<p>I'm interested in learning students' and alumna's opinions concerning inclusivity at Williams. Let me be clear, by 'inclusivity' I am referring to the degree to which different racial and socioeconomic groups actually meaningfully interact, not statistical diversity. This thread is intended to be descriptive, rather than prescriptive. Personal biases tend to detract, rather than add, to constructive discourse. </p>
<p>I'll begin.</p>
<p>As a minority male upperclassman, I have had the privilege of experiencing firsthand social interactions between different "groups" of students at Williams. The central issue surrounding inclusivity (or lack thereof) at Williams, I believe, is the disparity between different racial and socioeconomic sections of the student population. Williams, like other elite institutions of higher learning, has lost its racial homogeneity in the decades following educational integration and the inception of affirmative action policies. Unlike other institutions, however, Williams' undergraduate student body numbers a mere 2,000. The result is carefully partitioned groups of students that share little in common.</p>
<p>Simply put, Williams lacks a large enough "middle section" of middle class ($50,000 and below) students that, despite racial differences, possess commonalities that create the 'glue' that allows students to feel comfortable enough to pursue intimate social interactions. The tendency at Williams is to avoid that which might expose one to social criticism, with the result being a social chasm between different social groups.</p>
<p>When I visit the campus of my local state university (an institution with an undergraduate population numbering 15,000) , I do not feel that such a chasm exists. While there are certainly instances of extreme intolerance (this same campus was the site of a nationally covered racial incident 2 years ago), such incidents reflect the views of individuals rather than those of wide cross-sections of the student body.</p>
<p>But, let's dig a bit deeper. With regard to such sensitive issues as inter-racial relationships, views on affirmative action, etc., the chasm that divides the student population at Williams widens. When I go on walks with white female friends at Williams, I see and feel the "unsureness" of passersby that creates a palpable tension. In addition, the sexual exotification of black males in particular, leads me to believe that some Williams students carry deep-seated misperceptions of who, and how, a minority student is, and should, behave.</p>
<p>After the racial incident my freshman year, in which a racial slur was sprayed across an entry door, there was a decided gulf in the reaction of the student body that produced a split between those who advocated for a social honor code, and those who went as far as to advocate against it. As the rallying cry was "Stand With Us!", a small cadre of students responded with the corollary "Or Against Us?", indicating that one did not have to voice one's opposition to intolerance to be 'against' intolerance. To me, this indicates a degree of complicity with regard to the specific incident that mirrors social attitudes at Williams - not only does no one seem to care about the divide between race and class that exists here, but no one condemns it, as well.</p>
<p>So, that's my perspective. Yours?</p>