Dear readers,
Welcome (back) to campus! For some of you, this fall marks the beginning of your time here at Williams. For others, this fall is a reminder of how our time at Williams is coming to an end.
The Williams I encountered as a first-year was different from the one I know now: It was struggling to balance student experience with safety, connection with caution. That era of the College has faded away, but parts of it have been preserved in the memories of my peers in the Class of 2024, in the institutional records of the College, and even in the Record itself.
As I return to campus after a year abroad, the changes I see on campus remind me of how both the College and the world outside have changed. In these times of transition and upheaval, I recognize the role the Record holds as not only a source of timely news but also a historical record — one that is imperfect, and one that we strive to improve with every issue.
Towards these ends, we at the Record are committed to expanding the breadth and depth of our reporting this fall. We will continue our existing coverage of breaking College news, Williamstown events, and the experiences of historically underrepresented groups on and off campus, but we also hope to build deeper relationships with the wider community around us. This imperative is more urgent than ever, particularly in the wake of a slate of Supreme Court rulings this summer that will have a great impact on higher education, both at the College and at large.
Much of the work we do at the Record would be impossible without the passion and dedication of a team of full-time students. This fall, we’ve welcomed six new editors to our editorial board and over 60 new writers, artists, photographers, and podcasters to our staff. I am excited to see what meaningful stories our student journalists will be able to tell this semester.
Even with such a robust and talented team, the Record relies first and foremost on you — our readers. If you ever have any questions, concerns, or thoughts about our coverage, please contact me through our anonymous tip line or by email at [email protected]. If you wish to speak directly to our readership, submit an op-ed or a letter to the editor. At its core, the Record is dedicated to representing the people of our community.
Sincerely,
Lindsay Wang ’24
Editor-in-Chief
