that it received. “The wall has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, particularly from dining hall employees and faculty members,” said "Sally," a pseudonym for a student granted 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 have felt 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 on their identities.”

In recent days, several proPalestinian banners and infographics on campus have been defaced. “I came to Paresky this past Saturday in the morning to find the Gaza banner hanging from only one end,” Vista member Jovana Calvillo ’18 said. “SJP hung the Gaza banner in solidarity 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 auditorium on April 25.

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 Gaza and the West Bank.

Editors’ Note: This article was modified on May 5, 2024 to anonymize the names of two students at their request

11:29 a.m. Williams Hall: An officer 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 Office informed Campus Safety and Security (CSS) of paraphernalia found in the D entry. Officers responded to a report of a covered smoke detector and collected photo documentation and evidence.

The students received a $250 fine for indoor smoking and a $500 fine for tampering with fire safety equipment.

Tuesday 4-24-18 6:00-8:00 p.m. Gladden, Carter, Fitch, Dodd, Garfield and Morgan: Officers discovered marijuana and smoking materials during spring fire drills.

They took photos and collected evidence; they referred violators to the Dean’s Office.

8:09 p.m. Susan Hopkins: An officer discovered six juvenile chickens inside an aquarium during spring fire drills. The aquarium had a clamp light with an aluminum reflector on it, which was plugged into a power strip. Photos were taken.

The Safety and Environmental Compliance manager confiscated the chicks and aquarium.

8:11 p.m. Garfield House: An officer discovered a smoke detector covered with a plastic shopping bag and coat hanger during spring fire drills. Officers took photos and issued a $250 to $500 fine for tampering with fire safety equipment.

Thursday 4-26-18 1:01 p.m. Jerome Drive: Williamstown Police Department (WPD) contacted CSS about a

8:01 p.m. Southworth Apartments: WPD called CSS to request that an officer 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 came down to move their vehicles. Only one vehicle caused damage to the grass. Officers took photo documentation.

6:16 p.m. Williams Hall: An officer responded to a report of damage to a door in the B entry.

The officer found that one of the wooden panels on the door had been kicked in from the outside and was lying on the floor. The on-call architectural tradesman was contacted.

10:45 p.m. Garfield House: Officers found an unregistered party of approximately 15 students with hard alcohol in the library and living room area playing “Jeopardy!”

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: Officers responded to a report of water pouring through the elevator shaft.

They determined that the water was coming from the elevator pit, which was full of water.

CSS contacted facilities and submitted a work order.

Sunday 4-29-18 7:57 a.m. Hoxsey Street: A town resident came to CSS with a complaint about the amount of litter strewn up and down the street. WPD received a similar complaint.

May 2, 2018

NEWS 5

The Williams Record

Gold Standard Foundation executive discusses carbon offsets

By ALAN LOUIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER Last Thursday, Lisa Rosen, chief operating officer for the Gold Standard Foundation, delivered a lecture on her organization's contributions toward alternative energy. Rosen, who serves as a trustee for the Massachusetts chapter of The Nature Conservancy, explained that a local connection originally brought her to the Berkshires. Bill Moomaw ’59, another trustee for The Nature Conservancy, hoped Rosen might “help [the College] think through issues associated with carbon offsets.”

Throughout the evening, Rosen explained how the Gold Standard Foundation’s model promotes sustainable development that has positively impacted project host communities. Established in 2003 by the World Wildlife Fund, the foundation works as an independent certification body with the self-proclaimed mission “to catalyze more ambitious climate action to achieve the Global Goals through robust standards and verified impacts.”

She argued that the success of the organization in reducing 60 million tons of CO 2 over the course of more than 1400 certified projects speaks to the viability of the carbon market model in sustainable development.

Gold Standard’s work involves a lengthy and rigorous process through which carbon offset initiatives can acquire certified Gold Standard Emissions Reductions, or carbon credits. These vouchedfor credits can be traded for capital with companies or individuals looking to reduce their footprints on carbon markets, providing startups with the much-needed revenue to function. In fact, the

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN LOUIS.

Rosen, chief operating officer of the Gold Standard Foundation, discussed the organization's work in promoting clean energy through incentivizing the reduction of carbon usage.

Gold Standard Foundation requires that carbon sales be constitutive to a program’s functioning as a criterion for certification. This is one of many factors that Gold Standard considers in its evaluation. Stakeholder engagement and corruption are also taken into account, as well as humanitarian impacts.

“Carbon markets can be better for local communities because there is an incentive to create long-lasting industry around the project,” Rosen explained. “This is due to the long crediting

period of a carbon offset project, which can be anywhere from 10 to 21 years.

In other words, the project can become financially selfsustaining through the support of local entrepreneurs that create businesses – such as manufacturing, sales and maintenance – to service the project. Indeed, we have examples of Gold Standard projects that have created a dozen or so microenterprises in poor communities around the world.”

Rosen added, however, that the carbon market is not

the end-all of emission reduction. Gold Standard recommends that buyers reduce what they can directly before offsetting the rest. The current pace of climate change will likely require efforts beyond what Gold Standard and its affiliates are able to produce, but the work they do is crucial nonetheless.

A discussion following the lecture showcased the potential of carbon markets, with their unique supply and demand dynamics, to offer educational opportunities. Gold Standard-affiliated

projects operate in developing countries according to unique business models with observable impacts on rural communities. The discussion called attention to opportunities for the College to partner with these projects and for students to become involved.

When she was asked for parting comments, Rosen remarked on the importance of college campuses’ attentiveness to issues involving the environment. “There needs to be an incredible sense of urgency around climate change, particularly for

younger generations, who are going to feel the impacts the hardest in the coming decades,” she said. “We are currently seeing changes in the environment that weren’t supposed to come to fruition for another 50 or so years – California’s fire season is year-round, coastal cities are experiencing devastating flooding and small island states are becoming uninhabitable due to hurricanes of unprecedented size and strength. The need to transition to a low-carbon economy is here and now.”

Owner closes Subway on Spring Street, citing decrease in business CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 accessibility that Patel believes were relevant to his business: eliminating the 10-meal plan and five-meal plan options for students, allowing students to use two swipes for a single meal and opening Lee Snack Bar from 2 to 5 p.m. at lunch equivalency. These changes came in response to student research revealing food insecurity issues on campus.

Patel cited the end of the 10- and five-meal plans in particular as a relevant factor in his ultimate decision to sell the Subway on Spring Street. “The students tell me they used to be on a 10-meal plan, and now they’re on 14,” Patel said. “We used to see them two or three times a week, but they hardly come once anymore.”

Patel also speculated on a few other factors that could have affected business. He noticed that orders from the

College decreased markedly in recent years. “We get orders from the College here or there, but it’s not the same as it was the first few years,” he said.

He also believes that business from visitors to Williamstown has steadily declined over the years. “We used to be busy on the weekends from people visiting for tournaments, but the College often feeds them,” he said. Visiting teams’ meals are managed by individual schools’ coaches. Some of these teams choose to dine at a variety of Spring Street restaurants such as Subway, while others prefer to eat in College dining halls as a matter of convenience.

Patel emphasized the importance of the relationship between members of the College community and the local businesses on Spring Street and elsewhere. “Our business on Spring Street relied on the faculty and the students,” he said. “Any

change at the College affects the small businesses.”

While Patel cited these alterations at the College as possibly decreasing business, changes at the Subway franchise as a whole may have also played a role in the fate of the Subway on Spring Street. The company recently announced that it plans to close 500 out of its 27,000 U.S. stores this year in order to focus on its growth outside of the United States. This continues Subway’s trend in recent years of shutting down U.S. stores in order to expand internationally; this year, Subway anticipates opening more than 1000 new stores outside of North America. CBS Boston quoted the company on its decision to change focus: “Looking out over the next decade, we anticipate having a slightly smaller but more profitable footprint in North America and a significantly larger footprint in the rest of the world.”

BEYOND THE BUBBLE NEWS ACROSS BERKSHIRE COUNTY

By SAMUEL WOLF NEWS EDITOR Massachusetts state government distributes infrastructure spending across Berkshires Last Friday, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill that apportioned $200 million in infrastructure spending throughout the state. The spending bill was passed by the legislature earlier in April as part of the Chapter 90 Program, which is dedicated to disbursing funds to construct and maintain roads and highways across Massachusetts. This funding will be used exclusively for the 2019 fiscal year, which begins in October. The Berkshires will receive a total of $7.2 million in funding. Specifically, Williamstown will receive $301,104.

Williamstown Historical Commission requests preservation of Hoxsey Street house

KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR

Subway closed on Sunday. The owner speculated that changes to the meal plan played a role in the decrease in business.

In early April, the family of Dagmar Burbriski won a battle to delay the demolition of a historic house at 42 Hoxsey St. The College had been attempting to demolish the house, which is well over 100 years old. The house's fate has remained in question since the death of Burbriski, its last resident, in 2011. A columnist, radio show host, women’s rights activist and advocate for the preservation of historical sites, Burbriski was frequently opposed to the College’s efforts to ex-

pand construction projects into residential regions of Williamstown. A three-person panel of the Historical Commission unanimously voted to delay the building's demolition by six months after hearing from several of Brubriski’s children.

The College originally bought the property to be used for housing. After several years, however, the College determined that it would be necessary to destroy the building in order to construct a new science building. Recently, College administrators have been attempting to find a vendor to move the house, but with little success.

The Historical Commission’s decision to disallow demolition was ultimately based on the perceived historic value of the structure.

State Representative seeks to form opioid task force State Representative Paul Mark has stated his intention to include funding for an opioid task force specifically targeted at Berkshire County in the Massachusetts state budget. Mark’s amendment to the budget would allocate $250,000 in funding to start the task force and would depend on collaboration from the Berkshire Opioid Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office. The task force would not focus on enforcing antidrug laws, but would rather emphasize prevention, education and treatment. In fact, a portion of the money would

go specifically to helping addicted inmates find treatment to better equip them for success upon leaving prison.

Previously, Mark proposed similar legislation for Franklin County, which is partially in his district and lies directly to the east of Berkshire County. That legislation, which went into effect four years ago, has resulted in decreased opioid usage in the county over the last several years.

Commission on conservation rejects proposal to build cell tower On April 12, the Conservation Commission disallowed the building of a cell tower at Margaret Lindley Park, a Williamstown park to the south of the College. The committee listened to testimony advocating for the cell tower for more than an hour, but Commissioner Robert Hatton refused to allow the park to be sacrificed for the project. Verizon Wireless, which has been attempting to build the tower, will be forced to go to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

Previously, a meeting with the ZBA resulted in Verizon seeking a permit to build the tower by a roadside near the park.

This attempt garnered fierce opposition, however, from townspeople, leading Verizon to seek the park as an alternative possibility. As the park is under the custody of the Conservation Commission, the Commission's unanimous disapproval makes the cell tower’s ultimate construction very unlikely.

FEATURES 6

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 different 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 coffee! 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 field 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 five days in Moscow and five days in St. Petersburg. It was really awesome to finally 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,

The Williams Record

May 2, 2018

One in Two Thousand

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.”

ANDREW BLONIARZ ’18

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 difficulties 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 fulfilling 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 definitely 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,

definitely fit 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 officially done, let’s think about it.” It was just like, “Whoop, on to the next thing.”

You were team captain, though, right?

SOPHIA SHIN/PHOTO EDITOR 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

This week in Williams history Articles from the archives: 1961

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 fit 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.

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?

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 definitely 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 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 different 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 different elements of such a dynamic non-profit 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

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 different, 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 fill 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 differs 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 difficulties, 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 offer such a program. “Williams is one of the only colleges that offers an astronomy major for undergraduates,” Brendan Rosseau ’19, a double major in astronomy and economics, said. “Usually, to get that kind of specificity, 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 offers specifically 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 field 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 effort 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.

KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR

On average, the department has the lowest number of declared majors, with approximately three to six.

May 2, 2018

7 FEATURES

The Williams Record

Ephs flock 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 briefly 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

RB SMITH/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Last Saturday, students participated in a bird walk event in Hopkins Forest where they learned about nature, forestry and birdwatching. 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 flags 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 flags on Paresky lawn, outside the Facilities Office, at Weston Field and on Cole Field.

The raising and lowering of these flags mark the College community’s commemoration of various important occasions, from personal celebrations to national times of mourning.

Throughout the year, there are specific dates, such as Sept.

11, on which the flags are stationed at half-mast. Levering also receives notifications from several listserves, including American Flag Express and State House Events, which inform him about other reasons that require flags to be lowered.

“Most of the time, these events are related to famous or important or political figures,” he explained. Recently, the flag was lowered to pay respect to James Miceli, a former Massachusetts state representative, who passed away on April 21. Notifications that pertain specifically to Massachusetts are sent from Governor Charlie Baker’s office. For nationwide events — such as school shootings or the death of important figures, such as Barbara Bush — the President of the United States needs to declare a

presidential proclamation in order for a flag to be lowered.

On campus, the College’s flags are also completely removed during severe weather or high winds. “The Paresky flags are expensive, being as big as they are… That’s an 18-foot flag,” Levering said. “So it looks nice up there, but when you pull it down, it’s huge.”

When Levering receives a notification to lower the College’s flags, he sends out the word to the custodial crew at Paresky who lower the flag on the lawn, the custodian for the Facilities Office for the flag outside of it and the ground’s crew that takes care of the flags across the road at Weston Field. The flags’ status is of interest to flag devotees in the Williamstown community as well, Levering said. “Quite a few folks who are patriotic … contact me about their concerns, or if [the flag] is getting too faded or if there’s a tear,” Levering said. “Many community members are on the listserv of when these flags 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 flags are lowered for restoration. For example, because the Paresky flag 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 flag can be damaged. The flag material, therefore, needs to be durable, and the bigger the flag, the better it is built.

Flags on campus are replaced every year, and old flags 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 flags 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 flag to be flown over the campus, folded and presented to her as a wedding gift,” he recalled, smiling. Naturally, the College purchased a flag, flew 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 flags from students’ home countries to fly on Commencement Day. “This year, we are flying 60 flags,” Levering said.

If flag devotees or newly interested students want to learn why the flag 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 flags to halfstaff 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 first 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

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.

TUNNEL CITY Are you a fiend for caffeine 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.

MARBLE SLABS 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.

ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER Need a setting to do away with your problem set fretting? Head to Zilkha for certifiably fresher O2, serotonin-inducing sunshine and greener pastures all around. Mother Earth approved.

WCMA 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.

KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR

Many factors impact when the five American flags on campus are displayed at half-mast.

that and dig it up and figure 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 effect 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 off 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 first 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 definitely go again because I feel like I only scratched the surface of the bird world!”

8 ARTS

The Williams Record

May 2, 2018

New animation studio debuts fanciful feature film

By CECELIA MESSBAUER STAFF WRITER In the wake of the tragic death of Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata and the almost-retirement of his legendary partner Hayao Miyazaki, Williamstown received a rejuvenating glimpse into the future of Japanese animation with Images’ weekend screenings of the debut film from Studio Ponoc, Mary and the Witch’s Flower.

Founded by former Ghibli lead producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, Ponoc tasked fellow Ghibli alum Hiromasa Yonebayashi (director of The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie was There) to helm its first feature, an adaptation of British author Mary Stewart’s children’s novel The Little Broomstick. Mary and the Witch’s Flower was first released in July of 2017, with an English language version released in July of 2018. Images screened multiple matinees of the English dub and held one evening showing of the Japanese version, introduced by Professor of Comparative and Japanese Literature Christopher Bolton.

Like many Ghibli classics, Mary and the Witch’s Flower utilizes a premise in which a young girl living a mundane but pleasantly rustic childhood gets swept into a world of the supernatural, where she must rescue a young boy who gets inadvertently caught up in it with her.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDb.COM.

Studio Pinoc was founded by Hiromasa Yonabayashi, former animator at Studio Ghibli and the director of some of the company’s recent movies.

Specifically, young heroine Mary Smith lives at the British estate of her greataunt Charlotte, where Mary’s boredom is compounded by a clumsiness that prevents her from effectively helping people. She also is frustrated by her own lack of self-esteem, represented by her dislike for her wild red hair and her lack of friends; her neighbor Peter makes fun of her, and her closest bond is with Peter’s black cat Tib. Things kick into fantastical high gear, though, when Mary embarks on a journey into the woods in pursuit of Tib and

another cat, Gib. She discovers an old broomstick and a mysterious glowing flower, the Fly-By-Night, whose petals turn the broom into a flying machine that carries Mary to a magical establishment hidden in the clouds.

That establishment is revealed to be Endor College, a school for magical education that stylistically answers the question, “What if Yubaba’s bathhouse from Miyazaki’s Spirited Away was also Hogwarts?” Richly realized with surrealist visuals (the first being that Mary encounters is a mustachioed fox who

teaches her proper broom care) and an intriguing angle that presents magic as merely another form of science that can be applied in a modern industrial fashion, the school is run by physically imposing but seemingly benevolent headmistress Madame Mumblechook and short, bearded head scientist Doctor Dee. Both take an interest in Mary when the infusion of the FlyBy-Night gives her the powers of a magical prodigy.

Despite the school’s ominous warnings against imposters and the one-day time limit of each Fly-By-Night

petal’s magic, Mary is so swept up by the praise she is receiving – she even learns that red hair is a rare sign of a prodigious witch – that she initially goes along with the illusion. When she is forced to reveal the truth in order to get home, however, the necessity of the Fly-By-Night for the headmistress’ and doctor’s schemes leads them to kidnap Peter as leverage.

This forces Mary to employ her temporary magic to rescue him and stop the dangerous experiments that the flower will enable. In turn, she finds her own heroism.

The film’s greatest strength lies in its stunning visuals; the animation is masterful in its subtle depictions of the human world and even more so when it leaps off the screen to bring the surreal supernatural world to life with some of the most inventive visualizations of magic ever seen in the medium.

The characters are not quite as fleshed out as some of the iconic Ghibli protagonists. Mary’s arc doesn’t have many layers to it, and Peter does not get much characterization beyond being the confident boy-next-door turned frazzled boy-in-distress. They are ably brought to life, though, with stellar voice acting; Mary is voiced with perfect childlike determination by Hana Sugisaki, and the headmistress and doctor are given intimidating authority by Yuki Amami and Fumiyo Kohinata, respectively. Also noteworthy is Shinobu Atake as GreatAunt Charlotte, whose wise guardianship dovetails with a surprising backstory.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower is slight in places, and its characters could have used more room to breathe, but the story they are caught up in is so wondrously imaginative and magically animated that it is immensely enjoyable nonetheless. If this solid effort is just the start for Studio Ponoc, then Studio Ghibli just might see its offshoot turn into a serious competitor.

SNEAKERS ON SPRING STREET

By TESNIM ZEKERIA, MANAGING EDITOR

Looking for your next pair of kicks? Check out these sneakers that students have been sportin’ on campus.

“My cigarette fell on them the first day I got them and burned a hole.

But they’re still cool.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEITH FORMAN/THE ’62 CENTER.

Breidy Cueto ’19 Nike Classic Cortez sneaker

Sofia Barandiaran ’20 played the role of Phaedra in Phaedra / Hippolytus / by Mia Georgina Hull ’17.

Purple Valley Plays give rising student playwrights a unique platform

By KAIRA MEDIRATTA ARTS EDITOR “I’d never thought about writing a play because I’m mostly interested in poetry,” Joseph Messer ’21 said regarding his recent playwriting debut in the annual Purple Valley Plays. While it may come as a surprise that Messer had never written a play prior to being selected as one of five students whose works would be featured this year, it is less so when considering that this is exactly what Purple Valley Plays seeks to do: incubate new works and cultivate the next generation of theatre artists.

This Theatre Department tradition offers a platform for aspiring playwrights at the College, including those who have never written before, to have their works given full production support by companies of artists. These works – written, directed, designed and performed by students – transform the CenterStage at the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance and the Adams Memorial Theatre (AMT) into adaptable venues for vastly different theatrical works. Performances lasted three days, beginning last Thursday evening and running through Saturday.

The production as a whole consisted of two programs.

Program One, performed each night at 7 p.m. in the AMT, was comprised of two

plays: Phaedra / Hippolytus / by Mia Georgina Hull ’17 and River Spirits by Terah Ehigiator ’18. Program Two, taking place at 8:30 p.m. on the CenterStage, featured three plays: Majesty in the Middle Realm by Chanel Palmer ’19, Chastens and Hastens by Tom Robertshaw ’19 and What If We Loved with our Radiated Bodies?

by Joseph Messer ’21. The production was unique in its makeup; attendees could choose to either see all five plays in one evening or attend the two programs on separate nights.

Though the performances lasted only three days, the road to Purple Valley Plays began way back in October, when student writers with theatrical inclinations submitted original works.

Messer gave some insight as to how his plays originate.

“My process is that I always just write every time I read, so I’m always trying to use the material I read to make something,” he said. “I just have a document full of random writings, and when I saw they were going to have a playwriting competition thing, I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll use this document I have and turn it into a play.’”

The five plays performed in Purple Valley Plays explored a vast array of topics, from Greek mythology to boyhood to Thanksgiving. One source of inspiration for Messer was

contemporary poetry, which he fell in love with when he attended Deep Springs, an isolated two-year, all-men’s college in the California desert. “I like Fred Moten, who’s a jazz theorist and poet,” Messer said. “He writes a lot about the sonic elements of language. I [also] like Louise Glück – she used to teach here. I always think of her as a poet who’s really interested in memory, in the ways in which past, present and future are all this one moment of time instead of being seen in a line with past before present and future after present.”

Messer’s writing often begins with real experiences, although the works eventually take on a life of their own.

“I think when I start writing, it’s like I have an experience, and I really want to record the sensations of it, or I feel like I start writing with an emotion that needs to take some form, but then once it takes a form, it’s obviously very different from the original experience. [There are] layers built upon it.”

Purple Valley Plays offered emerging artists such as Messer an unparalleled opportunity to bring these written ideas to life. And with the conglomeration of efforts from student performers, playwrights, directors and designers, the resulting production was a shining tribute to student talent.

“I appreciate a Canvas sneaker. I like all the possible shades of eggshell – that whole spectrum is good.’’

Kristina Hwang ’18.5 Converse Chuck Taylor All Star High

“When I saw them they reminded me of silly putty. That’s why I got them.”

Marcus Iwama ’19 Vans Old Skool Pro

“I found these at a thrift shop, tried to Google them and found out they were an unreleased sample. You can’t buy them.”

Nick Nsangou ’20 Unreleased Saucony Originals

9 ARTS

The Williams Record

May 2, 2018

‘Carpinteros’ brings Dominican cinema to the Berkshires

By ZOÉ CHEVALIER STAFF WRITER On April 2, 16 and 23, Images held its first-ever Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival, and the results were outstanding. The theme of the festival, “Race, Gender and Political Dissent: Latin American and Caribbean Film Today,” was chosen to stimulate discussion about the region both on campus and in the Berkshire community. Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish Walfrido Dorta, who organized the festival, explained, “It is important to show the plurality of Latin American and Caribbean societies in times where the media tends to give us negative, stereotypical images of these countries.”

The movies, all chosen by Dorta and Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish Mirta Suquet, featured the works of young directors from Cuba, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. “These movies are representations of struggle and resistance in societies that are facing extreme hardships,” Dorta said.

Santa y Andrés, directed

by Carlos Lechuga, and La Soledad (The Solitude), directed by Jorge Thielen Armand, were the first two films featured. The last movie of the festival was Carpinteros, or “Woodpeckers” in English. Released in 2017 and directed by José Maria Cabral, this Dominican mov-

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDb.COM.

Jean Jean and Judith Rodriguez Perez play the roles of Julián and Yanelly, two inmates who fall in love in a Dominican prison. ie has already received many awards and was selected for the 2017 Sundance Festival.

A tale of love in the midst of hell, this movie is extremely touching, thrilling at times and a cutting critique of the penal system.

The story takes place in the Dominican Republic’s Najayo prison, where men and women who are separated find new ways of communicating. A complicated system of body signals, mimicking those of woodpeckers, allows them to express their feelings. Julián, a young inmate,

kindles a romance from afar with another inmate while struggling to hide it from dozens of guards and other prisoners. On a broader scale, this movie also depicts an unjust prison system – where most inmates are black – and exposes the violence that they face.

The film begins with the arrival of Julián in the prison, with lengthy scenes depicting the humiliating experience of having his possessions taken and his hair shaved while being forced to obey the orders of scream-

ing guards. The peak of this humiliation comes when one guard makes him bend over to ensure that he is not hiding anything in his buttocks.

As Julián begins to discover the horrors of prison, he realizes that the strongest dominate. The powerful decide who has the chance to sleep on a real bed and who gets to have a full portion of food. Despite initially feeling lost, Julián soon begins to associate with a powerful inmate, Manaury, who promises to protect him in exchange for favors. When Manaury

gets moved to another prison, he asks Julián to communicate with his girlfriend Yanelly for him. Climbing up the window overlooking the women’s prison, Julián begins communicating with Yanelly through a system of hand signals.

A relationship is soon forged between Julián and Yanelly, at first solely through non-verbal communication, which adds a poetic layer to the movie. The two lovers will do everything to meet in person, including signing up for music ses-

sions in order to be able to perform together at the annual prison show. The film depicts the many complicated ways in which they manage to communicate via letters, with complicated arrangements that give them reasons to live. This beautiful relationship comes as a breath of fresh air in the sinister prison atmosphere.

The movie takes a dark turn, however, when Manaury becomes aware of this love story, making it his mission to separate the two lovers. After trying to implicate Julián in a drug deal, his plan backfires, and he ends up with Julián in an even worse prison camp. Yanelly, meanwhile, is set free after completing her sentence.

She comes to visit Julián, ultimately finding herself in the midst of a violent prison revolt. The tragic ending of the movie is suddenly interrupted by Yanelly; looking straight at the camera, she uses her hand language as a sign of strength and determination to keep living.

Inspired by real life events and shot on the actual location of the Najayo prison, Carpinteros is an unparalleled depiction of the violence of prison and the terrible conditions of life for inmates in the Dominican Republic. And as for the American viewer, one unfortunately cannot help but be reminded of our own prisonindustrial complex.

Campus buildings: A crossword

LIVE MUSIC

ZEMOG EL GALLO BUENO Saturday, May 5, 8pm

CLUB B10 | $10 STUDENTS | $14 ADVANCE | $20 DAY OF | $26 PREFERRED

TICKETS: massmoca.org or 413.MoCA.111 | North Adams, Mass.

Across 2. First dorm to have plumbing 6. 1946 faculty housing, now a co-op 7. Houses art history grad students (two words) 8. Sport facility preceding Sage Hall (two words) 10. Originally called South College 12. Formerly Grace Hall (two words) 13. Co-op ____ Hopkins 14. Second-oldest building on campus (two words) Down 1. Named for a former New Jersey governor 3. First College chapel 4. Former name of Fitch (two words) 5. Old Phi Delta Theta fraternity house 9. Paresky predecessor 11. Original College building 15. Named after a former U.S. president

WRITE FOR THE RECORD! Come to weekly writers' meetings on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. in Paresky 209 OR Email ras3@williams.edu

10 SPORTS

The Williams Record

May 2, 2018

Sports Information presents Aaron Pinsky ’06 and Frank Deford Awards

By CHARLES XU SPORTS EDITOR In Griffin 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

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.

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 find 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 semifinal after splitting two games this week

By WILL GENTILELLO STAFF WRITER No. 4 men’s lacrosse (9-7) advanced to its third NESCAC semifinal 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

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 first five minutes, with Hincks scoring his third goal and Brendan Hoffman ’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-

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 off, and PJ Kelleher scored off 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 fired 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 off 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 final goal of the game when he converted off a pass from Hincks with 21 seconds remaining, making the final score 10-4 for the Williams win.

Eph head coach George McCormack praised the efforts of his defense. "The difference today was the defense and an opportunistic offense," 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.

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 deficit to just four goals. The Panther offensive power soon picked back up with four unanswered goals in the remainder of the first 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 efforts 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 final quarter was 18-8 in Middlebury’s favor.

Williams netted the first score of the final quarter with a goal by Ryan Gibbs ’20, as-

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 offensive 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 final 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.

CAPTAINS’ CORNER: BRIAN GRODECKI ’18 What sports did you play in your childhood?

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

By CHARLES XU SPORTS EDITOR

Team: Men's tennis Hometown: Wayne, Penn.

Residence: Fayerweather Major: English and chemistry Snack bar order: Chicken shawarma

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.

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 figure 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

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 sacrifices in order to benefit the team, constantly demonstrating the selflessness 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.

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 finished the off season, or it’s the middle of the season battle.

It’s impressive that you and the tri-captains can still maintain the teamaspect in a more individual sport like tennis.

What was it like playing in the Oracle Cup in the fall?

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 field 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

I ended up winning the northeastern division, so Coach Greenberg and I headed down to Rome, Ga. I ended up winning my first match, and I lost my second match, both of which were very close. I played my best match in the third-place playoff, 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

stone and something we could use to improve upon and give us momentum going into the winter and the off season. I’ve never been quite as interested in the individual results, but I think [the tournament] was a great springboard heading into the off season and then finally 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 much better, and we’ve really created an atmosphere that breeds success just by doing the right things and doing that each and every day. I just want to emphasize that our accomplishments are the result of an entire unit committing themselves to progress.

I don’t think any other team in the country has such a cohesive and consistent growth mindset, and that year-round desire is something that’s impossible to teach. I wouldn’t trade any of these guys for the world.

May 2, 2018

SPORTS 11

The Williams Record

Rachel Asher Hyland ’09 places fourth in Boston Marathon

By CASSIE DESHONG SPORTS EDITOR

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 influenced 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 first hill after the firehouse always

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 first 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 specific goal time in mind,” she said. “So, it's not just to finish 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 field teams.

“There were so many people on the team, so it was great to

feels the hardest, but for some reason, I hardly noticed it,” she said. “Getting up those hills was perhaps the most effortless 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 finish,” 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 confident during those miles.”

Marathons are difficult 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 fighting,” 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 confident and smart when you race a marathon,” she explained. “There is so much that goes into it – there is fueling, hydration, prepara-

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. 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 first time qualifying for the Olympic trials, was great because my whole family was there. I had a lot of friends there, and I qualified 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

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 finished in 9:20.74.

Kahrs and Marshall finished right behind in fifth and sixth in 9:22.59 and 9:22.73, respectively. Lange, meanwhile, cut over a minute off of his debut from two weeks ago, finishing eighth in 9:28.87.

Williams also started well in the field events. In the shot put, Liam Pembroke '18 finished seventh, throwing 13.60 meters.

In the javelin, James Heinl '19 finished 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, finishing sixth with a mark of 47.29 meters. Muellers, meanwhile, returned shortly

On Saturday, men's track and field finished 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 first 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 qualified for the finals.

They would later finish seventh and eighth in 15.37 and 15.39, respectively. Jeremy Thaller '19 also qualified for the finals in the 100m, finishing fifth in 10.95.

thereafter in the long jump, winning the event on the final 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 finished fifth 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 fifth in 3:55.02, while Ben Hearon '20 rounded out the scorers, finishing eighth in 3:57.32. Muellers returned to compete in the 400m, finishing second in 48.22 seconds, while Cole O'Flaharty ’21 broke the 49-second barrier for the first time, finishing in 48.91 for sixth. After an impressive 800m performance from Kevin LaFleche ’20, who kicked extremely hard to finish second in a national-qualifying 1:51.10, the Ephs held a small lead going into the last third of the meet.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

Tristan Colaizzi '20 finished third in the 1500m with a time of 3:53.13, helping the Ephs place second.

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Williams continued to perform well, but Middlebury proved even stronger. In the pole vault, Pierceson Brown '18 cleared 4.55 meters to finish fifth, 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, finishing sixth in 22.07.

O'Flaherty returned as well, finishing fifth in 22.01. In the high jump, Ian Kagame '19 and James Dunivan '19 each cleared 1.83 meters for fifth and sixth, respectively. Going into the last three events, the 5000m, 4x400m and 4x800m, the Ephs were down by 20 points and were fighting with Tufts to secure the runner-up position.

In the final events, Williams was strong, holding off Tufts to clinch second place. In the 5000m, Griffin Colaizzi '18 weathered tough pack conditions to finish fourth in 15:11.64.

In the 4x400m, the team of O'Flaharty, LaFleche, T. Colaizzi and Muellers finished 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 off 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.

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 field 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 office 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 go for a run. I can do my grading or planning at a different time. For longer workouts during the week, I would have to get up very early to fit those in before class, and sometimes I would go for a run after coaching to be able to fit it in.”

With her dedication to running and confidence in her training, Hyland has found immense success as a top finisher in the Boston Marathon.

Men’s crew closes out season in Worcester

By CHARLIE IDE TEAM CORRESPONDENT

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 off 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 find the rhythm and composure they had earlier in the headwind. Bates finished 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 finished 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 find [the] groove we established in [the] week leading up to this race, but this will fuel the fire leading into next week," Ellison said.

On Saturday, the Ephs will be back on Lake Quinsigamond for their first race of the championship season.

Men’s crew raced against strong competitors this Saturday on Lake Quinsigamond for the team’s final regular-season race of the year. The 1V placed fourth, while the 2V, 3V and 4V4+ in the Varsity 4 race placed last.

A stiff 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 first part of the race well and came through the 750-meter mark just about even with Trinity but off the race leaders, WPI and Bates. Failing to handle the stiff headwind, the boat lost rhythm and composure in the next 750 meters. In the final 500 meters, the men managed to pull things back together for the final sprint.

However, they were too far back to catch Trinity. Bates finished 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 off 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 finished 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-

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK "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 efforts."

“Cori has had a great pro-

–Head coach Nate Hoey

–Head coach Tomas Adalsteinsson

gression 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 benefits of the work she has put in, and that is fun for her and the team.”

IZABELLE ITH ’21

CORDELIA CHAN ’19

Ith helped the women win the NESCAC Championships this past weekend by placing first in the long jump, third in the 4x100m relay and seventh in the triple jump.

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.

WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD PETERSBURG, ARK.

WOMEN'S GOLF WINDSOR, ONTARIO.

12 SPORTS

The Williams Record

May 2, 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

On Saturday, No. 3 women’s track and field registered many personal bests and scored 200 points en route to its fifth consecutive NESCAC Championship and its 17th in the last 18 years.

Women’s track and field clinches fifth straight NESCAC Championship

By CAITLIN UBL and KATE KENNEDY TEAM CORRESPONDENTS On Saturday, No. 3 women's track and field scored 200 points at the NESCAC Championship to take top honors in the conference.

The Ephs traveled to Hartford, Conn. and competed at Trinity’s Jessee-Miller Field.

Under a cloudy sky, Emma Hermann ’20 started the Ephs off with a stellar 1000m, covering the 25-lap distance in 36:40.61. Hermann battled with a competitor from Hamilton through most of the race but clinched the runner-up finish on the final straightaway. Sarah Tully ’21 earned seventh place in her first 1000m, outkicking two competitors in the final 100

meters to score at her first ever conference championship meet. Victoria Kingham ’18 continued the Ephs’ success on the track, running a six-second personal best in the 3000m steeplechase, crossing the line in 10:48.94 to handily win the event. Cocaptain Emily Sundquist ’18 made several recoveries to finish in 11:21.73 for fifth, and Emily Harris ’19 finished in a personal best of 11:32.96 for eighth.

For a change of pace, the team of Kennedy Green ’19, Megan Powell ’20, Izabelle Ith ’21 and Ally Isley ’20 took to the track for the 4x100m relay.

The quartet crossed the line in a season-best time of 48.23 seconds for third place.

Ith went on to win the long jump with a huge leap of 5.62

meters. She was followed in the long jump by Astia Innis '20 in fourth at 5.30 and Kelsie Hao '21, who reached 5.28 for fifth. The Ephs also excelled in the triple jump. Sierra Diaz ’20 had an enormous personal best of 11.48 meters for first place, Kene Odenigbo ’19 leapt 10.94 for fifth, Cailin Stollar ’21 hit a mark of 10.87 for sixth and Ith jumped 10.86 to finish in seventh.

Back on the track, Stella Worters ’18 ran a personal best of 4:36.42 in the 1500m, placing sixth in a highly competitive field. Powell placed second in the 400m with a time of 57.66 and was followed by Davis Collison '21 in fifth with a time of 58.44.

Powell also ran a sixth-place 200m with a personal-best time of 25.31. Green was the

first athlete from Williams to cross the line in the 200m, placing fifth with a time of 25.15. Green also took top honors in the 100m, clocking 12.13 to win by over a 10th of a second. Isley ran 12.68 for eighth place. In the finals of the 100m hurdles, Ith led the Ephs with a huge personal best of 14.56 for third. Caitlin Ubl '19 also hit a personal best with her fourth place finish in 15.02. Kate Kennedy '18 clocked 15.39 for sixth.

In the 800m, Anna Passannante '20 ran a season-best time of 2:12.96 for second.

Kennedy sprinted to a secondplace finish in the 400m hurdles with a speedy 1:01.66. Cocaptain Kayley McGonagle '18 finished third in 1:03.49, and Sierra Loomis '20 crossed the line in 1:07.00 for fifth.

Meanwhile, in the high jump, co-captain Helene Hall '18 completed a dramatic comeback, defending her NESCAC title with a leap of 1.69 meters. Emma Egan '20 was right on her heels with a leap of 1.64 meters in second place. In the pole vault, Hao delivered an incredible performance, clearing 3.70 for the first time. Maggie Murphy '19 clinched third with a leap of 3.40.

In the throws, Morgan Dauk '21 impressively heaved the javelin 35.31 meters to earn seventh place. Lauren Crist '20 threw 34.88 meters in the discus to also place seventh. Audrey Rustad '20 closed out the individual events with a gutsy 5000m performance, taking the lead with 450 meters to go and

eventually finishing third with a time of 17:19.74.

The 4x400m relay of McGonagle, Kennedy, Collison and Powell finished third with a time of 3:55.30. The 4x800m relay took second, bolstered by a solid start from co-captain Anna Harleen '18, consistently strong legs from Worters and Eliza Matt '18 and a great finish by Passannante. Their combined time was 9:16.21.

"NESCACs was a great meet with some huge [personal records], season bests and gritty performances," Harleen mentioned.

The Ephs ended the day with a sum total of 200 points. This weekend, the women will travel to MIT to compete at the Div. III New England Championship.

Women’s golf places first at Williams Invitational Men’s golf finishes third at NESCAC Championship

By CORDELIA CHAN TEAM CORRESPONDENT

Women’s golf won the Williams Invitational at Taconic Golf Course last weekend.

The team posted a record-low stroke total of 602 through Saturday and Sunday. Cordelia Chan ’19 finished first individually, and tri-captain Liz Gudas ’18 finished second. The Ephs enter the NCAA tournament as the No. 4 seed in the field of 25.

In the first round on Saturday, the Ephs jumped out to a 19-stroke lead against Amherst and Carnegie Mellon.

Gudas led the team with an even-par 72. She was masterful with her approach shots, and her putter earned her four birdies. “It was a really good day for me today,” Gudas said. “I didn't have anything over a bogey, and I didn't have any three-putts. It was a nice bounceback from the past two weekends, and I'm happy that this was the start to my career in-season finish.”

Tri-captain Phoebe Mattana ’18 was four over through her first five holes, but she fought her way back to a solid two-over 74. Chan matched Mattana's score with a 74 of her own, fashioning five birdies in her round. Isabella Wang ’19 shot an 81, and Holly Davenport ’21 finished off the scoring with an 83.

Mehr Sawant ’21 and Gabby Martin ’21 both broke 80 for their first times on the course with a pair of 79s. Tricaptain Maddy Abrahams ’18 and Stella Woo ’21 shot a pair of 80s. Cindy Wang ’20 and Renee Kwak ’20 shot 84 and 85, respectively. “[It] was a very good day for our team,” head coach Tomas Adalsteinsson said. “Ball striking has been really good, but we were lacking in our feel on and around the greens.

We prepared well [last] week, and we knew that with the combination of patience and discipline, we could see some good scores on Saturday. I'm so proud of our team's hard

work and the belief we have in our team.”

Chan led the Ephs with a oneover 73 on Sunday. She worked in four birdies in her round on her way to receiving medalist honors for the tournament.

Gudas claimed second with a Sunday score of 76.

She started her round with a tough 41 on the front nine but fought her way back to shoot a one-under 35 on the back. Mattana struggled on the course and shot an 83 for a T-6 finish. Wang climbed 10 spots on the leaderboard with a 77.

She and Davenport were T-8 individually. Davenport cut eight strokes from her Saturday score. Her 75 featured nine one-putts. The six individuals also had solid rounds. Kwak led all individuals in the field with a breakthrough round of 74, catapulting up the leaderboard into T-10. Martin and Sawant shot 82 and 84, respectively.

Woo, Abrahams and Wang finished off with scores of 84,

85 and 86, which put them at 21, T-22 and 27 individually.

The women bested their closest competitors, Carnegie Mellon and Middlebury, who shot 635 and 650, respectively, in the two days of competition.

“It was very impressive to see the team follow Saturday’s round with another impressive performance,” Adalsteinsson said.

“The 36-hole team score is the best we've done at Taconic and really is a testament to the players' hard work and determination. It was such a privilege to finish the regular season at our home course and with friends and family there to cheer us on.”

On Monday, the women received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the 11th straight year. Last season, the Ephs finished in fourth place, and they have never finished below the top-10 in their 11 appearances. The women will travel to Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. to compete at Mission Inn Resort and Club from May 8 to 11.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

Tri-captain Liz Gudas ’18 placed second at the Williams Invitational, scoring a 76 on Sunday and an even-par 72 on Saturday.

By JAKE FOEHL TEAM CORRESPONDENT Men’s golf finished third at the NESCAC Championship last weekend behind Trinity and Amherst, posting a twoday total of 608 strokes.

Despite a late push in the second round, the Ephs were unable to chase down eventual champion Trinity on the Bantams’ home course. 11 shots behind the lead after day one, the Ephs could not quite vault themselves to the top of the leaderboard. Just two shots back of Amherst going into the final round, Trinity played well enough to close out the event, firing a strong Sunday score of 291 to win with a two-day score of 594. Williams finished the tournament in third place, with a Sunday score of 297 and a final score of 608.

At Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Conn., Saturday was an up-and-down day for the Ephs. The perpetually solid duo of assistant captain Sam Goldenring ’20 and Will Kannegieser ’20 fired a pair of 76s to lead the Ephs' day one scoring. Both Goldenring and Kannegieser flirted with par all day, but a few loose shots, coupled with some putts that did not quite drop, led to some late bogeys.

Ben Beiers ’20 and Beau David ’21 added a pair of 80s, rounding out the scoring for the Ephs. Beiers managed his round well, making the turn at two over, but stumbled late to shoot 80 on the number. David had a rollercoaster round, highlighted by four birdies.

Co-captain Jake Foehl ’19 struggled for most of the day, finishing with an 82.

The Ephs' Sunday push was highlighted by a one-under 71 from Goldenring, who played solid golf all day before heating up midway through the back nine with birdies on the 13th and 14th holes. He proceeded to drive to the green on the reachable par-4 16th – the only player in the field to do so on the day –

leading to another birdie. A bogey on the downhill par-3 17th stymied Goldenring slightly, but he was able to get in the clubhouse with an excellent round below par, leaving him in third on the individual leaderboard.

Beiers also greatly aided the Ephs' charge with a oneover 73. The sophomore demonstrated great control and steady play all day, rarely leaving himself out of position.

Making the turn at two over, a birdie at 10 got Beiers back to one over, which he was able to take all the way to the house.

David scored a 76, and Kannegeiser scored a 77. David plodded along for the early part of his round, making mostly pars and bogeys on his front nine and early on the back. However, David caught a spark midway through the back nine with birdies on 13 and 14 in a similar fashion to Goldenring. He stumbled slightly, coming in with bogeys on the final holes, capping off his solid round at 76.

Kannegieser made the turn at a few strokes over par but was hindered by a tough double bogey at the par-4 13th. Unfazed, he bounced back brilliantly with a pair of birdies at the 14th and 15th, continuing the trend of strong play midway through the back nine for the Ephs. Kannegieser was unlucky to drop a couple more shots coming down the stretch, as his approach on the par-3 17th found a creek over the green, leading to another double bogey followed by a par on the par-5 18th for a 77.

Foehl added a 78, highlighted by birdies on the par-4 6th and the par-5 14th, making him the fourth Eph golfer to birdie 14 on the day.

A double bogey at the par-4 15th slowed Foehl's momentum, but he was able to finish off with a solid round of 78.

The men graduate co-captain Grant Raffel ’17.5.

The Ephs look forward to a spring and summer filled with playing and practice before teeing up again in the fall.