Dec. 6, 2017: Rev. Rick Spalding retires from College chaplaincy

ARTS P. 8 Cap & Bells performs rendition of ‘Pygmalion'

SPORTS P. 12 The Independent Student Newspaper at Williams College Since 1887 VOL. CXXXII, NO. 10

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2017

Women’s soccer wins, claims NCAA title

Rev. Rick Spalding retires from College chaplaincy By FRANCESCA PARIS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR After over 17 years, Reverend Rick Spalding will leave his position as chaplain to the College at the end of the semester. Spalding joined the College’s staff as chaplain to the College and coordinator of community service in the fall of 2000, after moving from Boston. Since then, he has worked with students to engage in conversations across different religious and spiritual spectrums. When he applied for the job in the summer of that year, Spalding had spent time working at Harvard, which confirmed his desire to work with emerging young adults. He was attracted to the opportunity he saw at the College to work across religious differences. “By the late ’90s, there was this interest in thinking about how different religious groups interact,” he said. “What does it mean that we’re all here together? Williams seemed ready to engage with that question.” Coincidentally, Spalding's partner had grown up in Williamstown, so he had visited numerous times before he was hired as chaplain. For the first few years, the community service aspect of the job dominated his work. As the only staff member dedicated to community service, his job required him to constantly wrangle details: getting vehicles, finding places for students to volunteer and making connections with local schools. When the College created a more robust infrastructure to support community engage-

ment, including hiring a parttime staff member and then later founding the Center for Learning in Action, Spalding’s focus shifted to the work of chaplaincy. His relationship to the community engagement aspect of life at the College continued through Where Am I!?, the first-year orientation program that he created and supervised, which has run every year since the fall of 2002. With the help of students, Spalding launched the program as an alternative to Williams Outdoor Orientation for Living as First-years (WOOLF) that included community service and a reflective component on that service. Helping organize First Days has been just a small fraction of Spalding’s work in the College community. He reflects on the job as containing three major parts: pastoral work, sectarian work and general service to the College. The pastoral work involves oneon-one supportive conversations with students. Sectarian work is dedicated to working with the Protestant Christian community, as well as supporting religious communities that don’t have a specific chaplain dedicated to them. Finally, he serves on committees, participates in events, helps handle crises and officiates weddings and memorials. All three parts have contributed to what he sees as the primary motivation for the concept of chaplaincy. “The College thinks it’s helpful for students to have people accompany them into the depths of this experience,” he said. “You come to college to figure out who you want to be as an adult. That

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE

Chaplain to the College Rick Spalding will retire from the position at the end of the fall semester after 17 years of service. project generates big questions in people’s lives. The way we do liberal arts doesn’t necessarily give you ways to answer those questions.” He says education does not come with inherent meaning, and he tries to help students begin to think about how to make meaning for themselves. Religious perspective can be a helpful lens, Spalding added, but the majority of his conversations with students have not been explicitly religious. He

describes them as “supportive, spiritual, ethical.” Through his work at the College, Spalding says he has developed a new appreciation for the complexity of religious diversity. “I was attracted to the opportunity to engage across religious differences at Williams,” he said. Through the years he has come to believe that there is no single, underlying theory tying various religious faiths and people

together. “I’ve learned that it’s not at all simple. There’s no substitute for hearing each person’s story.” Father Gary Caster, Catholic chaplain, has worked with Spalding for just over a decade, and he says Spalding’s absence will be a profound change in the chaplain’s office. “Rick cares deeply about each person with whom he comes in contact, and is the most guileless person I know,” Caster said. “However, Rick’s

most beautiful characteristic is that he walks humbly and gently through life. … Rick’s example has touched all the varying dimensions of my work as chaplain, and I truly believe I am a much better person because I have had the privilege of working with him these past 10 and a half years.” “I can say definitively that the opportunity to work alongside Rick represents SEE CHAPLAIN, PAGE 5

College routinely monitors Twitter account naming alleged lead levels in campus dorms sexual misconduct perpetrators By WILLIAM NEWTON NEWS EDITOR Before Reunion last spring, alumni with children under 6 years of age who stayed in certain campus dorms, including Frosh Quad and West College, were asked to sign the Massachusetts Vacation Rental Notification form indicating that lead paint could be present in the buildings. According to the Massachusetts “Short Term Vacation or Recreational Rental Exemption,” the property owner, in this case the College, is “not required to abate or contain any paint, plaster or other accessible structural material containing dangerous levels of lead” provided that the building owner ensures that there is no “cracked or otherwise deteriorated plaster or putty or peeling, chipping or flaking paint.” If the property owner meets this requirement and a series of similar ones outlined in the ordinance, then they can rent their property to renters with a child under 6 years

old, provided that the child is there for less than 31 days and the renters sign a waiver. According to Frank Pekarski, manager of safety and environmental compliance, the College goes through extensive checks to make sure its buildings are in compliance with this regulation in advance of Reunion, so that the College can appropriately apply the exemption and ensure that all campus buildings are safe for young children. To start, according to Pekarski, the Office of Alumni Relations and Development outlines a list of all dorm rooms that must be checked for any chipping, flaking or peeling paint. Afterward, the College conducts inspections to determine whether or not these listed buildings are in good condition. If not, they are sufficiently repaired and then re-inspected to ensure compliance. “This process ensures that there are no hazardous conditions related to lead in the building when overnight visitors with very young children are present,” Pekarski said.

The College then provides the relevant information and forms to the alumni office, which then sends the lead waiver to any parents of children under 6 years old who will be staying in campus dorms with lead paint. Using 3M LeadCheck swabs, Record staff checked for lead in several locations on campus during the past month, including Frosh Quad entries and West College. The majority of the tests returned negative, but the tests were positive in the Williams C basement stairway where there were several areas with chipped paint. The test also returned positive for the doorway in the West College basement. Pekarski emphasized that the College is continually aware of campus buildings with lead paint, and regularly checks for anything potentially dangerous. “There are buildings on campus with lead paint and [the lead levels] are managed appropriately,” Pekarski said. “This is something that we monitor as part of our routine.”

ADAM FALK PREPARES TO DEPART COLLEGE FOR ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION AFTER SEVEN YEARS AS COLLEGE'S PRESIDENT

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE

created, taken down

By SAMUEL WOLF STAFF WRITER Content warning: This article discusses sexual violence. On the morning of Nov. 20, a Twitter account was created with the handle @ WilliamsRapists and the description “Sexual Assaulters of Williams College.” Over the course of the day, the names of at least five current students were posted, in addition to a message encouraging students to “Please share the link to this page on facebook and ask your friends if they have names to submit!” It is unclear whether the survivors of sexual assault themselves submitted names or whether peers and friends undertook the task. Regardless, after about 12 hours, the account was made private and then deleted. It is no longer accessible. For students across campus, the account stirred up elation, concern, frustration and overwhelming emotion. “The first thing that I thought when I saw it was immediate concern for the safety and agency of survivors,” Ayami Hatanaka ’18, co-chair of the Rape and Sexual Assault Network (RASAN), said. Hatanaka, who does in-person contact work with survivors of sexual assault on campus, saw the account as potentially problematic. “It can be incredibly healing for a survivor to have an outlet like this, but it can also be deeply re-traumatizing,” she said. She elaborated that some survivors could feel uncomfortable in seeing the name of their perpetrator, or feel guilty if they themselves do not feel able to name the person who has harmed them. Hatanaka also emphasized that RASAN was

in no way involved in the creation of the Twitter account. However, RASAN did hold emergency open office hours in response to the account and the resulting confusion and atmosphere of crisis for some on campus. Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Meg Bossong ’05 found a diversity of reactions to the account’s creation. “I hear from people who are feeling everything from overwhelmed, to a feeling that their experience is missing from the narrative that’s in focus at the moment and wondering about what that means for them and their support system to feeling solidarity and relief that the issue is being discussed more broadly. Those are very big categories of human experience,” she said. For Hatanaka, this divergence of experience was reflective of her work throughout her time on RASAN. “That’s part of what’s really hard about doing activism work on this topic. … How do you acknowledge that different survivors want different things and protect confidentiality?” For Bossong, the appearance of the account, though shocking, hardly struck her as a new phenomenon. “People have been talking about their experiences of violence and harassment for a long time, including naming the person or people who harmed them,” she said. She was additionally skeptical of Twitter’s potential to revolutionize the reporting of sexual assault, adding, “as far as Twitter, it’s a tool. Some people find it useful and effective; some people find it ineffective or troubling.” Hatanaka, too, did not see the account as an isolated incident. “Over the past couple of years, there have been re-

peated calls for something like this,” she said. As for why some survivors or allies chose this particular method of reporting, Bossong said that it “has to do with everything from personal coping styles to how people perceive the support levels of those around them, to very real safety risks.” However, for Hatanaka, there was a far clearer explanation for the choice to resort to Twitter: a SEE TWITTER, PAGE 5

WHAT’S INSIDE 3 OPINIONS Rev. Rick Spalding reflects on his tenure at the College 4 NEWS OSL revises housing appeals process 7 FEATURES New club boggles the mind with word-play 9 ARTS Reading of ‘Harvey’ held at bookstore 11 SPORTS Farwell to be inducted into USTFCCCA Hall of Fame

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

2 OPINIONS

The Williams Record

Arts Editors Shaheen Currimjee and Li Yu

Editor-in-Chief Emmy Maluf Managing Editors Marit Björnlund and Jack Brent Greenberg Communications Director Francesca Paris Executive Editors Michael Green, Rachel Levin, Maddy McFarland, Neena Patel, Lucy Putnam, Skylar Smith and Tesnim Zekeria News Editors Nicholas Goldrosen and William Newton Opinions Editor Taran Dugal Features Editors Jane Petersen and R.B. Smith

Sports Editors Brooke Horowitch and Danny Jin Photo Editors June Han and Janeth Rodriguez Business Managers Scatt Macdonald and Isabella Wang Financial Manager Teo Pollini Assistant to the Financial Manager Mark Sisco-Tolomeo Head of Advertising Esther Baek Subscriptions Manager Chris Fleischer

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE SINCE 1887 WILLIAMSRECORD.COM

THE WILLIAMS RECORD BOARD The old system for securing special housing considerations was deficient in many ways, and we commend the decision to reconsider it. Nevertheless, we find that aspects of the revised system put forward by the Office of Student Life (OSL) are troubling and we urge OSL to amend it. Applications for special housing have increased dramatically over the past years, with the number of applications in 2016-17 doubling that of 2015-16. We understand that this uptick suggested to the administration that some students applying for special housing considerations did not necessarily require it. OSL must address this real concern to equalize the housing process for all students and to increase the number of rooms available during the regular lottery season. We hope that student needs will be met by the decisions of the Housing Appeal Review Team (HART) and, to this end, we support the new system’s promotion of open dialogue with staff to address student-specific needs and concerns. Previously, students applied for special housing considerations online; OSL did not promote in-person communication in the process. Students will now meet face-to-face with the staff member whose role corresponds to

Word on The Quad What would you say to President Adam Falk as he leaves? By TARAN DUGAL and JACK BRENT GREENBERG RECORD STAFF

JEONGYOON HAN ’21

I love you and will miss you always.

NATE JONES ’20

Nothing but respect for my president.

JESSE FACEY ’19

Don’t let the marble blocks hit you on the way out.

KENDALL BAZINET ’18

Congratulations on a “marbleous” tenure as president.

December 6, 2017

An unappealing process Continuing progress toward fair housing accommodation the nature of the housing request and discuss the nature of their situations. We hope that this change will help HART match the needs of students more fairly and empathetically, as well as deter students with less justified rationales by adding more scrutiny to the process of applying. The system that OSL has announced, however, is not without its flaws. First, we take issue with the new rule that a student who is granted a housing appeal by HART cannot reject the outcome of this ruling, and that their place in the general lottery is automatically forfeited. Although we understand that this revision is meant to deter applications for less legitimate housing requests, it is an overly stringent measure that denies students control over their housing decisions. An appeal process should be in place so that once students find their housing assignment, they may decide if their needs have been met and, if not, may apply to return to the general lottery. As part of the intensification of the process, we are additionally concerned about the new assertion by OSL that “because the Williams campus is relatively small … close proximity to a campus resource as a request holds a very high bar for consideration, typically only for significant mobility issues.” While

we note the ways that requests for geographical proximity could have been exploited for less urgent needs, there are legitimate reasons to want immediate proximity to a campus location. The existing language, however, essentially limits possibilities of any rationale besides physical mobility. It could be helpful for OSL to provide examples of unacceptable requests based on proximity, as well as acceptable requests and what accommodations would be provided. Furthermore, we find the new special housing pull-in rules unfair. Previously, a student who was granted special housing could pull in up to five friends as a pick group, the same as if they were participating in the general housing lottery. Under the revised rules, each student is only guaranteed to pull in one friend, unless they submit justification for bringing more. Students applying for a housing appeal should be just as entitled to the opportunity to live with friends as someone in the general lottery. It seems punitive and unempathetic to allow a student with a housing appeal request only one pull-in, especially given that the other aspects of the new system should have slimmed the pool of students to only those with legitimate concerns. Students with special housing needs should not have to justify the need

to live with friends, just as any other student on campus is not expected to. We implore OSL to raise the pullin number to at least three students (equivalent to how many neighborhood directors are allowed to pull in), if not to the five students that students without housing appeal requests can enjoy living with and that constrains other students’ choices of pick group. We hope that HART will continue to understand the concerns that some students bring to the housing lottery and to accommodate them in a dialogue about their needs. We commend OSL’s work to ensure that students who are granted special housing considerations are indeed those students who require them. We hope, however, that the new system can be modified to remain in the best interests of our student body – and to overreact less to possible system abuses. Ultimately, we hope that all students have the opportunity to choose comfortable and accommodating housing that also meets their social needs. Progress has been made with the creation of HART, but the group should now move the process further in this direction, so that housing decisions can be distributed both fairly to all students and with accommodation equity for those who need it.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM WOMEN'S SOCCER

Congratulations to our national champions!

WMA COFFEEHOUSE

Williams Musicians Alliance brings you free live music that isn’t your friend’s best Mariah Carey impersonation.

LAST WEEK OF CLASSES

It’s finally over ... for better or worse.

READING PERIOD

Enjoy catching up on all of your course packets over the four-day weekend!

NO HOPKINS HALL ACCESS RAMP

Perhaps a marble ramp would be more suitable for the administration’s standards?

ON THE RECORD “I can say definitively that the opportunity to work alongside Rick represents one of the genuine highlights of the nearly 30 years I’ve spent in higher education. ... When something deserves celebrating, there is no one else you want voicing it. When you’re grieving, there’s nobody else you’d rather have present alongside you in that moment.”

Steve Klass, vice president of campus life, on the retirement of Rick Spalding, chaplain to the College, page 1. “A few games of Boggle at the end of a long day is a great way to wind down while using your intelligence in a fun and competitive way.”

CORRECTION An article published two weeks ago (“Anne Peale ascends library stacks and intimidating heights” (Nov. 15, 2017)) misidentified the name of the author responsible for writing the article. The correct name of the author is Ksoosha Ramras ’21. Please send corrections to tsd1@williams.edu.

Nicolas Welch ’20, on the Williams Boggle Society, page 7.

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

Op-Ed and Letter Submission The Record welcomes op-eds and letters from all members of the Williams community. The Opinions section is designed to reflect the varied views and ideas of the Williams community, and the publication of any letter or op-ed does not indicate an endorsement of the views contained therein. Submissions should be sent to tsd1@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.

SARAH CORWIN ’07

On the soul of the College Re ec io s o

OPINIONS 3

The Williams Record

December 6, 2017

Addressing the IWS name change Integrative wellbeing and ‘thriving’ at the College

e im or a ce o re ec io

By RICK SPALDING It’s one of the great structural paradoxes of this place that reflection – so essential to learning – is so counter-cultural to the routines of campus life. If an extra hour were to fall out of the sky into today, most of us would spend it knocking a few more items off our lists, doing a little more thorough of a job on an assignment or grabbing some muchneeded play-time with friends. These ways of spending time are necessary, important. But the tendency among us is all toward filling spaces up – not emptying them; all toward productivity, not pondering. I’m as guilty of distraction from this dimension of life here as anybody – so I’m grateful to the Record editors for the gift of space to ponder. In taking that gift to heart, a question comes to mind – a very chaplain-y question, by the sound of it, but one that I hope might have wider resonance: Where is the soul of the College? That probably sounds a little spooky – but that’s what pondering is for. We can say a few things about where the soul of the College is not. It’s not, certainly, in “being the best,” as we learned communally from the helpful conversations that ensued from David Kane’s ludicrous and offensive propositions on this page early this fall (“What does it mean to be the best?” (Sept. 20, 2017)). We can be proud of the excellence for which this institution and its citizens have come to be known; but pride is no star to steer by, and self-aggrandizing ambition is no flag to salute. And I think the soul of this place is not in the epicenter of our activity. The hub of our days is academic work, intellectual exercise – which we justifiably privilege, and which everything else the College does, from extra-curricular activities to grounds-keeping to fiscal management, serves in some way. But if the soul of this place were lodged merely in our work, I don’t think we’d find ourselves nearly as compelled as we do by the drive to understand it that keeps us up late at night thinking and talking – not just about the work, but about ourselves, each other and life. But that late-night stuff starts to get at the heart of the matter, soulwise. If I’ve learned anything in all the meetings of the weekly group that designs First Days, it’s that it takes time, not just to train high

school graduates to become functioning Ephs, but to learn how to become who you want to be – the worker, the reader and writer, the friend, the citizen, the lover. It doesn’t just happen, doesn’t just well up inside you as a matter of some lab-defying kind of biochemistry. It happens in the conscious confluence of desire and intention and practice and reflection. It happens because you bring a full measure of heart and conscience to the work we’ve organized this place around, which is the provisioning of your mind. One measure of the distance from the beginning to the end of the process that goes on here is the difference between a credential like a transcript, resume or CV – documents that students, as they enter, might say were what they came here to compile and burnish – and reputation, character, empathy, which perhaps some students might say they hope to take with them as they finish. Soul, maybe – in the broadest, least dogmatic sense of that word – as a name for the way from here to there. Meanwhile – like any other intentional community, this is a place full of amateur human beings, trying to work out ways to live and learn – trying not to get in our own ways too much, and trying to rattle other people’s ways just enough to be creative and not enough to be harmful. Amateur in its most generous sense: people who love what they’re trying to do, leaning into it because it has won over not only their mind, but also their heart. There are, wonderfully, luminously, all kinds of people here – that, of course, is the point. And not one of them is perfect, or finished; each one of them almost certainly needs to be forgiven for something; each has at least one desperately ragged edge, probably several. All of us amateurs, just trying to get it right – this learning together thing. This living together thing. I think – today, anyway – that the soul of this place lies somewhere in the project of our labors to become more fully human – in those labors individually and collectively, intellectually and psychologically and ethically – labors that unfold joyfully and even those that cause us anguish, remorse, uncertainty in this huge little place that we live and learn in together.

a d

Students without JAs are left in even further limbo when there are fewer people on campus who can point them in the Names matter. At the beginning of right direction or demystify the meaning the academic year, we each came back of IWS. to campus and discovered that the IWS comes across as a rebranding name of Psychological Counseling Ser- rather than a restructuring of Psych Services had been confusingly changed to vices, and this rebranding is not only in“Integrative Wellbeing Services” (IWS). effective but is also potentially harmful Every time someone brought up IWS to attitudes concerning mental health on this semester, someone else in the campus. The “What Is Integrative Wellroom raised a hand and asked, “What’s being?” page on the Health Center webIWS? Is that the Health site uses variations of the Center? Is this a new reword “thrive” 10 times IWS comes across as in a single page. Shifting source on campus?” We recognize that the paradigm “from sura rebranding rather the name change was probviving college to thriving than a restructuring throughout and beyond ably intended to make mental health services it,” as the IWS website of Psych Services. seem more accessible to claims to do, assumes all students; however, that Williams students it inadvertently reinforces the stigma are already at a certain baseline of menaround mental health and creates yet tal health. another barrier to accessing mental The same goes for the new slogan healthcare for some on campus. Seek- for IWS: “So all of YOU and ALL can ing out mental health services already Thrive.” Such a slogan and mindset carries stigma. Why further stigma- erases the experiences of many students tize mental health by making it seem on campus who might not be thrivlike the College cannot use the name ing and perhaps are barely surviving at “Psych Services”? Williams, day by day, particularly those In addition to adding – rather than who arrive at the College already dealing removing – stigma, the name change ob- with mental illness or trauma. Everyone scures what Psych Services actually does. at Williams can thrive given the right Frankly, “Integrative Wellbeing Servic- space; however, for some students at the es” just sounds like a string of buzzwords. College, having that “right space” is not What does it actually mean? For first- yet possible due to obstacles related to year students, navigating the resources race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, that the College has to offer is already ability and other structural oppressions. hard enough. Why make it even harder The slogan and message of the new IWS by attaching a confusing and vague name does not seem to recognize such barriers to what should be easily communicated experienced by those who are not part of and accessible? Especially given how the student body majority. This calls into poorly the name change was advertised, question who IWS aims to serve. The name change, while minor, signiffirst-year students are likely to have to rely on Junior Advisors (JAs) to tell them icantly impacts the experiences and lives what IWS is, and they may be forced to of students on campus and may reflect divulge information about their personal a broader problem with how those who situation to gain information about and govern the school relate to students on access to the resources they need. Some campus. It was made without asking the first-years (or students of any class year) wider student body for input on how to may not feel comfortable talking to any- improve support and services, and this one about accessing mental healthcare. neglect is not lost on students. Merely

R

changing the name of Psych Services won’t decrease stigma around the issue of seeking mental health treatment, but doing work to uproot the deep-seated stereotypes, misinformation and perceptions will. While we are writing about the name change, the issue is much more systemic. Students have long made demands and suggestions as to how Psych Services can be improved to better help and serve students and the College community as a whole. Students have pointed out again and again the lack of full-time therapists of color, yet IWS continues to hire interns instead. While the interns provide much-needed therapy for students on campus, some have little training, which can cause significant strain on the interns. Rather than hire a full-time therapist of color, IWS has opted for superficial changes that have the mere appearance of progress. In addition, one of the biggest changes has been the increased group programming. While offering several group therapy sessions each day of the week makes it look like the College prioritizes the mental health of its students, it isn’t the most effective use of time. Often, no one shows up to the group therapy sessions. (If someone is hesitant to go to individual therapy, how likely is it that they will go to group therapy where they have no idea who might show up?) Therapists could be using that time to see students individually instead. Names matter. The name change of Psych Services to IWS is just one example of the disconnect between the administration and the student body. In order to effectively transform mental health services, Williams must actively seek out student input and determine what types of changes would best meet the needs of the student body. Ayami Hatanaka ’18 is a political science and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Sarah Fleming ’17.5 is a math major from Brookline, Mass.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Rick Spalding serves as the chaplain to the College.

Putting off procrastination Why empowering news can be exhausting R

DR

ries publicly for the first time is such a powerful thing to witness. I’m a master procrastinator – I’m so full of joy that this is hapgive me something simple that has pening, that we all get to stand in to get done as soon as possible and this moment in history and supI’ll find a way to put it off for weeks. port people who have been through I’m so good at putting things off the worst and have not been able that I kind of have to be proud of to talk about it for so long. I hope it – right now I’m sitting at my that more people will continue to desk and, even though I should be voice themselves, but at the same working on my lab report that was time there is a part of me that just due days ago, I’m desperately surf- wants the whole world to be quiet ing the web for anything to do that for a few seconds just so I can catch isn’t my homework. Usually my my breath. skill is pretty benign to every asAs a survivor, reading and thinkpect of my life (except for my GPA, ing about sexual assault every day R.I.P.), but for the past month or (for the past what seems like forso, avoiding my homework has ever) feels like running a marathon been more trouble that I didn’t sign up or than it’s worth. train for. It’s great and Constantly having I’m happy that everyI’ve been doing readings, responding one around me is dot0 relive your to emails. The other ing it, but at the same day I used my free trauma every day time it’s the worst and time to study for a I’m exhausted and I isn’t always test instead of surfing want it to stop and the web – the thing empowering – it’s I’m also really sweaty that was my go-to (which has nothing really exhausting. silver bullet against to do with the metabeing a productive phor, just something member of society. to know about me). I’m not reformed (even though my Every time a post about sexual professors probably really hope I assault pops up on one of the many am). I’m still procrastinating, but screens that rule my life, my heart instead of putting off stress by stops, my hand goes numb and my avoiding my homework, I’ve had to brain stops working and all I can do start putting off stress by avoiding is think “is this about me?” Constantthe internet. ly having to relive your trauma every It started when the Harvey Wein- day isn’t always empowering – it’s stein news broke – I am 100 percent really exhausting. here for that man being ousted for I’m writing this because I really his predatory behavior and I am 1 need to hear it, and that probably million percent here for his victims means that other people need to to finally have their voices heard. hear it too. It’s okay to see another Every part of me loves that more person talking about their experiand more people are able to speak ences with assault and think “I just out against their abusers and ma- can’t read this right now.” While I nipulators (@Bill O’Reilly, @Roger will never ever promote doing your Ailes, @Donald Trump, @all of the homework, I will say that it’s also other evil people who feel entitled to okay to put off procrastinating if it other people). The #MeToo move- means making time for yourself. ment is probably the craziest thing to come from all of this – thousands Kimberly Andreassen ’20 is of survivors feeling emboldened by from Rocky Point, N.C. She lives one another and sharing their sto- in Goodrich.

JENNIFER SLEEPER ’07

What are we doing here? An attempt to answer the unanswerable Often, I’ve sat staring at my course packet or problem set and wondered: “What am I doing?” Not in the sense of what my assignment is about – though I am often lost on that topic as well. The thing I question is why any of us is doing what we do on a daily basis. I’m not just talking about college assignments, though those form a part of the answer. I’m not talking about social life or political views or genetics or hobbies. I’m asking, “Why? Is my life goal to be ‘successful’? What does that mean? Is my goal to have fun, make change or just to survive?” There are no answers to these questions, and I know that’s a cop-out, but it’s true. What am I doing? Some people grow up knowing they want to be a marine biologist. They read books about sharks in elementary school, they chose the ocean for their eighth grade research paper and they know they want to explore Williams Mystic. A person like that may “know what they are doing” in colloquial terms, but do they? Questioning this is not disparagement, but rather a perhaps nihilistic curiosity. Do you need a life plan to know what you are doing? Or can you just wing it? Another related question is, “What am I doing here?” I’ll zoom in on something extremely relevant to everyone at the College: our education.

Education is said to be the building block of a human life. Without it, most people would be left struggling in the dust. It is the remedy to social ills, the fix to our problems. Thus, education is a centerpiece of the answer to the question. What are we doing with our education? Do we attend college so that we can get a job to support ourselves? Some people would say so, though perhaps not the faculty here. This isn’t a cynical view – it’s a realistic view. Many of us claim to be here in the name of “education and learning,” and I’m sure plenty of us put it on our applications, but there’s a larger goal all of us should hope to attain: a job. Like it or not, we all need money just to live. Not everyone will turn into a financial consultant or a banker at Goldman Sachs, but jobs of all stripes are what make the world economy, and thus ourselves, go round. Everyone’s been there: There is definitely some sense of getting a “good education” here for future job prospects. However, there is another side to this question. Do we instead walk these hallowed halls to focus strictly on learning? Not everything should be so careerfocused. The College is a place for widening our horizons, for broadening our base. Where else can you study art history, cognitive science, gender studies and linear algebra at the same time? We come to learn about anything and everything, to sharpen critical

thinking skills and practice our arguments in the form of theses. We involve ourselves with athletics and student groups, debate salient issues and confront both local and global problems. Our institution is one of the best at doing this (no matter what David Kane thinks) and we should not shy away from this facet either. After all, the College is at its core a place for scholarly enlightenment. So what are we doing? Our life is not solely defined by our years at the College, though they certainly play a role. It hurts to think that, in 150 years, we will no longer be doing anything at all, but that fact makes the urgency of this question all the more relevant. We need to focus on what makes us happy, and balance that with what makes us survive. We must balance the necessary with the wanted. What am I doing? What are we doing? Who knows? Nobody will know. It’s just a question that perhaps I, and you, will continue to ponder. There’s so much more to be said, and I encourage others to weigh in on their interpretations in the Record on what we are doing. I can offer only one platitudinal, time-old, clichéd answer: Living life to the fullest, being the best we can be. That’s all we can hope for. Solly Kasab ’21 is from Great Neck, N.Y. He lives in Sage.

4 NEWS

The Williams Record

December 6, 2017

OSL revises housing appeals Class holds focus groups on By MICHAEL GREEN EXECUTIVE EDITOR The Office of Student Life (OSL) has replaced the Special Housing Request process with the Housing Appeal process. The main changes under this new process include an increased role for in-person conversations, a higher bar for request approval, a decrease in the number of automatic pull-ins and the removal of the ability to turn down a room assignment. Rather than detailing the reason for a request online, as was done previously, students now only provide the type of request, including either disability/ medical/psychological, discrimination/bias, religion, Title IX or something else. The discrimination/bias type of request is new for this year. Once a request is submitted, the student is put in contact with the staff member that oversees the relevant area, after which they meet to discuss the request. According to OSL Director Doug Schiazza, in-person discussion of the request, as opposed to online forms, is intended to ensure that students can receive “appropriate support and advocacy.” Decisions are ultimately reviewed by the Housing Appeals Review Team, which meets weekly and includes Housing Systems Coordinator Gail Rondeau Hebert, Dean of First-Year Students Dave Johnson ’71 or Interim Assistant Director for Residen-

tial Life Madeline Polidoro, depending on the student’s class and the staff member with whom the initial conversation took place. If a student wishes to make a request in advance of a housing assignment process, it should be made a week before the application is available to allow adequate time for review. With a jump in the number of requests last year to greater than 60 from a range of 30-35 the previous year, OSL

not to request a housing appeal lightly, the individuals responsible for reviewing the appeals and making determinations on them will do so out of a high level of respect and concern for the appealing student and their situation,” Schiazza said. OSL was also concerned about the impact a large number of requests may have on room availability in the General Room Draw. In response, the number of automatic pullins was reduced to one. If students can demonstrate the need for larger number of pull-ins to help serve as a support network, this number could increase. Other changes implemented include review of appeals by the Director of Accessible Education instead of Health Center staff for disability/medical/psychological reasons and the ability to request a temporary housing change separate from this process. Students can request a temporary change by contacting Hebert during OSL business hours or by contacting Campus Safety and Security outside of this time period. The revision of this process stemmed from research based on peer institutions by Assistant Director for Residential Life and Housing Patricia LeaheyHays. It was then implemented following discussions with a variety of campus offices, in addition to the Upperclass Residential Life Advisory Committee.

“I can assure students that... the individuals responsible for reviewing the appeals. ..will do so out of a high level of respect and concern for the appealing student and their situation.”

Doug Schiazza Director, Office of Student Life felt that some students may have applied out of preference, rather than need. Furthermore, according to Schiazza, some assignments may have been approved without merit, including after initial rejection. Therefore, OSL will ensure that there is a high bar for approval of requests. For example, requests for close proximity to a campus resource will typically only be approved for significant mobility issues. Additionally, OSL decisions will be final. “I can assure students that, just as we expect students

student-custodian relations By NICA KOVALCIK and ABI MATTHEW CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

The news section occasionally features articles based upon course work concerning the College; last year, these pieces included a series on the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance and the new Williams Inn. This piece has been written by two students in “Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health” taught by Visiting Lecturer in Public Health Marion Min-Barron. “‘Custodian’ is caring of the people [and] the building, not just the building or the job ... versus a janitor. We are definitely custodians, not janitors.” This was just one of many thoughtful reflections and perceptions the class came across as its members spoke with both students and staff about the dynamics of student-custodian relationships on campus. The class, “Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health,” wanted to probe into the different ways students interact with their residential custodians on campus and, in turn, the kind of perceptions custodians might have about these relationships. Drawing on methods learned in class, two focus groups were held, one with students and the other with residential custodial staff. Ultimately, the goal was to share the class’s most salient findings in hopes of providing more information about the value, strength and importance of these interactions, along with the ways that the College community can improve these relationships. The student focus group asked questions like, “What kind of interactions do you have with your custodians?” and “What are the most nega-

tive or positive experiences you’ve had with custodians?” These questions were answered with varying responses. For first-year students, it seemed those who lived in Mission Park were more likely to have personal relationships with their custodians than those who lived in Frosh Quad. Answers described custodians in Mission who were particularly caring and even attended students’ games. One student reflected fondly on their relationship with a custodian, saying, “He was definitely a part of my everyday life. We knew his name. We knew him super well. We talked to him pretty much every day we saw him. We knew his life.” Some of the students also noted that some dorms are not conducive to forming personal relationships with custodians. For example, one participant stated that, in Fayerweather, the only place to chat with a custodian is in the bathroom, since there are no common rooms. The students in the focus group seemed to agree that they found value in forming personal relationships with the residential custodians, but this was not something they required or expected from their custodians. Some students suggested that first-years should be at the focal point of this relationship-building initiative, as setting the tone for relationships with custodians would endure for the rest of the students’ time at the College. In the custodian focus group, the custodians expressed a desire to be present in students’ experiences at the College and foster these relationships. When the custodians were asked what their favorite part of the job was, the most common answer was “meeting the students.”

Some even said they would want to be “mother and father figures to the students” if they could. It was clear that many wanted to serve as a resource for and provide help to the students, beyond just the everyday responsibilities of their job. These observations were coupled with suggestions for how the student body could better be considerate towards custodians. The custodians pointed out that they wished students were better at recycling, and wished that students would at least try to clean up biohazards before the custodians arrived at the scene. Looking forward, custodians spoke of the hope of having events that brought themselves and students together. Students often forget that these untapped relationships could enhance their experience at the College. As one custodian said, “We have a lot of life experience that we wish students would utilize us as a resource in a community, especially the underclassmen. So when a student asked me where they could find a good garage around here, I picked one out for them. We want to be a resource for local information like that.” Overall, these focus groups found that students and custodians appreciated their interactions with each other, but felt that there was still room for growth and improvement. The class chose to respond to these desires by hosting a social gathering involving both students and custodians, as its contribution to bridging the divide between stressed-out college students and supportive residential custodians who look forward to forming relationships with residents.

INVITES ALL STUDENTS TO APPLY FOR A POSITION ON THE 2018 EDITORIAL BOARD The ‘Record’ is curently accepting applications to join our editorial board. We are looking for motivated, dependable editors who are committed to producing the College’s only independent newspaper. Prior experience is not a prerequisite. We especially encourage members of the Class of 2021 to apply. The descriptions that follow are of the positions for which we are accepting applications. NEWS EDITORS

The News Editors keep track of all on and off campus news that affects the College. Responsibilities include weekly meetings with College staff, developing and assigning stories and laying out the News section each week.

OPINIONS EDITOR

The Opinions Editor solicits opinions pieces on campus, national and international issues from the Williams perspective. Responsibilities include soliciting and assembling articles and cartoons of varying viewpoints and laying out the Opinions section each week.

FEATURES EDITORS

The Features Editors concentrate on developing story ideas that give a wide and varied portrait of the community. Responsibilities include advising reporters and laying out the Features section each week. Please include three story pitches in your self-nomination.

ARTS EDITORS

The Arts Editors coordinate coverage of all arts-related news and events of interest to the College, on and off campus. Responsibilities include developing and assigning story ideas, working with reporters and laying out the Arts section each week.

SPORTS EDITORS

The Sports Editors are in charge of all news regarding College varsity and club sports. Responsibilities include advising reporters, developing sports-related features and laying out the Sports section each week.

TO APPLY, PLEASE SEND A SELF-NOMINATION (ONE PAGE) WITH INTEREST AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE TO RACHEL SCHARF (RAS3) BY 11:59 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3.

From last Sunday to today, a team from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) is visiting the College to evaluate its performance under the association’s nine standards of accreditation. This peer review session, which takes place every 10 years, involves both a self-study, which the College recently completed, and a visit from a team of educators from Each year Williams seniors have an opportunity to appreciate superior other institutions. Robteaching by nominating a secondary school teacher who ert played an important J. Zimmer, president of the University role in your lives for the Olmsted Prizes awarded on Class Day in June. ofTheChicago, chairs this year’s visiting recipients, usually four, from all kinds of schools and locations, are brought to team. Williamstown and presented with a $3,000 prize; an additional $5,000 to by Although notgoes required the U.S. government, acthat teacher’s school. Furthermore, every nominated teacher receives a creditation is an almostcertificate of recognition. universally adopted practice that assures the public that a college is an effective eduDevoted teachers often receive little recognition for theircator efforts, andstudents students and is of its meeting its responsibilities have too few chances to reward them. If one of your secondary school to all its stakeholders. It teachers, who is still teaching, stands out as a person deserving an Olmsted also allows the institution to offer more financial assisPrize, please submit his/her name. tance, such as the Department of Education’s Pell Grant, to its students. For more information on the Olmsted prize and the nomination process, see: When accrediting an institution, http://diversity.williams.edu/olmsted/ NEASC specifically studies standards ranging from the college’s FINAL Deadline (nominations will not be accepted after“mission this dateand purpose” to its “institutional resources” to its “integrity, transparency and public disclosure.” prepare for NEASC’s Thank you for taking the time and effort to To honor visit, a 28-member steera member of the profession. ing committee consisting of faculty, staff and students of the College wrote a 110page self-study describing what commitment to each standard looks like in the College community. The writing process began about a year before the visiting team arrived on campus.

Olmsted Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching

Jonathan X. Meng ’18 wins prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for chemistry, math

)

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

December 6, 2017

NEWS 5

The Williams Record

SEMIANNUAL APPROVAL RATINGS By NICHOLAS GOLDROSEN NEWS EDITOR This past week, the Record conducted its semiannual approval ratings survey. The survey asked respondents to mark their opinion of the performance of several campus institutions: either “Approve,” “Neutral” or “Disapprove.” These options mark a change from previous years’ surveys, where the “Neutral” option was instead categorized as “No Opinion.” In previous years, “No Opinion” responses were excluded from the data; they are included this year. As such, comparisons cannot reliably be made with previous years. The survey was sent to 500 randomly selected unixes, drawn from the population of all students who began at the College from Aug. 2014 through Aug. 2017. Of those, the sample that responded consisted of 118 students, or 5.3 percent of the population. The response rate was 23.6 percent. Approval ratings ranged from a high of 89.8 percent of respondents marking “Approve,” for the faculty, to a low of 27.9 percent of respondents saying that they approved of the performance of Integrative Wellbeing Services (IWS) and an identical rating for President Adam Falk. The 95 percent confidence intervals for most of the approval ratings was smaller in magnitude than plus or minus eight percentage points. A full copy of approval ratings and confidence intervals may be found on the Record’s website.

SAAC hosts panel, discussion Alleged campus sexual assault on athlete/non-athlete divide perpetrators listed on sincedeleted Twitter account By ELIZA MATT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last Thursday, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted a forum dedicated to the non-athlete/ athlete divide on campus, in collaboration with the Davis Center. SAAC wanted to begin the process of critically examining how this divide contributes to the culture and community on campus, and focus on what actions can be taken to lessen and bridge the divide. As this was the first step in the process, more time was devoted to discussion about the divide, what spaces it exists in, what parts of athletic and non-athletic communities may cause its perpetuation and what aspects of the College in general contribute to it. The forum was kicked off by a panel, moderated by Margo Beck ’18, consisting of Isaiah Blake ’21, Phacelia Cramer ’19, Bret Hairston ’21, Rob Hefferon ’18, Jaelon Moaney ’19, Michael Nettesheim ’20 and Alia Richardson ’19. They answered questions ranging from what the divide is and where it comes from to whether it begins with admissions, from how aspects of a person’s identity may intersect with the divide to how it manifests in social experiences. One important idea is who is doing the work to deconstruct issues, like athletic communities not providing space for other identities, as well as how

and when they are doing that work. Additionally, the question of time was brought up often, with panelists considering if time is actually the limiting factor for a lot of the problems that contribute to the divide. Another important point was thinking about how a nonathlete interacts with athletes who are in large amounts of space and vice versa; how does the individual feel walking into a group, considering how that group is acting? From there, we broke into round-table discussion oriented towards actual steps that could be taken to improve the divide. The support of non-athletic events, the physical space and the furniture in public spaces, the domination of Hoxsey by sports teams, accessibility and disabilities and the gender binary language used around sports were all issues tables brought up as contributing to the divide. One solution that was suggested multiple times was collaborations and engagement with other groups on campus, whether between non-athletic and athletic groups or across different sports and clubs. One example given was the Black Student Union and the football team discussing Colin Kaepernick, whose activism situate him at the intersection of these two groups. Another solution is redesigning the spaces where we sit to make them more inclusive and allow for multiple groups to occupy

them comfortably. Some smaller, but more concrete, steps discussed included groups setting goals related to the community, such as being conscious of how much space the group takes up at meals and making sure there is space to walk past their chairs. Additionally, one table suggested that the blue cup program, where eating with a blue cup signalled to other students that one was open to meeting new people, be reimplemented on campus. A few more ideas expressed were expanding the “Captain’s Corner” in the Record to include leaders from other groups on campus, as well as giving dancers in all dance groups P.E. credit. SAAC was excited to see the participation this event received, not only in attendance but also in the discussion afterwards. That being said, there was not as much discussion time given to future changes to be made; there is still a lot of work to be done for this division to be eradicated. Moving forward, SAAC will work to implement changes suggested at the meeting. Additionally, SAAC will be hosting followup workshops further geared towards action steps and potentially institutional changes that can puncture the perpetuation of the divide. Stay tuned for more details about those in Winter Study and the spring semester.

'REINDOGS' SCURRY DOWN SPRING STREET IN ANNUAL WILLIAMSTOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOLIDAY WALK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 lack of resources for survivors on campus. For her, the incident punctuated concerns that many survivors do not feel comfortable going through the College administration’s formal disciplinary process. “There are such limited resources for survivors on campus, not only in terms of support but in terms of seeking justice,” she said, giving the example that survivors who go through the disciplinary process are sometimes permitted to talk only to specific designated individuals. She noted that some survivors have even found the reporting process re-traumatizing. This was

part of Hatanaka’s reasoning for understanding why some might have initially supported the account. “It can be viewed as another way to subvert the system and structure that limits student work around sexual violence,” she said. There is widespread hope that this incident could have the potential to alter how sexual assault is discussed on campus, and Hatanaka and Bossong both emphasized that serious changes need to be made. Hatanaka discussed a necessity to move away from a “bad seed rhetoric” in which perpetrators are framed as mere outliers who can be summarily eliminated from a community. “I would prefer to have a continual and honest conversation through-

out Williams about complicity in sexual violence and rape culture on campus,” Hatanaka said. Additionally, Bossong stated, “Restorative justice practice would suggest that to fully understand how to repair harm, we have to understand the extent and impact of it. We recognize this most clearly for people most immediately harmed, but it also ripples out to friends, to family, to partners, to teammates, to people who have to reorganize their relationships and lives because of violence and harassment.” For both, though, progress is impossible without placing honest and thoughtful conversation at the forefront of daily life.

Chaplain to the College Rick Spalding retires after 17 years of service to the College CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 one of the genuine highlights of the nearly 30 years I’ve spent in higher education,” said Steve Klass, vice president for student life. “When things are broken, there’s simply no one else you want in the room. When something deserves celebrating, there is no one else you want voicing it. When you’re grieving, there’s nobody else you’d rather have present alongside you in that moment.” Klass added that he had learned tremendous lessons from Spalding. “Rick has taught me the power of silence. It sounds counterintuitive to say that, given

his remarkable mastery of language and peerless public speaking skills but, perhaps, that’s what makes his deft introduction of silence all the more meaningful. Nobody I know is so capable of infusing

leagues. The search process for Spalding's succesor, led by Dean of the College Marlene Sandstrom, is now already underway. After he finishes the semester he plans to move to Ipswich, Mass., on the north shore. Though he is uncertain of the exact direction of his plans, whether ecclesiastical, pastoral or in the realm of social justice, he looks forward to new challenges. “I’m taking a step into open space,” he said. “What’s right for Williams has been the defining question of my professional life for years, and I want to try living and maybe working on a different question than that one.”

“Rick has taught me the power of silence. It sounds counter-intuitive to say that . .. but, perhaps, that’s what makes his deft introduction of silence all the more meaningful.” Steve Klass, VP for Student Life

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE

stillness with as much meaning as Rick.” Spalding says he is confident in the direction of the College after he leaves, and in the future of the chaplain’s office, including the work of his col-

FEATURES 6

The Williams Record

December 6, 2017

One in Two Thousand By TESNIM ZEKERIA EXECUTIVE EDITOR While I don’t quite recall my first encounter with Shane Beard ’20, I do remember thinking to myself that he is one of the funniest people I have ever met. This week, I got to catch up with him about his childhood, Ritmo Latino and, of course, his life plans B through F. Can you tell me about your time touring here? I had a very wealthy friend, and she said, “I heard that you were very interested in going to Williams and seeing what the campus is like.” I was like, “Yeah, I’m mildly interested.” And she was like, “I’m going to take a trip out there tomorrow morning; would you like to join me?” And I was like, “Sure.” She said that the ride would be there at 6 a.m. sharp so I had to make sure I was there early. I wake up the next day and I arrive to a limousine – all black – in front of our main school building at six o’clock in the morning. A man in a tuxedo welcomes us into the car, beckons us in and then drives. He raises the partition so we can have our private conversation about I don’t even know what. I was just so shocked that I was in a limousine to go on a college tour. It was a really perplexing moment, but it was a fun tour of Williams. On the way back he stopped and we got McDonald’s, which I think is the most wealthy moment I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was a magical moment that can’t be replicated anywhere else. And that’s what’s magical about private schools in New England – there’s all sorts of craziness you would never see in Texas. What do you do on campus? I’m on Ritmo Latino. I have absolutely no dance experience. It’s a funny story because I was at a party hosted by VISTA – I was

dancing with my friend and she says, “Shane, you know, you’re really good at salsa.” I didn’t realize I was good at anything involving hand-eye coordination or bodily movement. I said, “Oh, thank you. You’re lying to me but I appreciate it.” She said, “No seriously. You should try out for Ritmo Latino. We have auditions very soon.” I was like, “You know what? I’ll take you up on that. When are auditions?” She said, “Tomorrow morning, 10 a.m. Be there.” Mind you this is at two o’clock in the morning. I was not quite sure I was going to wake up for that and yet somehow I did. So, I show up, embarrass myself, leave and get called back. I’m like “wow.” The first thought that should’ve popped into my head is a sense of pride, perhaps in myself that I’ve made it that far. ... I was like, “Wow, their standards must be incredibly low this year. I don’t know what’s going on. I mean they must be taking the scraps ’cause I should not be on this list. But I’ll show up.” They requested me and I showed up. I believed to have embarrassed myself again and somehow they let me on the team which seems to be to this day the biggest clerical error in the group’s history. But, I’m not complaining. I’ve been on the team for two semesters now, and we have a show coming up this week. And I feel like I’ve grown a lot, and not just in terms of my dancing ability, which went from zero to what I like to call comfortably mediocre. Can you tell me something about your childhood? An important part of my understanding of the world is that when I was 5 I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. It’s a cancer that commonly pops up in children and has a 30 percent survival rate. If you see any commercials of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, that’s where I spent about a year and a half of my life. And even though I was re-

SHANE BEARD ’20

PHOTO COURTESY OF WSO SHANE'S HOMETOWN HOUSTON, TEXAS

SHANE'S RESIDENCE CARTER

ally young, for as long as I can remember I understood the impact all of that had on my family, and on my understanding of my own mortality and things like that. I think it’s kind of both terrifying and wonderful to be that young and have some kind of sense of your own mortality because at first it feels limiting. But I feel that for me it becomes very freeing, in the sense that I know because there’s the chance that things could end at any given point, you have to enjoy and make the most out of any given moment. I think that whole experience influences how I interact with my family, with my loved ones, with people I don’t even know that well because you can’t be here forever. And I like to think that I can make an impact on as many people as possible before my time is up. I hear that you’re a big fan of Sankofa. Do you agree? I am the biggest Sankofa groupie of all time. I’m speaking a fact.

FAVORITE ACTIVITY RITMO LATINO

I’ve been to every single show and I’ve auditioned twice. I’m really quite serious – I know every person on the team. My entire suite is made up of Kofa members, and they’re all my close friends. The team is very important to me and I know one day soon they’ll come around and they’re gonna let me get one of the shirts. If they put “groupie” on the back as my name, I’m perfectly okay with that. I just feel that I’ve been very loyal in these two years I’ve been here. And, I feel like I deserve that. How did your audition go? Initially I missed the spring audition, because by then I had just joined Ritmo Latino and decided that the year was winding down and I really wanted to focus on one group at a time. So, during the fall I was like, “You know, I really think that I wanna try out for Kofa again,” because a bunch of my suitemates convinced me. It would be such a crazy moment if I was a part of their ranks. Un-

fortunately, due to circumstances outside of my control, I actually missed the audition. But, I’m friends with the drill sergeants on the team, so I said, “Hey, I know I missed the audition but you guys have seen me before; let me come to the callback and get a second shot.” And they were like, “You know what Shane, yeah we’ll let you do that.” So, I show up to the callback ready. I asked to borrow one of the Kofa shirts; they did not let me use that. So, I wore a black t-shirt and some sweatpants. ... I show up, I’m ready to go. They’re like, “Alright here’s the first thing. You'll probably remember it from the audition,” and I said, “Wait I don't remember it from the audition, not because my memory is bad – my memory is actually painfully accurate. I wasn’t there so do you think we can not do that?” And they said, “Hmm no, we’re gonna do that.” And so I tried to keep up and failed, but I was like alright the next one is gonna be all new. 10 seconds into the new step we’re learning and I realize I’ve made a massive mistake. I’m not prepared for this. I wasn’t ready. No amount of black sweatpants or swagger or connections could help in this situation. It actually taught me a lot about nepotism – that can only go so far. You can be friends with everybody, but if you suck, you suck. That’s a lesson I learned and that was a super interesting experience, so you will not catch me trying out for Kofa again. But if you ever go to one of their functions or celebrations, and you see me there, you’ll know. You’ll see everyone else jumping around doing the step, and you’ll see me sitting down ’cause I know better. What are your future plans? I have a plan B through F and I’m currently on plan B. Plan A was to go to Williams and get all A’s while I was here, and about a month in I realized that was incredibly unrealistic. So, now I’m

on plan B, which is to be at Williams and stay within the range of a 3.0 – ask me about that in about three weeks. Plan C, as you might’ve guessed, would be a level lower than that. Plans D and E – I stay in North Adams and I start a start-up company. This is of course after I’ve dropped out of college because I’ve done so abysmally. And then comes plan F, which is my personal favorite. Because my mom would hate to hear that I dropped out of college and was doing nothing, I would use acid to burn off my fingerprints and hire someone to erase me from the internet. From that point on I hitchhike to Nevada. I spend about a week in the desert really committing myself to my next move. Then I slide into Las Vegas. I take all of my life savings, what few there are, and I gamble. With my limited knowledge of game theory that I’ve gained from myth-busters and rudimentary knowledge of a Monty Python problem that I found in eighth grade for a science project, I would dominate casinos and then, before I would win too much, I would lose a little bit and then leave. I’d go back to my hut in the desert, stay for six months, reemerge in the city and repeat the cycle until eventually I’ve bought my own casino and have started a successful chain of them. I repeat this plan until I can afford several buildings and invest in real estate. Eventually, I buy a share at a tanning bed company – 51 percent. I use this tanning bed company all the time until eventually it messes my skin up. And, then I get spray tanned to replace that sensation. My hands shrink and I dye my hair blonde and I run for president. That’s plan F. And, what happens if you’re not elected as president? Oh, that’s plan F.5. I blame the emails.

Peer Health therapy kittens banish finals blues in upstairs Paresky By KSOOSHA RAMRAS STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF BERKSHIRE FITNESS COMPANY

Water Street’s Berkshire Fitness Company offers a variety of classes and services, including aerial silks yoga.

Aerial yoga offers sky-high fitness fun By MARIT BJÖRNLUND MANAGING EDITOR I walked into Berkshire Fitness Company (BeFitCo.) on Water Street early on a recent Wednesday. The airy studio was still almost empty, but Lisa Wilk, an assistant trainer at the College, greeted Marcos Soto ’19 and me with a smile and led us to the back, where 10 long pieces of silk hung from the ceiling. It was our first aerial silks yoga class, “BeFIT Silks Yoga & Pilates,” which Wilk teaches twice weekly before her full-time job in the College’s athletics department. Wilk started teaching at BeFitCo. a year and a half ago, three months after walking in herself to try an aerial class taught by studio owner Robin Dufour and getting “hooked” on this exercise form, Wilk explained. “I have been teaching fitness classes of some form on and off since high school,” she said. “Aerial is definitely my favorite – it feels more creative and fun than a regular workout. [I] also love how proud people are after they try and succeed with a new move in aerial. It lets people know they are capable of things they never thought they could.” Wilk also said her background in dance helps inform her aerial teaching. Dufour, a physical therapist, decided to include aerial silks when she opened BeFitCo. two years ago. “I didn’t want to have a bunch of clunky equipment in the space,” she said. “What we do with the silks is different – we’ve created our own programs with the silks. … We take what our skill sets are as instructors and

then we use the silks as a tool to enhance the movement. Everything we do here is unique.” Wilk assured us that the aerial class would be accessible to us and that any move could be modified if we let her know. “I didn’t know much going in, like what aerial yoga would be about,” Soto said. “But the way the class is structured, you kind of ease into positions and by the end you feel comfortable on the silk ribbon.” For the class, we each picked one of the soft blue, white and black silks, draped through loops so that you could tug on either side. The class started on solid ground as we got comfortable with the silks, using it to stretch as we stood on yoga mats. We also did more traditional yoga warm-ups, like sun salutations. Wilk then showed us how to tie a knot in the fabric that made it into a loop, creating a surprisingly strong sort of silk hammock to work with for the rest of the class. With the knotted loop, we did more creative moves, both on the ground and in the air. In the air, sitting and lying in the silk like a hammock, we did some standard abs moves that were much harder without a solid surface to support you. Soto and I spent a lot of the class laughing when we couldn’t control our silks and would spin all around, but we were also able to do all the moves Wilk took us through. The class ended with fun inversions, starting with an upside-down boat pose that progressed naturally from the floating exercises, and then a

real inversion, head down and feet in the air, hanging just from the silks. Wilk said she always ends her classes with some kind of “trick” or inversion. BeFitCo.’s aerial classes combine elements of yoga and Pilates with the added fun and challenge of getting off the ground. As Wilk put it, “BeFit Company has a very warm and zen atmosphere [that] just makes you want to be there. People in class are also very encouraging and supporting of each other.” Wilk and Dufour are excited about welcoming students at the College to their aerial classes. BeFitCo. has even hosted entire College sports teams in the studio at times, to try crosstraining on the silks and other specialized equipment the studio has to offer. “Our passion is really to help people with their performance, pain issues and fitness, of course,” Dufour said. The different specialists, including personal trainers and physical therapists, “communicate so that everybody is safe and you don’t have to stop working out because you got hurt,” Dufour added. “Our mission is to help people with their own solutions. [If other approaches haven’t worked] we’re able to help them down a different path.” Soto said he hopes to be back in a BeFitCo. aerial class soon. “It’s a way to get a different type of workout in, compared to your conventional gym or weight room – to mix up your workout routine in a fun, creative and challenging way,” he said.

Last Thursday at 7 p.m., a line of over 100 students spanned the hallway of upstairs Paresky Center. Students giggled and chatted with friends while waiting their turn to enter the Peer Health room. Those at the front of the line peeked inside through the glass door, hoping to catch a glimpse of a moving ball of fur. I, too, was drawn to the Peer Health room by the enticing opportunity to play with the two kittens, Sushi and Wasabi. Only five students could enter the room at a time so as not to overwhelm them. After all, as Johanna Wassermann ’18, the organizer of the event, explained to us, Peer Health is an organization that supports human mental health, but must also support kitten mental health too! The line was well worth it. As I stepped into the room, I entered a magical land of giggles, kittens and friendship. The Peer Health room is stocked with free candy, coloring books, tissues, feminine products and tea bags. After asking myself whether I was still on campus or if this was a dream, I sat down to play with the kittens. Sushi and Wasabi are adorable, tiny kittens owned and kindly lent for the evening by Professor of Biology Luana Maroja. Sushi, who has a white, grey and orange coat, was shy but seemed

adventurous, as she climbed on top of a chair and then gracefully leaped down. This was particularly impressive, given that cats use their long tail for balance, but Sushi has a stub tail! Wasabi, who has a grey coat, was playful and seemed sociable and intelligent. Something about the kittens’ slow, graceful movements and soft fur made us forget all our troubles. I talked to Wassermann, a senior studying English and environmental studies, about her role in Peer Health. She is passionate about supporting her peers and providing an emotional outlet for them – via puppies and kittens, of course. I described to Wassermann the comforting and supportive vibes that the room gave off, and she told me that this is exactly the effect that Peer Health strives to give students. Whether playing with a therapy puppy (which comes every Tuesday at 7 p.m.) or kittens, speaking with a trained student listener or simply swinging by for some candy, the Peer Health room operates as a safe space and a judgementfree zone. Wassermann described her inspriation for the event. “As the Canine Coordinator ... I ran the therapy puppy shift every week, but we noticed that some students get anxious or nervous around dogs, and

that these same students were requesting we bring cats,” she said. In order to adress this section of the student body, she reached out to Maroja. “I had heard that professor Maroja had two new kittens, and all it took was a quick email to get her on board. ... Then it just took a few politely persuasive emails to the administration to get approval for the event,” Wassermann said. Wassermann reported that over 110 people visited to come play with the kittens (that’s 65 people per kitten, for those of you keeping track). She described the feeling of providing a service to so many people as extremely gratifying. “For the first time in Peer Health’s history, we actually had a line outside the office. It was incredibly validating to see that happen. I’ve been involved with this club since freshman year, and we used to consider a good shift one where a single person stopped by to buy condoms. Look how far we’ve come!” These resources are not just for those who are stressed or struggling; everyone needs a break once in a while, especially busy Williams students. Peer Health, Paresky 212, is open 7-10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, so stop in and treat yourself if you have a minute to spare!

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMS PEER HEALTH

Students lined up outside the Peer Health office to get some time with Sushi (left) and Wasabi (right).

December 6, 2017

7 FEATURES

The Williams Record

Spotlight on Research: Professor Siniawer explores waste in postwar Japan By JEONGYOON HAN STAFF WRITER Professor of History Eiko Maruko Siniawer ’97 did not, in fact, like history as a high school student. Wanting to remedy her “ignorance,” as Siniawer put it, toward U.S. history – she recalls failing her Advanced Placement U.S. History exam in high school – Siniawer decided to take an American history course when she was a first-year student at the College. That class ended up transforming Siniawer’s outlook on history as a subject. “That’s when I learned that history is a very interpretative discipline, that history is not just the political history of elites, but that there is such a thing as social history and cultural history and economic history,” Siniawer said. “Basically, all different ways of thinking about the world fall under this umbrella of studying the past. And that was really eye-opening for me.” Fast forward to 2017, and Siniawer is a leading expert at the College in East Asian studies with a specialization in Japanese history. She has focused her interests on using unseen yet ubiquitous phenomena in history to raise larger societal questions. One phenomenon that Siniawer explores in her upcoming book, which does not yet have a title, is the concept of waste in Japan. Slated for a fall 2018 release, her book delves into the multifaceted nature of waste and how, over time, the broadened meaning of “waste” – in terms of resources, time and money – affected post-World War II Japan’s perception of various topics, including economic growth, environmentalism and happiness. Siniawer’s idea to consider implications of waste in Japan first came about quite naturally in 2001 while she was monitoring garbage duty in her Tokyo neighborhood.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMS MAGAZINE

Professor of History Eiko Maruko Siniawer’s new book discusses conceptions of wastefulness in several forms in modern Japan. Still somewhat unfamiliar with the extensive management process – she had only just recently arrived in Japan to conduct research on the yakuza for her Harvard Ph.D. dissertation – Siniawer decided to put off her duties until later, only to discover that someone already finished the job for her. The experience left her curious to learn more about waste management in Japan, and in 2008, Siniawer began to seriously explore the presence of waste in Japanese society since the end of World War II. Although there is some literature that details the history of physical trash

in Japan from the 1860s, Siniawer said that she wanted to use the topic of waste to discuss the evolving history of everyday Japanese life. “I think what opening up the concept of waste has enabled me to do is write a history about everyday life in postwar Japan,” Siniawer said. “How people found value and meaning in their everyday lives, in the context of mass consumption and affluence. And ultimately, I think the book also says something about changing notions of affluence and wealth in postwar Japan.” Indeed, in the 1940s and early ’50s, being wasteful was

considered perilous, given the country’s issues with hunger and poverty. But in the late ’50s and ’60s, increased economic growth and mass consumption raised questions of how to best use one’s monetary wealth, particularly in the ’70s, when Tokyo’s governor’s environmental campaign of “war against garbage” brought to light the correlation between mass growth and wastefulness. In the ’90s, Japanese citizens engaged in national discussions about waste as it impacts global environmental concerns. But it wasn’t until the 2000s, Siniawer said, that there was a diversification of the kinds of

issues that were seen as relevant to wastefulness. “There continues to be interest in exploring the concept of wasting time or things, but there is also a kind of emotional or almost spiritual meaning behind waste,” Siniawer said. Siniawer highlights this spiritual notion surrounding waste through the popularization of the word “mottainai,” or “wasteful” in the 2000s and 2010s. The word became the theme for a nationwide cultural movement against rising consumerism and materialism. Additionally, mottainai became a way for millennial Japan to “capture not just the act of wast-

ing, but principles and feelings associated with the consciousness of wastefulness, such as regret and shame for the loss of things, appreciation and respect for things as well as those who made them, and empathy and compassion,” Siniawer wrote in her article “Affluence of the Heart: Wastefulness and the Search for Meaning in Millennial Japan,” published in The Journal of Asian Studies (Feb. 27. 2014). According to her, such sentiments highlight Japanese people’s concerns with applying individual economic growth in such a way that one can achieve a sense of genuine happiness. “This idea of mottainai reflected wide-ranging principles and beliefs that were thought to define what it meant to be Japanese in the 21st century, at a time when there settled in an uneasy acceptance of economic stagnation and a desire to find meaning in an economically anemic, yet still affluent, Japan,” Siniawer said. As a result of such research Siniawer has found that there is no singular definition of waste in Japan. However, national discussions regarding waste in its various forms speak to the country’s deeper “desire to create a national identity,” Siniawer said. “The people in Japan are asking themselves, ‘What is Japan supposed to be about? What do we value?’” While it is unclear if people in Japan as a whole are more efficient and less wasteful, what’s for certain is that the evolving notions of waste have led to increased understanding of the connection between waste and value over the years. Siniawer said she hopes the book will also resonate with American readers, as themes of waste, affluence and environmentalism affect American life as well, and lessons from waste in postwar Japan can resonate with all societies.

PROFESSORS’ CORNER: “What is your favorite science joke?” CHAD TOPAZ Professor of Mathematics

“A mosquito was heard to complain That a chemist had poisoned his brain. The cause of his sorrow Was para-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.”

“Distance raptor / time raptor = |velociraptor|”

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMS BOGGLE SOCIETY

JAY THOMAN ’82 Professor of Chemistry

Campus Boggle enthusiasts gather for a friendly, fun and competitive game in Brooks.

Boggle Society shakes up club scene By LYDIA DUAN STAFF WRITER

BILL JANNEN ’09 Professor of Computer Science

“To understand recursion, you first must understand recursion.”

“Why did the chicken cross the Möbius strip? To get to the same side.”

RALPH MORRISON ’10 Professor of Mathematics

concentrate fuel up for finals

shop local

320 Main St.,Williamstown wildoats.coop

Here at the College, it seems as though every day I learn about a new avenue that students are exploring outside of the classroom. It’s mind-boggling to learn about just how much goes on within the tiny perimeter of our purple bubble. This week’s new discovery was inspired by the recently founded Williams Boggle Society. Having virtually no clue what a Boggle society actually does, I sat down with one of its members, Nate Munson-Palomba ’20, to figure it out. The Williams Boggle Society is a group that, as the name would suggest, plays Boggle together. Boggle is a word game where players try to generate as many words as possible from a four-byfour array of random letters. The words are created by connecting the letters in any direction. Similar to games like Scrabble and Bananagrams, there’s an advantage to originality, where longer, more complicated words generate higher scores. The best part of Boggle, however, is that the games themselves are limited to three minutes. This time constraint makes it so that “there’s less pressure,” as MunsonPalomba explained, “because the games go so quickly.” The idea of having a space to depressurize in an environment where productivity and pressure go hand-in-hand is in part what makes the Williams Boggle Society so unique. “There’s a weight associated with joining a group at Williams,” Munson-Palomba said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” But with a slew of sports teams, performance

groups, activist clubs and other extra-curriculars that require more focus and commitment, groups that are relatively more “low-stakes” are almost “de-emphasized.” Many of the current members of the Williams Boggle Society are involved in activities that require more rigor and regularity, as are many students at the College. Yet, they were attracted to the club because of its open-ended, freeform nature. “Many groups are pressurized in the sense that you still have to show up on time, go to practice; you’re expected to compete and hopefully do well.” MunsonPalomba said. The Williams Boggle Society provides a change of pace from the mindset that investment in a club is contingent upon hard work and success. “There can be a balance.” New this semester, the club was formed out of the desire to have more casual spaces on campus. Munson-Palomba and a few of his friends would have regular get-togethers to chat and unwind in their free time. Three-minute Boggle games perfectly complemented the relaxed nature of these hangouts, and eventually they decided to expand beyond their immediate friend group. It was noted that club members found enjoyment in combining socializing with board games to take the edge off of a tiring day. “What’s nice is that it still requires some thought and intellectual effort. It’s a game that’s easy to learn and hard to get good at, which are the best kinds of games,” Munson-Palomba said. In comparison to other board games, such as Monopoly, where “you know you’re committing to a four-hour game,” the swift-

and-easy nature of Boggle lowers the stakes even more. One of the primary goals of the club is inclusivity. There are no barriers to entry for the Williams Boggle Society: No pre-existing skillset or experience is needed. The game itself is relatively straightforward to pick up, and I was told that it takes only one round to understand how to play. The accessibility of the game contributes to the open and casual atmosphere surrounding the club itself. “It helps people relax in a place where it sometimes feels like it’s hard to,” Munson-Palomba said. “And that’s not the club’s mission so much as a byproduct of what it is.” Indeed, the existence of groups that necessitate varying levels of commitment and intensity is what contributes to the diversity of student activity on campus. A group existing for sheer enjoyment and camaraderie can sometimes be overlooked. “The intense academic nature of the college we go to can make students feel like they’re not employing their intellect. A few games of Boggle at the end of a long day is a great way to wind down while using your intelligence in a fun and competitive way,” Nicolas Welch ’20, treasurer of the Boggle Society, said. Ultimately, a vital part of the Williams Boggle Society is the casual social dynamic infused with the game setting. Anyone can walk in through the door of Brooks Library every week or two when the club meets, advertised on Daily Messages, to chat about current events or day-to-day anecdotes, or who knows – maybe even join a game of Boggle.

8 ARTS

The Williams Record

December 6, 2017

Cap & Bells successfully takes on ‘Pygmalion’ By ROB HEFFERON STAFF WRITER A cast of actors led by director Emily Bannigan ’20 tackled George Bernard Shaw’s classic play Pygmalion this past weekend in the Perry Library. The end result was a delightful show that transformed a play that is foreign to our place and time into one that speaks to our anxieties about class, gender dynamics and autonomy. The chosen space certainly contributed to the play’s translation into an accessible context, as it took a space on campus generally removed from the public eye and altered it remarkably little. Perry Library forced the audience to remember a time gone by – thanks to its storied fraternity history and enhanced by some impressive prop and scenic choices – but also retains the inevitable mark of the College in its permanent fixtures like doors, windows and furniture. The space certainly had its limitations in terms of lighting, scenic options and sight lines. That said, Bannigan successfully utilized JUNE HAN/PHOTO EDITOR the little flexibility she did have through scene transitions that Last weekend, Cap & Bells presented an intimate rendition of George Bernard Shaw’s famous play ‘Pygmalion’ in Perry Library. used the piano, played by Daniel Tran ’21, to keep the audience rapt play’s more comical moments. to it. While the players’ physi- not be avoided, but the actors nately lost on the audience. in the world and its action. In particular, Professor Hig- cal proximity to the audience minimized any negative effect These moments were not The play opened on an out- gins, Colonel Pickering and oftentimes advantaged the it might have had on the audi- common, but in a play that of-place, semi-modernizing mo- Mrs. Higgins (Peter Knowlton immediacy of the play, it de- ence. This primarily happened relies heavily on the power of ment with Professor Higgins ’21) had raucous chemistry tracted from some of the play’s during the moments of intense speech, this was perhaps the (Jake Eisner ’21) and Colonel that aided in engaging the au- more tender moments. drama, while the focus in co- most disappointing part of an Pickering (Samori Etienne ’21) dience and deepening the charThe equal playing space and medic moments was typically otherwise lovely production. huddled around a MacBook, but acters’ relationships. Professor lighting lent themselves to strong and unimpeded. AnothIn the end, regardless of this scene was left in the past as Higgins and Eliza Doolittle wandering eyes on behalf of er troubling aspect of the pro- whether it modernized its plot the characters moved immedi- (Fiona Selmi ’21) oftentimes the actors and every hesitation duction was the discernment of or aspects of the production, ately back into their early 20th had a fiery back and forth that or doubt in the face of those on language on behalf of the audi- Bannigan and company mancentury sensibilities and firmly felt all the more intimate for an the stage could be perceived ence. Between the accents, the aged to bring the play’s more stayed there. Despite this ar- audience that existed on the by the audience members sit- acoustics of the space and the pressing themes into the 21st chaic period, the actors kept the same level as the action and ting a handful of feet away. tempo of the actors’ speech, century. Selmi tracked Eliza audience engaged through the was seated in close proximity Such moments perhaps could some of the text was unfortu- Doolittle’s character arc from

eager pupil to frustrated puppet to defiant maverick with a convincing realism that gave her character a depth that is hard to achieve. Bannigan leaned fully into this arc, in the end embracing Eliza Doolittle’s agency and power to end the puppeteering of her own accord. A moment in which this particularly shined through was in one of the subtler scenes of the night, in which Pickering and Higgins entered after the garden party whistling “I Could’ve Danced All Night” in a perverse homage to My Fair Lady, the musical adaptation of this very show. The lighthearted celebration sung by Doolittle in the musical contrasted with the actual Doolittle of the scene, distraught and near her breaking point. The juxtaposition underscored how this production was destined to end far from the musical’s Broadway ending, and it made the moment, and Eliza’s arc, all the more meaningful. The whole cast proved complex and intriguing supports to the main action of the story, and I wished we could have seen more of them, but Bannigan’s cuts to the original were necessary to keep the production lively and appealing to the busy Williams student. One of the most exciting parts of the production was the heavy presence of first-years amongst the cast and crew, and the fact that this was Bannigan’s Cap & Bells directorial debut as only a sophomore. This hopefully means that this production of Pygmalion may live on as not just an entertaining evening activity, but as a launching pad for promising careers in theater here at the College. I look forward to seeing what these theater-makers will go on to create.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VANITYFAIR.COM

Saoirse Ronan authentically portrays the difficulty of navigating life as a teenager in ‘Lady Bird.’

‘Lady Bird’ explores reality of growing up By CJ SALAPARE STAFF WRITER Growing up is hard. It is a sentiment universally known, its echoes heard from dinner tables to personal diaries, from college applications to therapy sessions. It, too, is universally understood as a rite of passage that subjects all and exempts none. The coming-of-age genre holds a special weight in our minds because of this fact: Seeing the struggles of growth reflected, in the books we read and in the films we watch, reminds us, painfully yet beautifully, of just how much we ourselves have grown. Yet, the genre has been weakened by its sameness of character and narrative. In Hollywood’s eyes, an adolescent comprises of twoparts pseudo-angst, one-part social ineptitude and threeparts sexual drive. The individual has tragically become one of many iterations. Lady Bird counters this trend with awkwardness and grace. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, the film follows a year in the life of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), a high school senior in Sacramento, Calif. She comes from a lower-middleclass family, consisting of her kind but passive father Larry (Tracy Letts), her older brother Miguel (Jordan Rodrigues) and her well-meaning but overbearing mother (Laurie Metcalf). The Catholic high school she attends is full of people unlike her: conventionally beautiful, popular and rich. All Lady Bird can claim here is pink hair, a penchant for spontaneity and a loyal best friend named Julie (Beanie Feldstein).

Her causes for crisis are various in number and varying in degree: Poor academic performance, marginal social standing, dicey romances and rocky family life all seem to conspire against her. To put it simply, she is in the throes of adolescence. Gerwig neither inflates nor trivializes these problems, for she knows that there is truth found in the adolescent struggle. She wants to present these issues with honesty, for they are as selfish as they are valid, and as trifling as they are important. In various ways, the world really is at odds with Lady Bird — she faces a post-9/11 reality that mirrors her uneasiness, heightens her economic anxieties and attempts to put her in her place. As the world corners her, Lady Bird can do nothing but push out. Can we blame her? Rebellion often works on a basis of desperation. The film explores her attempt to craft her own identity in spite of the one given to and forced upon her. She secretly applies to East Coast colleges when her mother is set on her staying in-state. She would much rather be in New York or Connecticut than in Sacramento, which she derides as the “Midwest of California.” She hides her lower-middle-class background in shame, having her father drop her off blocks from school and lying to a new friend about where she lives. In her eyes, to craft is to escape — into a reality free from the problems she faces. Yet, Lady Bird can never fully shrug them off. If anything, she must face both existing and emerging problems, like her romances with Danny (Lucas Hedges) and Kyle (Timothée Chalamet), or

her new friendship with Jenna (Odeya Rush), the popular girl in school. Throughout the film, she slowly comes to realize one of life’s unforgiving truths: Problems themselves are inescapable, for one will simply turn into another. Our heroine finds herself in a state of in-betweenness, unsure of where her authentic self lies. There are no tidy conclusions, for the film is mired in the mess of life. Yet, Lady Bird (and we viewers) comes to realize another truth: that beauty often comes from this hectic and amorphous mess. Behind every argument with her mother is an unspoken assertion of love, and with every step forward is a backwards glance. Gerwig reminds us that growth is a difficult and uncertain process, but a necessary and beautiful one. She brings to her characters a nuanced tenderness, while the actors and actresses bring flesh to this quality. While the ensemble is incredibly strong, two performances are worthy of note: Ronan gives her best performance to date, balancing volatility and restraint. Metcalf is her equal in both temperament and skill, which plays out in every heartfelt and entertaining mother-daughter scene. Gerwig must also be given credit, for her talents as writer and purveyor of life come to full light in her film. Lady Bird is an homage to many things: adolescence, Sacramento, home and, most importantly, life’s confusions and contradictions. Earnestly, our heroine’s story is told; profoundly, her story is felt. The film reclaims the individual, and in doing so, transforms the iterative into the universal once more.

APPROVAL WITH DISTINCTION Earn your teaching degree in one-year in a program that has been granted “Approval with Distinction” by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Clark’s unique Master of Arts in Teaching is a nationally recognized immersion program for aspiring teachers committed to the life-changing work of urban teaching. This practice-intensive and partner-based program —run by Clark’s Adam Institute for Urban Teaching and School Practice— is committed to powerful teaching and learning for all students. Applications are due January 15, apply today!

CLARKU.EDU/MAT

9 ARTS

The Williams Record

December 6, 2017

Images busts out Buster Keaton for 101st anniversary By CECELIA MESSBAUER STAFF WRITER In celebration of its 101st anniversary, Images Cinema dug deep into film history for a onenight screening of one of the most celebrated silent films of all time: Buster Keaton’s 1928 classic, Steamboat Bill, Jr. Directed by Charles Reisner, produced by Joseph Schenck and originally distributed by United Artists, the film not only became one of Keaton’s last efforts independent from studio management, but also delivered one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history. Images recreated the silent film experience as much as possible, with live music improvised by the keyboards of Donald Sosin and Joanna Seaton (including sound effects courtesy of Seaton’s versatile noisemakers). Sosin and Seaton also provided a pre-show introduction that, in addition to contextualizing the film’s place in cinematic history, taught the audience two popular songs which the film referenced. Once the film started, the premise was deftly set by the physicality of the actors, the lifelike sets and dialogue cards that appeared just often enough to enhance the storytelling and provide necessary information without interrupting the flow of the visual medium. In this case, said premise involves William “Steamboat Bill” Canfield, Sr. (Ernest Torrence), a hardscrabble veteran of his eponymous

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATHENA CINEMA

Images’ recreation of Buster Keaton’s ‘Steamboat Bill, Jr.,’ incorporated live improvisational accompaniment to the silent film. business who is competing with the new luxury boat of the aristocratic businessman John James King (Tom McGuire) and eagerly awaiting the return from Boston of a son he has never seen. Anticipating a “junior” just like him in demeanor and fitness who will eagerly and capably help him get ahead with his steamboat, he is unpleasantly surprised by the arrival of Keaton’s titular William Canfield, Jr., a ukulele-carrying, beretwearing, dangerously clumsy young man with a very unconvincing moustache, whose attempt to navigate the boat goes

as well as the audience would expect (not at all). The exposition having built up Jr.’s arrival, Keaton’s first appearance on screen sets the payoff in motion instantly, as the actor’s iconic physical comedy is juxtaposed with his signature deadpan expression. The subsequent antics make excellent use of McGuire’s gruff exasperation with his son’s idiosyncrasies, with an extended comedy bit featuring a barber making quick work of the barely-there moustache and the father and son struggling to find the perfect hat – with Keaton’s iconic porkpie

hat quickly discarded in a brilliant flash of meta-humor. The hijinks really kick into high gear, though, when Bill Sr. discovers that his son and King’s daughter Kitty (Marion Byron) are quite taken with each other, and both business rivals start doing everything they can to try to break up the relationship. Like all plot developments in the film, this primarily exists to serve up more elaborate stunts and sight gags, this time revolving around the younger Bill trying to sneak out of his cabin and onto the Kings’ boat while his father tries to keep him in bed (the

sequence, naturally, involves multiple characters falling into the water), with the key element of deception being that Keaton is always wearing another outfit underneath his nightgown. The synergy between story and medium continues into the final act, with the stakes of the plot escalating in tandem with the stakes of the stunts. After Bill Sr. attacks King in retaliation for his steamboat being condemned, his son attempts to break him out of jail by smuggling lock-picking tools inside a hollowed-out loaf of bread. The scheme

is thwarted, but before the character confrontations can resolve themselves, the climax of the film is hijacked by a cyclone. The ensuing scene is a stunning display of large-scale destruction that looks impressive even by the standards of today’s disaster-saturated movie culture, and is all the more so because the effects and stunts are completely real. As wind machines roar, tear-away sets really do come crashing down, leading to one of Keaton’s, and film history’s, most ambitious moments: an entire building facade collapses onto the unwitting Bill, with Keaton’s body fitting cleanly through an open window as debris crashes around him. While the character only realizes what has happened after the fact, the actor performs the stunt knowing that he risks serious injury if the mark is missed. The remainder of the scene is equally delightful, especially when Keaton’s character suddenly embodies the actor’s athleticism and proves himself a veritable action hero in rescuing his father, Kitty and a minister in a life buoy. With that, the film ends; there is no denouement, because the spectacle has delivered all it has to offer and concluded on a deeply satisfying note. It is this satisfaction, from both the film itself and the impressive and immersive musical accompaniment, that defines the experience of watching a Buster Keaton film in a local theater in 2017.

Reading of ‘Harvey’ at Williams Bookstore delivers laughs By HANNAH TAGER STAFF WRITER Amid the whirring of the coffee roasters at Tunnel City Coffee in the Williams Bookstore, 12 student and faculty actors from the Theatre Department met last Thursday evening to read aloud the comedic play Harvey. Part of the department’s 2017-18 play reading series and presented by the Theatre Department Season Planning Committee, Thursday night’s offering was Mary Chase’s 1944 tale of the havoc wreaked by Harvey, a six-foot, three-and-one-halfinch tall imaginary – or is he? – rabbit. The cast was comprised of students and faculty members, with the play’s leads, siblings Veta Louise Simmons and Elwood P. Dowd, played by Isabel Benjamin ’19 and Tom Robertshaw ’19, respectively. The comedy follows Veta’s attempts to commit her brother Elwood into a sanitarium for his seeming hallucinations of Harvey. Humor and outrage ensue as Dr. Lyman Sanderson, played by Caroline Fairweather ’20, makes the mistake of committing Veta in place of her brother. Further confusion arises as the reality of Harvey’s existence is brought into question. Chase’s play is compelling, and its plot, while absurd at points, touches on poignant themes of gender

roles, familial relationships and grief that seamlessly blend with its comedic dialogues. Not without note does Chase reference Sense and Sensibility and the work of Jane Austen, who wrote extensively and famously about women and social expectations. It was perhaps even more unnerving in today’s political context to bear witness to the part of Veta, whose word is undermined in the play, ultimately resulting in her forced committal to the sanitarium and subsequent violent disrobement for hydrotherapy. The reading itself had the appeal of a live radio drama, with well-delivered dialogue complemented by darting eyes and fervent glances between the actors as they read their lines. While initially an odd composition of costumeless cast members sitting in plastic chairs as they performed, the reading developed as the night progressed. Its effect was similar to that of a book on tape, radiating a soporific warmth that was only interrupted by the coffee fumes from Tunnel City. The play’s nontraditional presentation heightened its comedic edge; the invisible Harvey, whose spot was represented next to the actors by an empty chair with a fedora resting on its back, earned a few laughs, and there was a simple amusement offered as Professor of Theatre David Eppel deliv-

ered the lines of the haughty aunt Ethel Chauvenet. The absurdity and datedness of Veta’s dialogue (“Oh Myrtle, don’t be didactic. It’s not becoming in a young girl. Besides, men loathe it,” she responded after being questioned by her daughter Myrtle Mae Simmons, played by Maya Jasinka ’21) is highlighted when casually recited by Benjamin, unencumbered by period costume or heavy stage makeup. The casual production was ultimately endearing, as missed lines lent themselves to laughs among the actors and audience, and stage directions mimed in chairs allowed for a histrionic flair. The simple setup enabled audience members to focus on the actors, whose delivery more than compensated for the lack of costume and stage design. Benjamin and Robertshaw managed to present a convincing balance of resentment and trust between the two feuding siblings, while Fairweather, joined by Nicole Jones ’20 and Jack Scaletta ’18, comprised a comedic staff of aloof mid-century psychotherapists. More than anything, the play broke the fourth wall in its production. As actors in street clothes unapologetically laughed along with the audience, the play expanded beyond the dozen plastic chairs lined up in the bookstore’s cafe, turning into an inclusive celebration of a remarkable script.

ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT

Ritmo Latino

MIDWEEKMUSIC

Dec 7 & 8 - 7 PM

Dec 6 - 12:15 PM

Adams Memorial Theatre

Chapin Hall

FREE

Chinese Music Ensemble

with suggested donation

Free

Dec 6 - 7 PM Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall Free

Williams Jazz Repertory Ensemble Dec 7 - 7 PM

Art + Enantiomers Thursday, Dec 7, 6:30 pm Stop by WCMA for a roving tour of the museum with Erica Gibble ’20

Art + Microscopes / Telescopes Saturday, Dec 9, 2 pm Stop by WCMA for a roving tour of the museum Payton Spencer.

Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall Free

Williams College Wind Ensemble Dec 8 - 8 PM Chapin Hall Free

PHOTO COURTESY OF IRISH AMERICAN MAGAZINE

The College’s Theatre Department delivered Mary Chase’s 1994 play, ‘Harvey,’ with casual intimacy.

413.597.2425 62center.williams.edu

413.597.3146 music.williams.edu

413.597.2429 wcma.williams.edu

10 SPORTS

The Williams Record

December 6, 2017

Women’s basketball moves to 6–2 By BEN WIPPER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Forward Joe Welch ’18 recorded a goal and two points in Saturday’s 7-2 win over Connecticut College.

Men’s ice hockey stays undefeated with victories over Connecticut College, Tufts By MADELINE ABRAHAMS STAFF WRITER Men’s ice hockey (5–0–0, 4–0–0 in the NESCAC) defeated Connecticut College 7-2 on the road on Saturday after beating Tufts 4-2 on Friday. Against the Camels, five of the seven Eph goals came from the special teams units. Goaltender Michael Pinios ’19 started the game, and Jake Pelton ’20 saw some action in the third period. In the opposite crease was Camel sophomore Avery Gobbo. At 3:37, C.J. Shugart ’18 scored the first goal of the game, assisted by Joe Welch ’18. The goal was Shugart’s fourth of the season, and the assist was Welch’s fourth. At 8:23, Connor Meike ’19 was sent to the box for holding. Despite playing short-handed, the Ephs scored just 18 seconds later. Tyler Scott ’21 notched the first goal of his Eph career at 8:41 assisted by Daniel Wolfenden ’21 (first assist) and Roberto Cellini ’19 (third assist). The Ephs killed the rest of the power play to keep the score at 2-0. The Camels brought the game back to within one a few minutes into the second period. At 4:55, freshman Paul Capozzi scored his first goal of his collegiate career, assisted by sophomore Jacob Moreau (first assist) to make the score 2-1. The Ephs were given a power play opportunity a few minutes later, after Camel Brett Stirling was sent to the box for slashing. At 7:57, Welch converted on the man advantage for his first goal of the season. Marcus Mollica ’19 was awarded an assist on the play (fourth assist). Right before the period’s close, the Ephs padded their lead to three goals. At 19:56, on an unassisted play, Max Fuld ’20 (second goal) fired a shot past Gobbo to bring the score to 4-1. The Camels responded quickly in the third period. At 2:50, Bryan Ackil (second goal) converted on a play assisted by Kevin Doyle (first assist) and Jake Farabee (fourth assist) to bring the game to within two, the score now 4-2. The Ephs solidified their victory with three consecutive power

play goals to end the third period. “Special teams came up huge for us,” head coach Mike Monti said. “We were able to score four power play goals and score a shorthanded goal, while killing off two of our own penalties.” The first came after Camel Matt Michaud went to the box for hooking. At 5:18, Mollica posted in his third goal of the year with an assist from Welch (fifth assist, third point of the game). At 6:27, William White went to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Ephs another power play. Just six seconds later, at 6:33, David Italiano ’18 (second goal) capitalized with the extra man, assisted by Myles Cunningham ’21 (fourth assist), to make the score 6-2. The final goal of the game came at 16:04 from the same goal-assist duo after Brett Stirling was given a two-minute minor for elbowing. The game came to a close with a final score of 7-2 for Williams. Shot count was 3728 for the Ephs. “Connecticut College has a really hard-nosed, tough team, and it was a battle of a game,” Monti said. “I have to commend our guys: our seniors, our juniors, our sophomores and our first-years. They have worked hard.” On Friday, four different Ephs scored goals and Mollica posted a three point game as the men defeated Tufts 4-2. “It’s great that we are getting scoring from more than one source, and that’s important,” Monti said. “But it’s really all of the little plays that all 18 skaters make throughout the game: blocking shots, chipping pucks to space, playing hard in all three zones.” In net for the Ephs was Stephen Morrissey ’18, who made an impressive 30 saves. In the opposing crease for Tufts was senior Nik Nugnes. Nugnes made 25 saves in the match. “Mo [Morrissey] played great in net tonight,” Monti said. “He made some key saves in the game.” The Ephs scored four unanswered goals during the first 42 minutes of play. The first came

toward the end of the opening period. At 14:34, Keanu Hilaire ’19 scored his second goal of the year assisted by Mollica (second assist). The men extended their lead to two goals shortly thereafter on the man advantage. At 16:00, Jack McCool ’21 scored the first goal of his career as an Eph after Jumbo Peter Hatton was sent to the box for holding at 14:34. McCool’s goal was also off of an assist from Mollica (third assist). Williams held a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period and outshot Tufts 14-5. The men maintained their momentum in the second period, scoring their third goal just 42 seconds after puck drop. Nick VanBelle ’21 picked up the second goal of his career on a play facilitated by Cunningham (third assist) and Shugart (second assist). The tally brought the score to 3-0 and was the sole goal in the second period. The shot count for the period was a lopsided 16-4 for the Jumbos, but the Ephs were able to stave off this offensive surge. Williams scored its fourth and final goal of the game at just 1:28 into the final period. Mollica (second goal) was able to get one past Nugnes on a play assisted by Fuld (first assist). Around five minutes later, the Jumbos recorded their first goal. At 6:55, sophomore Jordan Haney got one through Morrissey on an unassisted effort, picking up his first goal of the season. Tufts senior Dan Kelly also got his first goal of the season, firing a shot past Morrissey on a play assisted by sophomore Anthony Farinacci (first assist). The goal brought the game to its final score of 4-2. The shot count in the third period was an even 11-11, bringing the game’s total shot count to 32-29 in favor of the Jumbos. “We’ve had the luxury of playing our first three games at home, but playing road hockey takes a slight adjustment to the mindset,” Monti said. “We talked a lot about that this week: what it takes to be competitive on the road.” The men visit Amherst on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Women’s basketball (6–2) continued its strong start to the season, going 2–1 in three games last week. The women topped Eastern Connecticut State 66-55 yesterday. Tri-captain Kristin Fechtelkotter recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Ephs. Tricaptain Amanni Fernandez ’18 added 12 points and six rebounds. Despite a late comeback, the women lost to No. 9 University of Rochester 70-61 on Saturday. The Ephs had a strong first quarter on Saturday against the visiting Yellowjackets. The teams traded baskets early in the first quarter, but the Ephs finished the period up 19-15. In the second quarter, the Yellowjackets took the lead after Lizzy Atkinson hit back-toback 3-pointers. A 3-pointer by Lauren Foley stretched the Yellowjackets’ lead, putting them up 30-21 with 5:41 remaining. The women trailed Rochester 40-29 at halftime. The Ephs shot 13-for-31 (41.9 percent) from the field in the first half, while the Yellowjackets shot 17for-29 (58.6 percent). The Yellowjackets built their lead at the beginning of the third, going up by as many as 18 points on a Mary Kronenwetter jumpshot with 5:06 remaining. However, the Ephs stormed back. Fechtelkotter hit a jump shot to bring the game to 5240 with 3:41 remaining, and Maggie Meehan ’21 notched a 3 at the buzzer to narrow the margin to 52-45 going into the fourth quarter. The Ephs stayed close in the beginning of the fourth, and a pair of free throws by Mikaela Topper ’21 cut the deficit to four with 4:24 remaining. The Ephs, however, were unable to

fully come back. On its way to a 9-point victory, Rochester outscored the women 14-9 in the final minutes of the game. Fernandez led the Ephs with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists. Topper (13 points) and Meehan (9 points) also contributed for Williams. Alexandra Leslie, who has been named an All-American for the past two seasons, led the Yellowjackets with 17 points, including seven in the game’s final quarter. The Ephs shot 24-for-54 (44.4 percent) from the field, including 3-for-6 (50 percent) from 3-point range. Rochester shot 29-for-63 (46 percent) from the field and 6-for-17 (35.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Despite the loss, head coach Pat Manning was pleased with her team’s ability to come back from an 18-point deficit against a strong team. “I think Saturday was a great game to gauge where we were and to help prepare us for conference play,” she said. “I was encouraged by a lot of what I saw.” On Friday, the women were dominant on defense as they defeated Bridgewater State 58-42. Bridgewater took an early lead, going up 10-4 on a jump shot by Destiny Fitzgerald with 5:46 remaining in the first. This did not last long, however, as Williams went on a 7-0 run to go up 11-10 with 1:14 left. At the end of a low-scoring first quarter, Williams led 13-12. Williams and Bridgewater traded baskets for the first few minutes of the second quarter until the Ephs started to get into an offensive rhythm. Once they found their shooting stroke, the women went on a 7-0 run to bring the score to 27-20 with 2:15 remaining in the half. After a high-scoring final few minutes of

the quarter, the Ephs went into halftime up 32-26 on the Bears. Meehan led the Ephs with 7 points in the first half, and Fitzgerald led Bridgewater with 9. The Ephs shot 12-for25 (48 percent) from the field while the Bears shot 10-for-24 (41.7 percent). The Ephs pulled away from the Bears early in the second half, scoring the first 12 points of the third to go up 44-26 with 5:57 remaining in the quarter. The Ephs’ scoring then slowed down, but they maintained their lead and went into the fourth up 48-33. The Ephs maintained their lead in the final quarter of play, outscoring the Bears 10-9 en route to a 16-point victory. Williams played strong defense, giving up its lowest opponent point total of the season and allowing just 16 points in the second half. The women also outrebounded the Bears 37-26. Fernandez and Fechtelkotter led the Ephs with eight boards apiece. The scoring effort was balanced for Williams; Topper and Fernandez led the Ephs with 9 apiece, and Meehan, Emily Chang ’20 and Lauren Vostal ’19 each scored 7. Fitzgerald led the Bears with 15 points. Manning experimented with the lineup on Friday and was pleased with the results. At various points, the Ephs had a smaller lineup on the floor that included the three first-year guards Meehan, Topper and Gabby Martin ’21. Manning spoke highly of the three. “They play well together, and they’re fast and smart,” she said. Manning went out of her way to mention Martin’s defensive effort, remarking that “the pressure she put on the ball made all the difference.” The women travel to Middletown, Conn., on Saturday to play Wesleyan at 3 p.m.

ALL THE REST Women’s track and field The women excelled at the Springfield College Invitational on Saturday. Izabelle Ith ’21 earned first place in the 60m hurdles and qualified for Div. III New Englands. Kennedy Green ’19 earned first and set an indoor school record of 7.84 seconds in the 60m to qualify for All New Englands. In the long jump, Ith, Summer-Solstice Thomas ’20, Astia Innis ’20 and Kelsie Hao ’21 took first through fourth, respectively, and all qualified for Div. III New Englands. Emma Egan ’20 also qualified with a firstplace finish in the high jump. The women compete at the Little Three Championships on Jan. 13, 2018. Women’s ice hockey The women (2–2–2, 0–2–2 in the NESCAC) tied Wesleyan 2-2 twice last weekend. On Saturday, Annie Rush ’19 and

Meghan Halloran ’21 scored for the Ephs while Avery Dunn ’21 and Olivia Stokes ’19 recorded goals on Friday. The women will face Castleton at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow evening. No. 14 women’s squash The women (2–4) fell 6-3 against No. 9 Drexel, 7-2 to No. 5 University of Pennsylvania and 9-0 at No. 3 Princeton last weekend. Notably, tri-captain Nicole Friedman ’18 bested Drexel’s Anna Hughes 12-10, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9 in the No. 1 match. The women look to rebound at home against No. 2 Trinity at 5 p.m. on Friday. Wrestling The men earned 12th place in the York Invitational last weekend. Co-captain Brendon Seyfried ’19 secured a third-place finish in the 149-lb. weight class, and Joey Rosetti ’21 placed fifth at 141. The men host Trinity at 7 p.m. on Friday in a dual meet.

No. 21 men’s squash The men (1–6) lost 8-1 to No. 8 Princeton, 9-0 to No. 7 Drexel and 9-0 against No. 5 University of Pennsylvania last weekend. Ben Eisenberg ’19 beat Grant Ackerman of Princeton in a five-game match at No. 9 on Saturday. The Ephs host No. 1 Trinity at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Men’s track and field The men competed at the Springfield Invitational on Saturday. Magnus Herweyer ’20 threw 14.64 meters in the shot put to place first. Dan Renwick ’21 and James Dunivan ’19 cleared 1.93 meters in the high jump to place first and second, respectively. Renwick also won the 60m hurdles, Jackson Ennis ’20 won the 1000m and Ben Hearon ’20 took first in the 3000m. The men compete at the Little Three Championships on Jan. 13, 2018.

ATHLETES OF THE FALL

VICTORIA KINGHAM ’18 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NEW YORK, N.Y.

ALEX BENNETT ’18 FIELD HOCKEY RYE, N.Y.

Kingham, a tri-captain, was the first Eph finisher in all but one of her races this fall. At the Purple Valley Classic on Sept. 23, she placed fifth overall in the 6k with a time of 22:22. She came in 40th at the Paul Short Invitational on Sept. 29 in a competitive race with many Div. I runners. She helped the women win Little Threes on Oct. 14 with a second-place performance of 18:23 in the 5k. Kingham also came second at NESCACs as the women won their third consecutive NESCAC title. She made the All-NESCAC First Team with a 21:53 finish in the 6k. The all-conference honor was Kingham’s fourth as she had made the First Team in 2015 and the Second Team in 2014 and 2016. On Nov. 11, she placed sixth at Regionals, leading the Ephs to a thirdplace finish. She came 24th at Nationals in the 6k with a 21:21, earning All-America recognition for the second year in a row.

This season, Bennett, a co-captain forward, recorded a teamhigh 43 total points, placing her second in the NESCAC. With 86 career points, she ranks seventh all-time in school history. This fall, Bennett started all 17 games, posted 11 assists and scored 16 goals, including three game-winners. She also took 163 shots and placed 96 on frame, accumulating five multiple-goal games. She scored twice in the season opener on Sept. 9 as the women edged Trinity 3-2. On Sept. 30, she again notched two goals in the 3-1 win over Connecticut College. Bennett recorded a hat trick in the 4-2 NESCAC quarterfinal victory over Amherst on Oct. 28 then scored twice in the 3-2 overtime loss to Trinity in the semifinals. She earned All-New England West Honors and was named to the All-NESCAC First Team.

BOBBY MAIMARON ’21 FOOTBALL DUXBURY, MASS.

DANIELLE SIM ’18 WOMEN’S SOCCER BEL AIR, MD.

The first-year quarterback led the Ephs to a 6–3 record after they went 0–8 last season. He completed 57.7 percent of his passing attempts for 1800 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the team with 402 rushing yards and scored a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. On Oct. 14, Maimaron orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback to lead the men past previously-undefeated Middlebury 2726. He passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns, including the winning score on the final play of the game, adding 93 yards and another touchdown on the ground. In the 31-24 victory over Amherst at Homecoming, he ran for four touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime, and passed for 183 yards. Maimaron was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year, made All-NESCAC Second Team and received the Charles Dewoody Salmon ’52 Award.

A First Team All-American defender, Sim captained a team that allowed just 0.328 goals per game, a mark that was seventh in Div. III, during its national title-winning season. On Nov. 9, she became the first defender ever to be named NESCAC Player of the Year. With Sim anchoring the back line, the women recorded 18 shutouts in 24 games and held all six of their opponents scoreless in the NCAA tournament. Sim was named to the All-Tournament Team. “Dani evolved to be one of the best, if not the best, center backs in the country,” head coach Michelyne Pinard said. “She had to handle some incredible attackers throughout the fall and did it with such grace. The combination of her athleticism, speed, competitive fire, discipline and tactical awareness allowed us to play in a way that pushed the limits. She is incredible, and we will miss her very much.”

December 6, 2017

SPORTS 11

The Williams Record

After 40 years as coach, Pete Farwell to be inducted into Hall of Fame By DANNY JIN SPORTS EDITOR

College. Then-head coach Tony Plansky, who had previously coached Farwell, had fallen ill. When Plansky passed away the following year, Farwell took over as the head coach, drawing heavily from Plansky’s coaching style. “He really looked at the development of a person, wasn’t all fixated on winning and was great always to talk to and consult with,” Farwell said. “That attitude is rare these days. Sports don’t necessarily have to be for only the elite. It can be fun, and we can have a really good experience and great process but actually end up winning by enjoying the sport and really focusing on those kinds of things.” Now in his 39th year as a head coach, Farwell has inculcated his own coaching philosophy into the program. He has coached men’s cross country every season since 1979 and has led women’s cross country since 2000. His time at the College has also included two stints as the head coach of men’s and women’s track and field, from 1988-2001 and 2008-2013. Farwell has built a perennial powerhouse, with his runners consistently finishing at or near the top of the nation. Nevertheless, Farwell and the student-athletes he coaches are quick to point out that what he has constructed is more than just an assembly line of top runners. It is something much greater: a community. Women’s cross country cocaptain Victoria Kingham ’18 has excelled as an athlete on Farwell’s teams, having earned AllAmerican honors the past two seasons. Yet Kingham sees her personal growth in her time on the team as far more important than her running achievements. “My biggest place of growth actually didn’t have that much to do with running itself – which speaks to Pete’s coaching,” Kingham said. “I had some great ups and rough downs in running, but what has been a pretty linear progression has been my ability to find a voice on the team.” Kingham ran a successful race at Nationals this year, but Farwell told her after the meet that the leadership role she had grown into was more important to him than her fast time. “What Pete said to me afterwards is that he was the most

Pete Farwell ’73 arrived at the College in 1969 as a first-year from Northbrook, Ill., with a love of running and a desire to learn. 48 years later, he has established himself as one of the most renowned cross country coaches in the nation, and he will be rewarded with an induction into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame on Dec. 13. Farwell’s love of running started in the ’60s, when he joined the cross country team at his local high school, Glenbrook North. Although his father and older brother had both attended Amherst, Farwell came to the College looking to run both cross country and track. As a student, Farwell majored in economics and philosophy. He graduated as the school’s sixmile record holder. Farwell worked at a local post office back home during his college summers, and upon graduating, he took a full-time job there while continuing to run competitively. He developed an interest in long-distance and marathon running, and in 1975, he placed 23rd in the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:20:09. “Things have to just kind of click for it to happen, but if you run enough races, it clicks every now and then,” he said. “I put in a lot of marathons and a lot of miles in those years when I was really training.” Farwell even qualified for the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials but could not attend due to injury. He remained in contact with the Williams cross country team after graduating, and he created an annual alumni meet, which serves as a reunion for former Eph runners. At that meet in 1977, runners at Mount Greylock Regional Academy approached him about an opening as their high school track coach. While he previously had not considered coaching as a career, Farwell enjoyed sharing his love of running and knowledge about training with others, so he took the job. Once Farwell was back in Williamstown, in 1978, he was offered a post as a men’s cross country assistant coach at the

proud of me not because of how I finished, but rather because he saw me as one of the leading voices on the team,” Kingham said. “That meant the world to me.” Following in Farwell’s footsteps, Kingham will coach cross country and track and field next year at her high school, the Brearley School, in New York. Her coaching philosophy will be shaped at least in part by Farwell. “The most important lesson that I’ve learned from Pete is the deep care and value that he places on every member of the team,” Kingham said. “I am just trying to absorb as much as I can before leaving.” Kingham is not the first of Farwell’s former runners to go into coaching. One of his current assistants, in fact, is former All-American and school 10k record holder Dusty Lopez ’01. Lopez was a relative newcomer to competitive running when he arrived at the College, but he developed steadily under Farwell while maintaining a balanced student-athlete experience. “I don’t know if I really appreciated it until I left Williams and went to coach at other schools, but I definitely had the opportunity to be a student here as much as anything else,” Lopez said. “Pete was always very clear that my academics were a priority and that we weren’t going to miss class unless absolutely necessary for travel.” Farwell allows runners to skip occasional practices when they are overwhelmed with work and to miss seasons to study abroad. “The kids that elect to come to Williams are coming because they want a broad college experience,” he said. “They’re dedicated and want to do well in running, but they want to get in all these other things that every student is able to get. If we’ve gotten them in, we have to afford them the opportunity to do those things.” Farwell’s demonstrates his holistic attitude toward running starts as early as the recruiting process. In runners, he looks for a love of the sport, an ability to work with others and personal qualities that an individual could contribute to the team. After Farwell began coaching women’s cross country, the men’s and women’s teams began to train together. He said he saw

DANNY JIN/SPORTS EDITOR

Pete Farwell ’73, who began coaching at the College in 1978, will become a Hall of Famer on Dec. 13. improvement in both teams as they began to share ideas. Collegiate cross country has also changed drastically since Farwell began coaching. The NESCAC did not sanction cross country until 1983, and NESCAC schools were not allowed to compete at Nationals until 1993. Despite the changing landscapes, Farwell’s teams have remained successful throughout his tenure. Lopez attributes the program’s sustained excellence to Farwell’s openness to trying new training methods. “Pete is remarkable in that he’s a learner,” Lopez said. “He’s always reading, looking for new ideas about the sport. I’ve learned from Pete that there are a lot of different ways to approach a training problem.” “You shouldn’t do something just because teams have done it in the past,” Farwell said. “You need to think about what works and what is good for the team.” Farwell also varies training pace during workouts. Instead of focusing on a specific zone in each workout, he tells runners to perform a certain mileage at one pace before switching to another. Kingham added that Farwell’s responsiveness to student-athletes’ input has been helpful. “It’s cool that Pete values having agency over your own train-

ing – which is a little daunting as a first-year,” Kingham said. “By the time that you’re a senior, it’s a really cool thing.” Despite Farwell’s excellent results as a coach, he has always conducted himself with modesty. Kingham and her teammates reflected on the news of Farwell’s Hall of Fame induction. “I don’t think that we were surprised because we all know that he’s a special kind of coach,” she said. “That being said, you see him in practice and think, ‘Oh yeah, that’s Pete. He’s just doing what he usually does.’ But then you take a step back and it’s like, ‘Whoa, that’s a pretty big deal’ … We were all incredibly proud that we get to train with this guy.” Lopez’s reaction was similar. “It made me stop and think, ‘Wow, it’s been 40 years,’” he said. “Pete still has a lot of energy. I didn’t think of him necessarily as an old-timer, but when you realize that the Hall of Fame has looked at his body of work and said, ‘You have been doing this so well and for so long that we’re going to make you a member,’ you get a sense of his longevity.” This season, Amherst men’s cross country won the Little Three Invitational, breaking a streak of 29 straight Williams victories. Farwell, however, did not see the meet as a failure.

“When the men didn’t win the Little Three after 29 wins in a row, it was kind of a weight on their backs,” he said. “I said, ‘It’s not that you guys lost that meet. The other team won that meet. You guys were champions in my mind of how you competed.’ The most important part was that they could take that and own it, and we could go on from there and make the season still a success.” People will always look at the five national titles Farwell’s cross country teams have won, the 23 NESCAC championships they have garnered and the 43 AllAmericans he has coached – not to mention the dozens more he led in track and field. For many, those accomplishments serve as evidence of his coaching success. Yet to Farwell, the people he has met and the experiences he has had mean more than the trophies that line the walls of his office. “If I have kids graduate and years later they look back and say, ‘Some of the best times I had at Williams were on the team,’ that’s a success,” Farwell said. “And if they’re still running, I call that a real success. It’s not a lifelong sport for everybody, but it’s one that continues. You can enjoy it and make other friends … to just be out and running and enjoy the camaraderie.”

Men’s, women’s swimming and diving drop meet to Div. I Boston College 188.5-91.5, and the women were defeated 176-124. Despite the loss, the women put up a formidable effort and pulled off a number of individual event wins. In the 1000 freestyle, Gwyneth Maloy ’21 claimed first with a time of 10:33.89. The momentum continued in

By JACK MELNICK and KATIE PRIEST TEAM CORRESPONDENTS No. 12 men’s swimming and diving (2–1) and No. 3 women’s swimming and diving (2–1) both fell to Div. I Boston College on Sunday. Competing in Boston, the men lost

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Co-captain Emma Waddell ’18 placed second in the 100 freestyle.

The Office of Communications recommends ...

Christmas Service of Lessons & Carols The identical services feature choral music by the Williams Concert and Chamber Choirs, congregational singing of carols, and the traditional reading of the biblical Christmas story

the 200 freestyle, in which Laura Westphal ’21 took first in 1:52.86. Westphal also won the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.86, followed closely by co-captain Emma Waddell ’18, who touched at 53.06 for second. Although the women were most successful in the freestyle events, they put up a fight in other events as well. One of the most notable swims came from Caroline White ’20, who won the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.06. The afternoon concluded with the 400 freestyle relay, in which the Eph A team of Delaney Smith ’18, Maloy, Westphal and Waddell closed with a win and a time of 3:33.22. The meet was the first the women lost in 44 meets. The Ephs have prevailed in 75 consecutive Div. III meets. Head coach Steve Kuster felt the competition was a

healthy challenge for the women. “We took a big step up in competition against Boston College,” he said. “There were tons of close races, and there were lots of bright spots and plenty of things to improve.” The men also managed to gain valuable experience facing a Div. I team regardless of the loss. The middle and distance events proved to be strongest for the Ephs. In the 200 freestyle, Jamie Lovette ’21 finished first in a blazing 1:43.09, his fastest time of the season. Behind him, David Pearcy ’21 and Michael Cassidy ’18 also contributed fast swims, with respective times of 1:46.76 and 1:48.72. In the 500 freestyle, Lovette edged out a Boston College swimmer by 0.15 seconds, winning in 4:43.95. Follow-

ing in third behind Lovette was Andrew Trunsky ’20, who touched at 4:47.86. Trunsky claimed a victory of his own in 1000 freestyle, leading a one-two Eph finish. Trunsky’s time was a blistering 9:43.00, and Jackson Karofsky ’21 took second in the event with a 9:46.08. Lucca Delcompare ’20 also added strong swims in the butterfly events. He took second in the 200 butterfly with a season-best 1:55.41 and was the top Eph finisher in the 100 butterfly, coming in sixth with another season best of 52.89. Boston College’s Taylor Cortens posted a quick 2:03.92 to win the 200 breaststroke, breaking a pool record that had stood since 1991. Despite the loss, Kuster said the team effort and attitude were excellent. There were numerous fast swims

across the board, and the energy was palpable. “The men have had a solid start to the season thus far,” Kuster said. “We’ve gotten some good racing in, and I look forward to our quad meet next weekend. We have a smaller group this year, and a few guys we are still getting back from injury. We’ll need everyone healthy and performing well in order to keep pace with a very challenging schedule ahead.” Kuster added that the team will work hard to prepare for the upcoming meets. “I’m looking forward to a great week of work and to next weekends matchups,” he said. Both teams compete again on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a tri-meet. In Middletown, Conn., the men will face Tufts and Wesleyan, while the women will take on Tufts and Worcester Polytechnic.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK “It was wonderful to see Tash playing some of the most inspired and confident soccer of her Williams career in the last few weeks of her senior year. It propelled the team to its most creative and exciting performances of the fall. What a way to end your soccer career – scoring a game-winning goal in the national championship game. I’m so happy for her and the team.”

“Our team has gotten off to a great start, and Kyle is a major reason why. He has the ability to affect the game in a variety of ways and has played with enthusiasm and confidence. Kyle’s, as well as the team’s, performances have been a reflection of the hard work put in during the offseason. We’re looking forward to continuing to improve and finishing out the semester strong.”

–Head coach Michelyne Pinard

–Head coach Kevin App

Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 & 10

NATASHA ALBANEZE ’18

KYLE SCADLOCK ’19

4 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER NORTHPORT, N.Y.

MEN’S BASKETBALL TWINSBURG, OHIO

Albaneze scored the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 1-0 win in the NCAA title game. She tied a school record with six goals in the tournament, earning Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors. A Third Team All-American, she finished the season with 10 goals and 10 assists.

Scadlock notched his fourth double-double of the season in Saturday’s 72-65 loss to Wesleyan, recording 15 points and 10 rebounds. The forward is averaging a NESCAC-leading 20.7 points per game through six games on 52.4 percent shooting, and his 9.5 rebounds per game are third in the conference.

Thompson Memorial Chapel There is no admission charge, but all are encouraged to bring an item of non-perishable canned or packaged food for local emergency food pantries

12 SPORTS

The Williams Record

December 6, 2017

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

No. 6 women’s soccer recorded 1-0 wins over No. 3 Hardin-Simmons in the semifinals and No. 4 University of Chicago in the final. Natasha Albaneze ’18 scored the game-winning goal in the title game.

No. 6 women’s soccer wins second NCAA title in three years By DANNY JIN SPORTS EDITOR Just two years after winning its first national title, No. 6 women’s soccer (22–1–1, 8–1–1 in the NESCAC) once again returned from the NCAA Final Four weekend holding the championship trophy. The women claimed this year’s crown with 1-0 victories over No. 3 Hardin-Simmons on Friday and No. 4 University of Chicago on Saturday in Greensboro, N.C. After winning their first four tournament games by an average of three goals, the Ephs needed second-half goals by Alison Lu ’20 on Friday and Natasha Albaneze ’18 on Saturday in tightly-contested battles. The women did not allow a goal in the tournament. The women prevailed with an 85th-minute goal from Lu over previously-unbeaten HardinSimmons in Friday’s semifinal. The Cowgirls entered the contest with a NCAA-leading 5.14 goals per game and 13 shots on goal per game, but the Ephs limited the opposition to just two shots on goal. Williams controlled most of the early possession by virtue of precise up-tempo passing. The Ephs finished the period with a 6-0 advantage in shots but did not see great scoring chances. In the 16th minute, Georgia Lord ’21 played a dangerous cross from the right wing, but the ball skipped just out of the reach of Lu. Kristina Alvarado ’19 drove a hard shot on goal late in the half, drawing a save from Cowgirl goalie Caitlin Christiansen. After halftime, Hardin-Simmons attacked, earning a corner kick in the 50th minute. The Cowgirls had scored 43 goals off set pieces over the course of the season, and Kristen Parrish, a First Team All-American, had a chance from Morgan McAdams’ delivery. Parrish sent a shot toward the near post, but Eph defender Sarah Kelly ’20 was opportunely positioned and cleared the try off the goal line.

The Ephs continued to push for a breakthrough, and two shots from Lord forced crucial saves from Christiansen, who punched both over the crossbar. The women found the decider in the 85th minute when defender Liz Webber ’20 sent a cross into the box from the right wing. Lu was first to the ball, and her initial shot deflected off of a Hardin-Simmons defender. The ball bounced back to Lu, however, and she volleyed her second shot across the goal line and into the bottom-left corner. Williams kept the 1-0 lead until the final whistle. The Ephs finished with a 17-4 edge in shots. Christiansen made nine saves for Hardin-Simmons, while Williams needed just one from Olivia Barnhill ’19. “The [Cowgirls] put so many numbers behind the ball and do such a good job defending collectively that we needed to switch the point of attack quickly,” head coach Michelyne Pinard said. “We needed, honestly, a little luck on Friday. The ball has to bounce exactly the right way sometimes. Luckily it bounced right onto Alison Lu’s foot and she put it away as she has so many times.” The semifinal victory set up a title-game meeting with Chicago, which defeated the College of New Jersey, the top seed, in its semifinal. Albaneze’s goal and Barnhill’s strong play in net secured Williams’ second national championship in three years. The Ephs got off to a strong start, dictating the pace early on. Albaneze picked out Natalie Turner-Wyatt ’19 with a cross in the ninth minute, but Maroon goalkeeper Katie Donovan smothered the ball after TurnerWyatt’s first touch. In the 22nd minute, Albaneze sent in an early cross from the right wing, and Lu got a foot onto the ball, but Donovan saved it from close range. Chicago began to take control in the latter part of the half and earned a few scoring chances. Defender Clare Suter played forward Madori Spiker through in the box in the 24th minute. Web-

ber, however, raced across the box to make the tackle, and Kelly cleared. In the 35th minute, Mia Calamari played a through ball to fellow All-American midfielder Jenna McKinney, whose shot landed wide of the post. The first half finished scoreless, with shots tied at five apiece and shots on goal tied at two. In the 50th minute, a Chicago counterattack forced Barnhill to make her first one-on-one save of the day. Suter won the ball for the Maroons and started the move, playing the ball forward for Calamari, who played a through ball to Spiker. Barnhill stood as the last line of defense for the Ephs, and she rushed out to deny Spiker just outside the six-yard box. Albaneze provided the breakthrough in the 57th minute. Tricaptain defender Danielle Sim ’18 had the ball near midfield and picked out Turner-Wyatt on the left side. Turner-Wyatt chipped a through ball past a lunging Maroon defender, and both Albaneze and Lu slipped past the Chicago back line. With plenty of space, Albaneze called off her teammate and knocked the ball past Miranda Malone, Chicago’s substitute goalkeeper. The goal was Albaneze’s sixth of the tournament, tying a Williams record for most goals scored in an NCAA tournament. Shortly after the goal, the Ephs went on the attack again as Turner-Wyatt played a cross to Alvarado in the six-yard box. Malone made a strong save to keep Alvarado’s shot out. In the 61st minute, Chicago began an offensive onslaught that put Williams under duress for the remainder of the contest. On a long ball into the box, Spiker used her strength to get past Sim. Spiker powered a shot on goal, but Barnhill saved with her legs before quickly controlling the rebound. The Maroons had one of their best chances in the 72nd minute when forward Katie Jasminski snuck behind the back line. After running onto a pass, she shot the ball low, but Barnhill reacted

quickly to block. The rebound bounced back toward Jasminski, but Webber knocked it away. With the ball still loose, Kelly and Lord arrived at the ball at the same time as Calamari, preventing the attacker from capitalizing. The fast pace at which the contest was played began to impact the players as fatigue set in. Yet with a national championship at stake, Chicago continued to send everything forward in search of an equalizer, and Williams fought to defend its lead. Inside the final 10 minutes, Spiker had a late shot that sailed just over the top-left corner. With five minutes left, Chicago attacked relentlessly down the flanks, and Maddy DeVoe’s cross reached Jasminski in the sixyard box. However, she flicked the ball over the crossbar. In the 89th minute, the Maroons brought all their players into the box for a corner kick. Webber headed Calamari’s delivery away, but the ball reached Hanna Watkins near the edge of the penalty box. Watkins curled a shot just wide of the post. The Maroons continued to push in the final moments, but Barnhill caught a cross with 10 seconds left. The Ephs breathed a sigh of relief, and the clock ran out with the

score 1-0 in Williams’ favor. Chicago finished with a 14-12 edge in shots, but the women came away with the victory, thanks in part to six saves from Barnhill. Pinard heaped praise on the effort her team gave in its most important game of the season. “We played some of our very best soccer of our season in the first 35 minutes of the Chicago game,” Pinard said. “The rest of the time we played the grittiest I have seen our team play. Combining the two means that we were able to beat a very good team. That Chicago team was the best I have seen in my 20 years. “The sense of team, purpose and commitment to each other propelled us through the NCAA tournament and was a source of inspiration in the toughest of moments in the Final Four.” Pinard added that this year’s championship run was particularly memorable. “It was a storybook ending to one of the most enjoyable seasons of my career,” she said. “I will cherish the memories from our 2017 journey for the rest of my life.” “[The Maroons] have some really talented players we knew we had to account for,” tri-captain midfielder Evan Gancedo ’18 said. “All the little things we practiced during the season

[mattered]. Ultimately it’s going to be hard work and sacrifice. Everyone on our team did that and it worked out in our favor.” Barnhill was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, and Albaneze was the Most Outstanding Offensive Player. Lu and Sim were also named to the All-Tournament team. Albaneze was named a Third Team All-American last week, and Sim, the NESCAC Player of the Year, was a First Team choice. The Ephs graduate Albaneze, Gancedo, Hanna Kaeser ’18, Kate Sands ’18, Sim and tri-captain Jacqueline Simeone ’18. This year’s senior class has compiled a four-year mark of 82– 5–6 at Williams for a .915 winning percentage. They became the first class to win more than 80 games, breaking the mark of 74 wins set by the class of 2017. The class of 2018 won two national titles, advanced to three Final Fours and made the NCAA quarterfinals all four years. “I’m super sad about seeing these guys play for the last time,” Pinard said. “What they did for this program is incredible. The level of play they envisioned and created was a lot of fun to watch, and I’m going to miss them.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Olivia Barnhill ’19 was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the NCAA tournament.

No. 3 men’s basketball falls to Wesleyan after opening season with five wins By ERIC HIRSCH STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Co-captain Mike Greenman ’18 scored 12 points in Saturday’s loss.

No. 3 men’s basketball (5–1) fell to Wesleyan 72-67 in overtime on Saturday after opening its season with five straight wins. In a defensive battle in Chandler Gymnasium, the Cardinals made a few more plays down the stretch to outlast the Ephs in the non-conference matchup. From the opening tip, Wesleyan set the tone on the defensive end. The Cardinals kept the Ephs off the board for the first three minutes, jumping out to an early 6-0 lead. After a difficult lefthanded finish by James Heskett ’19, the Ephs rattled off an 8-0 run to claim the lead. Both sides shot under 40 percent from the field in the first half, with the Ephs connecting on 12 of 31 shots (38.7 percent) and the Cardinals making 13 of 33 (39.4 percent). In a game where neither team could claim much momentum, the Ephs had a 30-25 lead with four minutes left in the half. Wesleyan, however, finished the half on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 32 heading into the break.

Despite the Ephs’ size, the Cardinals dominated the boards. Wesleyan won the rebounding battle 27-15 in the half and had a 9-2 edge on the offensive boards. Wesleyan opened the second half on a 5-0 run to take a 3732 lead. Yet, as was the case all game, the Cardinals could not create any meaningful separation. Bobby Casey ’19 responded with a personal 5-0 run to tie the game with 15:17 left. At that point, the game seemed destined to go down to the wire. For the remainder of regulation, neither team led by more than four. With 6:42 remaining, Heskett drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Ephs a 52-48 lead and a new momentum. After a Wesleyan timeout, however, Jordan Bonner responded with a 3 of his own, silencing the hometown crowd. A few minutes later, co-captain Mike Greenman ’18 hit two free throws to once again extend the men’s lead to four at 57-53. However, the Cardinals dug in on defense and kept the Ephs off the scoreboard for the final four minutes. With the score tied at 57 and only 34 seconds on the game

clock, Wesleyan called timeout to set up a play. Nathan Krill found himself wide open from the left wing with five seconds remaining, but his game-winning attempt caromed off the back rim. Kyle Scadlock ’19 rushed the ball up the court and attempted a 30foot runner as time expired, but the desperation shot clanked off the front rim. Overtime brought plenty of excitement as the teams traded the lead back and forth. With 2:45 left, co-captain Chris Galvin ’18 found Scadlock inside on a beautiful backdoor cut for a vicious two-handed slam to put the Ephs on top 62-61. Wesleyan, however, remained calm and answered on the other end to reclaim the lead. With under a minute to play and the game tied at 67, Bonner drove to the left. Although he missed his initial attempt, he grabbed the rebound and drew a foul on the put-back effort. Bonner sank both free throws to put the Cardinals up two with 23 seconds left. After a turnover on the other end, the Ephs intentionally fouled Bonner, who sealed the game at the line.

Casey led the Ephs with 17 points on 5-for-7 3-point shooting. Scadlock recorded a doubledouble, his fourth of the season, with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Bonner finished with 22 points and five rebounds for the victors. Williams shot 23-for-62 (37.1 percent) from the field and 9-for-33 (27.3 percent) from 3. Additionally, the Ephs made only 12 of 23 free throw attempts, including one of five in overtime. “It really came down to that 50-50 call at the end,” head coach Kevin App said. “I did think we had too many lapses where we gave too many guys good shots instead of taking away their strengths. It was a close, hardfought game and it comes down to the little stuff. “I thought we got the shots we wanted for most of the game,” he said. “We just need to make them, but also anticipate where they are going to come against a better defensive team. We could have done a better job of that on Saturday.” The men return to action tonight with a road game at Westfield State at 7:30 p.m.