Sexism at Williams?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
1

<p>I have just returned from a college-shopping trip with my D and S (twins), making a point to see Williams for the second time while the school is in session. During the tour, I noticed a number of signs "Stand with Us" and wondered what they meant. </p>

<p>At Admissions we picked up a hot-off-the-presses issue of The Williams Record. The weekly newspaper was truly impressive in all kinds of ways; my D as the editor of their HS newspaper was astounded (it even included an up-to-minute interview with James Carville who'd visited the campus the night before). On page 3 was a substantial article written by a women student complaining about the graphic and subtle sexism on campus. She'd recently arrived at her dorm room to find a graphic phallic symbol on her white board on the door. Since she's become aware of the Stand with Us effort, a discrimination awareness movement, she's also noticed more subtle forms of sexism both in and out of the classroom; she described a couple of instances. She felt the students were desensitized to the issue because it was so pervasive and was encouraging awareness and involvement.</p>

<p>Thoughts, anyone?</p>

2

<p>Yes: try Swarthmore or Amherst. No, seriously, it bears further investigation.</p>

3

<p>I hate to write this off as "boys will be boys," but I also don't see it as a serious flaw of the college as much as a flaw with some young college guys. Don't let it deter you from Williams... and if your daughter was really turned off by it, I suggest directing her toward women's colleges, because I find it unlikely that there will be any co-ed college totally devoid of sexism. I think sexism just isn't totally quelled in the age we live in, especially among immature college kids.</p>

<p>All that said, a link to the article would be helpful!</p>

4

<p>Here is the article about the original event:</p>

<p>Williams</a> Record ARCHIVES: January 16, 2008</p>

<p>
[quote]
Racial slurs found on Williams Hall doors</p>

<p>Students discovered racial slurs and several drawings of male genitalia on the walls and doors of Williams Hall E early Saturday morning. The word “nigger” was written on two second-floor common room door signs and on the door sign of the nearby custodian’s office. A Security investigation is ongoing...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Here is the follow-up article about the investigation:</p>

<p>Williams</a> Record ARCHIVES: February 13, 2008</p>

<p>
[quote]
Racial slurs start campus inquiry</p>

<p>The search for the perpetrators of the recent racist postings in Williams Hall E continues under the joint jurisdiction of Campus Safety and Security and the Dean’s Office. While initially confined to residents of Williams E, where the word “nigger” and several drawings of male genitalia were scrawled, the investigation has expanded to include interviews with over 30 students, some of whom live outside the entry...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Here is the article from the first-year African American female victim of the original event providing a detailed account. [As a parent of a college daughter, this one was very difficult for me to read. I cried thinking, "what if this were my daughter?"]:</p>

<p>Williams</a> Record ARCHIVES: March 05, 2008</p>

5

<p>Here is the article from this week's newspaper that I believe the CarolynB references:</p>

<p>The</a> Williams Record - Articles</p>

<p>
[quote]
Standing against sexism: Phallic graffiti reveals unsettling attitudes</p>

<p>By Colleen Farrell - Contributing Writer </p>

<p>When I came back to my room last Saturday night, I was disturbed to find that someone had anonymously drawn an ejaculating ***** on my whiteboard. Without thinking, I quickly erased the image from my door. However, that lewd image has still not been erased from my mind. This sketch was not just an isolated incident of “boys being boys” or harmless drunken behavior. Rather, it represents a lack of respect towards women on this campus and complacency towards discrimination.</p>

<p>Phallic imagery has been seen in entries in the Frosh Quad, Mission Park and in Bronfman basement. While I can only speak for my own personal experience with graffiti, I am certainly not the only student on campus facing this offensive gesture. The problem is so pervasive that many students have become desensitized to it. Nevertheless, it is important to consider the detriment these drawings do to the Williams community....

[/quote]
</p>

6

<p>Ok, interesteddad is a Williams alum with a Swarthmore daughter who consistently voices an incredibly negative (and most students and alums would say far too extreme as well as inaccurate) perspective of Williams. Take anything he posts, including his selection of articles and information (which are not an even or unbiased selection) with a huge grain of salt.</p>

<p>That said, I agree with Bustles. I think you'll find the occasional drawn ***** at any college (even Bob Jones U). The biggest difference between Williams and the average college is not the amount of sexism, but the amount of discussion about it. I've spoken to my sister (who is at Williams) as well as a number of my female friends at Williams and other schools about this, and the general sentiment is that while some degree of sexism is unavoidable in our society, there is no unique problem at Williams, and rather, that it is an incredibly empowering and welcoming environment for women. Sure, it's not perfect, but nowhere is.</p>

7

<p>I haven't posted anything about this story here -- a story that has been VERY prominent and heavily discussed in the greater Williams community.</p>

<p>Post your own links if you believe mine are unfair. Anyone who wants more links to additional reporting in the Williams Record can use the archive search function available from any of the links I posted. I would recommend searching for articles on "Stand With Us" and their efforts to put a social honor code in place.</p>

<p>Note that I have posted no comment on this story whatsoever here, except to note that the account from the young first-year woman made me cry thinking about how her parents must have felt about the trifecta of her race, religion, and gender being attacked.</p>

8

<p>wow! my comment was censored!</p>

9

<p>Here is the URL for the article I referenced. Sorry, I don't know how to do a direct link (I'm not the computer guru in the family!). </p>

<p>The</a> Williams Record - Articles</p>

<p>We have looked at Swarthmore and my D liked it. With its Quaker origins, honor code, and honors program, there's much to like.</p>

<p>We're not as familiar with Amherst, but if you think there's a real difference in culture between Amherst and Williams, we'll take a look at it. Thanks.</p>

10

<p>It is a regrettable situation whenever anything like this occurs at any school, however the odds of admission are so small it will likely not be an issue for you. Rest assured that the college is well aware of the problem and it is being addressed with great thought and professionalism. As an aside if you want to see the real issue of racial problems drive northeast from Swarthmore about 20 miles. The murder rate in Philadelphia right now is higher than New York City, higher than Los Angeles, higher than Chicago</p>

11

<p>Carolyn, I'm the parent of a recent Williams graduate. Although my child is male I'm sensitive to and interested in feminist issues and often talked about the role of women on campus whenever I had the opportunity to spend some time with my son's friends, both male and female.</p>

<p>My conclusion is that Williams women are empowered, assertive and in no way victims of a repressive or restrictive culture. Are the individual students 100% free of sexism? No, of course not. The occasional Neanderthal event happens, just as it does vis a vis racism or homophobia, but these are extremely isolated incidents and are not reflective of the culture. </p>

<p>The Williams Record is an in-your-face newpaper. They're not afraid of issues that may reflect badly on the college, although they may sometimes be guilty of enlarging molehills. Hey, that's their job. While comparable campus newspapers are laden with feel good articles or complaints about the food, the Record tackles the hard stuff and while that's ultimately a good thing, it can be taken out of context or proportion.</p>

<p>Williams, Williamstown, the Berkshires all have highly active feminist communities. They are vocal, involved and powerful. I'd suggest that your daughter do some surfing through the bios of some of the female professors and administrators; these are not downtrodden silent voices. If she'd like to contact some of these leaders, let me know by pm. I'll give her some names.</p>

<p>Same goes for Williams female graduates. There are profoundly successful women in their ranks, in a wide range of professions. They have benefited greatly by their Williams education and are on the road to great things. A case in point is the United States Trade Representative and cabinet member, Susan Schwab, a powerful woman in a male dominated sector and Williams alum. There are plenty of others.</p>

<p>Sexism does exist in America -- in corporate culture, in academia, in the public sector -- and it can be subtle and deeply engrained, but the willingness to confront sexism and talk about it openly and constructively is alive and well at Williams.</p>

<p>Williams isn't for everyone. I can see plenty of reasons not to choose Williams or to prefer another college over Williams, but sexism would NOT be one of them.</p>

12

<p>S is the least sexist young man I know. He opted to drop his Dad's name (no divorce -- still basically a happy family) and take mine. His name was hypenated, and now he just has mine, which is just a data point to support his non-sexist attitude. I teach women's studies on occasion. </p>

<p>S loves Williams and is equally close to the men and women in his entry.</p>

<p>I concur with most of the posts above. Is there sexism at Williams? Yup. There is. There is sexism everywhere, even at women's colleges. I know because D is at Barnard. They fight it at Barnard, and now I'm thrilled to see that they're fighting it at Williams.</p>

<p>Williams is not an in your face political school, but I do think the majority of the students strive to do the right thing.</p>

<p>And this is just me, I know, but I think it is empowering to young women to teach them that a picture of a phallus does not have to be threatening, offensive or insulting. Let's laugh at ourselves. Now that's empowering. Just one woman's opinion.</p>

13

<p>
[quote]
Williams, Williamstown, the Berkshires all have highly active feminist communities.

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</p>

<p>Actually, Williams College is unique among elite co-ed colleges in never having had a Women's Center on campus or a member of the administration specifically tasked with women's issues.</p>

<p>The Women's Collective, formed two years ago was apparently Williams' first-ever women's group and a first step towards the College establishing, funding, and providing campus space for a Women's Center. There has been considerable opposition to forming a women's group on campus and, I suspect, that her position as a leader of the Women's Collective is the reason the editorial writer who is the subject of this thread was targeted with "phallic graffitti".</p>

14

<p>Momrath, thank you for providing some additional balance and context to the issue. Certainly sexism exists in America; there's no disputing that. To me it was a question of degree at Williams and that's why I raised the question. I was glad the student writer constructively and publicly addressed the issue instead of burying it. Thanks for offering further information; I'll see if my D would like to pursue it. </p>

<p>Momrath, you mention "plenty of reasons not to choose Williams." Would you care to enumerate?</p>

15

<p>I have to ask id. Was your child not granted admission to Williams even as a legacy? If that is not it where does all this Williams bashing come from?</p>

<p>College shopping trip is not a phrase you hear much these days. When you go shopping for most things the purchaser is in control of the transaction. At the level of schools being discussed the admission rates are below 18% and even that percentage is overstated. I think most parents would consider themselves quite lucky if their child attended Swartmore Williams Amherst. No school is perfect but some of these have been doing a great job for over 200 years.</p>

<p>id I withdraw the question...I don't care...we have done this before and I do not want to play. I will be in Williamstown for the weekend and will pass on your complaints.</p>

16

<p>My daughter was accepted binding Early Decision to her first-choice school. </p>

<p>In mid December, under the terms of her Early Decision acceptance, she contacted several other schools (including Wiliams) and withdrew the Regular Decision applications she had already submitted. I believe she had already mailed Regular Decision application to three other schools by that point, trying to get ahead of the game in case she received an ED rejection. </p>

<p>So, whether or not she would have been accepted at Williams will forever remain one of life's mysteries. My hunch is that, having been accepted by her first choice school with no tip or hook or connection, she probably would have been accepted by Williams as a double-legacy. She had a strong transcript, glowing recommendations, and recognition for our state in the nationwide Prudential Awards for community service. But, of course, admissions is unpredictable, so we'll never know.</p>

17

<p>
[quote]
Momrath, you mention "plenty of reasons not to choose Williams." Would you care to enumerate?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sure. It all comes down to fit. *In comparison to another college *Williams may be "too small, too remote, too sporty, too apolitical, too cold, too co-ed, too moderate, too social, too cow-obsessed, too White, too academically rigorous, too rural, too outdoorsy, too pre-professional, too fashion starved, too artsy, too snowbound, too Christian, too far from a decent mall..." </p>

<p>To me these are all valid considerations in choosing a college. Reaction to Williams is often visceral and often illogical, but I never argue with the kids. If you don't like Williams, fine, there are so many other good choices out there.</p>

<p>However, I would take exception with the fear that racism, sexism, homophobia or excessive substance abuse would negatively color the college experierce at Williams. To me these wouldn't be valid reasons not to choose Williams. Do these issues exist? Yes, of course. Do they overwhelm the many, many positives of a Williams education. No, absolutely not.</p>

18

<p>"too Christian"? Maybe compared to a Jewish school or something ... but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of Williams students would self-describe as atheists or agnostics.</p>

19

<p>jeke, my list was mostly tongue in cheek though I have heard all of these reasons, to some degree, as negatives in comparison to other schools.</p>

<p>Although it's long-gone, Williams does retain vestiges of its former male WASP culture. Some see this as tradition (good); some see it as entitlement (bad). </p>

<p>The mother of a Grinnell student recently told me that Paganism was big trend on that campus. "They dance around trees!" she said. She had to remind her son not to try it in the real world. :)</p>

20

<p>Momrath, obviously, Williams has much to offer, but "beauty is [definitely] in the eye of the beholder!" I imagine kids can come up with all kinds of reasons, and some may be more difficult for us as parents to understand! ;-) Thanks!</p>