<p>I was asked in a recent letter how Williams differed culturally from Amherst. </p>
<p>Many cite how more athletic the feel of Williams College is when compared to Amherst. I find that Amherst does equally well, but the appellation remains with Williams.</p>
<p>At Williams the isolation challenges us students to actively engage the college as their is no consortium or sprawling urban area to depend upon. There is no social environment outside of the school itself. Williamstown is an outgrowth of Williams College. Additionally, the historical and traditional roots embedded in the founding of the college lends itself in a manner distinctively divergent from Amherst’s more alternative revolutionary and experimental engagements. Being a strident sibling to Williams, Amherst strove to be different from Williams, even after their bitter separation, and became rivals to one another.</p>
<p>At Williams the Williams-Exeter programme reflects the ties of the old world with the new. Its 4-1-4 program is modeled on a more European centered academic year. Our school prides itself as being the progenitor of many firsts among the colleges within our nation, and perceives itself as the historical and traditional voice among LAC’s.</p>
<p>Both choices are great, but I preferred the pastoral provincial environment of Williams to the urbane consortium setting of Amherst. There is something romantic about the Williams environment that cannot be equalled or rivaled by any environment I am familiar with. </p>
<p>Now off to lunch with my Ephs.</p>