Jeongyoon Han

Acting police chief confirms three officers illegally searched records of vocal WPD critics

Rebecca Tauber and Jeongyoon Han • March 12, 2021

Three Williamstown Police Department (WPD) officers illegally searched the names of vocal WPD critics in Registry of Motor Vehicle records as accessed through the Criminal Justice Information System, Acting Police Chief Michael Ziemba told the Record today. He said that 20 people were searched in the few months before former chief Kyle Johnson resigned in December and Ziemba stepped in as acting chief.

Williamstown Town Manager Jason Hoch to resign

Kevin Yang, Jeongyoon Han, and Ella Marx • February 21, 2021

Williamstown Town Manager Jason Hoch ’95 announced Friday that he will resign from his position. He will stay on the job for up to 60 days and oversee the transition through May while the Select Board hires an interim town manager. Hoch, an alum of the College who has served as town manager since 2015, came under scrutiny after Williamstown Police Department (WPD) Sergeant Scott McGowan alleged in a August 2020 federal lawsuit that Hoch did not adequately investigate allegations of racism and sexual assault within the WPD.

Harry Yoon ’93, film editor, weaves together the American story in ‘Minari’

Jeongyoon Han • February 10, 2021

Harry Yoon ’93, the film editor for “Minari,” wants people to watch the movie with their families. Having known about the central plot — a Korean American family that, on a gamble, buys farmland, and tries to make it in 1980s Arkansas — I plopped my mom, dad, and sister in front of our TV.

Following WPD chief’s resignation, sergeant withdraws lawsuit

Jeongyoon Han, Kevin Yang, and Rebecca Tauber • December 24, 2020

On Dec. 15, Williamstown Police Department (WPD) Sergeant Scott McGowan withdrew a lawsuit he filed this August against the Town of Williamstown, Town Manager Jason Hoch ’95 and former WPD Chief Kyle Johnson. The withdrawal of the lawsuit came immediately following Johnson’s resignation as police chief on Dec. 14.

Williamstown Police Chief Kyle Johnson resigns following months-long outcry over WPD misconduct

Jeongyoon Han, Kevin Yang, and Rebecca Tauber • December 14, 2020

Kyle Johnson has resigned from his position as Williamstown Police Department (WPD) chief, Town Manager Jason Hoch ’95 announced at tonight’s Select Board meeting. Hoch announced that WPD Lieutenant Mike Ziemba would take responsibilities for Johnson as interim chief. In the meantime, local residents called during the meeting for a nationwide search for a new police chief.

Amid dissent, Town Manager Hoch retains WPD Chief Johnson

Johnson apologizes, announces investigation into new report that WPD officer shared racist Facebook posts

Jack McGovern, Jeongyoon Han, Kevin Yang, and Ella Marx • November 11, 2020

At a Williamstown Select Board meeting on Oct. 26, Town Manager Jason Hoch ’95 announced his decision to retain Kyle Johnson as the chief of the Williamstown Police Department (WPD). The announcement comes as Johnson faces allegations of sexual assault and racial harassment in a federal lawsuit filed in August, and as local police accountability organizers have called for his removal. Following this announcement, in a Monday Select Board meeting, Johnson apologized for “some poor judgement” early in his tenure, and “tolerating and participating in behaviors that should never have occurred in the workplace.” He also said that an investigation had been initiated into new reports that a WPD officer shared racist posts on Facebook.

After student criticism and external audit, CSS proposes reforms

Jeongyoon Han • November 11, 2020

Campus Safety and Security (CSS) has proposed changes to its organizational structure and purview which would go into effect this academic year, some that have been already implemented and others to be enacted later this year.

External firm releases recommendations based on audit of CSS

Jeongyoon Han • October 28, 2020

An external audit conducted on Campus Safety and Security (CSS) released recommendations this spring on improving relations between CSS and the College community, and has critiqued CSS as being under-resourced and having vague and overly broad responsibilities. These recommendations come at a time when, according to a report from the audit, there is a need to restore “legitimacy and trust in the department.”

Notes From Quarantine

Jeongyoon Han and Arjun Pothuri • October 15, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/embed/py65gFIWH20 This year's move-in for the 1,455 College students who returned to campus was no ordinary one. For some, it was their first time moving in, for others, their...

One in Two Thousand: Madeline Rawson ’21

Jeongyoon Han • October 7, 2020

This week the computer (using a script in R) chose Madeline Rawson ’21, who discussed gender and race in academia, the study abroad experience, her Etsy shop and seven houseplants.

Town denies allegations against WPD chief, admits 2014 racial harassment incident

Jeongyoon Han, Kevin Yang, and Lucy Walker • August 30, 2020

While the Town acknowledged that McGowan’s lawsuit “raises genuine questions or doubts about the Town’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and racial equity,” their response –– the second public statement made by the five-person board on the lawsuit –– disputes several of McGowan’s characterizations of incidents. Additionally, it denies allegations that Johnson committed sexual assault or racial harassment, and claims that McGowan did not experience retaliation for reporting and opposing alleged incidents of sexual assault and racial harassment.

Lawsuit brought by WPD sergeant alleges sexual assault, racial harassment by Williamstown Police Chief and unnamed officers

Jeongyoon Han and Kevin Yang • August 12, 2020

A sergeant at the Williamstown Police Department (WPD), Scott McGowan, filed a federal lawsuit today against the Department, WPD Chief Kyle Johnson, Williamstown Town Manager Jason Hoch and the Town of Williamstown for what McGowan described as retaliation against McGowan for reporting instances of racial harassment and sexual assault allegedly committed by both unnamed WPD officers and Johnson.

The College released its data on fall enrollment. It reveals disparities by race and financial aid status.

Jeongyoon Han and Lucy Walker • July 16, 2020

According to enrollment plans that 2,254 students submitted by a July 10 deadline, approximately 73 percent of the respondents, or approximately 1645 students, indicated that they would be returning to campus during the 2020-21 academic year–– a figure which Dean of the College Marlene Sandstrom in an email to the Record said will be “a noticeable difference for all of us.”

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.

Mandel outlines College’s commitment to racial justice, faces renewed criticism

Nigel Jaffe, Jeongyoon Han, and Ethan Dinçer • June 18, 2020

After more than two weeks of pressure from students, alums and other members of the College community, President Maud S. Mandel released on Friday an outline of actionable steps the College will take to fight racial and social injustice.

College faces criticism for response to national BLM movement as Amherst establishes matching campaign

Nigel Jaffe and Jeongyoon Han • June 7, 2020

At a time when predominantly white institutions across the nation are responding to widespread protests denouncing police brutality and anti-Black racism, members of the Williams community — particularly students and alums — are placing increased pressure on the College administration to hold itself accountable for what they see as its delayed and limited support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

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.

Four Years through the Headlines: Capturing the Class of 2020’s experience

Jeongyoon Han and Rebecca Tauber • May 23, 2020

Members of the Class of 2020 have seen two United States presidents, three College presidents and two different forms of student government during their four years at the College. They’ve celebrated two homecoming wins, danced to Shaggy live at Spring Fling and witnessed Papa Smurf win a write-in nomination for College Council (CC) –– which later got abolished. They’ve seen the fall of Vine and the rise of TikTok. And most recently, they’ve become the first class to complete their Williams education remotely amidst a pandemic. In our senior issue celebrating the members of the Class of 2020, we went through the Record archives from the past four years to capture their time at the College through the headlines.

Family first: Students take unconventional measures to protect vulnerable loved ones

Jeongyoon Han and Jacob Posner • May 22, 2020

Robin Eagleton ’22 is living in the woods. Alone. In a 400 sq. ft. cabin. Without indoor plumbing.

Miles Apart: Four stories of the pandemic

Jeongyoon Han, Kevin Yang, and Jacob Posner • May 22, 2020

A note from the reporters: In the weeks after students dispersed across the globe in light of the pandemic, the Record sent out a survey to 500 randomly selected students to get a sense of their...

Pandemic brings financial uncertainty to students and their families

Jeongyoon Han, Kevin Yang, and Jacob Posner • May 22, 2020

Jesus Estrada ’20.5 lives with his mother and sister in Huntington Park, Calif. Estrada’s mother provides most of the family’s income, and as an employee at a fast-food chain, she’s classified as an essential worker. But she also has diabetes, a condition that makes her more vulnerable to serious complications from COVID-19.

Three Williams students experienced COVID-19 symptoms. These are their stories.

Jeongyoon Han, Kevin Yang, and Jacob Posner • May 21, 2020

While many students at the College have felt the effects of COVID-19 from afar — financially, emotionally, academically — relatively few have come into close contact with the virus itself. But for three students, it has become intimately familiar. Tania Calle ’20, Kalina Harden ’21 and Max Mallett ’23 all experienced telltale coronavirus symptoms and either lived in or passed through an epicenter of the virus.

The pandemic in the Berkshires in three charts

Sofie Jones, Jeongyoon Han, and Rebecca Tauber • May 6, 2020

In recent weeks, Berkshire County, like the rest of Massachusetts, has seen a continued increase in COVID-19 cases, according to the state’s Department of Public Health (DPH). The figures below show the current severity of the outbreak at the local and state levels. Map and bar graph data is courtesy of the Massachusetts DPH, and pie chart data is courtesy of Berkshire Health Systems. Both sites update their numbers daily; the figures for this article were most recently updated yesterday afternoon.

What is a pass? Professors have different answers

Jeongyoon Han and Kevin Yang • April 22, 2020

Passing Abstract Algebra, a 300-level mathematics class which is a prerequisite for several other courses, has remained demanding for many during this semester of remote learning. In a shift from his normal pass/fail policy where an average grade of D- constitutes a pass, Professor of Mathematics Tom Garrity is requiring that his students pass each content unit of the course. Concerned about content comprehension, Garrity said that he is looking for his students to make “a good faith effort” on the remaining two exams and final

Before and after a pandemic strikes: a photo series

Jeongyoon Han • April 22, 2020

How staff at the College prepared for the changes that came with campus closure

Jeongyoon Han, Bellamy Richardson, and Saud Afzal • April 15, 2020

With President of the College Maud S. Mandel’s March 11 decision to bring normal College operations to a halt, staff at the College faced one of the biggest tasks in their entire careers: shutting down an in-person college campus and moving 2,000 students off campus, all while keeping the College running. And it has been a task that the College had been planning far in advance of Mandel’s email.

Tying the knot in the time of coronavirus

Sofie Jones and Jeongyoon Han • April 1, 2020

Mackenzie Hunter and Landon Marchant ’20 knew from the start that they did not want a “traditional wedding.” They originally envisioned getting married in New Zealand this June, during a honeymoon-slash-road trip across the country. When the COVID-19 pandemic brought international travel to a halt a few weeks ago, however, the duo came up with a backup plan much closer to home.

“The hardest decision”: A look inside the weeks of deliberations that led to campus closure

Jeongyoon Han and Bellamy Richardson • April 1, 2020

Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 4:21 p.m.: President of the College Maud S. Mandel sends an email to the entire campus community, titled, “Update: Williams prevention and preparedness measures for coronavirus.” At...

Mandel announces universal pass/fail grading system for all spring courses in wake of COVID-19 pandemic

Jeongyoon Han • March 25, 2020

Following deep uncertainty among students and faculty over the past two weeks, President of the College Maud S. Mandel announced yesterday afternoon that the College would adopt a universal pass/fail grading system to assess undergraduate courses this spring semester.

First member of College community tests positive for COVID-19

Jeongyoon Han and Rebecca Tauber • March 20, 2020

The College confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the Williams community yesterday morning. The student, who at the time of publication remains asymptomatic according to the College, had been studying...

Coronavirus pandemic causes mass cancellations of abroad programs

Jeongyoon Han and Irene Loewenson • March 15, 2020

A day after announcing the end of in-person classes in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the College cancelled the Williams-Exeter Programme in Oxford (WEPO) for the spring on Thursday and urged students studying in Europe to return home. Most programs in Europe have told students to head home, and the College’s senior staff is assessing courses of action regarding programs outside of Europe.

Rising coronavirus concerns affect various facets of campus life

Jeongyoon Han, Joey Fox, and Sonia Prasad • March 11, 2020

As the number of reported cases of COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus) has increased to five in Berkshire County and over 1,000 nationwide, the College is scrambling to implement academic and administrative measures to maintain the safety of the College community.

Ryan Rilinger ’20 reflects on gender identity in athletics

Jeongyoon Han • March 11, 2020

As the first publicly out transgender male on the men’s lacrosse team, Ryan Rilinger '20 navigated the emotional, physical and social challenges of playing a “helmet sport” notorious for upholding notions of traditional male athleticism. For him, sports directly intertwined with his journey of understanding his gender identity, finding inner acceptance and finding community within the team.

The Williams Record

The Williams Record

Jeongyoon Han, Senior Writer

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