Sept. 12, 2018: Maud Mandel inducted as College's 18th president

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SPORTS P. 12 The Independent Student Newspaper at Williams College Since 1887 VOL. CXXXIII, NO. 22

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Women's soccer starts season off with three wins

Maud Mandel inducted as College's 18th president

By REBECCA TAUBER and SAMUEL WOLF NEWS EDITORS Last Saturday, Sept. 8, the College inducted its 18th president, Maud S. Mandel.

Rather than consisting solely of a ceremony, the induction involved a full day of community events. The College website described the experience as “a full-day celebration related to the theme ‘Inside/ Outside,’ notions of which powerfully influence how we experience the world.”

The day started with a walk through Hopkins Memorial Forest, followed by welcoming remarks by past interim president and Professor of Physics Protik Majumder.

Before lunch, the Williams College Museum of Art, the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance, the New South Science Building and the Davis Center hosted conversations centering around the theme “Inside/Outside.”

Street-fair themed lunch took place on Chapin Lawn and was open to the entire campus. The meal included corndogs, candy apples, juggling, stilt-walkers and more.

President Mandel spent time during lunch walking around introducing herself to and talking with various groups of students.

“It’s so fantastic to see so many people out here,” Mandel said of the event. “We really wanted something very celebratory. To see the balloons and women on stilts and the students out here interacting with alumni and trustees and parents and friends is really moving and exciting, and I hope it bodes well for the beginning of a wonderful stretch of time here at Williams.”

SOPHIA SHIN/PHOTO EDITOR

Mandel's speech emphasized how her upbringing as a descendent of Jewish refugees was formative in her studies of diversity and exclusion as an academic.

After lunch, the “Inside/ Outside” theme continued with a conversation with professor and former dean of Harvard Law School Martha Minow. She was joined in conversation with Professor of History Sara Dubow ’91. The two discussed issues of gender, law and politics.

Sawyer Library and the ’62 Center also held more programs related to the "Inside/ Outside" theme.

Mandel’s formal induction ceremony started at 4 p.m. in Chapin Hall and lasted approximately two hours. It began with a processional that included ceremony speakers, professors in academic dress and others. Instead of wearing her own doctoral robe, Mandel wore the College presiden-

Bronfman Science Center torn down as construction continues

By NICHOLAS GOLDROSEN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Over the summer, as part of the Science Center renewal project, the College demolished the 50-year-old Bronfman Science Center in preparation for the construction of the new north building of the Science Center. The new north building, which will house the departments of geosciences, psychology, mathematics and statistics, has an estimated completion date of January 2021, according to Diana Randall, the College’s senior project manager for the site.

The College began construction on Bronfman Science Center in 1964, and the building opened for use in 1968. The project cost $3.9 million at the time, according to the College’s online property profile for the building.

The building housed faculty offices and classrooms for psychology and math as well as labs and office space for chemistry and physics faculty. The building’s name came from the Bronfman family of Seagram’s fame, who contributed $1.25 million dollars to the project.

In preparation for Bronfman’s demolition, faculty in psychology, mathematics and statistics moved to temporary offices and classroom space on Stetson Court. The labs housed in Bronfman were moved to the new Science Center south building, which opened this spring.

Construction on the new north building of the Science Center is beginning right away. The building will ultimately occupy the same footprint as Bronfman on the west side of the newly-named Adam Falk Science Quad. According to the College’s pro-

file of the project, “The north addition includes the removal and replacement of Bronfman Science Center with a similarly sized building which will house more flexible space, including classrooms, a large auditorium, labs, offices, and collaborative spaces for math/stats, psychology and geoscience departments.”

The replacement of Bronfman and construction of the new building, and the Science Center renewal project more broadly, responds to growing student enrollments in the sciences and mathematics and the need for increasingly flexible spaces to meet faculty research needs.

In a 2017 Record article, Professor of Physics and Director of the Science Center Tiku Majumder said, “The dramatic increase in the number of students taking Division III classes necessitated a look into our current capacities to teach that many students. There has also been a demographic shift in our faculty as more members retire and are replaced [with] young, ambitious faculty with ambitious research plans. We want to be able to attract the best scholars who are also committed to undergraduate teaching.” (“Construction continues on Science Quad,” Sept. 13, 2017) The construction for the building currently occupies a large footprint stretching from Hoxsey Street to the Thompson Biology Lab door, up to Route 2 and extending down Hoxsey Street to 42 Hoxsey St. While the project will be ongoing at its current site for at least the next three years, the footprint and dimensions of the site are not currently expected to expand, according to Randall.

tial robe for the first time. The ceremony was immediately followed by a picnic dinner on Chapin Lawn, which included an open bar and live performances by Soul Sensations, Homebrew, Sankofa, Ritmo Latino and NBC. Among the induction attendants were members of the Board of Trustees, community members, alumni, faculty, students and the president of Brown University, Christina Paxson. In addition to speeches from a wide range of College community members, Mandel and Paxson both received honorary degrees, earning the titles of Doctors in Laws. The presentation of these degrees is a rare honor that reflects their service to the College – Man-

del by becoming President, and Paxson by serving as Mandel’s mentor at Brown.

The ceremony prominently featured Board of Trustees Chair Michael Eisenson ’77, who delivered the welcoming address and officially inducted Mandel to the role of President. Other speakers were drawn from the staff (Rachel Louis, assistant director of the center for development economics ), the faculty (Denise Buell, dean of the faculty), the alumni (Kate Ramsdell, society of alumni vice president), the Town Community (Anne O’Connor, Williamstown select board chair), peer academic institutions (Deborah Cohen, professor of history at Northwestern) and the current student body (Lizzy Hib-

bard ’19 and Moisés Roman Mendoza ’19, College Council co-presidents).

Hibbard and Roman Mendoza’s speech, the first after Eisenson’s, critiqued some aspects of the College while simultaneously welcoming Mandel. “Before we begin, we want to acknowledge that Williams College sits on the territory of the Mohican nation,” Hibbard began, referencing the historical injustices that occurred on the site of the College. Roman Mendoza continued by highlighting past intolerances that the College itself perpetrated. “This would not be a true welcome without addressing our faults and our flaws,” he said. “Williams was not intended to look like

it does today. It was not intended for people of color, for women and for so many other students that contribute to our community. What Williams looks like today came from the hard work of past and present students, faculty, staff and administrators. Let’s acknowledge their contributions and continue their work.”

Hibbard and Roman Mendoza also mentioned several areas in which they believed the College remained lacking. In particular, they drew attention to the practice of having students on financial aid pay a significant portion of summer earnings back to the College, the lack of need-blind admissions for international students and the perceived struggle of the College to address the underlying causes of mental health issues on campus. In addition, Hibbard drew attention to the current movement for Asian American Studies.

“Students here fought for Africana studies and Latinx studies,” she said. “They are still, after three decades, fighting for Asian American studies. We must support them in these efforts.”

Other speakers adopted more upbeat tones. Louis praised Mandel’s eagerness to learn about the College, addressing several of her remarks to Mandel herself. “In a few months here, you have already learned more about my department, the Center for Development Economics, than many who have been here for years,” she said.

O’Connor brought attention to the fact that Mandel is the first female President of the College. “As roughly the SEE MANDEL, PAGE 4

Used bookstore to replace Subway

By KRISTEN BAYRAKDARIAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER On Spring Street, empty storefronts currently exist in the buildings which used to house a Subway restaurant and a Ruby Sparks clothing store. However, these buildings will not be empty for long. As the sign posted outside the ex-Ruby Sparks door details, the space will house Chapter Two Books, a used bookstore affiliated with The Friends of Milne Public Library. The bookstore is not related to the College and will not be stocking textbooks or college merchandise.

The Friends is a volunteer group designed to support the David and Joyce Milne Public Library in Williamstown. Located directly beside the center for development economics, the public library is funded by the town, governed by their elected board of trustees and supported by the volunteer Friends group. The Friends raises public awareness for the library and its events, in addition to raising money, which goes towards additions to the library’s collections, programming for children and young adults, staff development, computers, technology, furniture and equipment.

“We always thought about having a little store here,” Susan

Pike, a member of the Chapter Two Books initial management team, said. But the decision to actually open this store did not come until April.

For the past 30 years, twothirds of The Friends’ annual budget has come from their annual book sale – a massive, twoday sale in April, which takes all year to organize. More than 25,000 donated books are sorted, processed and transported to Williamstown Elementary School to be sold. After the sale, the group is also responsible for finding drop-off locations for unsold books.

“This event is a huge community event with a lot of moving parts,” Pike explained. “And then at the end it’s only two days, and [there are] too many books that we need to get rid of… We have wonderful books that have been carefully processed all year long, and then you have to find places for those leftover books. It’s just not right for those books. It’s always bothered us.”

This past spring, when the tenure of the annual sale’s two cochairs ended and no one stepped in to replace them, the decision to open up a more permanent venue for book sale was made. With the retail space opportunity provided by the closing of Ruby Sparks, bookstore logistics were the only

remaining issue. “This is not an extension of an academic [entity],” Pike said. “Students may think they can come in and find a textbook… You may find a classic like Pride and Prejudice, you may find primary resources, but in that sense, we’re a lot more generic [than] school-focused. We have a community focus. Everybody should be able to find something.”

Ginny Sheldon, another member of the Chapter Two Books management team, pointed out that many course requirements may still be available. “The fact that we live in an academic community and academics are donating books means that there is a wide variety of non-fiction from various professors who have taught [and] people who have taken those courses,” she said.

In addition, once the store is up and running, both Pike and Sheldon hope that bookshop volunteers will devise a system that accommodates book requests from patrons. Both also stressed the importance of the store becoming a community space for all.

“Our real mission is to support the library, and to get books into people’s hands at a modest price,” Pike said. For this reason, the majority of books will fall within the $1 to $5 range, with

sales tax subsidized by the store.

There will also be mini-sales with reduced prices throughout the year, depending on the availability of books. All proceeds will go to the public library.

Chapter Two Books hopes to open in early November. It will be managed by volunteers and will be completely stocked with book donations. Opportunities for students at the College to volunteer with Chapter Two Books on one-time, short-term and long-term bases will also become available. Possible volunteer work will include lifting, organizing, shelving and creating online platforms.

WHAT’S INSIDE 3 OPINIONS Why Asian American Studies is for everyone 4 NEWS Williamstown teachers protest pay freeze 7 FEATURES Financial aid storage boxes receives mixed reviews 8 ARTS Hip-hop group Death Grips releases new album 11 SPORTS Pete Farwell '73 celebrates 40 years as head coach

KATIE BRULE/PHOTO EDITOR

Chapter Two Books, a used bookstore, will be opening soon on Spring Street. It is unaffiliated with the College.

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2 OPINIONS

The Williams Record

September 12, 2018

Editor-in-Chief Tesnim Zekeria Managing Editors Reed Jenkins and Rachel Scharf

Sports Editors Cassie Deshong and Charles Xu

Executive Editors Shaheen Currimjee, Nicholas Goldrosen, Brooke Horowitch, Rachel Levin

Photo Editors Katie Brule and Sophia Shin

News Editors Rebecca Tauber and Samuel Wolf Opinions Editor Haeon Yoon Features Editors Lydia Duan and Jeongyoon Han

Business Manager Isabella Wang Financial Manager Teo Pollini Head of Advertising Esther Baek Subscriptions Manager Chris Fleischer

Arts Editor Kaira Mediratta

DARIN LI ’21

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

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

Word on The Quad What's the worst icebreaker you've ever had to do?

By KATIE BRULE AND SOPHIA SHIN PHOTO EDITORS

MEGALAN TSO ’22

Having to answer the question: how many holes does a straw have?

MAUD'S INDUCTION

Hooray for our first female President! The Dinosaur BBQ didn't hurt either.

FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES

Thank God for the drop/add period!

(FIRST) FIRST FRIDAYS

Let's be honest, we all missed the Shrek theme from last year.

,

WEBSITE OFFLINE

It's not just the town that's under construction ... it's also our website.

PURPLE KEY FAIR

My favorite way to learn about new clubs?

Drenched in sweat.

MIKAELA TOPPER ’21

For WOOLF, we had to get in a giant circle and sit down in each other's laps at the same time.

VALERIA BALTODANO ’20

Having to answer the question: if you could ride any horse sized fruit into battle, what fruit would you choose and why?

ZOÉ CHEVALIER ’19

In my first week at Williams, they asked us to mimc our favorite vegetable.

ON THE RECORD “I want to start by acknowledging that this entire process of becoming your 18th president has involved a massive and exciting shift as I moved from outside Williams to very, very much inside.

It would be hard to overstate just how moved I am to be before you today.”

President Maud Mandel during her induction speech, page 5.

“It is for everyone who wants America to be truly diverse and inclusive.

It is for everyone who does not want history to be repeated when people perceived to be 'other' were excluded, harassed, discriminated against or even killed. ”

Professor Li Yu in her op-ed, page 3.

“Fun fact: Tiku Majumder was my fourth grade soccer coach. ” Niku Darafshi ’21 in her one in 2000 interview, page 6.

“In addition to the brilliant joint efforts of Lee and Peele, the historical and political context of BlacKkKlansman propels it even further ” Phillip Pyle ’22 in his review of Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, page 9.

“We run better when we are smiling. They are looser for meets when they aren’t being internal.”

Pete Farwell celebrating his 40th year coaching cross country, page 11.

READ US ONLINE The Record's website is currently offline for renovations. To read this week's issue online, visit issuu.com/ williamsrecord.

INTERESTED IN WRITING FOR THE RECORD? COME TO A WRITER'S MEETING TOMORROW AT 8:15 PM PARESKY 209

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

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

Submissions should be sent to hy3@williams. edu by Sunday at 5 p.m. for inclusion in the next Wednesday issue. Op-eds range in length from 650-800 words, and letters are 500 words or fewer. The Record will not publish pieces that have appeared in other publications. Pieces submitted to the Record are not guaranteed a spot in the upcoming issue.

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

DARIN LI ’21

First Day foundations Re ecti S

o a Williams traditio R

In an effort to maintain a comfortable level of interaction with high school friends, I often check their Snapchat stories. During the summer, as I was one of the last to leave for school, I witnessed instances of the typical transition into college — a Snapchat of a dorm captioned “MTV, welcome to my crib,” a quick two-to-three day orientation program and classes shortly thereafter. My scheduled itinerary was to arrive on campus on Aug. 24, attend a 13-day formal introduction to Williams College and begin classes — a lengthy alternative to most people’s orientation programs. In the days leading up to my time at the College, I often questioned how the College could fill 13 days with substantial activities for its first-year students.

As a survivor of the College’s “First Days” program, I am pleased to report that the nearly two-week experience will be significant in framing my next four years.

Given that the College attempts to foster a close-knit community, these types of comprehensive and lengthy programs allow first-year students to form deep and comfortable connections to their peers and the institution. For most frosh, this part of their lives is the first time they will not rely on the support of their parents or guardians. I will speak for myself when I say that moving to Williams, even from a nearby state like New Jersey, brought about feelings of fear and vulnerability.

I prepared myself to shake hands with hundreds of strangers (who will become my peers, and some – friends), wash my own clothes, while juggling the differences between the ’62, ’68, and ’82 centers in my mind. The College, however, nurtured these worries with events such as “Voices,” where students shared personal stories of struggle during their transitions to college, and “Page 1,” which prompted us to create a clean psychological slate

and pushed me to prioritize my psychological well-being, especially in times of educational pressures.

EphVentures, another critical part of orientation, also pushed me to explore and connect with the Williams community through five days of activities. Farming potatoes at a local farm and shopping for alpacafur socks, intertwined with scenic car rides through the Berkshires, gave me an opportunity to absorb Williams beyond its well-known academic resources.

However, First Days was not as positively accepted by all students.

Some questioned the validity of the program’s length and some of its programs. A few hours before the first “Williams Reads” program, I asked some of my friends if they had read the assigned novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.

Around one-third replied “no.”

Many, including myself (and my entry’s discussion moderator), failed to experience an “epiphany” from the text. The novel failed to leave a lasting impact on most students, including myself, and simply became an ephemeral (pun intended) part of their Williams experience.

Another complaint, and one that I disagree with post factum, relates to the length of the program. At the final event, as a picture slideshow of the previous 13 days was shown, my friend remarked, “If your orientation is long enough to have a slideshow, it is too long.” Although some may argue this is the case, I now treasure my prolonged introduction to the College, as it is responsible for neutralizing my fear of the structural shift that higher education entails.

As I embark on my first semester, I’m currently juggling lengthy scholarly texts on Africana philosophy with the club-cycling team. I am now unquestionably relying on the skills and connections I’ve gained from First Days.

David Shakirov ’22 is from Fort Lee, N.J. His major is undeclared.

Grappling with privilege rst ears attempt to a i ate pri ile e o camp s Since coming to the College, I’ve learned, in addition to why there are billiards but no ping pong tables in the dorm buildings, a few vocabulary words. The first one is “pregame,” and the second is “privilege.” While the former just describes a preemptive opportunity to get drunk in case alcohol runs out at the actual party, the latter describes a situation that is more serious, but no less prevalent.

At the College there is a stark dichotomy in the student body. On the one hand, there are students for whom, for all intents and purposes, Williams is simply a continuation of high school. The world -class professors, huge student spending per capita and expensive facilities are nothing more than a larger version of whatever big name private school they had attended since middle school.

On the other hand, there are students for whom college has always been a somewhat mythical, mystical, maybe magical concept, a mere figment of imagination. They are the ones who are the first generation in their family to attend university, who grew up in low income areas or are underrepresented minorities. While there is certainly a gray area, the contrast between the two groups is so extreme and there are enough of each type of student for the dynamic to be sufficiently pronounced. On a conceptual level, this makes enough sense; Williams has a prestigious reputation for excellence in areas as varied as music and sports as well as academics, but it also boasts a large percentage of underprivileged students in its student body. It’s certainly true that all of these individuals are talented and capable, but the reality is that certain programs at the College are more likely to be populated by students from affluent backgrounds because they have had access to resources and specialized training from an early age.

This creates a stark divide in the student body with regards to privilege. I feel that I fall in somewhat of a gray area between those two, and perhaps because of that I feel that, even in these meager few weeks, I’ve had a few experiences that have redefined to me what privilege actually means.

I’ve been lucky enough to have music lessons from a very young age, both at the behest of my parents as well as of my own volition. Having had the luxury of nurturing tutors, talented peers and outstanding conductors, cello eventually became one

OPINIONS 3

The Williams Record

September 12, 2018

of my integral passions and talents.

When I was considering my options for higher learning, the outstanding music program at Williams was in no small part a factor in my eventual decision to come here. However, as I met a few other incoming cellists and other musicians in the weeks of First Days, it struck me how the music department in particular and Williams at large is tailored to those who have had privileges like I do. Those who have had a dearth of opportunity are less likely to have had the resources to just pick up a skill like a classical instrument at a young age.

Even those who are given the luxuries of Williams are still incapable of ever participating in an organization like the Berkshire Symphony, which I had heard about in so many glowing terms. Most other opportunities at Williams don’t have a requirement of five to 10 years of experience, but nevertheless the orchestra certainly isn’t the only one that is fairly exclusive. Learning a classical instrument is an extreme example, but the fact remains that many of the best parts of Williams are only open to those who have had privilege, and I feel extremely lucky to have had access to many resources.

On the other hand, I’ve been fortunate enough to have had access to many opportunities some of my peers haven’t, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t absolutely fall in love with the new library which is entirely at my disposal or be shocked that my class only has nine students. It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel unsettled when my friend makes a disparaging comment that the campus is just “all right.” The way that Jay Gatsby sighs that Daisy Buchanan’s voice is “full of money” captures the tilt of my mind whenever I look at marble slabs and floor-length glass ceilings that apparently I’m supposed to feel ambivalent about. Since arriving at Williams I’ve learned a lot of things, most of which are not related at all to any of the hundreds of pages I crammed this past weekend. Filled with conflicting perspectives, I look onto the pristine lawn and immaculate walkways with a sense of immense smallness. However, the ability to see is a gift that I treasure, and since I infinitely prefer clear-eyed confusion to blind ignorance, I will beat on, boats against the current, until I can see myself and the world with the same lens.

Julia Chiang ’22 is from Lexington, Mass. Her major is undeclared.

Why Asian American Studies is for everyone mi orit

id s e perie ce i a predomi a tl

When Ellie was in kindergarten, a group of girls formed a “club” during recess. The leader called Ellie “small eyes.” They recruited a boy who was Ellie’s best friend at the time. When Ellie asked if she could play with them, they refused. The password for the “club” was “No Ellie.”

After she lost her best friend, Ellie did not play with anyone. One day, she occupied herself by picking dandelions and giving them to the teachers and children around her. She tried to give one to the boy who used to be her best friend, asking “Would you like a flower?” All the “club” girls standing next to him shouted “No!” Undaunted, Ellie said to them, “I wasn’t talking to you.”

She waited for the boy’s answer. Finally, he murmured, “No.” He never played with Ellie again.

Ellie’s behavior became more aggressive. Finally, an after-school program teacher found out the source of her behavioral problems and alerted Ellie’s mother.

Ellie is my daughter and all this happened five years ago. At the time, I didn’t recognize that such a “club” was a case of school bullying. I didn’t know that I should have reported it to the principal immediately and asked the school to intervene. Instead, I simply informed Ellie’s kindergarten teacher who, despite being an experienced teacher otherwise, apparently didn’t see it as a case of bullying. I emailed the parents of all the “club” members, hoping that they could talk to their children. Some parents responded, others didn’t. Of those who replied, more were being defensive than sincerely helpful.

Being the only Chinese-looking child in her grade, Ellie has been the target of frequent acts of bullying, exclusion, harassment and teasing since kindergarten.

In first grade for her Martin Luther King dream poster, Ellie wrote “my dream is that all kids will be fair and will let everybody who wants to play with them play with them (unless you are not playing anything).

So they can be happy and will let you play with them when you want to.”

She drew two pictures. In the first one which represents the reality, two girls are leaving a black-haired girl. One

girl says, “Go away.” The other says, “Just stop!” The black-haired girl frowns and asks “Well, why is she....?”

In the next picture which represents her dream, the black-haired girl plays happily with the other two girls.

Tears came to my eyes when I saw this poster in the first-grade pod. I had underestimated my daughter’s ability to remember and process a series of bullying incidents. My heart ached even more when I looked at other kids’ posters with dreams such as “my dream is to find a good book to read” or “my dream is to have a pony.”

I wish my daughter’s dream could be as innocent and as worry-free as the other kids of her age.

In second grade, a girl who used to belong to the “club” started a new one and recruited Ellie’s two new best friends, forbidding them to go near or talk to her. In the meantime, Ellie’s anger issues became so exacerbated that she was sent to the principal’s office almost every day.

Desperate and suspecting ADHD or Asperger’s Syndrome, I took her to see a specialist whose diagnosis finally provided insight to the roots of her behavioral problems: a brilliant mind plus constant bullying equals a perfect storm.

Ellie was born and raised here in Williamstown. Though being trilingual and bicultural, she strongly identifies herself as an American.

Her peers constantly presume her to hail from a foreign land and she always needs to affirm her American identity. The following conversation happened in the girls’ restroom when she was seven, yet such harassment occurs several times a year in various forms: “Hey, I forgot where you are from,” two girls said.

“Here.”

“I think it was … CHINA!” they shouted.

“No,” Ellie said calmly.

“You’re from China!”

“I’m not from China.”

In third grade, Ellie cried in the restroom of her after-school program, hiding from two boys who teased her and chased her down the hallway.

Because her last name is difficult to pronounce, many kids make fun of it. Entering the fifth grade now, she is seriously considering changing her surname. She has already started to

ite, small to worry about middle school, where she heard that teachers call students by their surnames.

Don’t get me wrong, Ellie has had an overall happy childhood in this town. She has made new friends and become more resilient and calm.

I’m not implying that she has a flawless personality — she has done her share of being naughty and mischievous. But a brilliant mind and a strong personality combined with being constantly bullied, excluded, harassed or teased often translates into pent-up and mischanneled anger and frustrations.

As a newly minted U.S. citizen who came to the U.S. as an international student, I am perfectly fine to be treated as a foreigner. But it is unfair for my daughter and children like her to be treated this way.

All too often, people of Asian descent in this country are presumed to be the “perpetual foreigners.”

In March 2017 when I began to get involved in the Asian American Studies initiative at the College, some faculty questioned my motive. Maybe a few still wonder why someone trained in Chinese language pedagogy and cultural history would want to push for Asian American Studies.

To these colleagues, my answer is that I am doing this for my daughter, my students and myself. Ellie’s experiences have taught me first-hand about Asian American experiences and helped me empathize with our students of color.

In the end, Asian American Studies is not just for the Asian American students. It is not merely about identity politics. It is for everyone who wants America to be truly diverse and inclusive. It is for everyone who does not want history to be repeated when people perceived to be “other” were excluded, harassed, discriminated against or even killed.

The College has just welcomed a new president who embraces inclusivity both in her scholarship and in her personal history. It is high time that the College builds Asian American Studies, just as it had successfully done for Africana Studies, Latino/a Studies and Jewish Studies.

Li Yu has been a professor of Chinese language and culture at the College since 2005.

DARIN LI ’21

Is my culture your prom dress?

On fashion and cultural appropriation W S At some point last spring, perhaps in what is called ‘prom season’ (I did not grow up with a prom at my school), I came across a piece of news that, very frankly, surprised me. A white American girl had decided to wear a dress inspired by the Chinese qipao or cheongsam to prom.

Unsurprisingly, this spurred widespread online criticism. Some people of Chinese heritage were uncomfortable about seeing it and made that known on social media. Perhaps the most telling of tweets came from Jeremy Lam, who identifies as Chinese-American: “My culture is NOT your goddamn prom dress.” He then spoke of the history and significance of the garment as something that empowered women and broke class barriers in 20th-century China.

I myself had mixed feelings about how the dress was worn and how the wearer had both acted and spoken in the face of critiques. What irked me the most, however, was the immediate and widespread backlash that Lam received. Internet users began to relentlessly mock and meme Lam’s statement, claiming the fact that his Western clothing and use of many Western inventions made him a hypocrite; his identity as a ChineseAmerican was also attacked as an attempt to undermine his right to be angered. What I did not comprehend from all this was: would these same people be equally willing to mock

people of Native American heritage who speak out about white people in feather headdresses? Would they be as insulting to people of African heritage who condemn white people wearing dashikis? Why, then, were they so keen to attack this one person who was attempting to reclaim a piece of their culture? What was wrong about them trying to educate the rest of the online world about the oft-obscured side of the long-standing narrative on cultural appropriation? Is it because we of Asian heritage have so often kept our heads down and our mouths shut that when one of us does speak up, you are scared? Is it because you never thought that the “model minority” would one day stop putting up with being exoticised, fetishised and appropriated from?

To respond to these people who question why Lam still wears clothing of Western design, I would like to say: it’s called cultural imperialism. It’s called colonialism. It’s called your ancestors screwed over my ancestors and the ancestors of so many more people around the world who to this day are far behind their Caucasian contemporaries because all their riches were plundered and their heritages erased. If the Mongols still held the majority of the world’s riches and privileges as we stepped into the 21st century, perhaps white people would be fighting to see themselves in films and get ignored; perhaps ‘yellow supremacy’

would be a real social problem that the rest of the world lived with for a good few centuries. Who knows?

Simply because in this iteration of our world’s history the Europeans and their equally pallid descendants have conquered the world and risen so high on the blood and gold of the other civilisations, the rest of us have had to learn Western tongues and don Western clothes to be deemed ‘acceptable’ and ‘civilised.’

I believe that if one really wanted to turn this into a pity party, or an all-out intercultural fight over who owns what, nothing good or productive would really come out when the dust settles. We all hold and grapple with pain, pain that is sometimes inherited through centuries. It is important to keep in mind that this pain exists in a different form in each and every one of us; this fact needs to be respected, as does everyone’s right to express this pain.

Then and only then can we all work together to see what good can come out of this sorrow.

As I come to learn more about my complicated and ambiguous postcolonial heritage that still shifts and expands with each passing day, perhaps all I can offer is my own message to the girl in the prom dress: Maybe my culture is your prom dress, but please, please do not say that someone cannot tell you that it isn’t.

Wilson Lam ’21 is from Kowloon, Hong Kong. His major is undeclared.

September 12, 2018

NEWS 4

The Williams Record

Local teachers protest wage freeze, affecting CLiA programs

By REBECCA TAUBER NEWS EDITOR Each year, the Center for Learning in Action (CLiA) helps students escape the socalled purple bubble and get involved in the broader community. However, this fall, teacher protests against a district-wide pay freeze have led to the suspension of various student positions at local schools within the Mount Greylock Regional School District.

The district was expanded last fall into its current form, which consists of Lanesborough Elementary School, Mount Greylock Regional School and Williamstown Elementary School. Marty Walter, spokesperson for the Mount Greylock, Williamstown and Lanesborough education associations and teacher at Mount Greylock Regional School, explained that teachers at the three schools are participating in the job action to protest the fact that their pay is currently frozen at last year’s level until the completion of the merger. “The teachers are protesting that the transitional school committee for the newly formed regional school district is withholding pay increases that were previously agreed to,” he said. He also noted that paraprofessionals, custodians and cafeteria workers’ wages have also been frozen.

Walter considers the situation an issue of respect and trust. “There has been a breach of trust on the part of the Transitional School Committee by disregarding previously negotiated wage agreements,” he said.

“As well, we have experienced a profound lack of respect as professionals from the Transition School Committee throughout the negotiations process in multiple ways.”

As an example, Walter cited the length of the negotiation period following the merger of the schools into the Mount Greylock Regional School District. While Massachusetts al-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMSTOWN ELEMENTARY.

In response to wage freezes, teachers and staff from the Mount Greylock Regional School District are protesting by refusing to run extra programming. lows for up to 18 months to finalize new contracts, the expanded school district had a six-month timeline. “Merging three separate collective bargaining agreements is an incredibly complicated process,” Walter explained. “At the outset of the negotiations process we explained to the Transitional School Committee that 6 months was not enough time, and now they are freezing our wages when the negotiations were not completed on time.’”

In response, Walter said that an effort was made to quickly draft proposals in order to meet the deadline, but that the Transitional School Committee slowed the process. “After presenting these proposals to them they literally took months to respond, pushing the negotiations process past their self-imposed ‘deadline,’” Walter said. Because the merger is

still ongoing, the teachers are protesting for the transitional school committee to unfreeze wages and honor prior contracts until the negotiation of agreements under one school district is completed.

Walter explained that the teachers filed Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations. “These ULPs charge that the School Committee has violated fair labor practices by not responding to proposals in a timely fashion and by not honoring existing collective bargaining agreements as a new agreement is being negotiated,” he said.

In addition, the teachers are participating in a job action in which they refuse to plan any additional programming. This is distinct from and less severe than a full strike, but is still a strong gesture. “Teachers do

Mandel inducted as President, delivers opening speech to packed audience at Chapin CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 seventh female chair of the Select Board, and in a town indebted to the contributions of women leaders, including the tireless and valiant Carrie Greene, I am pleased to see that Williams College has finally caught up with the town in choosing a woman to serve in a top leadership role,” she said. Cohen praised Mandel’s commitment to education and referenced her history studying oppressed groups, particularly Muslims, Armenians and Jews in Paris. “[Mandel’s] passion for education as a way of living and for diversity as a moral, intellectual and pragmatic good, chime in perfectly with Williams’s traditions and its future,” Cohen said.

The final speech before Mandel’s was delivered by Christina Paxson, the President of Brown. She, too, brought attention to Mandel’s work on the issues of diversity and discrimination. “During the first week of classes a year ago, we invited several faculty members to examine the complex history of white nationalism in America: how it came to be, why it’s persisted, how we might counter it,” she said. “And I knew that Maud Mandel had to be part of that group. When Maud spoke, she bridged past and present by drawing on her scholarship on antisemitism in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s,

and centered on the concept of social death.” Here, “social death” refers to the steady process that sees members of a community turned into outsiders and scapegoats.

In her own speech, Mandel discussed how her family’s history has shaped her views on discrimination.

“I’m the granddaughter of

great grandmother whose last name was Strum, Mandel’s middle name. “The S that I always include when I sign my name Maud Strum Mandel is a testament to her and the millions of others who have perished,” she said.

Mandel referenced the “Inside/Outside” dichotomy that served as a major theme for the day. “I want to start by acknowledging that this entire process of becoming your 18th president has involved a massive and exciting shift as I moved from outside Williams to very, very much inside. It would be hard to overstate just how moved I am to be before you today,” she said.

Mandel also praised the College, at one point addressing the five former presidents who were in attendance. “The visionary work that you, my predecessors, have done, has positioned Williams exceptionally well to extend our already long tradition of excellence in liberal arts education,” she said.

Throughout the speech, Mandel continuously touched on her personal approach toward education and scholarship, framing her mission. “The goal has been to inspire students to engage in practices of lifelong learning through channeling their curiosity, honing their analytic skills, and challenging their assumptions.”

“...this entire process of becoming your 18th president has involved a massive and exciting shift as I moved from outside Williams to very, very much inside.”

Maud Mandel President

Austrian Jewish refugees who fled with their 9-monthold daughter – my mother – via Hamburg in 1939 on the SS St Louis,” she said. “The last boat to leave Germany carrying Jews, the ship was turned away from its destination port in Cuba at the last minute. After also being denied entrance by the United States and in Canada, and with Florida still visible from the deck, the captain brought the ship about and turned his 937 passengers to Europe.” Members of Mandel’s extended family perished in the Holocaust, including her

much more than is required of them by their contracts,” Walter explained. “The School Committee depends on it but takes it for granted. Hence, we will not partake in extra activities that are outside of our typical contractual obligations.”

These “extra activities” run by teachers include more than 80 programs at the three schools, from field trips and picnics to tutoring and extracurricular advising. The teachers’ refusal to provide any additional activities beyond the classroom has affected students at the College involved in the local school district.

Jennifer Swoap, associate director of CLiA and director of elementary outreach, said that the after-school tutoring, reading buddies, classroom help and science fellows programs are currently all stalled for the duration of the job action.

In addition to student jobs and extracurricular opportunities, the protest has also affected college academics. Susan Engel, psychology professor and class of 1959 director of program in teaching, described the impact on her classroom. “I teach a course, Advanced Seminar in Learning and Teaching, for which students must work in a local classroom,” she said.

“In the past, many of my students worked in the elementary school here in town, or at Mt. Greylock. So, it’s been quite a scramble to find other spots for them in neighboring schools.”

Both Swoap and Engel mentioned new partnerships as an unintended positive side effect of the pause in working with the schools in the Mount Greylock Regional School District. “For Williams students interested in engaging with elementary children CLiA has strong part-

Tuesday 9-4-18

entry at the second floor. The student asked if it was against the rules to climb on the outside of buildings. The officer informed him that it was, and that it was dangerous and considered a finable safety violation.

8:37 a.m. Hewitt House: A panic alarm was unintentionally activated by a staff member who did not know what the button was for.

10:48 a.m. Chapin Hall: Some CSS construction cones on the peak of Chapin Hall roof were observed and documented.

Scaffolding at the southeast corner of building was likely used to put them up there, which is a serious safety issue and violation. The contractor was contacted and verified that the scaffolding was to be removed that day. The roof access door from inside of the building was found secured. The Safety and Environmental Compliance Manager was notified of this incident.

6:04 p.m. Chapin Lot: A report was made of damage to the handrail on the walkway that goes from the lot to the rear of Bernhard Music Center (BMC).

A BMC staff member reported that the damage was done after 1:30 p.m. A work order was submitted and photos of the damage were taken.

6:45 p.m. Chandler Pool: A gym monitor reported to CSS that he found graffiti on the athletic shed at the Chandler Pool ramp.

An officer responded and took several pictures. The Williamstown Police Department was called to respond so they could document it as well.

11:55 p.m. Williams Hall A Entry: An officer saw a student hanging on the outside of the

Saturday 9-8-18 4:16 p.m. Lasell: A call reported that there were kids with skateboards on the stairs and that one of them had a video camera.

Officers responded and found no skateboarders.

Thursday 9-6-18 8:16 a.m. Hopkins Hall: Officers responded to a stolen article report concerning a bike taken from the Dodd House bike rack last evening. The bike was not registered. This same student called CSS to report that he had found his bike in front of the Congregational Church.

8:55 p.m. Meadow Street: The Williamstown Police dispatcher informed CSS that the Williamstown Police Department was responding to a large party in progress. WPD received a complaint from a town resident who stated that students were urinating from upstairs windows.

Friday 9-7-18

Sunday 9-9-18

12:51 a.m. Sage Hall C Entry: Officers responded to a report of an unwanted guest in the third floor common room. A student reported that the unwanted guest was a non-student. The Williamstown Police Department was called and they responded. Officers arrived and found the person in question.

1:40 a.m. Mission Park: A fire alarm was sounded at Mission Park. The cause of the smoke detector activation was Febreeze. The alarm was silenced and reset.

10:09 a.m. Vogt House: Officers responded to a fire alarm. The lead custodian determined that there was an activated smoke detector due to a hot pot.

10:47 p.m. Agard House: Officers responded to a noise complaint that had been received by the Williamstown Police Department. Officers found the remnants of an illegal party on the porch. The remaining alcohol was disposed of.

Wednesday 9-5-18 12:43 p.m. Mission Park Drive: Officers responded to a suspicious vehicle with all of its doors open called in by a Williamstown Police Officer. An officer verified that the car belonged to a student in Goodrich House.

The student deliberately left the doors open but stated that she would come out momentarily to close the doors.

nerships with the North Adams Public School system as well as Pine Cobble School,” Swoap said. “Also, CLiA is piloting initiatives at Pownal Elementary and in the Pittsfield Public Schools.” Additionally, Swoap confirmed that CLiA involvement with the Mount Greylock Regional School District will resume after the job action ends.

Engel praised CLiA’s network in helping make her class happen this semester. “People who work at CLiA have been total heroes in helping me establish some new connections, and schools in nearby communities have been wonderfully welcoming,” she said. “The good side of all of this is that my students will get to work in a wider variety of schools and we now have terrific new colleagues in those schools, for future collaborations.”

Walter recognized the impact of the job action on the Williamstown area. “The community has already expressed support for us on several fronts,” he said. “We are also aware that our job action will affect Williams student placements at our three schools.

We are sensitive to this, but we have to think of our own families first and hope Williams students understand and support our desire to see our pay unfrozen while we finish good faith negotiations.”

Engel pointed to the protest as a larger lesson in the relationship between school systems and their communities. “It’s super interesting for my students to realize that schools are very much part of the community– job actions reflect that,” she said. “Teachers have to juggle all kinds of demands and pressures.

It’s a very powerful reminder that the local schools, the townspeople, and the college, are absolutely interdependent.”

When contacted for a comment, representatives from the transition committee responded that they legally could not discuss contract negotiations.

10:49 p.m. Carter House: A fire alarm was caused by an activated smoke detector in a second floor common room.

The common room had remnants of a recent illegal party.

A work order was submitted to remove the table used for beer pong.

11:04 a.m. Thompson Biology Lab: An eyewash station alarm was sounded. Officers found that the eyewash station was not activated and reset the alarm panels.

5:52 a.m. Cole Field House: Officers responded to intrusions from multiple zones in the equipment room. Upon arrival officers found a custodian in the building vacuuming and emptying the trash, but he reported that he never went into the equipment room. Officers checked the equipment room but found no cause for the alarm. The alarm was reset.

8:29 a.m. Hoxsey Street: Williamstown Police Department called CSS after receiving a complaint regarding litter on Hoxsey Street. Williamstown Police requested that CSS knock on doors to try to get students to clean up the mess. Knocking on doors at these residences did not result in anybody responding. Emails were sent to listed student residents.

12:37 p.m. Williams Hall: An officer was dispatched to locate a student after receiving a call from a parent stating that she could not get a hold of him.

The officer arrived and found the student on the phone with his mother.

September 12, 2018

NEWS 5

The Williams Record

College hires new directors of admission, financial aid

By RACHEL SCHARF MANAGING EDITOR This summer, the offices of admission and financial aid saw major leadership shifts as Sulgi Lim ’06 became director of admission and Ashley Bianchi assumed the role of director of financial aid. Bianchi is replacing Paul Boyer ’77, who retired in June after over 30 years at the College, and Lim assumed her position from Dick Nesbitt ’74, who has transitioned to the role of senior advisor to the dean of admission and financial aid after serving as director of admission for nearly 20 years.

Lim, who came into her role on July 1, has worked for the office of admission since 2007.

Most recently, she served as the College’s deputy director of admission, where she focused on international recruitment and partnership with QuestBridge, according to the College's press release. Lim also designed the Office’s new Slate admission software platform, reimagining admission officers’ use of applicant data.

Lim is enthusiastic about the admission and financial aid leadership team. “I’m really excited to be part of a woman trio of admission and financial aid leadership,” she said, referring to Bianchi, herself and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Liz Creighton ’01. “I believe it’s the first time in Williams College history where the division is being led by women.” Additionally, she highlighted the significance of her identities in the role. “I’m also really excited to be the first international alumna and woman of color to be leading the admission office.”

Lim’s experience as an alum of the College is key to her understanding of the admission process. “Williams was transformative for me,” she said. “So I think for me as an admission officer, I’ve always tried to understand who the student is based on the information they share with us… but also leave room for and imagine the possibilities that

RACHEL SCHARF/MANAGING EDITOR

Lim, left, and Bianchi, right, entered their new roles this summer. Lim previously worked at the College; Bianchi comes from Lafayette. can happen when they come to a place like Williams.”

Although new to the College as of July 30, Bianchi has nearly 15 years of experience in higher education. She has worked at Rhodes College and the College of Charleston, and she most recently served as director of financial aid at Lafayette. There she was closely involved in two Presidential Working Groups and the Student Support Task Force. She also played key roles in selecting Posse and Marquis scholars as well as serving as Lafayette’s Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment advocate. Throughout her career, Bianchi has worked to improve socioeconomic diversity among students, increase the number of Pell Grant recipients, reduce student loan debt and support undocumented students in their transitions to college.

Bianchi’s experience at other institutions informs her ap-

proach to the admission and financial aid processes. “I’m really excited to take everything I’ve learned thus far, take the different environments that I’ve been in and best practices from each of those institutions and apply those here, where, to be honest, a lot of best practices come from, nationally,” she said. She sees the leadership team’s combination of experiences at the College and elsewhere as a strong advantage. “It’s awesome to have such a committed alumni group here that continues to work at the College, … but I think it also helps to have a balance of those that have been at other colleges and universities, who know how college works elsewhere. And I think that the balance that [Creighton], [Lim] and I have will really help to inform best practices.”

Although assuming different leadership roles, Lim and Bianchi are hoping to work together

as much as possible and unite their two offices in meaningful and effective ways. Lim emphasized this as her most important goal for the year, citing the importance of “working closely with [Bianchi] to figure out how we can collaborate to understand each other’s work, to align our timelines … to make sure that there aren’t barriers preventing students from being successful in the application processes for both admission and financial aid.” Bianchi echoed this sentiment, highlighting the need to better share resources between the two offices. “As a division we are incredibly talented, and we have a lot of shared resources that we may not be maximizing right now,” Bianchi said.

Lim shared that some of her additional goals include more creatively spreading the word about the College experience to all potential applicants, partner-

ing with students, faculty and staff to reach such applicants and engaging parents and family members for whom English is not their first language.

Lim also hopes to address various student concerns regarding the admission process, including the ongoing student movement to reinstate needblind admissions for international students. “This will be one of many admission policies that are discussed with Maud [Mandel] and the board in the coming year,” she said. “We’re committed to revisiting it, to making sure that the decision makers understand the matter, and obviously bringing students into the conversation as well.”

Bianchi, for her part, hopes to address concerns around various financial aid policies that continue to concern students despite recent improvements. “Before I arrived in the spring of 2018,

[concerns] were addressed by the addition of the personal allowance, the health insurance grant and the storage, but we’ve got more work to do there,” she said. She also wants to increase the accessibility of the office. “[I want to] make the financial aid office feel a little less scary, … and a little less like a bank transaction (for some) and more like a counseling transaction,” Bianchi said.

Lim and Bianchi are both looking forward to hearing from and getting to know the community.

Throughout her time at the College, Lim has been grateful for the help of students, faculty, staff and alumni. “[I want to] thank the broader Williams community for helping–students, faculty, staff and alumni–us recruit, enroll and successfully graduate amazing students from a really wide range of backgrounds,” she said. “I also want to invite ideas and suggestions – we’re always excited for the amount of interest there is in our processes and want to open ourselves up to invite members of the community to bring forth ideas for how we might be able to reach the most intellectually curious, engaged and talented students both in the U.S. and abroad.”

Bianchi, as a new member of the College, is looking to meet with as many students as possible. “I would invite students to meet with me, to reach out to me with questions, concerns,” she said. “I think this is a really critical time for me to introduce myself to the community, and we’re both excited to hear from folks.” Creighton is thrilled work with Lim and Bianchi. “They are tremendously talented, collaborative leaders who care deeply about supporting students and their families,” she said. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to partner with them to continue to attract and support the most intellectually engaged, dynamic, community-minded students from across the nation and around the world. I know the next generation of admission and financial aid at Williams will flourish under their leadership.”

College appoints first violence Angela Wu leaves Davis Center after three years as prevention coordinator assistant director

By REBECCA TAUBER NEWS EDITOR

This August, Hannah Lipstein started as the College's violence prevention coordinator, a new position in the dean of the College's office. In the dean’s office, Lipstein will be working alongside Meg Bossong ’05, director of sexual assault prevention and response, in a subset of the dean’s office that has now grown from a one-person position to a two-person office.

Previously, Bossong alone was tasked with both supporting individual students and creating a larger infrastructure for sexual assault education and prevention in the College community. “She’s been doing a lot of direct student support and has been holding much of the crisis response and individual casework, so this position is really intended to focus on the long-term prevention plan,” Lipstein said. “My role is to address underlying norms in Williams communities and build on some of the foundational

education around interpersonal violence, roots of violence and healthy relationships.”

Lipstein plans to build on the College’s existing approach to violence prevention, including bystander training and general conversations about consent.

She is looking forward to adding to this type of education with specific programming centered around healthy relationships and partner violence. She would like to work with a wide variety of students, including but not limited to a number of student organizations and every athletic group. She hopes to tailor support to individual groups on campus by thinking about “how we can build more personalized conversations with different communities.”

Lipstein studied women's and gender studies and concentrated in feminist anti-violence theories at Wellesley College. Her commitment to reducing violence was also reflected in her extracurricular activities. “I was president of the student activist group

PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH LIPSTEIN.

Hannah Lipstein will be the College's first violence prevention coordinator.

[that] works to end interpersonal violence at Wellesley and did a mix of student support as well as educational programming and survivor advocacy with the administration,” she said.

After graduating, she worked at an organization in Boston called The Network/La Red, which describes itself as “a survivor-led, social justice organization that works to end partner abuse in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, SM, polyamorous and queer communities.” Lipstein worked on many different facets of this broader mission. “I was doing direct advocacy there, which included answering the hotline, doing ongoing one-onone work, and supporting survivors in the housing program,” she said.

The new position of violence prevention coordinator comes out of a rise in demand for consent education and bystander training. “College Council just passed a measure last spring mandating that a student from every student organization has to have bystander training, and there are also some new NCAA guidelines requiring that all college athletes receive consent education, so there’s new demand for these services,” Lipstein said.

However, Lipstein noted that the expansion of violence prevention positions is not common across higher education. “Having seen what exists at other colleges, it’s actually quite unique for an institution, particularly of Williams’ size but even for larger institutions, to have two full time dedicated staff members working on the issue of intimate violence,” she said. “I think it speaks to Williams’ commitment to addressing this issue.”

“Know that interpersonal violence is something that impacts everyone on campus,” Lipstein continued. “I hope that we’ll all be engaged in the conversation on how to end it and build safer communities and healthier relationships with each other.”

By CHARLES XU SPORTS EDITOR Angela Wu, assistant director of the Davis Center, stepped down last Thursday after more than three years at the College. During her tenure, Wu has served as an advisor for Minority Coalition (MinCo) groups, developed and implemented the identiTeas program and provided guidance on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion to students and the College community.

Wu’s path to equity and inclusion work was far from linear. A daughter of an immigrant mother living in Southern California, Wu graduated high school at age 16 before attending Mt. Holyoke. “With the expectations that were placed on single moms and the lack of support for single moms, I certainly grew up a feminist,” Wu recalled. “I wanted to know what that was about, and it ended up that going to a women’s college was a good place for me.”

Even so, Wu’s background as an immigrant along with the difficulties she encountered at Mt. Holyoke as a firstgeneration student, prompted her to join a group called Intergroup Dialogue, which conducted six to eight weeks of sustained discussion on topics such as race and ethnicity. Wu recalled it was an illuminating period of her life.

“It really opened my eyes in terms of understanding structural inequality and structural oppression,” she said.

“That’s how I started to put my life into perspective and why I had encountered the challenges that I had as a lowincome student, as a kid from an immigrant family [and] as a daughter of a single mom.”

Wu completed her undergraduate studies at age

19, but reached a period of uncertainty in choosing a career path until she called her college roommate. “My friend said, ‘Angela, why are you applying to law school?

All you’ve talked about in the past six years is education.’” With that exchange, Wu went on to receive a master’s degree in higher education from Stanford and later worked at Harvey Mudd.

Wu arrived at the College in 2015 and helped expand

“I've seen people wanting to learn more about diversity and inclusion work in a meaningful and mindful way” Angela Wu Former Davis Center Assistant Director the Davis Center’s outreach in the College’s community, doing extensive work in diversity and inclusion that reminded her of Intergroup Dialogue.

“Knowing my experiences of near-misses and in some cases, the unnecessary challenges I had to face, I don’t want students to have that same experience,” she said. “I feel that I’m driven to do the work that I do, so that hopefully someone will have a better experience than I did.” Working alongside the staff at the Davis Center, Wu saw her efforts pay off.

“I’m proud of the work that I’ve been doing here because

even in the time I’ve been here, I’ve seen the changes,” she said. “For example, who feels comfortable coming to the Davis Center? I’ve seen that change in my last few years. I’ve seen people wanting to learn more about diversity and inclusion work in a meaningful and mindful way—not just as a checkbox for a mandatory training.”

In addition to increasing accessibility and awareness of diversity and inclusion on campus, Wu also “conceived, crafted, and developed” the Community Builders peer educator program at the Davis Center, according to Assistant Director Cecilia Del Cid. One of the longest tenured members of the Davis Center, Wu left a lasting impression on staff as well as students. Assistant Director Bilal Ansari recalled her as a giving and dedicated colleague. “Angela has always been generous beyond measure in every aspect, from teaching me about the procedures and processes related to the administration of the Davis Center to sharing her insight into advising and her knowledge on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion,” he said.

Wu will be taking her experiences and dedication to diversity work to Towson University in Maryland as the Associate Director of Cultural Competency Education.

Sarah Hubert ’21 summed up Wu’s farewell as a transition, not an ending. “I know that over the course of her time here, [Wu] definitely influenced the spread of social justice and activism causes on campus,” she said. “Her presence at the Davis Center and all over the Williams community will definitely be missed, but I hope that her positive impact lasts in her absence.”

6 FEATURES

The Williams Record

September 12, 2018

One in Two Thousand

By HAEON YOON OPINIONS EDITOR

folks, and that freedom is not available to my cousins and aunts and women in Iran due to the ban. So that’s what I try to remember in my riding and in the club cycling team here.

I want cycling to be accessible to all women, both at Williams and in Iran, so that they can feel confident on a bike and have the freedoms I have been fortunate enough to have.

NIKU DARAFSHI ’21

I first met Niku last year when she was my entrymate in Pratt 3. Since then, we’ve managed to pass our arduous computer science class, eat approximately 100 bagels together at Goodrich and, most recently, get paintings from WALLS. I sat down with her outside the Williams College Museum of Art at 6 a.m. to discuss her unique experience as a Williamstown resident at the College, the cycling team and our favorite hangout spot, Lickety Split.

I know you have a couple of off-campus jobs that you’ve kept since high school and currently work at Lickety Split. In your opinion, who’s the coolest person you’ve scooped ice cream for?

How does it feel to go to college in the same town where you’ve grown up?

It was definitely not what I expected when I was applying to colleges. I definitely wanted to go far away from my parents, but I’ve really grown to love it. Transitioning to college was so much easier for me. Move-in day, I packed my bag that morning, and I could keep going back to my house because I kept forgetting things, so that was really nice. Just knowing where things are from day one is really nice and so is going home to get the Prius if need be. The disadvantage is that my childhood friends’ parents are professors, whose houses I went to growing up. So I try to avoid their classes at all costs, but at some point I’ll have to take their classes.

SOPHIA SHIN/ PHOTO EDITOR NIKU'S HOMETOWN WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS.

NIKU'S RESIDENCE EAST COLLEGE

CHILDHOOD SOCCER COACH TIKU MAJUMDER

SPORT OF CHOICE CYCLING

Fun fact: Tiku Majumder was my fourth grade soccer coach.

academic hardship but being a clueless first-year, I had no idea. I persevered. I’m now trying my best to steer clear of writing-intensives, but I’m glad that I got all of my Div. II requirements out of the way.

Winter Study to talk about her successes in Silicon Valley, I enrolled in computer science. When Maud Mandel got inducted, I decided to become a college president. So you know, I basically choose my classes and interests from the influential speakers I get to meet and go from there.

of cycling here at Williams is mainly road-biking and road-racing, my roots started in touring. I’ve biked all over the country: up the East Coast, down the West Coast, in Canada, and my biggest achievement I think was biking across the country during my junior summer instead of looking at colleges... R.I.P. Cycling also has a strong connection to my family’s culture.

Both of my parents are from Iran where women aren’t allowed to ride bikes. Cycling has been empowering for me because the sport allows me to see different parts of the world and talk to hundreds of

I remember you had a really tough first semester.

Could you share some of your experiences? Maybe give some advice to the class of 2022?

I decided during the fall semester of my first year here at the College to take three writing-intensive courses.

I was not a strong writer at all. And you could say that it That’s funny. Do you have nearly killed me. I had three any childhood anecdotes 10-page papers and a threewith some professors here hour exam in the span of two days, which I now know is at the College?

What do you look for now when choosing classes?

The way that I go about choosing my classes and potential majors is that I go to see really influential talks and speakers. When Bryan Stevenson came for Williams Reads last year, I decided to take a law class. When Elissa Shevinsky [’01] came during

Speaking of interests, I know you’re a member of the cycling team on campus. Could you tell us more about your interest in cycling?

I started cycling when I was in sixth grade. While a lot

Well I scoop a lot of ice cream for celebrities when they come to the film festival, but hands down, the coolest person I’ve scooped ice cream for is President Maud Mandel.

Do you mind letting us know the “inside scoop” to her favorite ice cream flavor at Lickety?

[Leans in.] Of course. You can call it the “Maud order.”

It is a regular scoop of coconut ice cream with chocolate sprinkles on top.

Thanks for that. [Laughs.]

Let’s hope that becomes an official item on the menu. Before we wrap up, what’s the Niku order?

You know, fun fact, I don’t really like purple cow ice cream contrary to the fact that I’m a Williams student. My favorite is either the Maud order, coconut or mud pie, which is coffee with fudge and Oreos.

Job & Internship Fair Friday, September 21, 2018 • 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Chandler Gymnasium Connect with 50+ employers in Non-Profits, Arts, Technology, Business, Health, Education & More!

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Thank you to our event sponsors!

September 12, 2018

7 FEATURES

The Williams Record

Students celebrate Eid off-campus, build faith communities

By LYDIA DUAN FEATURES EDITOR As students descend upon Williamstown once more, with stuffed duffel bags and anxious hearts in tow for the start of a new year, the question of community building at the College often arises. And sometimes, the answer involves going off campus.

The Chaplains’ Office has recently partnered with faithbased student groups to engage with communities beyond classroom walls. This past summer, groups of approximately a dozen students traveled to Six Flags to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in June and to Albany for Eid al-Adha in August – two of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar.

The most recent August trip involved students departing campus early in the morning to convene in the Albany Capital Center for prayer with thousands of others, all seeking to honor the annual end of the Hajj period of pilgrimage and to meditate upon the idea of sacrifice within their own lives. The festival drew attendees from all over the globe, creating a diverse space that later had Muslim Chaplain to the College Sharif Rosen reflecting on what that moment of international convergence signified.

“You were hearing Urdu, you were hearing Arabic and you were hearing Bangla. You were hearing North African dialects and East African languages. All of this rich harmony,” he said.

“Voices and languages and laughter. This was multigenerational, multiethnic, multilingual… This is the human family.

We’re flawed and imperfect, but we’ve also been given an innate beauty by our Creator, and that’s something to marvel in, to see a brother and a sister from across the world and to share not just a greeting, but a shared reverence for one another.”

And just as the 8000 gatherers that day came from count-

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOVERA MOMO ’21.

Students of all religious backgrounds traveled together to the Albany Capital Center in celebration of Eid al-Adha, a major Islamic holiday. less permutations of geography and history, those 12 students in Albany also reflected a diverse array of perspectives. Both Rosen and Assistant Director of the Davis Center Bilal Ansari believe these trips help students locate themselves at the junctures of their cultural, spiritual and social identities.

“You’re seeing people that look like you, talk like you, are wearing the same type of clothing as you… It’s nowhere near like what it would’ve been like at home, but we’re trying to give them a bit of that in any way we can,” Ansari said.

If anything, such experiences validate the differences among individual histories. Placed within larger conversations of religion and spirituality, Rosen noted a “wisdom of difference” in that there is no singular way of approaching authentic practices of faith, “but there are a myriad of entry points and doors.”

“Eid is a festive occasion,” he said. “There are the ritual aspects, but there’s also the ways in which it’s a chance for this authentic human celebration...

Our practice, experiences, educational backgrounds and the very, very different regions of the world that we’re from, when you bring all of that into the mix ... what you’re learning from one another really crushes any idea that there’s this religious or spiritual monolith within any tradition.”

The Eid trip held social resonance for students as well. For many faith traditions, holidays fall while the College’s academic calendar is still in session.

Such instances can evoke feelings of displacement and nostalgia. Trips such as the ones for the Eid festivals do more than just provide proper celebratory rituals; they become opportunities in which students can find echoes of home.

“Spending one of the most important festivals away from one’s family is very hard,” Novera Momo ’21, a member of the Muslim Student Union (MSU) who has grown up practicing the faith with her family, said.

“It reminds us no matter how advanced technology is, videochatting and calling one’s family does not really help. Especially being in a small town, where there are only a handful of Muslims, it is even more difficult.”

And more often than not, students such as Soban Mehmood ’21 found that such experiences can help foster a sense of community and solidarity amongst each other.

“It’s a communal thing,” Mehmood said. “For a lot of us, religious festivals entail some sort of holiday or break from the routine. Doing that in the form of a trip is a lot different from being on campus. It’s always a great time to have peo-

OSL debuts new storage program

By JEONGYOON HAN FEATURES EDITOR The close of each academic year comes with excitement for summer, dread over finals and, for some, the labor of storing dorm items over break. Figuring out how to pack up and store these items over the summer can be a financial burden, especially for those who live far away from the College. To alleviate such burdens, this past spring the Office of Student Life (OSL) started a free student storage program for those who receive financial aid or are international students.

Provost David Love and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Liz Creighton ’01 initially approached OSL with the idea at the beginning of the spring, giving OSL the semester to finalize logistics with Connors Bros. Moving & Storage and the mailroom.

“We all agreed that it was important to provide this pilot program to further improve the College’s support of financial aid and international students,” Director of Student Life Doug Schiazza said.

With funding from the provost’s office, the program was able to provide approximately 400 students up to three boxes per person, amounting to over 1000 boxes stored in a warehouse facility.

By offering College-supported storage space and scheduling drop-off and pick-up sessions in Paresky Student Center for the boxes in May

and September, OSL hoped to make the start and end of the school year smoother processes for students.

In Schiazza’s eyes, the program was extensive and largely successful. 20 hand trucks and up to eight truckloads were required to bring all of the boxes out of the Connors Bros. off-campus storage locations.

Doug Rydell in the Office for Information Technology employed a tracking and communication process for the program, and the mailroom helped coordinate a proxyprocess in which a friend could pick up boxes from Paresky.

Given the short time period in which the program was put together, Schiazza called it a “relative logistical success.”

“The response from most students has been pretty appreciative of the service,” Schiazza said.

Philemon Abel ’19, who helped students pick-up their boxes and had boxes in storage himself, said that the program was a convenient method for students to handle moving their personal belongings.

“The program was convenient, because it was less stuff that I had off campus, which I would otherwise need to find a car to get to and move,” Abel said. “It was nice that all I had to do was get a hand truck and roll it to my dorm.”

But with any new service comes challenges and areas for improvement. The 20 hand-trucks were in high demand, and some students left

their boxes beyond the retrieval date, taking up limited Paresky space.

In some cases, there were problems with the packages and their contents, including mold and crushed boxes. Jessica Thompson ’21, who stored three boxes with the program, was one of 60 students whose items came back with mold.

“As someone from Florida who doesn’t have a ‘home’ to go back to [and went abroad this summer], I had a lot of things that needed storing… I was excited to hear that students on financial aid would be getting free storage boxes,” Thompson said. “But during pickup, you could see that most of the boxes were not handled with care, as several boxes were crushed or starting to break. When unpacking my boxes ... my clothes were damp, dusty and starting to mold.”

Schiazza said he hopes that OSL will help students most effectively utilize the boxes, from explaining what to pack (at an optimal weight) to how to properly pack or tape their boxes.

This, he said, would reduce the cases of pest infestations (the result of some students packing prohibited items such as food, spices and liquids), boxes falling apart and crushed boxes.

For the 15- to 20-percent of boxes impacted by mold, the College has reached out to students with reimbursement for items beyond salvaging or cleaning. Connors Bros. will be using a different storage facility in the future.

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ple together, and you always have more fun with each other.”

Momo agreed. “For at least a couple of hours, I had forgotten that I’m not close to my loved ones back home,” she said.

It’s the relational component of these Eid trips and other such collaborative activities that Rosen believes to be some of the most critical takeaways from these experiences.

“When you create those informal, casual moments for authentic conversation and connection, you equip students with relationships that will become the very anchors that ground someone as they move through this very textured time of their lives,” Rosen said. “To try on that identity in a new space and a new time around new people is a powerful avenue for learning.”

Though the central intention behind the trips was not necessarily education, they still yielded

Professors’ Corner: New professors The start of the school year brings with it a slew of new things — rooms, routines and, of course, faces. This week, the Record asked some of the new professors on campus, “What are you looking forward to during your time at the College?”

PHOEBE DONNELLY Political science and leadership studies “I am looking forward to getting to know students and hearing from them in my courses. Williams students are an intelligent and interesting group, and I look forward to learning from them as well as teaching them!”

SONYA AUER Biology “Great question! I would say I am really looking forward to taking my students outside to explore Hopkins Memorial Forest.”

BEN SNYDER Sociology “I am most looking forward to reconnecting with ... the richness and intensity of discussion that’s possible in a small classroom full of people with diverse interests. [This is] a way for me to give back to a vision of education in which I deeply believe and from which I have benefited greatly.”

HALI EDISON Economics “What I am looking forward to during my tenure is teaching my CDE [Center for Developmental Economics] Economics 506 course, experiencing my first Mountain Day, biking (especially on routes that are not too hilly) and, finally, playing golf at the famous Taconic Golf Course.”

LYDIA DUAN/FEATURES EDITOR

This year, the College offered financial aid recipients and international students free summer storage boxes.

experiential learning through conversation. Ansari observed that during the trip, staff and students “were just laughing, sharing stories and enjoying each other’s company,” he said. From allies wanting to support their peers to MSU members reminiscing over the dinner table at Spice Root, the dialogue fostered along the trip allowed for listening and greater understanding.

“What better way to learn about what Eid means to people?” Rosen said. “Rather than me giving you a pamphlet or sending you a link so you can watch something on YouTube, I’m actually going to bring you into my experience and into the things that bring joy in my life.”

As the flurry of back-toschool season settles into the steadier rhythm of fall semester, the Chaplains’ Office’s work with student religious groups in answering that question is far from over. The office’s calendar for off-campus outreach and interfaith programming is slowly filling up. For one, the Hindu Students Association (HSA) will be cooking with the Williams College Jewish Association (WCJA) for this Friday’s Shabbat dinner. Further, HSA, in partnership with the South Asian Students Association (SASA), will be traveling to Albany this Wednesday to begin Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

The College’s faith groups continue to explore the positive feedback loop between community engagement and campus solidarity, and off-campus opportunities remain on the table. As new connections form, both within the bounds of the College and beyond, Rosen remains reflective.

“I love the idea that students and staff work together in partnership to build communities,” he said. “These structures and conversations here are evolving and free-flowing. We do have a lot of agency in creating the kinds of communities we want to live in.”

8 ARTS

September 12, 2018

The Williams Record

Crazy Rich Asians, despite flaws, is worth the watch

By WENDY HERNANDEZ STAFF WRITER It stormed, it enamored.

Its take-no-prisoners attitude catapulted it to the top of the box office and into our hearts ... most of the time. Crazy Rich Asians, directed by Jon M. Chu, remains in the top five across theaters nationwide – no small feat given Hollywood’s blatant whitewashing.

By all accounts, we should be celebrating – especially when factoring in the decades-long wait for an all-Asian cast. But when I look closer at who the critics are, they’re not wizened studio buffs who swear by casting Jennifer Lawrence or Scarlett Johansson in everything; they’re overwhelmingly members of Generations Y and Z. The very same people who pride themselves on (supposedly) being the first generation to lobby for LGBT+ rights and challenge sexism and racism are all but boycotting Crazy Rich Asians.

The largest objection is the fact that the film gives an inaccurate representation of life in Singapore. Yes, in Singapore the economy is booming. Yes, there are megalithic skyscrapers. And, yes, moguls abound. But there are also South Asians, Malay Indians and other minorities native to Singapore who are notably absent in the film.

Though I agree with the need for visibility of all Singaporeans, I cannot help but feel that this point is a bit taken out of context. Rachel Chu’s character is Chinese American, and the cultural backdrop of the film is indisputably Chinese. We encounter stereotypes – about being smart (self-made economics

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIGITALSPY.COM

Jon M. Chu's latest film, based on the novel by the same name, follows New Yorker Rachel Chu to Singapore as she meets her boyfriend's family. professor anyone?) or being model-thin – that the characters then wryly repurpose.

There is even an infamous mahjong parlor scene.

With this said, we can still discuss the marginalization of South Asians in Singapore. If anything, the movie is spot-on in its depiction of how wealth is concentrated in the East Asian-presenting, Mandarin-speaking Singaporean majority and can spur conversations on how to generate upward mobility and

visibility for Malay Indians and other minorities.

Another point of discontent is the use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) by the character of Goh Peik Lin. Peik Lin is played by real-life rapper Awkwafina, whose music is blatantly against cultural appropriation (listen to her give a better account of her music and mission statement in the documentary Bad Rap).At no point in the film did she strike me as trying to appro-

priate African American culture – no box braids, no hoop earrings, no transgressions that seem to belong only to Miley Cyrus. She has been described as the Asian version of Paris Hilton and if anything talks and behaves like a blasé New Yorker. She’s ostentatious. Her wallpaper is goldplaited, gold-stenciled. Her hair is gold. Her outfits clash.

She’s brash. She wants you to know she’s new money and is unafraid to brand herself as different from her uptight,

stiff peers who are all about tradition and modesty. Even if her character sometimes speaks in AAVE, how do we draw the line between what’s universal slang and what belongs to one underrepresented group only? At the same time, this isolation and exclusion seems to only predicate some of the same things racism is founded on, namely the “us” versus “them” mentality or bifurcation into such extremes as “allowed” versus “not allowed.”

I’m left wondering whether these knee-jerk reactions – the impulse to nitpick every detail about Crazy Rich Asians – aren’t at worst misguided or at best part of a defense mechanism. Generations Y and Z have ingrained into our general consciousness that there is always someone who will resort to sexism, racism or homophobia, and thus they feel the need to attack any new media product – whether album, clothing line or movie – on all these fronts. But isn’t this in and of itself an entirely unrealistic expectation? For Crazy Rich Asians to then do all of this labor – to represent East and South Asians, throw in some queer folks and a queer subplot, mix in healthy doses of feminism and not commit any sins that would ignite the wrath of millennials? The objections are by and large taken out of context. Peik Lin is Rachel’s friend, idiosyncrasies and all. The story is about the Youngs and the Chus, who are Chinese. This isn’t to say we don’t have room for South Asians in cinema, but by zeroing in on the minor issues of the film, we miss more poignant moments that point towards all the grueling niceties that tie into balancing being Chinese enough for yourself, your family and tradition. We will also miss Rachel’s pluck and integrity.

Instead of relying on online reviews that fall to either extreme, I encourage everyone to give Crazy Rich Asians a chance. Come for the breathtaking visuals, stay for the cover versions of “Material Girl” and “Yellow” that will become your new jams and then leave ready to tell everyone about how Rachel and the movie play to win.

Getting Help From Alumni Just Got Easier!

EphLink, Williams’ first-ever career mentorship platform, allows you to connect with Williams alumni who have volunteered to assist you.

When you join you will be able to: • Expand your Williams network and find mentors by industry, major, geographic area, demographic info, help topic, and other criteria of your choosing

“It’s (EphLink) has been boosting my connections with alums by 100x... really a fan” - Tyler, Class of ‘19 “It was great! (The alumnus)... gave me a lot of inside perspective on getting into the field.” - Kai, Class of ‘19

• Send messages, schedule phone/video conversations, and establish long term relationships with alums who can offer insight on everything from career direction to industry nuances to course selection • Develop confidence in networking skills through conversations with alumni To register and start connecting with alums: Go to http://ephlink.williams.edu

Brought to you by the ‘68 Center for Career Exploration and Alumni Relations

September 12, 2018

9 ARTS

The Williams Record

Death Grips debuts sixth, and perhaps final, studio album

By MATTHEW BRABECK STAFF WRITER Death Grips is a band that shocks. It makes listeners jump back shortly after pressing play and ask (or yelp): “What is this?” Everything about the band’s art demands doubletakes, triple-takes and then some. This review would be incomplete without a brief stroll through what provokes these double – and triple – takes.

There’s the band’s ever clever use of meme culture and the social media sphere, coupled with its members’ famous reclusiveness. Frontman MC Ride’s occult lyrics weave around a myriad of topics as he spins webs through the highly esoteric: cults and the occult, dystopia and technofuturism, apocalypse and sociopolitical decay and collapse, economic violence and its attendant human suffering, sex and death, internal struggles and relationship troubles (the members of Death Grips are people, too). And beyond the sheer scope of his vision, there’s the technical mastery of its unfolding; he doesn’t so much compose lyrics as take listeners on nearly psychedelic verbal journeys – pulling them breathlessly from the ludicrously profane to the creepily cryptic, then sharply down into the stomach-churningly violent and desperate, back up into the soul-baringly honest, through to the transcendently trippy and eventually, all the way back home to the casually bored.

Also noteworthy are the unprecedented, genre-defying compositions the trio cook up.

The music provides a perfect setting for listeners willing to wade

PHOTO COURTESY OF NME.COM

Year of the Snitch, by experimental hip-hop group Death Grips, was released on June 22, 2018 through Third Worlds and Harvest Records. into the lyrical lysergia: forever strange, intricately and delicately constructed, warping endlessly from album to album. It’s likely the furthest-out-there heavy music. I will not mince words now: Death Grips is, without exaggeration, something like The Beatles of heavy music, at the very least – and arguably much more.

They’re the complete revolutionary package: evolving, bending and blending multiple genres, changing the game and the rules.

Now that I’ve adequately sung their praises (while hopefully piquing your interest enough to check out their latest record, Year of the Snitch), on to the thrust of the review: how does this record hold up against past releases? The long and short of it: excellently - the album is a perfect addition. With

its release, it’s become nearly ridiculous just how good the whole of the Death Grips discography flows and feels.

To radically oversimplify, the releases of Death Grips can be organized into three musical triptychs, the works of which complement and build upon each other: the first is composed of their first three fulllengths (Exmilitary; The Money Store; No Love Deep Web), the second, their next three works (Government Plates; The Powers That B, Pt. 1; The Powers That B, Pt. 2) and the final their experimental electronic projects, dropped between albums (Fashion Week; Interview 2016; Steroids).

Where does Year of the Snitch fit into all this? Following 2016’s Bottomless Pit, it seems

Spike Lee’s latest film interrogates past and present American race relations

By PHILLIP PYLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER Nearly four months ago, Spike Lee’s most recent film, BlacKkKlansman, was met with a sixminute standing ovation after its worldwide premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The comedy-drama went on to win the Grand Prix, the second-highest award at Cannes.

Playing at Images Cinema from August 24 to Sept. 6, Lee’s adaptation of Ron Stallworth’s 2014 memoir of the same name has been met with both critical and audience acclaim. The storyline follows Stallworth, who became the first black police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1979. This wild and true story gives viewers an insight into Stallworth’s successful infiltration into a local Ku Klux Klan (KKK) chapter.

Starring John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace and Corey Hawkins, BlacKkKlansman tackles a variety of issues such as racism, police ethics/brutality and political activism.

Protagonist Ron Stallworth is brilliantly played by John David Washington. Soon after joining the police force, Stallworth becomes hungry for undercover work. After responding to a newspaper advertisement regarding the KKK, Stallworth acts the part of a white supremacist in order to gain knowledge of the KKK’s future plans. By working alongside similarly-voiced white, Jewish police officer Flip Zimmerman, the two create a singular persona. From thereon, Stall-

worth plays the part over the phone, and Zimmerman meets the Klan in person.

From the initial interaction and meeting with the local chapter, Stallworth’s insights of the KKK’s plans increase by the day. The story touches on many motifs, such as activism among college students – in this case by the Black Student Union at Colorado College – the relationships between black and white police officers, law enforcement’s brutality towards the black residents of Colorado Springs, the prominence of white supremacy and the black experience in America in the 1970s.

The events that transpire throughout the story draw many parallels to the issues America faces today. Although comical in dialogue, the conversations have important implications.

By shedding light on the story of Stallworth, Lee addresses the deliberate racism that still exists in America today. The combination of great writing and acting, beautiful cinematography, vibrant costumes, an exciting soundtrack and that special Lee editing flair leads to a memorable movie-going experience.

There are myriad other factors contributing to the beauty and monumental nature of BlacKkKlansman. One such characteristic is the collaboration of two groundbreaking filmmakers – Spike Lee and Get Out director Jordan Peele. Since Get Out’s premiere last summer, it has shocked and amazed audiences worldwide. By helping in the production of BlacKkKlans-

man, Peele proved once again that is he one of the best filmmakers of this generation.

In addition to the brilliant joint efforts of Lee and Peele, the historical and political context of BlacKkKlansman propels it even further. One instance where context drives impact is at the end of the movie, when footage of the tragedy that occurred in Charlottesville in 2017 is shown. Lee strategically released the movie to U.S. theaters on August 10, 2018, the one-year anniversary of the protests in Charlottesville. By incorporating this real-life footage, Lee shifts the audience’s attention from the story of Ron Stallworth to the current state of race relations in America. He couples this footage with President Trump’s reaction to the events of that day, encouraging viewers to critically reflect on current issues of racism and police brutality.

While a majority of critics and filmmakers have raved about BlacKkKlansman, some are skeptical of the depiction of the Colorado Springs Police Department in the film. For example, Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley described the film as “a made-up story in which the false parts try to make a cop the protagonist in the fight against racial oppression.”

BlacKkKlansman is not only an important film, but also serves as a connection between art and political dialogue. Lee shows us once again that he is in his own league of greatness. I expect to see BlacKkKlansman and Lee win many awards this winter.

to form two-thirds of a third triptych. But given Death Grips’ 10 previous releases, what’s left to do with this album?

Well, what Death Grips does best: purposefully insult, piss off, confuse and otherwise mess with their ever-loyal and fanatically adulatory fan base. Earlycareer canceled tour dates and no-shows abused them, recent album lyrics directly insulted them and the tradition continues with this record. Expectations and hype were expertly stoked over social media, only to then be subverted and shattered (as fans should’ve seen coming).

Listeners were left thirsting, then starving for an album to complement the times. So what were they given instead?

The first track, “Death Grips is Online,” is like a Frankenstein monster of post-rock synths and horror movie music that’s been scratched to death by turntables – fun yet overwhelming, serious but ironic, nostalgic and unnerving. The next track, “Flies,” is fantastically detailed, though tough to grasp as it morphs, collapses inwards, then fades into what sounds like how a bad dream feels, which then builds into blissfully blown-out psychedelic gothic rock in “Black Paint.” The album becomes only more foreign and abstractly groovy throughout its runtime – but unlike previous Death Grips projects, never very heavy. Here they’ve opted for voyages into extra-dimensional strangeness and hypnagogic terror rather than experiments in aggression.

With their album closer “Disappointed,” the rug is yanked out from under much of their fan base, who have been left to die waiting for good old Death Grips.

Now, Death Grips of course knows how to make a brutally heavy track, and the closer is one – sort of. It’s as hectic and relentless as the old Death Grips – but it doesn’t build, doesn’t drop. It just grips you progressively tighter and tighter, clenching harder until suddenly ending mid-verse. Withholding the catharsis of released rage, it gifts the restless irritation of unresolved, continuous, building anger – severe disappointment.

And MC Ride’s planted a bomb inside – “Metamorph me into done for at last / at least until my present shore has passed.”

Death Grips is over – or at least done for a while – and they’ve left you “Disappointed.”

Well unless they secretly have more music on the way and are just playing dead – though they’d never let any of us know either way. That’s not Death Grips. They’d probably leave fans forever waiting for a followup to Year of the Snitch, something to complete the third and final triptych. They’d probably neglect to let them know if the silent space following Year of the Snitch is in fact the completion of that triptych.

Personally, I’m not disappointed at all – just sad, as it may be the end of an era. And although I sure hope this isn’t the case, if it is so: fare thee well, Death Grips. Let us all pray that this ends up being only a review and not also a eulogy, that the present shore passes soon enough.

WHY WALLS?

By HAEON YOON OPINIONS EDITOR

On a cold, Saturday night, Opinions Editor Haeon Yoon went out into the field to capture first-hand accounts from brave WALLS participants. Her question: why WALLS?

“We decided to come to Williams because of the art program, so we wanted to give this a shot.”

Charlotte Hanson ’22 and Ruth Laurence ’22

“I just got back from WOOLF, and I was nostalgic about being in the outdoors.”

Karol Regula ’21

“I like the idea of roughing it out for art. I think it’s better than camping out on the dirty sidewalk of 5th Avenue outside the Apple store for a new phone.”

Matthew Peacock ’21

“I wasn’t able to make it last year, and I was just bursting with anticipation the entire year.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES.

BlacKkKlansman, set in 1970’s Colorado, tells the story of an unlikely duo infiltrating the KKK.

Chris Avila ’21

10 SPORTS

The Williams Record

September 12, 2018

Women’s volleyball defeats Ramapo, Union, St.Michael's, Skidmore

By RACHEL NEUGART CONTRIBUTING WRITER Women’s volleyball (4-0, 0-0 in the NESCAC) jumped out to a 4-0 start to its season, sweeping Ramapo, Union and St. Michael’s while beating Skidmore 3-2. The Ephs played two doubleheaders at the Union College Invitational in Schenectady, N.Y. on Friday and Saturday.

Against Ramapo on Friday, Williams earned the sweep with set scores of 25-15, 25-16 and 25-19. Behind the serving of Alex Newton ’20 and Allison Frison ’20, the Ephs jumped out to large leads and never looked back to take the first two games. Although the third set started out slow, the Ephs quickly found energy behind Frison's consistent serving and secured the sweep.

Erin Denham ’20 recorded eight kills in the match and registered nine assists.

Against Union, the women looked to build on the victory from the first match, and the Ephs were able to do just that with set scores of 25-20, 2518 and 25-14. In the first set, a decisive block by Olivia Hindy ’22 and one by Roxi Corbeil ’19 pushed the score to 19-17 and that was the boost needed to claim the victory. The surge to 25 was highlighted by two kills

by Denham .

In the second set, the substitution of Morgan Richman ’19 provided the spark needed for the Ephs to open up a

15-3 lead and they coasted to their second win. The team built upon this momentum to win the last set. Once again in the third set, Williams turned a 5-5 tie into a 12-5 lead on three errors by Union, two kills by Denham and another winner by tricaptain Tess Richman ’19.

The Dutchwomen would not get closer than seven points as the Ephs won 25-16.

Head coach Christi Kelsey was excited about the first day of play. “It was a great opening night for our team with both matches,” she said. “I thought we did some different things well against each of the teams. There was lots of good execution on our skills across the board as well as just overall great focus and energy from our entire group. I want to make sure I give credit to all 17 of our players tonight even though everyone did not set foot on the court today. We've had a great start to our preseason, and everyone has contributed in big ways each and every day in practice to help us improve and get better. I'm really proud of this group for the start of our season, and I'm excited to see what happens as we go forward.”

On the second day of the tournament, the women played St. Michael's College.

Behind the serving of Corbeil and the kills of Denham, the Ephs pushed the lead to 13-6 and never looked back. They surged to a 25-11 win that

was highlighted by four kills from both Denham and Ariana Altieri ’21.

In the second set, the Ephs turned a 8-8 tie into a 12-8 lead on two aces from Natalie Albright ’20, a kill by Corbeil, and an attack error by the Purple Knights. This proved to be the energy needed to post a 25-21 win. Riding the momentum from the first two sets, the Ephs coasted to a 25-17 win to secure the sweep. Denham recorded ten kills, Newton had 15 assists, and Daiana Takashima ’20 had 13 digs.

Williams played the last match of the two-day tournament against Skidmore. The first game was a back and forth affair until Skidmore went on an eight-point run.

Unable to recover, the Ephs dropped the game 25-21. Hindy had four kills. In the second set the Ephs trailed 20-16, but that four-point deficit did not last when a rally of three attack errors, two kills and an ace knotted the score at 22-22.

The Ephs used this run to earn a 25-22 victory.

The third set was another close one, but Williams was unable to hold onto the energy from the previous set. Corbeil had eight kills in the 25-23 loss. The fourth set proved to be another close one and was tied at 20-20 when Lydia Kurtz ’22 came up big with three kills to push the Ephs to a 25-22 win. Heading into the fifth set, the Ephs climbed out of a five-point deficit early on and

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

Roxi Corbeil '19 (right) had a game-leading 22 kills against Skidmore in the Union College Invitational. battled back to tie the game at 15-15. M. Richman was the boost Williams needed to win the game 17-15 and improve to 4-0. For this match, Corbeil notched 22 kills, Newton had 53 assists and Takashima had 26 digs. Newton was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Kelsey was excited about the first weekend of the season. “It was a really cool way for us to end the first week

and a half of being back together and starting our season,” she remarked. “I'm really proud of each and every person for not only how they competed this weekend but for also continuing to be committed to getting better. Most importantly, I really like how this team has come together so far in terms of chemistry.

There are intangible things that are important each year

and the connections that we build with one another are probably at the top of that list. This group has been so supportive of each other right from day one and just a really fun group to be around which is going to make for a really awesome journey in the weeks ahead.”

The Ephs open their home season today against Vassar at 6:00 P.M.

Field hockey kicks season off with two wins against Trinity and St.John Fisher

By CAMERON BROWN and KIRSTEN MAPES CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Field hockey (2-0, 1-0 in the NESCAC) defeated Trinity College 1-0 last Saturday and St. John Fisher 3-2.

Last Saturday, the Ephs started their home season with a satisfying win over the Bantams.

The game started off with three early shots from Libby Dolan ’19 within the first 10 minutes of the game, two going wide at 4:14 and 9:27 and a shot saved by Bantam goalie Lori Berger. The Eph pressure stayed on through the first half, with Williams dominating possession and forcing five penalty corners, totaling seven shots.

Five of the shots came from Dolan, and additional hard shots from Simone Veale ’21 at 21:48 and Claire Fitzpatrick ’21 at 27:47. However, the Ephs' offensive dominance did not re-

sult in a shot going in the goal past Berger in the first half and the game remained scoreless at the half.

The Bantams notched their first shot of the second half with a wide hot shot off the stick of Bantam player Jordan Ragland at 36:48. The only goal of the game came off the third penalty corner of the half, as Molly Lohss ’21 launched the ball to Emma Ticknor ’20.

Ticknor rolled the ball toward the goal and Dolan knocked it past the pad of Berger for the winning goal. Ticknor picked up the assist on the goal. The goal was Dolan's fourth of the season in just two games.

The Bantams bounced back quickly and the Ephs defense battled against another tough shot from Ragland. As Abby Lloyd ’20 dove for a save, Marissa Feller ’20 defended the goal from Ragland’s offensive, keeping the Ephs up 1-0.

Lloyd defended two more shots from Bantam forwards Alison Slowe and Caroline Curtin.

The Ephs totaled 10 shots in the game and 10 penalty corners.

"I think we did a great job handling them and being able to pull fresh players from the bench really gave us the spark to keep putting the pressure on," said head coach Alix Barrale. "Trinity is one of our biggest rivals, knocking us out in the semi-finals of the NESCAC tournament last year, so we knew what we were in for, but the team did a great job of staying poised and edging them out at every opportunity."

Last Tuesday, the women traveled to Hamilton College and defeated St. John Fisher.

The opening goal of the contest came off the stick of Cardinals’ player Lauren Fazio who converted off a feed from Bre Socker at 3:40. Socker found a wide

open Fazio sitting on the left corner doorstep and Fazio one-timed the pass past Eph goalie Emma Santucci ’19 inside the left post, putting the Cardinals up 10 at 3:40.

The Ephs’ defense settled down after the Fazio goal and held the Cardinals to just one additional shot on goal over the final 31:20 of the opening half.

"I think we were just a little nervous and unorganized defensively at the start, but we really settled down after their goal," Barrale said.

The Ephs answered the Fazio goal at 10:01 when Dolan converted on a backhand shot from 12 yards out off a feed from Meredith Wright ’19.

With 1:25 left in the first half Socker ran onto a bouncing ball in the circle and her shot from eight yards out was denied, which deflected Socker's shot up and over the top of the net.

The Ephs registered eight shots on goal in the first half, but the Cardinals' Ashley Maynard turned aside seven to keep the game tied at one at the intermission.

Williams had seven penalty corner opportunities in the first 35 minutes to just one corner for St. John Fisher.

Just under two minutes into the second half Dolan gave the Ephs a 2-1 lead. Dolan scored off the rebound of a shot by Julia Cochran ’19 that bounced off Maynard at 36:53.

Ten minutes into the second half Cochran had two shots inside of 10 yards on goal, but Maynard was up to the task and denied both shots keeping the score at 2-1, Williams.

In the 54th minute, Lloyd broke up a Socker and Fazio two on one by coming off her line and kicking the pass from Socker away from an open Fazio.

At 56:31, Dolan recorded her hat trick when she scored off a setup by to boost the Ephs' lead to 3-1.

The final goal of the game came at 69:37 off a penalty corner by the Cardinals.

Socker received the pass from trigger Fazio and she crushed a shot from just inside the scoring circle into the right hand corner of the goal at 69:38 to make the final score 3-2 in favor of Williams.

In the second half the Ephs fired 13 shots on goal and the Cardinals shot two on goal.

"I thought we did a good job of controlling the tempo and possession in the second half and was surprised to see that we held them to just four shots on goal in the game," Barrale noted. "Our depth I think was a factor as well as because we never let up. I saw a lot of good things tonight that we can build on."

CAPTAINS’ CORNER: ZEKE COHEN '19 that in his athletes, so I ran for that team. It was a really great experience. It was the highlight of my day in high school. [Head coach] Pete Farwell [at the College] has the same philosophy which is why running here is great too.

What goes through your head when running?

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

By CASSIE DESHONG SPORTS EDITOR

Team: Men's cross country Hometown: Chevy Chase, Md. Residence: Currier Hall Major: History Snack bar order: Nachos with buffalo sauce, chicken and feta cheese When and why did you start running?

I always liked running when I was younger. When I was in high school, my brother had ran for [the team] and loved the coach, a guy who really loves running and tries to promote

I think a lot of people have quiet minds when they are racing but I definitely don’t. Most of the time I am trying to convince myself not to slow down. I tell myself I am not tired. Usually, I win the battle with myself. Sometimes I have races where I can’t convince myself to go as fast as I’d like. It definitely takes a conscious effort the whole time to keep going.

Why did you decide to attend the College?

I was looking at a lot of schools in the Northeast. I really loved the tutorial idea. I’ve taken two tutorials at Williams. I think it’s such a cool, unique aspect of Williams. Also, I knew I liked running and wanted to continue running in college but I wasn’t going to choose a school just for running. I had also considered Div. I schools where I probably wouldn’t have been able to run.

When I visited Williams and saw Pete and the team, I felt really comfortable. I knew I would be happy here if I was able to run and happy if I wasn’t. So, Williams seemed like a great choice.

What’s your relationship with head coach Peter

Farwell and your co-captains Austin Anderson and John Spence?

I'm very close with Austin and Spence, and I'm sharing a suite with them this year. We fill slightly different niches and have slightly different roles on the team, but we complement each other well. We have a really great relationship with Pete. He has been coaching for 40 years and has lived in Williamstown for like 50 years. He knows every trail and aspect of cross country history. Maybe 5,000 runners have come through the team and only about 1,000 of them have been all that fast. He tries to treat everyone exactly the same. When he says something, you know he has the best intentions and you should listen to it.

That is the kind of respect he has earned. He knows so much and [has] done so much. My co-captains and I have a great relationship with him. Neither Austin nor I are running this season but Pete has still been very good and helpful to us. Spence joined the team his sophomore year and was one of the slowest people on the team. But under Pete’s system he became a captain. Speed doesn’t matter that much on Williams cross country.

What is it like being a captain for such a large team and can you tell me about the relationship between the men’s team and the women’s team?

It’s really fun to be a captain of a large team. There [are] so many

different kinds of people, backgrounds and interests that staying with this group could never get boring. I am not the kind of person who loves giving really long speeches, but that is rarely a need. I like connecting with everyone on an individual level.

This year we have been doing a lot of things with the women’s team. Even though it’s a team of about 40 men and 27 women, it feels more like a team of 67 with five captains. We have a good relationship with the women’s team. We respect them a ton.

They are usually a lot better than us. I think they respect us as well. It’s a good environment.

What is the team dynamic?

We really try to emphasize the joy of the sport over any competitive pressures. We are pretty intense and competitive. We all want to run our best. But if that is all you focus on then it gets overwhelming. We have a lot of fun. We're also working this year to add traditions – like a story time given by a teammate each week – to get to know each other even better and get closer to one another.

What is your favorite memory with the team?

This isn’t exactly under running.

My freshman fall I had a good season but it wasn’t enough to make it to Nationals. Only eight people got to fly out and race in Wisconsin. The other 30 men and 25 women or so on the team took a road trip to Wisconsin to watch the men and women run.

It was 17 hours over three or four days. The men’s team got second which was our best finish since like 1995 and the women’s team got first. It was great to be there with 70 people and cheer on the team. It was my [first] semester at Williams and it was a great formative experience. I fell in love with the team that week.

How have you developed as a runner over the past four years?

I’ve gotten a lot smarter with how I race. My first couple of races at Williams, I would sprint out of the gate and try to establish myself at the front.

More often than not, I would come crashing down to Earth.

Pete really emphasizes patience in racing and letting the race come to you. I have gotten a lot better at that. Unfortunately, not due to Pete, but to my fragile body, I have been injured for the last year or so. That has been pretty hard but it’s still nice to be around the team. I still feel part of the team. I am building back up to being able to run. So hopefully soon I can compete again.

You just started being captain but do you feel the pressure to lead the team?

I am lucky because in my time at Williams we have always had pretty good team camaraderie.

It does take focused effort and intention to keep it that way. My primary focus since I can’t run and help the team that way is to keep everyone excited and posi-

tive about the sport. If anyone is feeling down about running or about something else, I try to be there and listen to them.

What are your goals for the season?

Last year we didn’t perform as well [as] we think we could have.

Although towards the middle and end of the season, we started to feel more like a united team.

At first we felt a little disjointed.

One of our goals is to feel like one team of runners from fast to slow. I think we can win the NESCAC title and even [finish on the] podium at Nationals. But that shouldn’t be our primary focus.

Our focus should be to feel like one connected team. We should know each other as individuals and not just teammates, which we have been doing a good job at.

We have the talent to do well. We just need to build on it and do it for each other.

Do you have any advice for first-year runners?

Williams is a small school but it’s a pretty big space. There [are] a lot of things to do. Don’t feel like you need to do 25 different things like you did in high school. I only run, do school and write for sports information and I feel like that is plenty on my plate already. It gives me time to dedicate time to those things as much as I need. That is healthier for me than if I tried to stretch myself out too thin. If you can do more and you like it, that’s great but don’t make that your thing if it’s not your thing.

September 12, 2018

SPORTS 11

The Williams Record

Pete Farwell ’73 celebrates four decades as head coach of cross country

By CASSIE DESHONG SPORTS EDITOR In high school, Pete Farwell ’73 began his running career and fell in love, partly because of his love for nature. “It is nice to be connected with [nature] on a daily basis,” Farwell said.

“I am not a city person. I liked Williams for that.” After running all four years during his time at Williams, Farwell continued to run and went to various road races. In Farwell’s 23 years of competitive running, he set the six-mile Williams record and finished 23rd at the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:20.

When Farwell returned to the College for an alumni race, he was informed by a few high school students from Williamstown about an open track and field head coach position for next season. Having never considered coaching prior to this opportunity, Farwell applied and began coaching at the high school. From there, he eventually joined the College as the head coach of men’s cross country in 1979.

Currently, cross country is one of the biggest teams on campus, with 40 people on the men’s team and 25 people on the women’s team. Farwell could have easily reduced the team to a smaller size, but he prefers to share the joy in running with more people. “If those people can display a love for running and want to be on a team even though they are a bit slow, they are welcomed,” Farwell said. “It is a lot easier to have a 12 to 15 person team, but I want to share that love for running with more people.

In our last meet, 10 or 11 of the last people were from our team.

But among those guys, we have

some of our best leaders, people with the best work ethic, the ones that improve the most, the ones that cheer the most. They contribute a lot, and the whole team appreciates that.”

Farwell believes that dedication to the sport and love for running makes the best runners, not necessarily pure talent. So he puts in effort to make sure his athletes are enjoying themselves. “I am just trying to express the joy of being together a lot,” Farwell said. “You can be a little nutty and outgoing. Let people know who you are without qualm. We run better when we are smiling. They are looser for meets when they aren’t being internal.”

Farwell’s genuine love for running is apparent to his athletes, and numerous team members believe his joy for the sport is what makes being part of the team great and fun. “Getting to be a part of a team that is led by Coach Pete has been one of the highlights of my time at Williams, and the attitude he projects as a coach has changed my perspective on running a lot,” co-captain Emily Harris ’19 said. “For instance, Pete plans runs for us with deliberate look-outs (i.e., an annual run up Mt. Greylock, easy runs at Mt. Hope, trail runs along the Taconic Crest) with the goal of having us appreciate running in such a beautiful place and in good company.”

More importantly, his athletes believe in him and his advice.

“We trust him, and because we believe in Pete, we are able to believe in our training, and in ourselves,” co-captain Austin Anderson ’19 said. “In addition to being amazingly knowledgeable and experienced, Pete has a true love

for the sport, and that spirit is the foundation of our team's approach to running. In the midst of NCAA championships, technical workouts and complex training philosophy, GPS watches and heart rate monitors, Pete helps us remember that we run because we love to run. We love trails, we love working hard and we love our team.”

Farwell’s end goal isn’t to see his athletes compete well now, but rather to see them running and enjoying running years later. “The goal is for you to be running when you’re 30, 40 or 60 rather than to run two seconds faster in the 5k when you are 21,” co-captain Zeke Cohen ’19 said. “As a coach, he gets you to perform your best, but if you feel like you are working too hard or exhausted, he always listens.”

With such a large team of varying levels of talent, it is easy for people, especially the ones who aren’t as fast, to feel forgotten. However, that is not the case on this team. “As someone who is definitely towards the back of the team, Pete still has shown a commitment to my running,” George Arrowsmith ’21 said.

“He cares about how I am running even if I won't impact how the team does as a whole. He has always given me lots of coaching attention regardless of my position on the team, which is really unique and is something I really appreciate about him.”

Farwell actively seeks out his athletes. He wants to get to know his athletes better and to see them improve. “I wish I could get to know them even more,” Farwell said. “I like to connect with them all. I have a pretty good idea of who they are, but not absolutely, like what they are taking in school.

I know their personas.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

This year, Pete Farwell '73 celebrates his 40th anniversary as the head coach of the cross country team.

Coming back from Saturday's Little Threes meet, Harris recalled seeing Farwell checking in with everyone about the race.

“I’m sitting on the bus back from our first race of the season right now, and I watched Pete make his way through probably 55 people on the bus to check in with every one of his athletes about how they felt about their races," Harris said. “He did the same thing pre-race. Seeing him actively seek out one-on-one time with everyone – especially on a pretty large team – and watching how engaged his athletes are during those short chats is, I think, a pretty good anecdote to illustrate what I think is special about Pete as a coach.” It is the small things

that Farwell does that lets his athletes know he cares.

Farwell has been coaching at the College for 40 years. Since becoming the head coach of the men’s team, Farwell has had 38 All-Americans, including two national champions. Since 1993, the men's teams has finished in the top-10 17 times at the NCAA championship meet. In 1994, Farwell was named National Coach of the Year.

The men's team has won 13 New England regional titles, has been runner-up five times and has come in third four times.

They also have 15 NESCAC titles and eight ECAC titles, resulting in Farwell receiving nine Regional Coach of the Year honors.

In 2000, Farwell began coaching the women’s team and

has had 29 All-Americans, including one national champion.

In 2002, 2004 and 2015, the women won the NCAA title. In the past 17 years, the women’s team has placed in the top eight every year.

In addition, the women’s team has won four New England regional titles, has nine runnersup finishes and two third places.

These are on top of seven NESCAC titles and five ECAC titles.

Farwell was awarded the Women's Regional Coach of the Year four times, NESCAC Coach of the Year four times and National Coach of the Year three times.

In December 2017, Pete Farwell was inducted into the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Men's soccer pummels Trinity 5-0 in season opener Men's cross country takes

By MANDELA NAMASTE STAFF WRITER After scoring just 19 goals all of last season, men's soccer is well on its way to making an offensive course correction this fall, scoring four goals in the first 45 minutes of a 5-0 opening day shutout of Trinity College.

With the addition of new assistant coach Nick Thompson, a decorated former for-

ward for Messiah College, and head coach Erin Sullivan ’96, the Ephs were looking to attack early and often.

Powerful, bruising runs from forward Demian Gass ’20 set the tone for Williams' offensive strategy. Incisive, deep passes from veteran midfielder and co-captain Greg Andreou '19 and co-captain Scat McDonald '19 helped the men continually gain possession on the field.

Williams took advantage of these opportunities right away, as poaching forward Bobby Fabricant ’20 took a touch off a deflection from the left wing, dribbled once and buried it in the top right corner of the net in the 13th minute. Fabricant added one more goal off an assist from midfielder Eli Petrik ’21 just three minutes later to double the Ephs' lead, making the score 2-0.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

Chris Fleischer ’20 headed in the third goal before the half against Trinity on Saturday.

Levien Family Winter Study Journalism Fellowship The Levien Family Winter Study Journalism Fellowship will provide one or two students annually the chance to pursue independent journalism projects through a Winter Study “99” course by providing them funding to travel and conduct reporting. The maximum award available to an individual student is $1,500.

For more information, visit www.winterstudy.williams.edu/levien-familywinter-study-journalism-fellowship/.

Applications are due Sept. 27.

A 23rd minute header from midfielder Chris Fleischer ’20 and a sharp curler from Gass in the 25th doubled the Ephs' lead once more. The men headed into the half up by four.

The second 45 minutes were considerably less eventful but included both of Trinity's best opportunities to make a significant impact on the scoreboard. Bantam forward Henry Farr took a penalty kick in the 54th minute, which was blocked by Eph goalie Aaron Schein ’19, and a 79th minute goal from Trinity defender Aaron Shea was negated due to an offside call. Schein was relatively unbothered throughout the match due to outstanding play by his back line and midfield, but he rose to the occasion when necessary.

The lone goal of the second half was netted by Fleischer who scored unassisted at 63:20. Schein made three saves in the period.

After the terrific season opener, Sullivan was understandably feeling quite upbeat.

"These guys have been a little bit unbridled these past couple days, and sometimes, you have to let them run, and they unleashed it a bit," he said.

On Saturday, Williams will host Colby at 1:30 p.m.

on Little Three rivals

By LIAM ALBRITTAIN AND ZEKE COHEN TEAM CORRESPONDENTS Men’s cross country kicked off the season this weekend with the Little Three championship hosted by Amherst.

Racing over six kilometers, rather than the traditional eight kilometers, Williams finished second to Amherst in a tight race, 27-32. Wesleyan came in third, with 77 points.

This race featured the No. 2 Amherst, who snapped No. 15 Williams’ 29 year winning streak last year.

Aidan Ryan ’21 and Lucas Estrada ’21 took the race out fast, with many of their teammates closely following. Ryan gapped the field shortly before the mile mark, and although some Mammoths would reclaim the lead with several hundred meters remaining in the race, he would respond with a fierce finishing burst to win the Little Three championship in a time of 19:28.

Behind Ryan, a number of Ephs moved up well through the pack in the latter half of the race to give the Mammoths a big scare. Elias Lindgren ’22 had an enormous kick to finish fifth overall in 19:59.6. Ryan Cox ’20 ran a solid race, finishing in seventh overall in 20:03.2. Sam

Wischnewsky ’20 and Mitchell Morris ’19 rounded out the scorers for the Ephs, finishing in ninth and 10th overall in times of 20:10.1 and 20:10.6, respectively, each with big kicks.

Kenneth Marshall ’19 displaced Amherst's fifth place runner in 20:11.4 to make the score even closer, finishing 11th overall.

Head coach Pete Farwell ’73 was excited with his team's performance. “We didn't know too much going into this race: where Amherst and Wesleyan were, and how we were,” he said. “So I'm very pleased with how our guys competed, and I think they showed that the labors of all their summers are bearing fruit. A number of our first-years had good first showings in uniform, especially Elias, who had a great kick to nab Amherst’s fourth guy. I was also impressed with guys farther down on our depth chart, who competed real well, kicked hard and told me that they felt great. I think we're at a great starting point for the season, and I'm looking forward to seeing where we go.”

The Ephs will return to competition later this month on Sept. 22 at the Purple Valley Classic. The race will be held at Mt. Greylock Regional High School.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK “Libby is an offensive giant! Understand she is much more than just a scoring machine. She plays strong defense to win the ball back in our offensive end. She draws penalty corners when she is being doubled in the circle. She creates offensive opportunities for the forwards and mids around her. She is the real deal!”

–Head coach Alix Barrale

“Aidan ran confidently in the lead, taking control like a real veteran, though only a sophomore, and then held off two Amherst stars at the finish. He has ovecome his injury from track season and is strong and ready to go this fall. He has has great leadership qualities and is a true teammate within our squad.”

–Head coach Pete Farwell ’73

LIBBY DOLAN '19

AIDAN RYAN '21

FIELD HOCKEY BARRINGTON, R.I.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY NEW YORK, N.Y.

Dolan scored all four goals for the Ephs as they edged Trinity and St. John Fisher to begin the season.

Ryan won the first cross country meet of the season, the Little Three championship, in a time of 19:28.0

12 SPORTS

The Williams Record

September 12, 2018

Reigning NCAA champion women's soccer jumps out to 3-0 start

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

Mikayla Kappes ’21 scored a goal on Sunday against Skidmore as Williams cruised to a 3-0 victory.

By ALEXANDER CHRIST CONTRIBUTING WRITER Last week, No. 1 women’s soccer (3–0, 2–0 in the NESCAC), fresh off a national championship season, won three matches against Skidmore, Trinity and Hamilton to start the fall undefeated.

In a Sunday home match, the women shut out Skidmore en route to a 3-0 victory.

Sydney Jones ’21, recently awarded NESCAC Player of the Week, scored at 10:15 off an assist from Aspen Piersen ’21 to give the Ephs an early lead. The goal set the tone for a dominant first half in which the Ephs had seven shots on goal and the Thoroughbreds had one.

A set piece by Skidmore late in the first half nearly tied the game. With 30 sec-

onds left, Melissa Haas of Skidmore found space near the corner of the penalty box and sent a cross to Emily Mendes. Mendes was blocked by a defender but made a nice move to her left, allowing her to shoot. Her attempt sailed only a few feet high over the crossbar.

The women doubled their lead in the second half in the 54th minute when Natalie

Games this week

Women's volleyball vs. Vassar

linger who deposited the ball in the lower-left corner of the net to bring the Ephs' total to three goals.

At the half, Williams had 10 shots on goal, one assist and one save by goalkeeper Olivia Barnhill ’19. Trinity had two shots on goal.

At 62:29, Bantam player Whitney Hoban fired the ball into the net off an assist.The Ephs, however, regained control and planted themselves firmly in Bantam territory for the remainder of the contest, forcing Trinity keeper Lilianna Khoswowshahi to make five saves.

In total, Williams had 25 shots on goal, and Trinity had five. Barnhill played 90 minutes, had two saves and gave up one goal.

“We're constantly trying to put pieces together early in the season,” Pinard said. “We view September as our opportunity to problem solve each and every game, and I think we definitely did that. We certainly strive to be better each game, and we hope to show that tomorrow.”

On Wednesday, the women opened their 2018 campaign with a 2-1 road win over conference rival Hamilton. Jones posted the game-winner in the 65th minute.

“You can't ask for much more for a first game — a win — and we got better,” Pinard said. “People worked really hard through a 97-degree heat index, so our depth paid dividends. It was a good day that the team is excited to build upon.”

Williams took a 1-0 lead only 1:49 into the season when Kristina Alvarado ’19 settled a loose ball about 35 yards out on the right flank and toe-tapped it to Pierson.

Whirling the ball to her left, Pierson fired a booming shot that eluded Hamilton keeper Rachel Pike and snuck into

the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.

Hamilton responded by creating three cornerkick opportunities — its only three of the game — over the next 15 minutes, none resulting in a serious threat. With 37 minutes left in the first half, Sarah Scire ’20 hustled back to run Hamilton's Kayleigh Harris off the ball when it appeared that Harris may have had an opportunity to find a way in on Barnhill one-on-one.

However, with 27:43 left in the half, Cat Gambino received a pass from the foot of Katie Tenefrancia, who rocketed a ball into the Williams box. Gambino somehow settled the laser and wove to her left, ultimately beating Barnhill with a shot along the grass and under the keeper to tie the game.

The two teams were tied 1-1 going into the half. A set piece would ultimately decide the match. With 26:19 left, Ilana Albert ’21 lined up a corner kick and floated it from left to right. Hollinger muscled her way up and over a Continental defender, getting her left shoulder on the ball and redirecting it back toward the bottom left corner of the goal. A Continental defender was there to block the wouldbe goal, but Jones pounced on the rebound, slide-kicking the ball into an untended portion of the goal with 26:05 remaining to give the Ephs a 2-1 lead.

Along with Barnhill’s timely saves, the Ephs had some excellent defensive plays over the last five minutes, trapping the Continentals in their own end with heady play from Jones, Victoria Laino ’21, Hollinger and Lord. Ultimately, the Ephs were able to run the clock out on their hosts.

The Ephs will host Colby this Saturday at Cole Field at 11:00 a.m.

Ephs claim eleventh straight Little Three championship

Sunday

Today Sept. 12

Turner-Wyatt ’19 received the ball off a corner kick and hammered it into the goal box.

Jones slid and toe-tapped the ball into the net for her fourth goal in only two games. Jones has scored in all three Eph wins to open the season and has notched the game-winner in each contest.

The final goal of the game came at 72:29 when Mikayla Kappes ’21 scored her first collegiate goal off an assist from Georgia Lord ’21. With a commanding 3-0 lead, the Ephs continued to control both the tempo and possesion of the ball over the final 11 minutes.

The Ephs had a 18-3 advantage in shots on goal and a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks.

Head coach Michelyne Pinard was coaching against her former Williams assistant, Lacey Largetou. “Lacey spent three years here ... and she's an incredible coach,” Pinard said. “She knows what our attacking scheme is, so their team made it challenging for us to get in behind.”

On Saturday, the women beat Trinity 3-1 on Cole Field.

Jones scored twice and Sarah Hollinger ’19 chipped in another goal — all in the first half. The early offense was enough for the Ephs to hold off the Bantams.

In the 25th minute, a clearance kick from backfield sailed over Trinity's defense toward Jones. Jones collected the ball at midfield, sprinted past two defenders and slipped the ball into the goal.

A minute later, Jones scored in similar fashion with Turner-Wyatt providing the assist from midfield. In both instances, Jones's speed enabled her to create space and get behind Trinity's backline. Later in the half, what looked to be a failed set piece became an opportunity when a ball deflected off the Trinity goalkeeper to Hol-

Women's tennis Lindsay Morehouse Invite Hunt Tennis Courts, 9 a.m.

Chandler Gym, 6 p.m.

Sept. 16 Women's golf vs. Dartmouth Away, all day

Women's soccer vs. Colby

Friday Sept. 14 Women's tennis Lindsay Morehouse Invite Hunt Tennis Courts, 6 p.m.

Women's volleyball vs. Wesleyan

Cole Field, 11 a.m.

Field hockey vs. Colby Williamson Field, 12 p.m.

Women's tennis Lindsay Morehouse Invite Hunt Tennis Courts, 9 a.m.

Women's soccer vs. Springfield Cole Field, 1 p.m.

Football vs.

Bowdoin Away, 1 p.m.

Away, 6 p.m.

Men's soccer vs. Babson Cole Field, 2 p.m.

Men's soccer vs. Colby

Saturday Sept. 15 Women's golf vs. Dartmouth Away, all day

Cole Field, 1:30 p.m.

Women's volleyball vs.

Connecticut Away, 2 p.m.

Tuesday Sept. 18 Women's volleyball vs. Hamilton Chandler Gym, 7 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

Women's cross country started its season with a win against Amherst and Wesleyan at Little Threes.

By JULIA GUNTHER and ELIZABETH BIGHAM CONTRUBUTING WRITERS Last Saturday, women’s cross country placed first against Amherst and Wesleyan, claiming their eleventh straight Little Three championship.

Change and excitement were in the air. The Ephs raced in the famous Little Three meet at Amherst with the Mammoths and the Cardinals as their season opener for the first time ever. Despite this, the women were looking to race smart and well. Along with the excitement for the race came the anticipation of a new Amherst course: a 4k race featuring narrow gates, mixed terrain and an uphill finish that made for a thrilling time.

The hint of a fall chill gave the Ephs some comfort after a very warm pre-season. Despite the clouds and coolness, the women ran a very heated race, with close finishes, fast kicks and incredibly valiant efforts. In the end, the women succeeded in their goal, finishing first with 33 points.

Wesleyan, whose leader Julia Mitchell finished first overall, came in second with 36 points. Amherst came in third with 54 points.

Wesleyan's Mitchell flew into the finish in 15:33 to claim the overall top spot.

Just ten seconds later, the first

three Ephs finished. Emma Herrmann ’20, Audrey Rustad ’20 and co-captain Emily Harris ’19 ran 15:36, 15:37 and 15:40 respectively, each finishing smart races in second, third and fourth place. Jaylan Fraser-Mines ’21 came in next for Williams, finishing a very strong fourth for the Ephs and 11th overall. Following close behind were Sarah Tully ’21, who came in 13th overall at 16:15, and Grace Dailey ’22, who made huge strides to claim 14th place overall in 16:21. Erica Barrett ’21 rounded out the top seven for Williams, finishing 16th overall with a time of 16:31.

The next herd of Ephs was led by Abby Scott ’21 who finished at 16:43 after leading a very strong middle pack.

Janelle Gowgiel ’20 crossed the finish line soon after, finishing a second later at 16:44.

Head coach Pete Farwell '73 noted that Gowgiel has improved significantly since last season, making great progress over the summer. Brianna Bourne ’21 kicked in two seconds later at 16:46.

Co-captain Lindsay Klickstein ’19 led the next pack of Ephs to the finish line, coming in at a strong 16:51. She was followed by four Ephs who all worked hard to finish together after a challenging course. Along with Klickstein came Lilly Wells ’22, Caroline

Galo ’21 and Hannah Lebowitz ’20, who finished at 16:59, and 17:08 for both Galo and Lebowitz, respectively. Coming in soon after were Sarah Jane O'Connor ’22, who finished at 17:19, and Lauren Fossel ’22, who finished at 17:23. They ran incredibly solid first collegiate races. Adrienne Banks ’20 came in merely four seconds later at 17:27 and was soon joined at the finish line by Emma Tapscott ’22 and Wyndom Chace ’21, who both finished strong at 17:38 and 17:54 respectively. The Ephs rounded out their successful meet with strong finishes from Julia Gunther ’20, who finished at 18:34, and from Tori Saltz ’22, who finished at 19:33.

The Ephs, unlike in the past, were unsure of where they might finish, as this was their season opener, and the Little Three championship traditionally occurs in October.

"This is very early for this meet… We have had a lot of good summers, and a lot of our runners have stepped up after the departure of a lot of strong seniors and juniors abroad," Farwell said. He remains confident that with the team building that occurred throughout the first week, the Ephs will "move up as a team together...

The sky is the limit."

On Sept. 22, Williams will host its annual Purple Valley Classic on its home course.