Safiyah Anwar-Chuku, Executive Editor of Investigations
Safiyah Anwar-Chuku ’25 is an American studies and English major from New York, NY. She is the executive editor of features, and she has previously served as executive editor of investigations, section editor for arts, and a staff writer for the features section.
Each week, the Record (using a script in R) randomly selects a student at the College for our One in Two Thousand feature, excluding current Record board members. This week, Nate Kim ’25 discussed his time abroad in Spain, his a cappella group, and his postgrad plans.
The student organization is creating opportunities for student filmmaking. This semester, Purple Valley Productions is producing a student film with over 100 cast and crew members.
This week in history, local residents were asked to commit to a pledge against discrimination in housing, students debated slashes to athletics funding during Town Meeting, and faculty discussed proposed changes to the College’s sexual harassment policy.
Many of the College's original dorms remain standing — but some do not. Throughout the past 200 years, the College has decided — for one reason or another — to demolish a select few dorms.
This week in history, the men of Bryant House voted to allow women to live there, the dean’s office attempted to reduce underage drinking, and the College inducted its 16th president.
In interviews with the Record, students discuss the lack of action the College has taken on Indigenous support initiatives, despite the number of recommendations various committees have proposed in recent years.
Members of the College’s Ad Hoc Anti-Racist Campus Task Force, established last November, shared updates on its progress since its creation in interviews with the Record.
In November 1980, a notable act of violence was committed at the College to impede on Black students’ sense of safety: A cross was burned in front of Perry House.
Hosted at the Davis Center in a collaboration between PAC and the Minority Coalition (MinCo), the stand-up event brought historically marginalized voices to the College’s comedy scene.
The Junior Advisor (JA) cohort to the Class of 2028 will comprise 35 students — the smallest cohort of JAs in recent years. Despite the small cohort and uncertainty surrounding the program in recent weeks following mass resignations from the Junior Advisor Advisory Board (JAAB) — a group of former and current JAs elected to train and support JAs — College administrators said they remain confident that they will be able to provide a full experience for first-years and JAs next year.
Seven of eight student members of the Junior Advisor Advisory Board — a group of former and current Junior Advisors elected to train and support JAs — have resigned, following fallout from the College’s response to the passing of a student on Feb. 21, as well as years of declining interest in and criticism of the role.
This week's Spring Break edition of the horoscope is here to remind you that no one cares about your Instagram photo dump and advises against arguing politics with your grandparents.
Off of Route 7, tucked between the Williamstown Police Station and a field of solar panels, a boxy concrete building sits on an unassuming side road. The LSF looks like a warehouse, and, in many ways, it is. Inside, stuffed on shelves that measure nearly 40 feet high, the College stores everything from back runs of academic journals to archival letters — essentially, everything in the College’s multimedia archives that does not fit inside the limited library storage on the College’s campus.
Though we may not have a Met gala, we do have Halloweekend to push the boundaries of fashion and set new trends for the upcoming season. Take a look at some of this year’s most innovative, fashion-forward, and thought-provoking costumes.
Shakespeare-related trauma from high school is very real. However, 2023 is the time to unabashedly let our Shakespearean freak flags fly: This year marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the playwright’s First Folio.
Two Record Editors spent a brisk autumn afternoon gallivanting around campus appreciating the diverse public art pieces the College has to offer. They have collected the highlights and have been kind enough to educate the rest us on what they have found.
Yona Kruger ’25 is a music major and hair clip enthusiast from New York, N.Y. In addition to being a champion equestrian, she is the co-music director of a cappella group the Ephlats and, most recently,...
Whether it’s a classic seasonal post of a blooming tree outside of West College or photos of unsuspecting students eating their Fresh ‘n Go orders on marble blocks, Jay Corey, the College’s in-house videographer, captures it all.
WCMA hosts a performance piece dedicated to highlight Tibetan traditions while incorporating multiculturalism. Buddhist monk and artist Lama Tashi Norbu gives Isaac Rivera '26 a personalized tattoo.
The Davis Center has appointed Firas A. Shennib ’15 as the assistant director for intergroup relations and inclusive programming. Shennib has replaced Aseel Abulhab ’15, who left the College last year to complete her Ph.D. in linguistic anthropology at Northwestern University.
Professor of Russian Julie Cassiday delivered a lecture last Thursday that connected shifting cultural trends of Russian gender and sexuality to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Cassiday presented research from her book Russian Style: Performing Gender in Putin’s Russia, which is slated to come out this November.
Like most Campus Safety Services (CSS) officers, Paul Oleskiewicz deals with locked dorm doors and stolen bicycles. But when he isn’t locking doors at the dining hall, Oleskiewicz hunts ghosts professionally.
Signs with the words “Do Better” mysteriously began appearing, the meaning behind the campaign was revealed: Musician Joshua Kombet ’25 released his debut song.
Archival evidence shows that Black students participated in varsity sports at the College as early as 1897. However, little is known about these athletes’s contributions to the athletic community at the College, which is predominantly white.
Spring Street’s Purple Dragon Games prides itself on its inclusivity, which keeps store-goers loyal. Some patrons commute for up to an hour to participate in the various events hosted by the store.
Bilal Ansari reflects on the construction of the White Oaks Congregational Church, which was built in 1866 to “civilize” the Black residents of White Oaks.
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted a gala on Friday, which around 180 students, alums, faculty, and staff attended.
Windows on Williams is a three-day fly-in program for low-income students to shadow current students by sleeping in their dorms, attending classes, and engaging with the College community. The Record spoke with WOW students, hosts, and administration about their experiences.
Rami El-Aasser, a familiar and friendly face behind the Driscoll buffet, might be best known by students for his culinary talent, but his skill set stretches far beyond the kitchen. He is an internationally touring percussionist, with an impressive musical resume that includes a stint on Broadway, performing at the Glastonbury Festival, and even an NPR Tiny Desk concert.
