Niko Malhotra ’24 is a prospective political science major from Falmouth, Maine. He is a staff columnist for the opinions section, and was previously a staff writer for the news section.
Niko Malhotra ’24 argues that the College’s COVID-19 policies create barriers between members of the Williams community, negatively affecting student mental health and school culture.
Niko Malhotra ’24 argues that in the wake of MIT’s cancellation of a talk by a climate scientist in response to controversy surrounding his views on affirmative action, the College must commit to free speech and academic freedom.
Niko Malhotra ’24 discusses how the community's trust in the College has been tested by the administration's usage of students' WiFi data during its investigation of the Wood House incident, which he argues violated the College’s own privacy policy guidelines.
Niko Malhotra ’24 — in the second installation of his semester-long column surrounding the American democratic system and its ongoing challenges — discusses Congressional gridlock and encourages students to hold their representatives accountable by engaging in civil service in any capacity.
Niko Malhotra ’24 — in the first installation of his semester-long column surrounding the American democratic system and its ongoing challenges — critiques current political dynamics in the United States while calling for Williams students to recognize and fight for the fundamental values of American democracy.
On Nov. 9, the State University of New York at Albany (UAlbany) announced that all academic classes would change to a remote format, cutting the in-person fall semester short by two weeks. This action follows a COVID-19 outbreak within the student body and rising case numbers in the surrounding area.
This past week, Wesleyan University raised their COVID-19 alert levels to yellow due to changing circumstances regarding the pandemic in Middletown, Conn., where Wesleyan is located. The university was previously at a green level, the lowest, but was raised to yellow, the second level of a three-tiered scale. Additionally this week, Connecticut College faced its largest-ever increase in infections. Both fellow NESCAC schools have implemented similar pandemic restrictions as Williams College, but due to the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, they have been forced to heighten awareness about the potential risk for outbreaks among students, faculty and staff.
While much national news has recently focused on the presidential race, Massachusetts voters will have the opportunity this year to implement ranked choice voting (RCV) for future non-presidential elections via Ballot Question 2. Many students at the College have become active in the “Yes on 2” campaign to pass this ballot initiative and change Massachusetts’ voting process.
