From the President

Many of my conversations with alumni lately follow a general pattern: “I love Williams. But what in the world is going on in higher education?”

Their questions are sparked by headlines about protests and significant disruptions on other campuses. I tell them—and I want you to know, too—that students at Williams are having a more varied and rich experience than the headlines suggest. Crossing campus on any given day, I see students socializing while doing statistics or sociology homework on the lawn; planning a fundraiser or student organization meeting in Paresky lounge; jogging, biking or playing Frisbee; or perching their laptops on the colorful new outdoor furniture gifted to Williams by a generous member of our extended community.

Does this mean Williams isn’t experiencing the kind of student angst and activism the media is reporting from other campuses? No, our students aren’t categorically different from their peers elsewhere. But I would frame the issue differently.

Going into election season, for example, many Williams students participated in voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts, attended events and lectures (often asking lots of questions!) and, yes, organized demonstrations or advocacy while also completing their schoolwork and engaging in sports or other co-curriculars. It is a duty and a privilege to support them in their whole-life development, teaching them to use their voices and their intellects while respecting the equal rights of others.

There are plenty of challenges for any of us to be concerned about in the world. The central question of life in a democracy is not whether to speak up about them, a right guaranteed to all of us, but how to balance one’s strongly felt views with respect for the equal humanity of others—including those who disagree with us. Our ability to teach this balance depends on recognizing that nobody is just their party affiliation, political viewpoint or identity.

This fall, the Williams events calendar has been peppered—as it should be—with campus programs and guest lectures on the election and other national and global affairs. I’m glad our community is tackling these issues, and I’ll continue to support serious, thought-provoking programming. The same calendar also lists numerous thesis presentations, art exhibitions and athletics competitions, a cappella auditions and movie nights and spiritual gatherings.

As I write this, despite all the challenges the world is throwing at us right now, I can look out my office window on any given day, in any direction, and take pride in the fact that the Purple Valley still contains multitudes.