At the Nov. 16 faculty meeting, faculty approved the creation of an Africana studies major that will go into effect in fall 2023, with 70 voting in favor, zero not in favor, and three abstaining. For students who have been eager to see the confirmation of the major, the vote was a momentous step in improving their academic and personal lives.

On Thursday, President Maud S. Mandel sent a campus-wide email updating the College community on the findings of Campus Safety Services’ (CSS) investigation into the bias incident that occurred the weekend of Oct. 8-9.

The South Asian Student Association (SASA) and the Muslim Student Union (MSU) hosted a teach-in and fundraiser in Dodd House on Thursday to educate students on the widespread flooding that has devastated Pakistan.

On Sunday morning, a local resident reported racist graffiti on the Soldiers Monument outside Griffin Hall to Campus Safety Services (CSS), President Maud S. Mandel wrote in a campus-wide email on Monday which alerted the College community to the bias incident. 

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.

The Class of 2020 finally celebrated its in-person commencement on July 23, more than two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic upended typical graduation plans. Roughly 430 graduates and 1200 guests attended the ceremony, which graduates said was overdue closure on their time at the College.

Paula Buxbaum, a North Adams resident and the owner of Spring Street store Bux Vintage, died in a car accident on Oct. 29, 2021. Her family held a memorial service in her honor on June 18.

Jan. 13 | 5:30 p.m. The first week of the spring semester — Feb. 2 through Feb. 9 — will be held remotely, President Maud S. Mandel announced in an all-campus email today. Barring significant changes to the on-campus COVID-19 outlook, in-person instruction will resume on Feb. 10, Mandel wrote. Claiming Williams Day, which is scheduled for Feb. 3, will also occur remotely.

On a chilly evening in early December, four Record editors headed to Greylock WORKS, where Associate Professor of English Emily Vasiliauskas and her husband, Ryan Riley, own and operate a distillery.

Associate Professor of American Studies Jan Padios and Chair of American Studies Dorothy Wang submitted a prospectus to create an Asian American studies (AAS) program last Sunday. The prospectus details the steps the College should take to establish a viable AAS program and is the latest push for AAS after nearly three decades of activism.

On Oct. 8, the Board of Trustees voted to relocate WCMA to a new building at the intersection of Routes 2 and 7 — where the former Williams Inn stood until its demolition in 2020. The College is set to complete the new building by 2026.

The Clark Art Institute and MASS MoCA will require visitors to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 starting Nov. 1, the Clark announced on Oct. 13. Images Cinema will follow suit starting Nov. 5.

Eric Sullivan will replace Dave Boyer as director of Campus Safety Services starting Sept. 27. Sullivan’s hiring comes as the College community grapples with questions surrounding racism and police misconduct in Williamstown and nationally.

More than 500 students lived on campus this summer, and many expressed frustration with the College’s approach to summer meal plans, saying that they were too expensive and did not provide enough food — issues that disproportionately affected low-income students.

When 20-year-old artist Karen Magnusdottir McComish walked into Bux Vintage, a recently opened pop-up thrift store on Spring Street, wearing a blouse they had crocheted themselves, owner Paula Buxbaum got an idea.

In recognition of the graduating seniors in studio art, music, and theatre, the Record created a brief series of artist features. The artists offered their thoughts on their senior projects, recitals, or theses, and their experiences as artists at the College.

Associate Dean of Students Chris Sewell ’05 will leave the College to take a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) position with the New York City startup Praxis Labs at the end of this semester, Senior Associate Dean of Students Rachel Bukanc announced in an email on May 14. Through research, data, and “immersive learning experiences, Praxis helps companies diversify their workforces and become more inclusive, according to their website.

This week, the computer (using a script in R) chose Amanda Madsen ’21, who talked about her dog Rosie, being a member of the Ephlats, and how the pandemic has affected her senior year.

Black Lives Matter–related songs took the stage at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on March 14, with performances like Lil Baby’s autobiographical protest rap “The Bigger Picture” and Mickey Guyton’s country tune “Black Like Me.” This was somewhat of a break from the event’s history, which many view as one of slighting Black artists, particularly Black women.

As students returned to campus and began their in-room quarantines during this past week, registered student organizations like Williams Photography Club, Good Question A Cappella, and Ritmo Latino filled the extra downtime with art. They led events as part of the College’s Quarantine’s Cozy Comforts series, which offered quarantine-friendly programming organized by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

With our unusually long winter break and upcoming in-room quarantine, the Record compiled art recommendations from students at the College via Instagram. For those students studying remotely this semester or taking time off, we hope that these recommendations help you stay connected to the College community, no matter where you are. From cartoons to crafts and everything in between, we hope you enjoy!

Jamie Tarses ’85, a trailblazing TV executive and the first woman to run a network entertainment division, died on Feb. 1 at her home in Los Angeles, Calif. She was 56. A family spokesperson reported that she suffered complications after a recent cardiac event, according to Deadline.

The child of College employees was the target of a racist, anti-Black Zoom-bombing attack during a Mount Greylock Regional High School (MGRHS) class on Jan. 21. A student from another school district subsequently took responsibility for the attack following an investigation by MGRHS.