"By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake into itself again." ―Neil Gaiman

March 2022

Directors Note:

My name is Aseel Abulhab, and I'm the Assistant Director of the DC. Welcome to Williams Signs, and Happy New Year! Each newsletter, I will share something related to sign language and/or D/deaf culture. Happy signing!

Earlier this year, I highlighted the movie CODA in the DC newsletter. CODA stands for Children of Deaf Adults, and references folks who are hearing but often consider sign language as their first language because they grew up in a D/deaf household. The movie CODA tells the story of a hearing high school student who wants to study music and sign professionally, but also has to navigate her role in her Deaf family, who doesn't completely understand her aspirations. It stars Marlee Matlin, who is an awesome and very famous Deaf actress (check out her other work like Switched at Birth and Children of a Lesser God).

Last week, CODA won Outstanding Movie Cast at the 2022 SAG Awards. Troy Kotsur also made history as the first Deaf male actor to win a solo SAG Award for his role in the movie. You can read more about the awards and the cast's reactions here and make sure to watch the film if you haven't had a chance yet! 

Greetings, Ephs! I’m Aly, the Associate Director of the Davis Center. Each month I write a little about issues of identity and power in U.S. musical culture.

This month, I want to share a little about what I’m listening to, because listening closely to a song to try to figure out how it works is one way I take a break–however briefly–from everything else. Since March is the month when Tracy Chapman was born (Chapman’s birthday is March 30), I want to suggest spending some time with Chapman’s song “Fast Car.” 

“Fast Car” is one of those songs by an artist who never came out as queer, but which has somehow become something of a queer anthem. It’s not too hard to hear why. The lyrics suggest it’s a song about seeking intimacy when a family of origin can’t offer the care that’s necessary, about trying to break a toxic pattern that always seems to reassert itself. And the instrumentals accentuate that story. The rhythmic, repetitive guitar riff during the verse builds up energy but rather than moving into something new, it usually just reverts back to the loop. When the song does make it to the bridge and the chorus, the drums and guitar fill in sonic space, and there’s some energy that makes it feel like we’re finally going to get somewhere. But then…the verse returns, the loop resets, and the pattern reasserts itself. But Chapman’s final lines, over that hypnotic guitar riff, remind us that even when we feel stuck in a pattern, we can make the decision to change things up, however hard it might be.

This past Sunday morning, I had a fantastic solo snowshoeing adventure atop Hoosac Ridge in Florida, Massachusetts. The snow was slushy and the ice was hazardous, but I had come well prepared and stayed dry and sure-footed. Really, it was just beautiful. By the time I got off the mountain, the air turned warm and a bit humid--and like that, ::snap:: all the snow in the area disappeared over the next twelve hours.

The outside world has a lot to teach us: one day it may be perfectly beautiful and the next a tempest; one day the world is drab and grey and a few weeks later the world is exploding in green before our eyes. As George Harrison (and many others!) have stated, "ALL THINGS MUST PASS." Good times will end....but so will the bad times. The coldest, most unforgiving weather will eventually give way to a period of pristine sun and warmth.

We cannot control the weather just like we can't always control what happens to us: what we can control is how we respond to something. Whether it's the weather or life circumstances, you do have the ability to control how you respond to the moment: if you choose to see something bad in it, that's YOU seeing it that way: OWN IT, that's all your making. In the same light, you can choose to look at it in a different light--in the least try to look at a misfortune as a great tool for learning and growth, if you can't think of anything else.

Either way, we need the rainy days, the cold days, the hot days, the perfect days--just like in our life, our growth comes from the good days, the bad days, the sad days, and the perfect days. Appreciate that all time is fleeting and wake up: go outside (figuratively and literally) and find something good to appreciate, because it's there just waiting for you to see it.

I know I’m not the only person who really enjoyed coloring as a child. I’m kinda envious that my kids get to color every day. Luckily, adult coloring books are popping up everywhere, fostering creative juices while making us still feel like grown ups. Turns out coloring is a great way to live in the moment, destress, and lower anxiety. Coloring also boosts resilience. So, this month, let’s all COLOR! Your page doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t even have to be finished, just take some time to color. When will you find the time? During group meetings/classes when you don’t need to take notes (if you feel comfortable), during lunch, while watching tv, listening to a podcast, talking on the phone….anywhere you can get in a little time (or a lot!). There are lots of coloring pages in The DC (Jenness House) and free options online. Look for a page that speaks to YOU!

Want to go deeper? Color for 5-10 minutes every day (maybe work on the same image for a week) and journal for a few minutes afterwards about how you felt.

Want to learn more? Read this article about the many benefits of coloring and more on why it works.

Want to talk about it?  I’d be happy to talk! Here’s the office hour calendar for The DC Team! Also consider creating your own self-care check in group.

The Future of Belonging: Contemporary French and Francophone Film Festival 2022

Over 3 consecutive Mondays at 7:30 PM, on February 28, March 7, and March 14, the Williams Department of Romance Languages will screen 3 recent French and Francophone films at Images Cinema that center the perspectives of Black and Indigenous women on the concept of belonging, love and family. The Davis Center is co-sponsoring this series; stay tuned to Daily Messages for more details about a workshop with filmmaker Amandine Gay and the Davis Center in early March.

• March 7: Une histoire à soi/A Story of One’s Own (2021) by Amandine Gay. Q&A with director Amandine Gay and editor, sound engineer and producer Enrico Bartolucci after the film showing and lecture the next day.
• March 14: Kuessipan (2019) by Myriam Verreault (written by Naomi Fontaine)

The Davis Center at Williams College

10 Morley Drive

Williamstown, MA 01267

diversity.williams.edu/davis-center/