Coronacation

From someone in the Class of 2023 Facebook group:

This week, I received a number of strongly worded texts from the wife of a Williams professor who I’d gotten to know this year. She made it clear that she wants students to return to campus next year, but expressed concern regarding the behavior of those still on campus.

Public disregard for social distancing guidelines by those still on campus is lowering the chances that the student body will be allowed to return in 2020. Please spread the word and consider being more subtle!

These were some of her words:

“This weekend and last there have been very loud public beer pong parties at Horn Hall and Hoxey Street by the students still on campus.

These parties are not unnoticed and they are breeding distrust and ill will towards students in the community… Faculty (have) expressed similar concerns.

I’m not sure the students partying recognize they might be tanking any chance of you guys coming back in the fall.

It’s not the partying I am upset about… it’s the blatant and public hubris of flaunting guidelines that sends a message to the community that Williams students care more about fleeting self indulgence than the health and viability of the campus and community.

I personally sent a detailed message to campus leaders advocating that students return but these parties are undermining my recommendation and I might retract it if that continues…

If they continue, public, including faculty and staff opinion, will turn strongly against you guys coming back.”

If you’re still on campus or know others who are, please encourage more private/subtle ways of coming together! Being on an abandoned campus is HARD, but the administration is factoring the behavior of those remaining into their decision making process.

People in the “those who remain” groupme seem to generally agree that we shouldn’t be partying, but it’s unclear whether these “parties” were just off-campus students lounging in their front lawns, or a congregation of people from all over. Either way, it doesn’t send a positive signal to the administration who are considering if students can behave with social distancing next fall on campus.