For nearly six months now since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, Americans have been paying closer attention to colleges and universities. We have seen violent protests, speakers shouted down, and students intimidated at institutions where ideas should be argued and discussed and differences respected.
Our alma mater has been spared the worst of it, but we have seen -- and students have reported -- some troubling goings-on. An anonymous group labeling themselves "Students Against Genocide" (SAG) faulted The Record for publishing a pro-Israel editorial. A student's display remembering Israelis held hostage by Hamas was defaced.
We've invited Biology Professor Luana Maroja, one of the faculty members of our Steering Committee to join three students for a Webinar to discuss the climate for free speech and civil discourse at Williams. Please click here and register to join us on Wednesday April 10, 2024 @ 4 PM Eastern/1PM Pacific.
The students joining us will include Niko Malhotra '24, the student member of our Steering Committee, Matt Seltzer '24, the student whose display was vandalized, and Satya Benson '26 who published a smart rebuttal, to the SAG editorial, offering a strong defense of free speech.
We've also set up a Facebook group as a better means to communicate with each other and share information and articles.