The Record editorial board has elected Izzy Polanco ’25, Julia Goldberg ’25, Luke Chinman ’25, and Palvasha Khan ’25 to lead the newspaper in 2024. Polanco will serve as editor-in-chief in the spring, alongside Managing Editors Chinman and Khan. In the fall, Goldberg will follow Polanco as editor-in-chief, with Chinman and Polanco serving as managing editors. They will succeed current Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Wang ’24 and Managing Editors Kiara Royer ’24 and Ella Marx ’24.
Polanco said that the Record will deepen its commitment to justice-oriented reporting in the coming year. “There are a lot of internal conversations at the Record right now about ways we’ve reflexively upheld the status quo,” she said. “At its best, the Record serves as a trusted source for the larger campus community. I look forward to making sure that the Record is held accountable to that responsibility.”
Chinman echoed this sentiment, referencing the Record board’s internal audit in 2020, which evaluated its relationship to and coverage of minoritized groups on campus. “I think the transition from one management team to the next is a really good opportunity to reassess the progress that’s been made and the progress that still needs to be made,” he said.
“Building trust is one of our top, if not our top, priorities,” Goldberg added. “We’re committed to bettering our content and bettering our procedures so that the community has a reason to have renewed faith in us.”
While serving as a managing editor, Khan also hopes to improve the relationship between the Record and minoritized communities on campus. “My first priority will be to foster and build trust between the Record and our campus community,” she said. “As a student of color myself, I know how often our institutions fail us. I hope in some small way that I can use our platform to have our voices [be] heard and be taken seriously.
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Meet the incoming Record management.
Izzy Polanco ’25
Polanco is a political science major and public health concentrator from Long Island, N.Y. She will serve as editor-in-chief in spring 2024 and managing editor the following fall.
She has previously served as a sports section editor and currently is the executive editor for sports and staff director. While in these roles, she has reported on topics like the experiences of nonbinary athletes, the College’s admissions policies in the wake of last summer’s ruling on affirmative action, and the College’s 2024 fiscal year budget. Last year, she founded and led the NESCAC Journalism Conference with Tali Natter ’23.
For Polanco, the Record has been a highlight of her time at the College and has given her the opportunity to use her voice in a unique way. “Especially as a woman of color, the Record has been meaningful as a place that lets me use my voice to tell honest and necessary stories,” she said. “In that sense, it’s empowering for me.”
Outside of the Record, Polanco is a member of the political science department’s Liaison Committee and sings in Purple Rain. She is also a housing coordinator.
Julia Golberg ’25
Goldberg, an English major from New York, N.Y., will serve as editor-in-chief in fall 2024. She has held the roles of College news editor, Town news editor, and executive editor for news.
She has reported on the College’s changing educational landscape, the creation of the Asian American studies program, and the approval of a new $22.5 million fire station in the Town.
Reflecting on her role in local reporting, Goldberg said she is grateful to have had the opportunity to report on issues that are meaningful to Williamstown residents as well as students at the College.
Outside of the Record, Goldberg has worked as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for the English department and is involved with the Williams College Jewish Association.
Luke Chinman ’25
Chinman is an American studies major and Africana studies concentrator from Pittsburgh, Pa. He will serve as a managing editor in both spring and fall 2024.
During his time on the editorial board, Chinman has been a features section editor and currently serves as the executive editor for features. community activism as well as local art and artists.
Entering into the new year, Chinman hopes that the Record’s incoming management and editorial board will critically consider the paper’s role in the College community. “I really want us to think about the impact that our coverage has on the communities that we cover, how it can cause harm, and how it can be a force for good,” he said.
Outside of the Record, Chinman works as a barista at Goodrich, a writing tutor, and a TA for the English department.
Palvasha Khan ’25
Khan is a political science and history major with a concentration in global studies from Armonk, N.Y. She will serve as a managing editor in spring 2024.
She has previously served as a section editor and the executive editor for opinions. Additionally, Khan has covered several stories while on the Record board. Her favorite is a review of The Break Room, a restaurant in North Adams, Mass.
Khan said she originally joined the board because she believes journalism is fundamentally a form of public service and wants to build bridges with underrepresented members of the community, working to serve the College’s students equitably. “Leaning on my experience from the opinions section, I will work to facilitate outreach to the broader campus, particularly focusing on including marginalized students,” she said.
Aside from the Record, Khan is the chair of the Minority Coalition. She is also the advisor for both the Muslim Student Union and South Asian Students’ Association. Currently, Khan is studying abroad at the University of Cambridge.
