<p>Two years later, Macalester needed a medievalist and Wesleyan a French Revolutionist, and they got 'em the same way. But which one taught at which school was almost entirely a matter of the available opening in the year they were seeking.<</p>
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<p>Mini, you're implying that there's never more than one opening in an academic field in a given year. That just isn't true and I'm not sure what point you're trying to make? That the quality of the institution with the particular opening is irrelevant? I assure you that the colleges themselves think it is highly relevant.</p>
<p>Now that you mention it, it is kind of odd that the Art History department hasn't pushed Italian and a Williams study abroad program in Italy. Seems like that big an art history program would want to have a homegrown presence in Italy or France. </p>
<p>I think it's the HMC (Historically Male College) thing.</p>
<p>"Williams students study abroad for a semester or two throughout Europe -- including Italy. There are several junior-year programs available for them to do so."</p>
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But which one taught at which school was almost entirely a matter of the available opening in the year they were seeking.
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Why is this different from any other academic apointment? In our recent search we had 150 applicants for one position - there are many superb applicants who are not on our short list mainly because their expertise was already represented in our division. They will get offers elsewhere and will be successful in those positions.</p>
<p>You know, some of us do know a little something about Williams. My wife studied abroad in Italy when she was an Art History major Ephman. Our first date was at Lane Faison's house.</p>
<p>Williams pre-approved list of study abroad programs is excellent and includes all of the good options in Italy. Just curious that they only operate one study abroad program and it's in an English speaking country.</p>
<p>I, for one, don't think that Williams SHOULD allocate resources to expanding romance language departments. There are several other LACS that focus quite extensively on romance languages.</p>
<p>Italian?!? A working knowledge of Italian seems especially relevant given that its population is dwindling more rapidly than virtually any other country in the world.</p>
<p>Yeesh.... The Williams bashing on this board is out of control. </p>
<p>I-DAD and Mini.... Did you ever think about how your comments strike parents of children who currently attend Williams? People are shelling out a lot of money to provide their kids with a top-rate education. Overall, their kids seem to be having a great time.</p>
<p>By constantly berating Williams, you are essentially telling parents that A) they are wasting their money B) their kids are delusional to feel positively about their Williams education.</p>
<p>If I had the choice to live with a drunk jock or a sanctimonious jerk, I would pick the former. Which would you choose?</p>
<p>In terms of reporting and arrests...we had a situation at he HS where I worked with a new principal who went full force into busting druggies and dealers. He developed a network among the students, and had one Asst. Prin. who handled nothing but drug cases. The Alternative School became known as _____ (name of HS) West, we had so many kids there. He was called before the Board, because they wanted to know what was going on over there - what kind of school was he running with all those druggies? He explained that he was really out to catch everyone he could, and stop drugs. Nothing worked. He was unceremoniously tranferred to Central Office during the summer, so no one could even say good-bye. We thought he was doing a bang-up job. But his enforcement made the district look bad, so he was out. Another version of "don't ask - don't tell." This experience has made me look at statistics such as arrests, etc., askance. I now know that mere enforcement can make any school look bad. And if another turns their eyes from the problem, look good. I am not saying that is the case here, but in this day and age, such a drastic disparity? Come on!</p>
<p>It's tremendous loss for Williams that its most prolific alumni cc posters are anti-ephs. I guess Williams is the only school in this board that is continuously facing such an ironical situation...</p>
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And if another turns their eyes from the problem, look good. I am not saying that is the case here, but in this day and age, such a drastic disparity? Come on!
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</p>
<p>Obviously there is a completely different enforcement strategy. Williams (and I assume Amherst from the disciplinary referrrals) has a ban on alcohol in freshman dorms, a ban on unregistered kegs, etc. They enforce these bans (to some extent) with security police walk-thrus, busting up parties, handing out tickets to visit the dean, etc. That is clearly going to generate a lot more violations.</p>
<p>Obviously there is a completely different enforcement strategy. Williams (and I assume Amherst from the disciplinary referrrals) has a ban on alcohol in freshman dorms, a ban on unregistered kegs, etc. They enforce these bans (to some extent) with security police walk-thrus, busting up parties, handing out tickets to visit the dean, etc. That is clearly going to generate a lot more violations.<</p>
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<p>Doesn't that beg the question, what sorts of enforcement policies are in place at Swarthmore and other schools? FWIW, I looked up the Clery Report for Wesleyan and lo and behold, they seem to resemble Amherst and Williams in some ways and Swarthmore in others:
<a href="http://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clerystats.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clerystats.htm</a>
Controlling for size (Wesleyan is about twice Swarthmore's size) it has about the same number of disciplinary referrals for alcohol as its Little Three brethren, but WAY fewer actual arrests for either drugs or alcohol. And, like Swarthmore, almost no SJB referrals for drugs (at WESLEYAN?)</p>
<p>This probably reflects a number of factors: 1) there is much more self-policing at Wesleyan, where every effort is made <em>not</em> to bring Middletown cops on campus except in cases where physical safety may be involved, and, 2) perhaps as at Swarthmore, a general leniency toward activity taking place in the privacy of one's room.</p>
<p>I'd compare it to Haverford of MA...you're in PA but not at one of the 2 premier schools (UPenn, Swarthmore = Harvard, Williams), except that it hurts to define UPenn as premier, so maybe I'd change that to Lehigh. Yea sounds good, Lehigh-Amherst brother sister schools.</p>
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Doesn't that beg the question, what sorts of enforcement policies are in place at Swarthmore and other schools?
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</p>
<p>Sure.</p>
<p>You can usually get a sense of the real enforcement practices by following the campus newspaper for a period of time.</p>
<p>Of the 11 or so liquor law arrests Swarthmore averages in recent years, it would be pretty easy to detail the typical circumstances.</p>
<p>Any hospital transport generates an underage drinking citation (the police monitor the ambulance calls), so that may be 2 or 3 in a typical year.</p>
<p>The annual all-campus Halloween party, held at a large off-campus dorm, invariably leads to two or three arrests as hundreds of college students walk thru downtown on the way back from campus.</p>
<p>The remainder result from dumb college kids doing something equivalent to wearing a neon sign that proclaims, "I'm drunk and stupid, arrest me!"</p>
<p>For example, leaving an all-campus party and having a shoving match with your girlfriend in front of the police car parked outside the party. Frat boys getting into a brawl. And, so forth. I suspect that the actual liquor law arrests at all of these colleges follow similar plotlines.</p>
<p>BTW, these usually account for a couple of the drug citations, too. For example, Swarthmore kid gets popped on the way home from the Halloween party because he is staggering down the centerline of Main Street in front of a police car (doh!) and in the process of booking him for public drunkenness, the police find a joint in his shirt pocket (doh!).</p>