Hello! My name is Rachel Ko, a proud member of the class of 2009. Woo-hoo! Most people at Williams simply call me “ko.” At Williams, I got to put together my major, Art for Social Change, for my combined passion in art, life stories as an art form and social entrepreneurship. Two of my greatest blessings at Williams were starting Let Me Tell You a Story (Storytime) with a few awesome ’09s to encourage the sharing of authentic, personal stories within our community, and being a JA with Mr. Jeremy Goldstein for the supreme entry of Willy B. I come from a little of Taiwan and have been studying away from home for the past 10 years. (Once in a while Morty would make fun of my English and my age, but I will still miss him.) Thus, after the Expedition, I will be heading back to Taiwan for a while, working to open a coffee shop/community space dedicated to youth culture and, again, people sharing their life stories. I can’t wait to spread my love for the purple cow wherever I go.
Rachel will travel with Expedition from July 13th through the 15th and the 21st through the 31st.
Hi, my name is Emily Flynn, and I’m a member, Vice President, and admirer of the great class of 2009. I’m a Human Ecology major, interested in social psychology and environmental biology. I was lucky enough to grow up in the purple mountains of Berkshire County, so as a little tyke I frolicked in the fields of Cole and wore my purple Williams College sweatshirt (a gift from my older sister, Kate [Flynn] Grant ’00) daily. At Williams, I earnestly embraced the liberal arts spirit; playing jv soccer, singing a capella, being a WOOLF leader, sailing the high seas with Williams-Mystic, tour guiding and being an Ambassador for the wonderful Admissions team, building houses down south after Hurricane Katrina, and doing a ton of research on both coasts with brilliant professors. Sometimes, I even slept. The vast opportunities (and generous funds) from Williams fostered my love of traveling and exploring new environments, which is one of the many reasons why I am ecstatic to be expeditioning this summer. I love Williams, and will greatly miss the people with whom I’ve shared the last four years. I’m excited to join the Expedition team and to continue my Williams education by interacting with other ephs around the nation.
Emily will be a part of Expedition from July 7th through the 24th.
Hi, My name is Jason Kohn and I’m a member of the Williams class of 2008. Originally, I’m from the fabulous state of New Jersey and a town called Maplewood right outside Manhattan. My dad (class of ’61) and my brother (class of ’96) both went to Williams, and so I visited a lot as a kid. The decision to come to Williams was my own, however, and I think mostly had to do with the tremendous sense of community here and the warmth of the individuals who make up that community… in addition to sensational academics, beautiful scenery, etc. My four years passed in a flash as I discovered a love of art and art history in the process of completing my Art History major, joined WUFO and learned the game of Ultimate Frisbee, participated in Frosh Revue and other student theater, announced Williams Basketball games, and devoted myself to the JA system (the first ever entry in Mills II). I also found friendships that will last a lifetime. Since graduating, I somehow managed to convince Williams to keep me around as I’ve been serving a one-year term as the intern in the Alumni Relations Office. I’ve been adjusting into life in the working world while still ensconced comfortably in the Purple Valley and I’ve been doing so while cooking for myself, reading regularly for pleasure (having access to Sawyer is great!), actually using my subscription to the NY Times, thinking a lot about grad school, spending time with my friends and meeting all sorts of amazing Williams alumni. It’s been fantastic.
Jason will be on the trip from July 7th through July 31st.
Hi! My name is Jen Bees and I’m a member (president, actually) of the great class of ’08. I’m originally from Reno, Nevada (the only member of the class of ’08 from Nevada). I majored in Art History and am clearly putting my degree to work as I’ve spent the past year teaching first grade at the American School in London. Living so far from everyone I know has been hard, but it’s definitely been a positive learning experience this year. At Williams I was a JA (Dennett 2!!), a tour guide, a member of the diving team, and a huge fan of A Cappella. Also, I love Mountain Day, country music, and great architecture. I have no idea what I’m doing this coming year after this summer is over, so if anyone has any ideas or offers, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Jen will travel with the Expedition team from July 7th through the 15th and from July 22nd through the 31st.
Guest Stars on Expedition!
Joe Cruz ’91, professor of Philosophy and cognitive science, and a veteran of several expeditions through Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, and Cambodia, is looking forward to adding the Williams Expedition 2009 to his achievements. Joe will give several talks about his research while on Expedition, mainly in the Ohio stretch of road. Joe will travel with expedition from July 8th through July 11th.
Professor of Mathematics Edward Burger is Professor of Mathematics and is currently the Gaudino Scholar. While he’s been at Williams for nearly 20 years, he’s the only member of the “Expedition” that is not an alum. He will try to console himself by playing lots of poker in the van and will try to win a tremendous amount of Williams alumni dollars. Shuffle up and deal… Ed plans to travel with Expedition from July 29th through the 31st.
Associate Professor of Philosophy Will Dudley ’89, author of Hegel, Nietzsche and Philosophy: Thinking Freedom (Cambridge University Press, 2002), is looking forward to his first road trip in a college van since the swim team pilgrimages to Florida of his student days. Will’s lectures will take place during the Midwest stretch of Expedition. Will plans to travel with the expedition team from July 13th through the 16th.
Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Director of Off-Campus Programs Rob Swann ’90 will be excited to join the Expedition crew for a few days on the road in late July, during the Baltimore-Washington-Philly stretch.
Director of Alumni Relations, Brooks Foehl ’88, is excited about joining the Expedition team for their swing through the Mid-West, July 13-16 in Chicago, Milwaukee and the Twin Cities.
Ian Nesbitt ’13 is a new addition to Alumni Relations who will also be caught up in Expedition—from the office. Ian is the man behind the scenes with Expedition web-development and e-coordination. Ian loves the outdoors, skiing, and cycling and will be a member of the Nordic ski team at Williams next winter. He is the one to talk to if you experience any problems with the website.