Grady Yuthok Short

Think you know snow? How over 100 people work to make campus navigable

Grady Yuthok Short • March 15, 2023

Snowfall can be a bit of a nuisance. On Tuesday morning, groundskeepers and other facilities staff sprung into action to clear campus paths.

New WCMA exhibition ‘Across Shared Waters’ explores Tibetan art, identity

Grady Yuthok Short • March 8, 2023

༡ Two massive Buddhas had been staring down at me for weeks, and it was starting to feel personal. The one on the left was faceless, composed of tulips, leaves, and branches that twisted and thickened...

First weeks of January bring milder weather to the Berkshires

Grady Yuthok Short • January 25, 2023

Until a storm blanketed the College in nine inches of heavy snow Sunday night, Winter Study had lacked one of its most characteristic features. The first two weeks of January included just one day of measurable snowfall in Williamstown, totaling only 0.3 inches, according to data provided by the College’s Environmental Analysis Lab.

Vigil honors Ürümqi fire victims, supports protesters in China

Grady Short • December 7, 2022

Last Thursday evening, a group of approximately 10 College community members held a vigil outside Paresky, shielding candles from frigid gusts of wind. The event commemorated the victims of an apartment fire in Ürümqi, a city of 4 million in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

Temporary ‘pod’ in Sawyer dazzles some, baffles others

Grady Short • November 16, 2022

During its two-week tenure, the Sawyer Library pod was hard to miss.

How best to do good: Through discussion and debate, Williams College Effective Altruism seeks answers

Grady Short • November 9, 2022

It’s a lovely fall Sunday on campus. The occasional breeze rustles leaves across the pavement, intermittent clouds dapple the afternoon light, and behind the glass of a fourth-floor conference room in Sawyer library, Nachman Kaul-Seidman ’25 is talking about nuclear war.

Record survey indicates high approval for Biden, overwhelming support for Democrats in advance of midterm elections

Grady Short • November 2, 2022

As the Nov. 8 elections approach, a Record survey indicates that the Democratic Party and its candidates enjoy strong support at the College, with climate, health care, abortion, and the economy among the most important issues to students.

Celebrating 40 years of Gatherings, Appalachian Trail hikers and dreamers return to Williamstown

Grady Short • October 19, 2022

Each year, the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association hosts a convention where thru-hikers — those who undertake long-distance hikes like the Appalachian Trail — can socialize, swap stories, and provide each other with tips and resources. This October, celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Gathering returned to Williamstown.

Crosswalks, signs, and lights: How the Town tamed Route 2

Grady Short • October 5, 2022

Though the fact that Massachusetts Route 2 bisects the College is likely one of the first things someone new in town would notice about the built environment, it quickly recedes into the background of daily life. “Stop, look, and wave” becomes reflexive; the miniature traffic jams that occur between classes start to feel mundane. It would take a lot for the road to feel unfamiliar — but quite a lot took place in the fall of 1993.

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.

This week in Williams history: An end to compulsory chapel service, College welcomes women, students embark on first WOOLF trips

Grady Short and Luke Chinman • September 21, 2022

This week in Williams history: The Trustees of the College decided to make daily chapel services voluntary rather than mandatory. Male students reacted to the onset of coeducation. And the newly arrived Class of 1981 returned from trips in the Berkshire, Taconic, and Green Mountains on the first-ever WOOLF trips.

Bears spotted around campus throughout spring and summer

Grady Short • September 29, 2021

Bears have popped up across campus and in Williamstown over the last several months, causing quite the stir among students.

In search of the hardest course

Grady Short and Lindsay Wang • May 19, 2021

Students are not shy about sharing their experiences with certain courses; they post reviews on Factrak, spill the tea to their underclass acquaintances, and gossip about professors and assignments. The Record set out to determine the hardest course at the College through a survey, Factrak data — and a lot of other things.

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.

One in Two Thousand: Carson Stephenson ’23

Grady Short • May 5, 2021

This week, the computer (using a script in R) chose Carson Stephenson ’23, who talked about the value of bilingualism in the medical field, the name “Carson,” and giving Lexapro to fish.

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.

In aftermath of GameStop surge, students reflect on a unique cultural moment

Grady Short and Mico Mendoza • March 3, 2021

As the dust settled and the congressional hearings continued, the Record spoke with students about their involvement in the GameStop short squeeze and views on what its long-term impacts, if any, will be.

Everything in moderation: How students shape the College’s online communities

Grady Short • February 10, 2021

Student moderators of social media groups at the College take on a leadership role among peers that is simultaneously powerful and understated.

In virtual format, annual ‘Rein-Pet’ Parade marches on

Grady Short • December 9, 2020

Every December, the Williamstown Holiday Walk ushers in the holiday season with a wide variety of events, which last year ranged from a tag sale to a screening of Elf. The centerpiece of it all, and my...

With the power of anime on his side, Antony Chen ’24 finds TikTok fame

Grady Short • November 18, 2020

Antony Chen ’24, who has millions of TikTok followers, makes videos in his Mission single. (Taryn McLaughlin/The Williams Record.) Millions of people around the world have seen TikTok content creator...

Survey provides snapshot of student opinion on election: strong disapproval of Trump, high turnout, and COVID-19 at the forefront

Grady Short • November 3, 2020

On Monday, Oct. 26, the Record sent out an anonymous survey to the entire student body asking questions about the U.S. presidential election. The results indicate overwhelming disapproval of President Donald Trump coupled with widespread support for former Vice President Joe Biden.

Students develop Twitter bot to track campus’ COVID-19 updates

Grady Short • October 21, 2020

As the fall semester approached, Nathan Thimothe ’22 and Gavin Li ’22 saw an inefficiency in the College’s “COVID-19 dashboard” — and with it, an opportunity. The statistics on...

Crafting a community mine-set: founders of Williams Minecraft server aim to recreate campus

Grady Short • October 7, 2020

During the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders of COVID-19’s first wave in the spring of 2020, a distinct trend spread among college students quarantined at home: building virtual campuses on Minecraft servers. No group of students at the College has stepped up to meet the challenge — until now.

The most interesting man on Willipedia

Grady Short • September 30, 2020

Brian Hirshman ’06 revealed the true story behind the 'B+' on Amherst College's football field. (Photo courtesy of Brian Hirshman.) In the digital nooks and crannies of Willipedia, one name keeps...

Conservative student group representative visits campus in violation of COVID-19 regulations

Samuel Wolf and Grady Short • September 23, 2020

Last Thursday, in direct violation of the College’s COVID-19 regulations, a representative of a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) set up a table by Paresky Lawn –– at the edge of Rte. 2 –– for several hours. TPUSA’s intentions in setting up the table included to form a Williams chapter of the organization, according to the representative.

Got ‘quilk?’

Grady Short • September 16, 2020

Upon arriving on campus this fall, most students were greeted with sparsely furnished dorms. A few College-supplied towels, minimal bedding and information on quarantine procedures awaited, as did a...

The Williams Record

The Williams Record

Grady Yuthok Short, Editor at Large