I am a low-income + first-gen POC and I still find this stuff disgusting. I visited this place 3 years ago during WoW and I was absolutely charmed by the professors and opportunities at Williams. Three years in, though, and this place just keeps getting worse and worse. You will be judged first and foremost by your skin. If you are white, you better say what they want to hear or shut up. If you write an article to defend a non-liberal viewpoint, you get roasted in the school facebook meme page. The meme page itself has a ton of anti-white memes posted and regulated by the moderators who are POCs or very liberal white people. No one dares to disagree because doing so would put a target on your back. Here are some of the scandals in the past year or so:
A petition to form a group to discuss Jewish people in Israel was rejected when a bunch of Palestinian students disrupted College Council meetings. The petition was later reversed by the College President because Congress was looking into the issue. Meanwhile, there is a group called Palestinians of Williams on campus.
You can find this on Ephblog by seaching "wifi"
Two black professors got mad because they realized they might not get tenure decided to leave abruptly a few days before classes started in an attempt to make a scene and put pressure on the College to reverse tenure decision. While the professors are away from campus, students made a big shrine for them in the middle of a busy hallway. When a professor(who is white) tried to move it because he's also responsible for that building's fire safety regulation, he was confronted, cursed, had students disrupted his classes, had threats and insults posted on his office doors. You can find this on Ephblog by searching "McPartland"
Two black students come to College Council meeting to get funding for a BLACK-ONLY event for pre-frosh. CC has rules that say they cannot fund exclusive events. These two students decided to curse at CC for 30 minutes spewing a bunch of racial slurs and insults. One of the black student, before she left, walked up to a white CC member and said "F*** YOU" because the white CC member was asking too many questions about the event. This event was the thing that broke the camel's back because now, Minority Coalition(a group that only the most extremist POCs would dare to join) is trying to take over CC by forcing CC to form a 'Task Force' that is composed of more than 60% POCs whose responsibility is to reform CC aka funneling all funding toward POC-hosted events no question asked. You can find this on youtube by searching "Williams college council"
If you are a conservative white, unless you are on a sport team or does not care about anything beside schoolwork, you will not have an outlet for your viewpoint.
I surround myself with moderate POCs and White friends because every time I talk to a liberal POC, all I hear are perceived racism and outrages on this campus. A food event with the Campus Safety & Security was cancelled because some POCs cried about how CSS asked them questions while they were hanging outside people’s dorms and taking pictures in the middle of the night. These same POCs also refused to show up when an event to have a conversation with CSS was scheduled later that month. There are so many POCs on this campus who have absolutely no self-identity and so they need to borrow these perceived racism/outrage in order to craft a persona. They literally want to be known as THE SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS because they are bad at school(SJWs tend to be lower-performing students) and they do no activities beside political activism. I vow to never donate a single cent to Williams as long as the admin continues to let these white-haters roam free on campus. I am writing this for those who are thinking about RD as well as those who applied ED(you can break ED contract by complaining that the financial aid is not enough. The school will let you apply to other schools RD while holding your ED acceptance.)
Honestly, if you can get into Williams, you can get into many other places that are more moderate or at least big enough for you to escape the campus politics.
Ouch. This is tough to hear as an ED applicant who is waiting for a decision. I’ve read elsewhere that you can mostly avoid campus politics by hanging with the right people, but you make it seem like it’s everywhere… would you say it’s so bad that you can’t avoid it?
I appreciate your post. For students (such as my DD) turned off by extremists on both sides this exemplifies why it is a good idea to spend a night on campus and make sure they’re reading the vibe accurately. Williams isn’t on her radar, but it is a good point of research for any college.
I take it from your screen name that you are hoping for a transfer? If so, good luck.
I think the OP correctly points out the difficulty when coming from a position where self-esteem or “self-identity” may be weak, someone is suddenly thrust into an environment where people are divided into groups - and frankly, where some groups are celebrated more than others. As the case involving the two faculty indicates, it is a difficult terrain for adults to navigate. So, one can only imagine how hard it is for a twenty year-old. People have to have patience, learn from their mistakes and hopeflly find time to take a break from school.
@Groundwork2022 : OP is in his or her third year at Williams College so transferring is unlikely.
OP joined in 2016 with this username.
OP: Have you considered spending a semester abroad or at another school in the 12 school exchange group ?
P.S. Williams College has changed quite a bit after a former Williams College President (Morty Shapiro) left for Northwestern University–where he is doing an outstanding job.
Remember that the most extreme views are expressed by a small minority of students (albeit very vocal ones).
I cannot comment in specific detail without risking loss of anonymity whereby my kid is not defined or affected by MY views as expressed on College Confidential. I will simply say that my kid’s experience has shown it is possible to take a less popular stance on something, face some opposition, and still have a wonderful time at Williams.
A student can and will find like-minded and/or supportive friends, as well as professors, alumni, and administrators.
I say this a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it is also true: a large number of Williams students go on to become investment bankers and consultants. These career choices are indicative that not everyone at Williams is on the far left!
I hear you, OP, and I think that your perspective can be of great value on campus. It is important for people on campus to hear that a variety of viewpoints are held by students from a variety of backgrounds.
The type of events OP described are not unique to Williams: they have been happening all over the U.S. and the world on college campuses. Nonetheless, on the recent pros and cons of Williams thread here on College Confidential, the very first con I listed related to the issue OP highlights.
But, IMO, the pros of Williams far outweigh the cons, and it is a great place to learn and grow for four years. I recommend it to prospective students with enthusiasm.
It’s not always the minority opinion that’s the issue. It’s in how it’s delivered. Good life lesson.
When folks declare college x is impossibly liberal- or other complaints- I think of all the other kids on campus, the ones basing their time in the library, lab, other activities, volunteering, working, being student tour guides, pursuing their own research, and more.
And, the opportunities kids have to explore more about campus culture and offerings, before they apply.
Ok, wow. I’m also a current student, a POC, and queer…and this is not what the campus is like at all. I do not mean to invalidate others’ experiences, but this sounds like a regurgitation of what certain highly right-wing media sources have been saying about Williams and other institutions.
I don’t have the time to write a full rebuttal, but some points of clarification:
The President reversed CC’s decision long before the investigation occurred. Most people on campus dislike CC in part for their actions regarding WIFI.
The way you make blanket statements about POC on this campus having no self-identity and being low-performing is frankly both cruel and untrue. POC here, like white students, are diverse in their viewpoints and intelligent.
You make attempts to extrapolate the actions of a small handful of students to an entire campus—which is, again, what many media sources have a penchant for doing. I can say with confidence that the vast majority of students are not activists and do not care about activism. Personally, I would have to go out of the way to socialize with students who are into social justice.
I have been able to freely express more moderate opinions that I hold without fearing any sort of retribution. I also know people who express very conservative opinions without losing any social clout. It seems like we’re going to different colleges at this point—Williams is not some place where everything you say is monitored. It’s really just like most other institutions; in fact, it’s more conservative than many other elite colleges.
I’m not saying Williams doesn’t have its flaws, but this post sounds like it was written by someone without a clear grasp on what campus life is really like and has an obvious agenda.
Ouch. I think everyone is in favor of social justice as an anodyne concept. What you probably mean, is that it is often difficult to get to know activists on their own terms (marching, speaking out, going to meetings, the constant internet baiting.)
@writingpumpkin03 You have only been at Williams for one semester while I have been here for awhile now and participate in College Council dealing with political and financial issues that occur on campus. MINCO-affiliated groups get a lot of leniency(such as $ for group dinners and semi to full exclusive events(Black Preview was only scandalous because it was so big and interfere with College-sponsored events for Pre-frosh.) We(College Council) have clawed back or forced non-Minco/SJW groups to pay for things that were not supposed to be covered by CC, but we have never done this to Minco/SJW because to even propose such idea during CC meeting would open up a s***storm of discussion(and CC meetings are recorded so Minco people are just gonna share it with everyone and call you a racist.) I have provided many evidence(CC meetings, Ephblog, Facebook posts), where yours?
^Junior year at a LAC is when many people opt to go abroad. For many of the reasons already alluded to. Talk to your faculty adviser; maybe, there is some kind of self-directed project you can do off-campus for credit.
We have visited Williams during their winter break last year and will be scheduling a visit this summer. However, I remain highly concerned about the lack of decorum and failure of the administration to criticize, even mildly, some of the more blatant examples given by hopeforharvard123. I am referring to the viral video about the Council meeting that was disrupted by students seeking funding for an event., and no, we did not see this on a right wing website. No rules of order were followed and you could see the fear of the Council members to even try and maintain order. The intimidation was blatant and wrong and should not have been tolerated by the College Administration. We did not want our son to see this else it would probably bias his decision before his official visit so we will an open mind but the concern is definitely there.
OP seems credible. Has been a CC member for several years & offers specific examples.
Nevertheless, doesn’t mean that Williams College isn’t a great school–just like Middlebury College.
Campus culture is a very important aspect to consider with respect to rural LACs. And whether it is a positive or a negative depends upon an individual’s perspective, likes & dislikes.
@Publisher I’m sure he/she is credible. But WHY? Why post something like this, badmouthing a very respectable college that helps its grads go on to great careers/grad school/opportunities, and so forth? Why shoot yourself in the foot? Really, why tarnish your alma mater when you’re still in college and need to get a job or go to grad school or whatever? ALL colleges have problems.
If I was still in college, I’d do whatever I could to ensure my college maintains its good reputation. That’s doesn’t mean airing dirty laundry in public. If the OP is so disillusioned, request a meeting with the president of the college, or the dean, or get s petition started, or make fellow students aware. Take some kind of positive action. Don’t come to College Confidential and tell prospective applicants and parents how much your college sucks. That helps NO ONE.
For those interested in the details of this meeting, note that Williams’ CC, after deliberation, voted to fund the proposed activities in the minutes prior to the controversial remarks referenced above. Separately, though potentially inflammatory racial epithets were used, they were inwardly directed.
OP is sharing information that can be helpful to college applicants. Middlebury College is another school with similiar levels of political correctness which may appeal to some, but not to others.
Students & families are entitled to information about a school’s campus culture–especially at small, rural LACS. Again, may appeal to some, but not to others.
Consumers are entitled to read & hear sincere & genuine opinions about any school.
I agree with @Publisher. It’s important to read and try to understand the culture and vibe at an LAC for students. They are small and culture really matters.
I trust students and parents to understand that situations like the OP described do not represent the whole college experience. But more information is better than less b/c you never know what info is pertinent to someone. This is why I like other sites that have student reviews – the complaints are informative just like positive reviews, and it’s by sifting through lots of sources (and visiting of course) that you can understand campus vibes and potential fit.