<p>I'm looking seriously into Williams, but I can't get a good idea of what the feel of the campus is. Specifically, I want to avoid political/religious/ideological homogeneity of any sort, which is not the sort of info that I can really get from College Board or the Princeton Review, etc. I'm uncomfortable when political etc. discussion becomes an arena for a bunch of people who already agree to abuse those who oppose them because they aren't present (I've seen this both with staunch liberals and staunch conservatives; both are equally off-putting). To me, an ideal college would have a healthy Gay/Straight Alliance and pro-choice association and a healthy pro-life association and student Christian association, so that no matter what you thought you'd have people to disagree with you and make sure you didn't get complacent. Williams has all of these clubs listed, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're all equally strong.
I suspect that (as a northeastern liberal arts college) Williams leans at least a little to the left. I don't mind leaning as such, in either direction, so long as it isn't to such an extent that no one has to think because everyone thinks the same.</p>
<p>Canvas the average Williams student and you’re likely to hear slightly left-of-center views. As you guessed, since Williams is a New England liberal arts college, the campus leans politically liberal, but not overly so (as perhaps a Wesleyan might). That said, there is a fair mix within the student body. While you’ll rarely find a chest-thumping, dyed-in-the-wool Republican, you will find students who take conservative views on individual issues. So while your roommate could be an environmental activist, he may also very well be ardently pro-life. Perhaps the girl pushing for nationalized single-payer health care down the hall is also a hardcore neoconservative. Who knows. </p>
<p>Politically-oriented organizations are fairly inactive. And while the majority of Williams students are not actively religious, the Christian (Williams Christian Fellowship and Williams Newman Catholic), Jewish, and Muslim communities on campus have support from the college and a fair number of participants in each.</p>
<p>Crnchycereal: That is a very good summary of the the political and religious nature of Williams students.
Ekayen: To answer your questions directly. The college really does not have large or active pro-life/pro-choice groups. In fact, I believe that most people prefer it that as it prevents overt confrontation within the campus community as it is really small. Like Cereal said, students are for the most part satisfied with maintaining their own views on that subject. As for a healthy Gay-straight alliance, the college does fund and sort of support the campus eph rainbow alliance, and its few members do participate. But the keyword is few. Williams has its very small share of gay students compared to other liberal arts colleges, and even fewer participate with the ERA. Again, most students are content with maintaining their own views on homosexuality with the exception of a few. When it is back online, check the discussions under wso.williams.edu and look for the religion on campus topic. </p>
<p>I hope I answered your questions specifically.</p>
<p>Seldom will students express political positions precisely because of the daunting consequences surrounding ones person in adhering to dogma and irrational belief systems, particularly if the positions do not accord with some small but vocally significant minority interest.</p>
<p>Sports, being a central governing activity remains an outlet that sustains the academic year and allows time to pass uneventfully, outside of the noise accompanying any and all celebrations.</p>
<p>Ideologies possess a fluid spectrum which proscribes the ardent and prudential student from taking positions which may alter the support one vouchsafes within the economy of a Williams education considering its intimate student population which can resound within minutes to one’s regret. In general, the relationships within these ideologies contributes to the resistance of students to embrace the excessive certitude and fundamentalist rigors of thought as it applies to public matters.</p>
<p>Williams College is not an ideologically driven campus environment and most certainly should appeal to your delicate disposition and relieve you of any predisposition towards fears, now and present, for a campus with ideological homogeneity.</p>