On the Log

James A. Garfield, Class of 1856, and former U.S. president, is known to have once said, “The ideal college is Mark Hopkins on one end of a log and a student on the other.” Now, that legendary quote—a metaphor for the distinctiveness of a Williams education—is at the heart of a wide-ranging new initiative for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Led by professors Edan Dekel and Christopher Nugent, On the Log invites the Williams community to play with themes and ideas that explore the mythos of the log. Courses, lectures, performances and other activities throughout the year will consider the value of face-to-face conversation, the power of place, and the enduring impact of direct and sustained engagement in every facet of a Williams education.

Dekel and Nugent—who distributed hand-cut, miniature wooden logs to the campus community—say that, by inviting students, faculty, staff and alumni to reimagine the proverbial log for the present moment, “the initiative will inspire thoughtful and creative reflection on how Williams animates our shared exploration of the human experience in all its varied aspects.”

Dekel, chair of the classics department and professor of ancient languages, and Nugent, professor of Chinese, co-led The Book Unbound, a collegewide initiative in 2014-2015 that centered around the theme of books, libraries and information inspired by the new Sawyer Library.