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Cameron Pugh, Senior Writer

Cameron Pugh ’23 is an English major and Africana studies concentrator from Port Saint Lucie, Fla. He is a senior writer. He previously served as a managing editor, and before that, as a section editor for arts.

Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @cameronpugh1215

All content by Cameron Pugh
A brief history of early Black students at the College

A brief history of early Black students at the College

Cameron Pugh • March 1, 2023
A dive into the archives reveals that a small but notable cohort of Black students attended the College in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 
Faculty votes to approve Asian American studies program

Faculty votes to approve Asian American studies program

Tali Natter, Cameron Pugh, and Julia Goldberg • December 7, 2022
At the Dec. 7 faculty meeting, faculty voted to approve the creation of an Asian American studies (AAS) program that establishes a concentration beginning fall 2023, with 81 voting in favor, five voting against, and three abstaining.
Faculty votes to approve Africana studies major

Faculty votes to approve Africana studies major

Cameron Pugh, Tali Natter, and Iman Shumburo • November 16, 2022
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.
(Cameron Pugh/The Williams Record)

College identifies perpetrator of Oct. 9 bias incident, bans them from campus

Cameron Pugh and Bellamy Richardson • October 26, 2022
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.
SASA, MSU host teach-in, raise funds for flooding in Pakistan

SASA, MSU host teach-in, raise funds for flooding in Pakistan

Cameron Pugh • October 26, 2022
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.
(Cameron Pugh/The Williams Record)

Confederate graffiti found on Soldiers Monument

Bellamy Richardson and Cameron Pugh • October 12, 2022
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 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.
(Photo courtesy of Williams College Office of Communications.)

‘Forever grateful’: After two years, Class of 2020 celebrates commencement in person

Cameron Pugh • August 13, 2022
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.
(Photo courtesy of Laura Buxbaum.)

Remembering Paula Buxbaum

Cameron Pugh • June 24, 2022
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.
First week of spring semester to be held remotely

First week of spring semester to be held remotely

Ella Marx and Cameron Pugh • January 13, 2022
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.
The distillery’s cozy ambiance is part of its charm. (Photo courtesy of Emily Vasiliauskas.)

Professor Emily Vasiliauskas and husband Ryan Riley make unique drinks from foraged ingredients at N. Adams distillery

Cameron Pugh • December 8, 2021
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.
The prospectus, if approved, will centralize AAS in its own department and hire two new faculty members — one junior and one senior — both with Full Time Equivalents (FTE) solely in AAS. (Samuel Riley/The Williams Record)

Professors submit proposal for Asian American studies program

Cameron Pugh and Tali Natter • November 10, 2021
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.
The College will begin designing a new museum to be located at the site of the old Williams Inn. (Sarah Lindenman/The Williams Record)

College plans to relocate WCMA to site of old Williams Inn, enters design phase for new building

Cameron Pugh • November 3, 2021
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 was one of three local institutions to announce a vaccine mandate.

Local arts institutions to require proof of vaccination for visitors

Cameron Pugh • October 27, 2021
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.
Sullivan, who likes to be known as “Sully,” has worked in public safety for 13 years. (Photo courtesy of Eric Sullivan.)

Eric Sullivan hired as new director of CSS

Cameron Pugh • September 22, 2021
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.
(Cameron Pugh/The Williams Record)

Summer students struggle with meal plans, lack of financial support

Cameron Pugh • September 15, 2021
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.
A shelf for custom jewelry was one of many that could be found through the show, displaying bracelets, necklaces, and earrings made from a variety of materials. (Cameron Pugh/The Williams Record)

Bux Vintage hosts youth art show, donates proceeds to Elizabeth Freeman Center

Cameron Pugh • August 17, 2021
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.
(Photo courtesy of John Murphy.)

Artists of the Class of 2021

Cameron Pugh • May 19, 2021
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.
(Photo courtesy of Chris Sewell ’05.)

Associate Dean Chris Sewell ’05 to leave College in June for New York startup

Cameron Pugh • May 19, 2021
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.
(Photo courtesy of Amanda Madsen.)

One in Two Thousand: Amanda Madsen ’21

Cameron Pugh • April 21, 2021
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.
(Gelila Kassa/The Williams Record)

‘Fundamentally broken’: Professor, alums in music industry discuss the Grammys’ lack of diversity and relevance

Tali Natter and Cameron Pugh • March 17, 2021
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.
Good Question A Cappella kicked off its virtual concert with a full-group rendition of “Fireflies” by Owl City, one of several songs that the group worked on in the fall. (Cameron Pugh/The Williams Record)

Arts and performance groups host events to liven up quarantine

Cameron Pugh • February 17, 2021
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.
Songs, movies, and more that made quarantine go quicker

Songs, movies, and more that made quarantine go quicker

Shizah Kashif, Tali Natter, and Cameron Pugh • February 10, 2021
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 died at 56 in her home in Los Angeles, Calif. Photo courtesy of Kathy Hutchins.

Jamie Tarses ’85, groundbreaking TV executive and producer, dies at 56

Cameron Pugh • February 4, 2021
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 facilitated dialogue event on Saturday took place at Mount Greylock Regional High School.

Racist Zoom attack at Mt. Greylock HS targets College employees’ child

Incident reignites broader concerns over racism in Williamstown
Tali Natter, Cameron Pugh, and Lindsay Wang • January 31, 2021
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.
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