The Williams Record

Kitt Urdang, Editor at Large

Kitt Urdang ’23.5 is a history major from Stamford, Conn. She is an editor at large. She previously served as editor-in-chief, executive editor of sports and editorials, director of the staff writer program, and section editor for the opinions section. Email: [email protected]

 

All content by Kitt Urdang
WCMA must reckon with colonialism beyond the legal requirements

WCMA must reckon with colonialism beyond the legal requirements

Kitt Urdang, Lily Napach, and Susanna Niu May 10, 2023
In an op-ed, Kitt Urdang '23.5, Lily Napach '25, and Susanna Niu '24 argue for WCMA to better address the colonial practices used to obtain artifacts in its collection.
Community members plant shrubs along the side of the bike path and the bank of the Hoosic River. (Kitt Urdang/The Williams Record.)

Community members plant trees at Hoosic River for habitat restoration

Kitt Urdang April 26, 2023
On Saturday morning, 13 members of the College and Town communities planted 53 native plants — 25 trees and 28 shrubs — along the new bike path and the Hoosic River in order to restore the riparian habitat, which is the zone at the edge of a body of water.
Brittany Burdick, who has worked at WCCC for 12 years, stands in her classroom. (Kitt Urdang/The Williams Record)

After reduced hours, WCCC teachers discuss staff shortages, respect for their work

Kitt Urdang and Dylan Mealey April 26, 2023
On March 29, the Williams College Children’s Center (WCCC) began closing an hour earlier than it had previously, necessitating parents to pick up their children by 4:15 p.m. This change was caused by an ongoing teacher shortage at the WCCC and left College faculty and staff scrambling to find child care during the extra hour each day. 
Faculty, staff scramble for care after Children’s Center reduces hours

Faculty, staff scramble for care after Children’s Center reduces hours

Kitt Urdang April 12, 2023
The Williams College Children’s Center (WCCC) reduced its operating times by one hour per day, effective March 29. The WCCC, which is owned and operated by the College, previously provided families with childcare from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. but it now closes at 4:15 p.m.
Ry Brennan leads a teach-in outside in Santa Barbara in lieu of typical class time. (Photo courtesy of Ry Brennan.)

Williams alums fight for better pay, housing in UC worker strike

Kitt Urdang November 30, 2022
Forty-eight thousand postdoctoral researchers and graduate student workers across the University of California (UC) system have been on strike since Nov. 14 — the largest strike of the year in the United States and ever at any academic institution.
Women’s cross country won the NESCAC championship in October. (Photo courtesy of Sports Information.)

Six varsity teams move on to NCAA postseason competition this weekend

Kitt Urdang November 9, 2022
Six varsity teams will compete in NCAA postseason competition this week: field hockey, volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s soccer, and men’s soccer. 
On the heels of a victorious regular season, women’s soccer clinched a NESCAC playoff spot. (Photos courtesy of Olivia Dabinett)

Women’s soccer finds regular season success, looks to playoffs

Daniel Okstein and Kitt Urdang October 26, 2022
The women’s soccer team (10–3–2, 7–2–1 NESCAC) is sitting in second place ahead of NESCAC playoffs after notching regular season wins against skilled rivals, including Tufts, Bowdoin, and Amherst.
Williamstown’s hottest club is the new bike path

Williamstown’s hottest club is the new bike path

Kitt Urdang October 5, 2022
Executive editor Kitt Urdang ’23.5 explores the Town’s new bike path and its history.
The captains arrived on campus for three days of training, where they participated in leadership programming and heard from campus leaders. (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Miles.)

A look inside fall captains’ training

Kitt Urdang September 21, 2022
Three days before the start of the academic year, the captains of varsity athletic teams arrived on campus for a training hosted by the athletic department. Captains’ training — much like the end-of-summer training for Junior Advisors, House Coordinators, and Ephventure leaders — seeks to prepare a new group of students for their leadership roles.
(Kira Hernandez/The Williams Record)

After reversal of Roe v. Wade, activists, College leaders renew commitment to abortion access

On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned the precedent it set in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1973 and 1992 cases that guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. Student and local organizers, alums who work in abortion access, and College administrators must now reckon with a new political reality. 
The student-led event took place on the front steps of the Paresky Center. (Kitt Urdang/The Williams Record)

Community responds to leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade

Kitt Urdang and Julia Goldberg May 11, 2022
On Friday afternoon, a group of around 50 students and Town residents gathered on the steps of Paresky Center to demonstrate support for abortion rights and take action to protect reproductive freedoms.
Danielle Deane-Ryan ’97 gave the Earth Week keynote address (Photo courtesy of Danielle Deane-Ryan.)

Danielle Deane-Ryan ’97 delivers Earth Week keynote address on environmental justice

Kitt Urdang April 27, 2022
Danielle Deane-Ryan ’97, director of equitable climate solutions at the Bezos Earth Fund, returned to the College on Thursday to deliver the Earth Week keynote address “Is it too late? Moving into a decisive decade for addressing climate crisis.”
In Reische’s Friday email, he wrote that the measures are temporary and the College hopes to lift them soon, but that the College may consider tightening the restrictions if cases do not decline. (Photo courtesy of Izzy Polanco).

COVID cases increase, College tightens masking requirements

Izzy Polanco and Kitt Urdang April 20, 2022
Masking is once again required in classes, libraries, academic buildings, and indoor athletics facilities, Chief Communications Officer Jim Reische wrote in an all-campus email on Friday afternoon. However, community members can still unmask when eating in dining halls and while in residence halls.
College tightens masking requirements as COVID cases increase

College tightens masking requirements as COVID cases increase

Kitt Urdang April 15, 2022
Masking is once again required in classes, libraries, academic buildings, and indoor athletics facilities, Chief Communications Officer Jim Reische wrote in an all-campus email this afternoon. However, community members can still unmask when eating in dining halls and while in residence halls.
College to launch nation’s first all-grant financial aid program

College to launch nation’s first all-grant financial aid program

Kitt Urdang, Tali Natter, and Bellamy Richardson April 13, 2022
The College will eliminate all loans, required work study, and summer earnings contributions from all students’ financial aid packages effective fall 2022, becoming the first institution of higher education in the United States to do so, excluding military and work colleges.

College loosens masking guidelines, testing requirements

Kitt Urdang February 11, 2022
Students can now unmask in all residence halls and eat and drink indoors anywhere except classrooms, Chief Communications Officer Jim Reische announced in the Campus Operations and Business Continuity Update on Feb. 11. Also, effective Monday, Feb. 14, students will only need to test for COVID-19 once a week. 
Letter from the editor: Renewing our commitment to justice and community representation

Letter from the editor: Renewing our commitment to justice and community representation

Kitt Urdang January 26, 2022
Editor-in-Chief Kitt Urdang ’23.5 writes on the Record’s continued commitment to its mission of representing the Williams community through fair and equitable journalism.
The College will not publish COVID test results today, arrival policies change for students who tested positive before arriving to campus

The College will not publish COVID test results today, arrival policies change for students who tested positive before arriving to campus

Tali Natter and Kitt Urdang January 4, 2022
Jan. 4 | 9:45 p.m. As of 9:45 p.m. today, the College’s COVID-19 dashboard has not been updated to include test results from students who took COVID tests on Monday. In an email to the Record, Associate Director of Institutional Research James Cart ’05, who manages the dashboard, wrote that the College’s typical cycle of testing and reporting results on the dashboard happens over the course of three days.
College announces first week of Winter Study to be held remotely, students to quarantine upon arrival

College announces first week of Winter Study to be held remotely, students to quarantine upon arrival

Ella Marx, Tali Natter, Bellamy Richardson, and Kitt Urdang December 30, 2021
The first week of classes and events during Winter Study will be held remotely, and students will quarantine in their dorm rooms upon arrival to campus until they receive one negative COVID-19 test result, President Maud S. Mandel announced in an all-campus email this morning. 
Students reported frustrating experiences with the Health Center. (Sabrine Brismeur/The Williams Record)

Seeking reproductive health care at the College brings confusion and frustration, some students say

Maria Lobato Grabowsky, Tali Natter, and Kitt Urdang November 17, 2021
Accessing reproductive health care while at the College can be difficult given limited local treatment options and hours of operation at the Thompson Health Center. And three students who spoke to the Record said these difficulties can be exacerbated by unsatisfactory information and negative interactions they had while seeking reproductive health care at the Health Center. 
Out of the eight dining hall workers who responded to a Record survey, seven reported dissatisfaction.

Dining staff say they are overworked, frustrated as a result of labor shortage

Kitt Urdang, Jacob Posner, and Saud Afzal Shafi October 6, 2021
As the College navigates a local and national labor shortage, some members of the Dining Services staff say they are overburdened, lack confidence in the quality of their work, and are experiencing low morale. Of the eight dining hall workers who responded to an anonymous survey by the Record, seven expressed dissatisfaction with their experiences working in Dining Services this year.
If confirmed, Wormuth 91 would become the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Army. (Photo Courtesy of Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons.)

Biden to nominate Christine Wormuth ’91 to be first female Army secretary

‘A baton relay race’: Wormuth discusses her career in public service with the Record
Annie Lu and Kitt Urdang April 21, 2021
On April 12, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Christine Wormuth ’91 to serve as Secretary of the Army. If confirmed, she would be the first woman to serve in this role. 
Amherst’s decision to divest from fossil fuels comes on the heels of student advocacy on behalf of climate justice (Photo Courtesy of David Emmerman).

In Other Ivory Towers: Amherst joins Middlebury, Wesleyan in pledge to divest from fossil fuels

Tali Natter and Kitt Urdang April 7, 2021
On March 31, Amherst College formalized its commitment to divest its endowment from fossil fuels, joining several other NESCAC institutions, including Middlebury and Wesleyan, in plans to divest.
Rioters stormed the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, ultimately resulting in five deaths. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)

Insurrection, impeachment and a reckoning: Alums on Capitol Hill reflect on recent events

Kitt Urdang and Annie Lu January 18, 2021
On Jan. 6, Rep. Andy Levin ’83 (D-MI) was in his Washington office at the Cannon House Office Building — preparing to speak against Republicans’ attempt to overturn Michigan’s presidential election results — when he heard a knock at the door. A Capitol Police officer stepped in and told everyone to evacuate. For Levin and his fellow lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the remainder of that day passed by in a state of chaos, confusion and, for some, danger.
Yang, Loewenson, Fox and Jones to lead 2021 Record Editorial Board

Yang, Loewenson, Fox and Jones to lead 2021 Record Editorial Board

Kitt Urdang and Tali Natter December 9, 2020
Kevin Yang ’22, Irene Loewenson ’22, Joey Fox ’21 and Sofie Jones ’22 have been elected by the Record 2020 Editorial Board to lead Williams College’s student newspaper in 2021. Yang will be the editor-in-chief for the Spring 2021 semester, with Fox and Loewenson as managing editors. Jones and Yang will serve as managing editors for the fall 2021 semester, and Loewenson will take the position of editor-in-chief. They will replace current Editor-in-Chief Jeongyoon Han ’21, Managing Editor Samuel Wolf ’21 and Managing Editor Rebecca Tauber ’21.
One in Two Thousand: Ryan Savarie ’23

One in Two Thousand: Ryan Savarie ’23

Kitt Urdang December 9, 2020
Ryan Savarie ’23 talked about his dogs, being on the golf team and seeing Lenin’s tomb.
In Other Ivory Towers: Dartmouth graduate student on day 16 of hunger strike over sexual harassment investigation

In Other Ivory Towers: Dartmouth graduate student on day 16 of hunger strike over sexual harassment investigation

Kitt Urdang and Tali Natter July 30, 2020

In Other Ivory Towers, or IOIT, is a Record column covering events and news in institutions of higher education. On July 14, Dartmouth College computer science graduate student Maha Hasan Alshawi...

Four takeaways from the College’s plan to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19

Four takeaways from the College’s plan to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19

Sofie Jones, Kitt Urdang, and Saud Afzal June 23, 2020

In an email sent to the College community on June 8, Provost Dukes Love, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Financial Planning, outlined the steps the College will take to mitigate the financial impact...

Eph teams juggle, run, do pushups for Williams for Williamstown

Eph teams juggle, run, do pushups for Williams for Williamstown

Stephanie Teng and Kitt Urdang May 13, 2020

The juggle-a-thon, organized by the men’s and women’s soccer team, was livestreamed on Instagram, raising funds and awareness. (Photo courtesy of Daiana Takashima ’20 and @williams_soccer_juggles...

Franklin Reilly ’21 runs 100 miles for food bank fundraiser

Franklin Reilly ’21 runs 100 miles for food bank fundraiser

Kitt Urdang April 29, 2020
It was the beginning of April, just a few weeks after Franklin Reilly ’21 returned home to Edwards, Colo. He had recently finished his winter season on the Nordic ski team and had been gearing up for a spring season running track that was ultimately cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remote learning raises challenges for community members with concussions

Remote learning raises challenges for community members with concussions

Kitt Urdang April 15, 2020
Remote learning has brought new frustrations and discoveries for all students and staff, but the transition has been especially troublesome for community members who have suffered concussions, and who are therefore limited in the time they can spend in front of screens.
Ian Di Pietro ’23 and family help hospital workers and their business with Feed the Frontlines NYC

Ian Di Pietro ’23 and family help hospital workers and their business with Feed the Frontlines NYC

Kitt Urdang April 8, 2020
Like many of his classmates at the College, Ian Di Pietro ’23 left campus in the middle of March to find his hometown significantly altered. Just as Ian was departing for his home in Manhattan, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared that schools, restaurants and bars in the city would close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Italy study abroad programs affected by spread of coronavirus

Italy study abroad programs affected by spread of coronavirus

Sofie Jones and Kitt Urdang March 4, 2020
Ten students enrolled in study abroad programs in Italy are facing uncertainty about the rest of their semester due to the country’s coronavirus outbreak and subsequent program cancellations.
“Restless Collection” Winter Study course curates art collection in response to VP Pence’s politics

“Restless Collection” Winter Study course curates art collection in response to VP Pence’s politics

Kitt Urdang February 12, 2020

Jordan Stein taught students such as Clarissa Dominguez ’22 about how to curate art with a political purpose, engaging with Mike Pence’s political views as their class’s case study.(Photo courtesy...

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