Sonia Zinkin-Meyers ’27 is an English and history major from Brooklyn, NY. She will serve as editor-in-chief in fall 2026. Previously she served as executive editor for news, Town news editor, and as a staff writer for the features section.
A raucous crowd turned out at Agard on Saturday night for Rock Against ICE, a student-organized concert and fundraiser in support of people in Minnesota affected by actions from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The College began a pilot program to provide free menstrual products in 10 public restrooms across campus on Jan. 20, according to Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Jeff Malanson.
The College admitted 258 out of 1,023 early decision applicants to the Class of 2030 yesterday, an acceptance rate of 25.2 percent. These applicants join 14 others accepted to the College on Dec. 1 through the QuestBridge National College Match program. 599 applicants were denied admission and 157 were deferred to the regular decision round.
Shana Dixon defeated Jane Patton for a one-year seat on the Select Board in yesterday’s Town election, according to unofficial election results. Matt Neely and Peter Beck were both elected unopposed to three-year terms.
The faculty voted to approve a Native American and Indigenous Studies coordinate program for the 2025-26 academic year. The program will be made up of courses across departments including American studies, anthropology, Arabic studies, biology, and history.
President Maud S. Mandel discussed the College’s ongoing response to President Donald Trump’s second administration, which has increased attacks on higher education, including funding cuts and immigration crackdowns,
President Maud S. Mandel signed onto an open letter condemning “the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.” The letter was issued by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and had over 500 signatories as of publication, including the leaders of colleges, universities, and scholarly societies.
Students at the College have faced disruptions to their summer plans, including the cancellation of summer research programs and federal internships, amid a federal hiring freeze and significant cuts to federal funding for research.
A student’s dorm room door was defaced with “derogatory and hateful” slurs targeting their racial and gender identities on Thursday night, according to an all-campus email sent by President Maud S. Mandel on Monday.
The Williamstown Select Board voted to recommend against Town voters approving the Hoosac Water Quality District’s proposed sewer rate at Town Meeting next month, in protest of a potential deal that would compost sewage sludge from outside the district in the Town.
Rumors that circulated last Wednesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were present on campus were “unsubstantiated,” according to an all-campus email sent by Director of Campus Safety Services (CSS) Jeff Palmer later that day.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Integrity published its draft report proposing changes to the College’s Honor system in March and presented its proposals at the April 9 faculty meeting. The committee proposed renaming the Honor and Discipline Committee as the Committee on Academic Integrity (CAI).
A page on the College’s website that outlined the Theme/Affinity/Program/Special Interest (TAPSI) housing program was taken down during the week of Feb. 14. Dean of the College Gretchen Long said that the College is not planning any changes to the program, but that senior staff decided to take down the page following the Department of Education’s Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter.
The Department of Education's deadline to dismantle race-based programming passed on Feb. 28, but College administrators declined to specify how the College might change campus programming in response.
The Native American Indigenous Student Alliance (NISA) has restructured and is planning to increase its advocacy efforts on campus. Principal goals of the organization include the establishment of an Indigenous studies department and scholarships to increase Native student enrollment.
Two warrant articles drafted by the Planning Board will be voted on at Town Meeting on May 22, after the Williamstown Select Board voted to add them to the Town Meeting warrant on Monday. One measure aims to regulate short-term rentals in the Town, while the other would regulate the installation of geothermal heating wells.
Elizabeth Rogers has begun serving as director of the Prevention, Education, and Advocacy in Community Office, according to a Daily Message published last Friday.
Over 50 students at Bowdoin face disciplinary action for their involvement in an encampment that lasted from Feb. 6 to Feb. 10, according to the Bowdoin Orient. Eight of those students were suspended — their suspensions were lifted on Monday and they were allowed to return to campus.
President Maud S. Mandel announced the establishment of a series of working groups led by senior administrators and discussed the College’s lobbying and advocacy efforts in her opening remarks at the Feb. 12 faculty meeting. Mandel announced the plans in response to what she described as the threats posed to higher education by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The College has begun a six-month transportation study to consider potential changes to campus parking facilities, roads, and infrastructure. The study will assess transportation practices and the College’s use of land, according to a notice released on Feb. 14 by the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction.
Recent executive orders from President Donald Trump have called into question the security of federal funding for research, including grants from the National Science Foundation. Members of the administration told the Record that they are uncertain how the College would respond to future funding freezes, but remain committed to supporting faculty research.
In interviews with the Record, family members, friends, teammates, and members of the community remember Alex Kemp '28 as a steadfast friend and a hard worker who excelled in his academic and athletic pursuits. Over the course of his first semester, they said, he took full advantage of the College’s academic and extracurricular opportunities while supporting and bringing joy to the people around him.
Students and administrators at Mount Greylock Regional School District established a Black Student Union at the high school last month with support from students at the College.
The College installed its first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station in the Hollander Hall parking lot earlier this month as part of its long-term efforts to decarbonize campus. The charger, which will become operational later this month, is reserved for faculty and staff use, though the College may install additional models for students.
Students at the College will be able to pick up prescription medications on campus starting on Nov. 18, filling the gap in service that will be created by tomorrow’s closure of the Williamstown Apothecary.
The student body elected three members of each class to the Williams Student Union (WSU) and two members of the Class of 2028 to join the Honor and Discipline Committee on Sunday.
Staffing shortages at the Office of Campus Life (OCL), spurred by the departure of five staff members in the last year, have caused delays in the registration process for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), though other impacts on students have been minimal.
At tonight’s Town Meeting, to be held at Mount Greylock Regional School at 7 p.m., Williamstown voters will decide on 42 warrant articles, including a provision to allow the construction of cottage court developments that could densify the Town’s housing stock, changes to tax law aimed at lowering the tax burden for low-income residents and seniors, and the first major proposed amendments to the Town Charter since its adoption in 1956.
Faith Ringgold, a renowned multimedia artist and author, died on April 12 at the age of 93. Ringgold was most famously known for her signature pictorial “story quilts” that often addressed issues of race, gender, class, and family. Ringgold’s quilt, “100 Years at Williams College 1889-1989” — which was commissioned for the 100th anniversary of the graduation of the College’s first known Black graduate, Gaius C. Bolin, Class of 1889 — will soon be installed at the newly-renovated Davis Center.
Admitted students to the Class of 2028 will have until May 15 to decide whether to enroll, the College announced on Feb. 10. The College postponed the deadline due to complications with the rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-2025 academic year. The issues will not impact financial aid awards for current students.
Unionized employees at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in North Adams, Mass. went on strike indefinitely beginning on March 6, following the museum’s refusal to meet demands for increased wages.
Ruth Simmons, the first Black president of an Ivy League university, delivered the evening keynote address at Claiming Williams Day on Feb. 1. Earlier that day, Aaliyah Bilal, the author of Temple Folk presented the morning keynote address.
The Charter Review Committee (CRC) presented its proposed amendments to the Town Charter to the Select Board on Jan. 22. The Select Board is now drafting warrant articles based on the proposals, which voters can approve at the Town Meeting on May 21.
This weekend marked another performance of Frosh Revue, the annual sketch comedy show put on during Family Days. The show is intended to be a comedic commentary on the first-year experience at the College.
