The Student-Run Newspaper of Williams College Since 1887

The Williams Record
The Student-Run Newspaper of Williams College Since 1887

The Williams Record
The Student-Run Newspaper of Williams College Since 1887

The Williams Record

Annie Lu, Senior Writer

Annie Lu ’23 is a political science and mathematics major from San Diego, Calif. She is a senior writer. She previously served as the editor-in-chief and, before that, as the executive editor and a section editor for the news section.

Email: [email protected]

All content by Annie Lu
Rhiana Gunn-Wright, a climate activist, holds a lecture on the Green New Deal.

College to host celebration ceremony for Class of 2022.5

Annie Lu • December 7, 2022
This December, the College will host an official celebration ceremony for mid-cycle seniors — the Class of 2022.5 — for the first time, in light of increased numbers of students taking time off during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will take place on Dec. 11 in the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance.
The anti-Black slur was found on a now-removed chalkboard in Sawyer 429. (Julia Goldberg/The Williams Record)

Anti-Black slur found on chalkboard in Sawyer library

Annie Lu, Gabe Miller, and Iman Shumburo • November 2, 2022
On Oct. 24, Director of the Writing Center Julia Munemo found an anti-Black racial slur scrawled in black marker on a chalkboard in Sawyer 429, the Writing Center’s meeting room. “The slur appeared below some writing in chalk — notes from a group study session — and seemed unrelated and in different handwriting,” Munemo wrote in an email to the Record.
Liang conducted fieldwork and recorded natural sounds on the coast of Ireland. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Sherwood Liang.)

The Storm Orchestra: an exploration of geosciences through music

Annie Lu • October 19, 2022
The intersection between music and coastal geomorphology — the study of the evolution of the coast under the influence of winds, waves, and currents — might not be immediately apparent to most people. The Storm Orchestra, however, seeks to illustrate the overlap between the two. 
College will host Omicron booster clinic

College will host Omicron booster clinic

Annie Lu • September 28, 2022
Students, faculty, and staff will be able to receive the new, Omicron-specific booster shot for COVID-19 at the Towne Field House from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 21, in partnership with Berk- shire Health Systems (BHS). Vaccines will be administered at no charge.
Student opinion on College COVID policies differed by class year, with first-years expressing highest levels of approval. (Rachel Cruz/The Williams Record)

Record survey reveals split student opinion on College’s COVID policies

Annie Lu, Cameron Pugh, Grady Short, and Ari Quasney • September 21, 2022
Student opinions of the College’s COVID-19 policies are divided, a Record survey found. Almost a third of students expressed neutrality about the College’s protocols, while the remainder were almost evenly split between approval and disapproval, slightly weighted towards the former. Survey responses were also divided on whether the College should escalate its COVID protocols to include mandatory weekly testing and an additional booster shot that would protect against Omicron variants. As of Sept. 17, 12.2 percent of respondents reported having contracted COVID while on campus this semester.
College will cover lodging, transportation for employees seeking abortion services

College will cover lodging, transportation for employees seeking abortion services

Annie Lu • September 21, 2022
The College has adopted an amendment to its employee health insurance plans that will cover transportation and lodging costs for plan members who seek abortion services and reside in a state in which such services are restricted, Chief Human Resources Officer Danielle Gonzalez announced in the Daily Messages on Monday.  The amendment applies exclusively to...
(Devika Goel/The Williams Record)

College releases data from survey gauging prevalence of and attitudes on sexual violence

Annie Lu • May 19, 2021
Responses from the the College’s 2021 EPH Community Attitudes on Sexual Assault (EPHCASA) campus climate survey, sent to all students in February, indicate a decrease in the prevalence of most types of unwanted sexual contact compared to previous years. Director of Sexual Assault Response and Health Education Meg Bossong '05 provided the Record with preliminary data from the survey.
(Devika Goel/The Williams Record)

96% of on-campus students have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Record survey estimates

Vast majority of students are not yet fully vaccinated
Annie Lu, Grady Short, and Kevin Yang • May 5, 2021
Ninety-six percent of students living on campus have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a Record survey sent to the entire student body on Saturday estimates. Only 9.6 percent of the 751 on-campus students who responded, however, are fully vaccinated, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines as occurring two weeks after the final required dose.
(Map courtesy of the Massachusetts vaccination location webpage.)

How on-campus students will get vaccinated — and how some already have

Annie Lu and Grady Short • April 14, 2021
Beginning April 19, the College will provide transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish Center in North Adams and Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield for students, faculty, and staff without personal transportation. In the meantime, some students who are already eligible have been able to get vaccines.
College reports 4 potentially connected COVID cases

College reports 4 potentially connected COVID cases

2 students among the 4 cases attended indoor gathering on Saturday
Kevin Yang, Annie Lu, and Jacob Posner • March 23, 2021
Two students have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an indoor gathering at Gladden House on Saturday night, Dean Sandstrom confirmed to the Record today. The two COVID-positive students who attended the gathering — along with another student who did not attend the gathering, as well as a faculty or staff member — are part of a larger cluster of four cases reported in the last week.
College removes 127 students from campus in response to party

College removes 127 students from campus in response to party

Administration defines involvement as any unauthorized presence at Wood that night; some Wood attendees say large parties were common in fall
Kevin Yang, Annie Lu, and Megan Lin • March 10, 2021
One hundred twenty-seven students have been removed from campus as part of the College’s response to the Feb. 26 party at Wood. For the purposes of deciding whom to remove from campus, the College has defined involvement in the Wood party as any unauthorized presence in the building during the night of the party. The Record interviewed four students who were at Wood that night. They said that large indoor parties were common throughout the fall.
Friday’s party was the latest in what Wood House residents described as a pattern of illicit gatherings that violated the College’s public health guidelines. (Megan Lin/The Williams Record)

Students come forward as College continues investigation of Wood House party

Kevin Yang, Annie Lu, and Megan Lin • March 3, 2021
Following the illicit gathering of an estimated 80 to 100 students at Wood House on Friday, Campus Safety and Security has begun to identify students who were involved. A number of students have come forward to the administration to admit that they attended the party, according to Dean of the College Marlene Sandstrom. Some Wood residents said that Friday’s party was one instance in an ongoing pattern of illicit gatherings at Wood House, to which they believed the College’s response has been inadequate.
Two students who tested positive for COVID-19 were isolated for 10 days in McGinnis House, which was previously occupied by graduate art students. (Ella Marx/The Williams Record)

2 weeks, 11 cases: COVID cases rise among students

College sees first evidence of community transmission
Annie Lu and Kiara Royer • February 24, 2021
Eleven on-campus students have tested positive for COVID-19 since arriving for the spring semester, a significant increase relative to the number of COVID cases reported at a comparable time in the fall.  Seven of this semester’s cases were reported upon arrival, with the remaining four positives occurring after the student had initially tested negative. Three of those students, who at first moved to quarantine in Dodd House after coming into close contact with COVID-positive students, have since tested positive themselves and moved to isolation. One staff or faculty member tested positive on Feb. 15.
Students returning to campus experienced a slightly different transition from that in the fall, including the ability to retrieve meals from the dining hall during in-room quarantine. (Sam Riley/The Williams Record)

Students returning to campus confront travel challenges, look forward to semester

Seven students test positive upon arrival
Annie Lu, Isabelle Zollinger, and Fiona Seibert • February 17, 2021
The College began welcoming students back to campus on Feb. 10 after a prolonged winter break. As of Feb. 16, 1,723 students are enrolled on campus for the spring semester. Seven students tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, and two more tested positive afterward. Twenty additional students, whose initial COVID tests were negative, have moved to quarantine housing because they came into close contact with students who tested positive.
Spring semester to start as scheduled; College plans to hold in-person commencement

Spring semester to start as scheduled; College plans to hold in-person commencement

Joey Fox, Megan Lin, Irene Loewenson, Annie Lu, Lucy Walker, and Kevin Yang • January 28, 2021
The spring semester will start as previously scheduled, with students returning to campus beginning Feb. 10, President of the College Maud S. Mandel and Dean of the College Marlene Sandstrom announced today in an email to students, staff, and faculty. Additionally, the College plans to hold an in-person commencement for seniors, albeit with no off-campus guests.
The Williams College Children's Center closed down for ten days after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Williams College.)

COVID-19 case temporarily closes Children’s Center, causing uncertainty for faculty, staff

Annie Lu and Stephanie Teng • January 23, 2021
The Children’s Center, a College-run childcare facility for faculty and staff, was closed from Jan. 10 until Jan. 19 after a staff member at the Center tested positive for COVID-19. While the Center has since reopened with no further positive cases reported, the closure was a stark reminder of the childcare challenges that College employees with young children have faced during the pandemic.
Rioters stormed the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, ultimately resulting in five deaths. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)

Insurrection, impeachment and a reckoning: Alums on Capitol Hill reflect on recent events

Kitt Urdang and Annie Lu • January 18, 2021
On Jan. 6, Rep. Andy Levin ’83 (D-MI) was in his Washington office at the Cannon House Office Building — preparing to speak against Republicans’ attempt to overturn Michigan’s presidential election results — when he heard a knock at the door. A Capitol Police officer stepped in and told everyone to evacuate. For Levin and his fellow lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the remainder of that day passed by in a state of chaos, confusion and, for some, danger.
Approximately 83 percent of the student body indicated that they planned to enroll on campus in the spring. (Lulu Whitmore/The Williams Record)

Student enrollment plans suggest increased population on campus in the spring

Annie Lu and Ella Marx • December 9, 2020
Based on the intent to enroll form that 2,078 students submitted by the Dec. 1 deadline, 1,824 undergraduates plan to be on campus during the spring semester, a significant increase from the fall. This constitutes approximately 83 percent of the entire student body — when accounting for the approximately 130 first-years continuing their gap year who did not submit spring enrollment plans. Of the remaining students, 161 (7 percent of the student body at large) plan to study remotely, and 93 (4 percent) will be on leave.
Quarantined students face communication gaps, criticize lack of College support

Quarantined students face communication gaps, criticize lack of College support

Kevin Yang, Annie Lu, and Jacob Posner • November 11, 2020
In October, two more students at the College tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive tests among students to five. Upon receiving their positive test results, the students were told they had to move to isolation housing, and their respective podmates, who were informed about an hour afterward, were given less than an hour to pack and move to Dodd for a two-week quarantine. The ensuing series of events, based on interviews with four students who were placed in quarantine across the two incidents, revealed a significant lack of communication on the part of the College.
College begins building community garden behind Poker Flats

College begins building community garden behind Poker Flats

Annie Lu • November 4, 2020
Behind Poker Flats, construction on the College’s first community garden has finally begun. Initially started in 2018, the project was temporarily stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic this past spring. Now, although the community garden will face limitations on spacing and participation in light of public health guidelines, the garden should be finished by the end of the calendar year, with plots available for planting next spring. Unlike Parsons Garden and the beds on the north side of the Environmental Center — existing student-run gardens on campus — the community garden will be open for Williamstown community members to plant their own plots alongside students, faculty and staff.
The Williams College Children's Center closed down for ten days after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Williams College.)

Two months into the fall semester, faculty, staff reflect on childcare

Annie Lu • October 28, 2020
When the College first transitioned to remote learning last March and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ordered state schools to close in response to the pandemic, the Record spoke with a number of professors about how they were caring for their children while juggling remote learning. Now that the College has settled into an unconventional fall semester, we followed up with some faculty and staff about how their routines have evolved.
Students frequently share meals under the tent outside Paresky, which has now been equipped with heaters. (Sophie Throop/The Williams Record.)

College adds heaters, walls to tents for outdoor dining

Annie Lu • October 21, 2020
On sunny days, students can be seen sprawled across Paresky lawn and Currier Quad, sharing socially distanced outdoor meals together. As the temperature begins to drop, however, these spontaneous mealtime gatherings may be harder and harder to find. The College had put up tents for both outdoor dining and the testing center before the start of the fall semester, but in recent weeks it has installed additional walls and heaters to provide comfort during colder weather.
Faculty vote to adopt continuous model for spring semester, replacing spring break with “health days”

Faculty vote to adopt continuous model for spring semester, replacing spring break with “health days”

Annie Lu • October 14, 2020
In a meeting today, the faculty voted to adopt the continuous model for the spring academic calendar, one of two proposed models for next semester. The Calendar and Scheduling Committee (CSC) has been developing and revising two models: option A, the “continuous model,” which allows student to remain on campus if the semester is held in-person for the duration of the spring semester but replaces spring break with a series of “health days,” or option B, the “Thanksgiving model,” which has most students vacate campus during spring break and finish the semester remotely.
Faculty to vote on spring 2021 calendar; students express preference for continuous model

Faculty to vote on spring 2021 calendar; students express preference for continuous model

Joey Fox and Annie Lu • October 14, 2020
The faculty will vote in a meeting today to adopt one of two models for the spring 2021 academic calendar, both of which the Calendar and Scheduling Committee (CSC) have been developing over the past month. Described in a CSC memo, Option A, the “continuous model,” allows students to remain on campus for the duration of the spring semester but replaces spring break with a series of “health days,” while option B, the “Thanksgiving model,” has most students vacate campus during spring break and finish the semester remotely.
Students have been gathering in large groups that violate the 10-person limit imposed by COVID guidelines. (The Williams Record)

Large gatherings of students violated the public health guidelines. The College’s response has been spotty.

Kevin Yang, Annie Lu, and Jacob Posner • September 30, 2020
If you walk past Frosh Quad at 11 p.m. on a Friday, you’ll hear pounding music and see groups of first-years wandering between buildings. It almost seems like a regular Friday night — not one in the middle of a pandemic. In the weeks since students returned to campus there have been a number of instances in which students violated the College’s public health guidelines — which limit gatherings to groups of 10 — sometimes with gatherings of dozens of students. The College’s responses to different instances and types of violations have varied widely.
A breakdown of the changes to cost and financial aid this academic year

A breakdown of the changes to cost and financial aid this academic year

Annie Lu and Nicky Wu • July 9, 2020
The College announced last week that it will decrease the cost of tuition by 15 percent this coming academic year, waive the work-study contribution and provide a personal allowance to all students on financial aid for the upcoming academic year. The first to do so among peer institutions, the College announced these changes as students and families across the country have questioned and have even brought lawsuits against universities, arguing for decreased tuition for a partially or completely online education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key takeaways from the past two faculty meetings

Key takeaways from the past two faculty meetings

Jeongyoon Han, Rebecca Tauber, and Annie Lu • June 24, 2020
Last Wednesday and today at two extraordinary faculty meetings held on Zoom, President Maud S. Mandel and Dean of the College Marlene Sandstrom gave updates on next year’s academic calendar and faculty voted on changes to the class schedule and Pass/Fail policy, as the College figures out what next academic year will look like amidst the pandemic. Here are the main takeaways from the meetings.
Faculty face choice between in-person and remote instruction if campus reopens

Faculty face choice between in-person and remote instruction if campus reopens

Annie Lu, Lucy Walker, and Saud Afzal • June 21, 2020
Faculty members have been asked to inform the College by yesterday, June 20, whether they would teach in person or remotely if the campus were to reopen in the fall. The academic subcommittee of the working group tasked with determining what an on-campus fall would look like sent an all-faculty email on June 10 to address curricular planning in the case that campus reopens in the fall. The College has not yet decided whether or not to open campus in the fall, with the decision deadline still set for July 1.
Faculty passes motion to reduce graduation requirements, administration announces no Division of the Day next year

Faculty passes motion to reduce graduation requirements, administration announces no Division of the Day next year

Jeongyoon Han, Rebecca Tauber, Annie Lu, and Jackson Hartigan • May 29, 2020
At an extraordinary faculty meeting Wednesday, faculty overwhelmingly approved a motion put forward by the Committee on Educational Affairs (CEA) to temporarily adjust graduation requirements, allowing students who are enrolled next year to graduate with a minimum of 30 courses and three Winter Study credits.
In the absence of an in-person commencement this year, seniors reflect on the ceremony and its significance to them. (Kevin Zhang Yang/The Williams Record)

“It doesn’t feel like as much of a triumph”: Seniors reflect on graduating without commencement

Annie Lu • May 23, 2020
Since the College announced its decision to postpone commencement until summer 2021, seniors and their families have had time to reflect on what the lack of commencement this year means to them. In response to an anonymous survey by the Record, several students expressed indifference to the cancellation of commencement, citing the loss of other events such as sports seasons and senior week as more significant. Still, a majority of responses lamented the loss of a meaningful experience that symbolizes the culmination of years of hard work and includes celebration with family and community members.
Students’ study abroad plans remain in flux amidst fall planning

Students’ study abroad plans remain in flux amidst fall planning

Annie Lu and Jackson Hartigan • May 17, 2020
While faculty and staff deliberate on various contingency plans for the upcoming semester, many students are also waiting on word from their study abroad programs. Rising juniors who planned to study away are uncertain whether fall semester and year-long programs will commence in person, proceed with an alternative learning environment or be cancelled outright.
JOEY FOX / THE WILLIAMS RECORD

Record survey results elucidate student views on potential fall plans

Annie Lu • May 13, 2020
Last week, the Record sent out an anonymous survey to gauge student views on various possibilities the College is considering for the fall 2020 semester. The survey found broad dissatisfaction with online learning and a willingness to withdraw for the fall semester either if campus were not opened or if it were opened under flawed circumstances.
Professor Thoman records himself doing the laboratory experiments for his chemistry students. (Photo courtesy of Jay Thoman.)

Division III courses adapt laboratory activities to online learning

Annie Lu • May 6, 2020
Collecting specimens from local frog ponds in the Berkshires, manipulating glassware and working with hazardous chemicals are just some of the activities originally designed for Division III lab courses that faculty have had to alter drastically or remove entirely since the College switched to remote learning.
The Quiet Green at Brown University. President of Brown University Christina Paxson wrote an op-ed arguing for the reopening of college campuses in the fall. (Photo courtesy of Farragutful/Wikimedia Commons.)

In Other Ivory Towers: Planning for the fall

Annie Lu • April 29, 2020
In Other Ivory Towers is the Record’s look at colleges and universities outside the Purple Bubble. In recent weeks, schools nationwide have been considering the question of whether classes can be held on campus in the fall.
Williams for Williamstown delivered meals from the Purple Pub to workers at Berkshire Medical Center on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Eliza Bower.)

Student-run Williams for Williamstown feeds Berkshire Medical Center staff while supporting local restaurants

Annie Lu • April 15, 2020
While many students spent their spring break adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for the transition to remote learning, Eliza Bower ’20 was also thinking of a way to help the local Williamstown community. About three weeks ago, Bower reached out to medical centers and restaurants in Berkshire County and began organizing a campaign that would connect the two, providing medical workers with free meals and giving restaurants much-needed business.
Professor of Geosciences Phoebe Cohen is taking care of her son Wilder while teaching remotely (Photo courtesy of Phoebe Cohen.)

Professors balance remote teaching with childcare as Massachusetts schools close

Annie Lu • April 8, 2020
Following Gov. Charlie Baker’s March 15 order for schools across Massachusetts to close in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some faculty at the College have had to contend with caring for their children in addition to restructuring curricula for remote learning. School closures were initially set to expire on April 6, but an extension ordered by Baker will keep public and private schools and non-emergency daycare programs closed until at least May 4.
College orders all non-essential staff to cease on-campus work

College orders all non-essential staff to cease on-campus work

Joey Fox and Annie Lu • April 1, 2020
Since Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order on March 23 ordering all nonessential businesses in the state to close due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the College were directed to work remotely unless their in-person services are determined to be essential. Staff duties had already been significantly altered following the departure of most students from campus.
In Other Ivory Towers

In Other Ivory Towers

Annie Lu • March 11, 2020
This week, colleges and universities across the U.S. cancelled classes due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Admissions and Davis Center pilot tour route change

Admissions and Davis Center pilot tour route change

Annie Lu • February 19, 2020
er Winter Study, the office of admission piloted a change to campus tour routes to add the Davis Center to the route. While past tours have included information about the Davis Center, the walking route now actually brings groups through Morley Circle, where the Center is located.
Community, College join Global Climate Strike

Community, College join Global Climate Strike

Annie Lu • September 25, 2019
Members of the Williamstown community, as well as students, faculty and staff at the College, came together on Friday to participate in the Global Climate Strike, a coordinated worldwide movement, on the steps of the Paresky Center.  
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