I will not stay silent in the face of intimidation. Following an op-ed by Jonah Garnick ’23 last week, issues of the Record smeared with paint that resembled bloody handprints were found almost entirely covering the entrance to the Record office and around Paresky Center. To me, the move suggested that “blood was on the hands” of those who agreed with Jonah’s argument and those who published it. My initial reaction to the above was fear. People who want to freely express themselves at this college should not expect to face bloody hands around the buildings they relax in or their office. These newspapers-turned-posters told me that my opinions are not welcome. They told me that if I speak out, I should fear a similar response. They told me to hide, to retreat into a corner, and to remain silent. I view these blood-smeared newspapers as an intimidation tactic, and I will not give the act legitimacy by allowing fear to strike my heart.
That those who posted the newspapers were anonymous tells me that there are members of the community who are unwilling to engage in open discourse and who will not take ownership of their actions. The fact that the targets of the message — the Record and those who agree with Jonah’s article — exist within the Williams community as well tells me that these people are willing to intimidate even their fellow community members.
As a Jew, a Williams student, and a supporter of the Jewish state and Jewish self-determination, I needed time to process the horrific attacks by the terrorist group Hamas on innocent Israelis and others in southern Israel on Oct. 7. I was especially distraught that there were some people who justified and even celebrated the acts of Hamas. Upon my return to campus, I started to grieve and heal with the Jewish community. We even met to heal as an entire Williams community at an interfaith vigil on the steps of Chapin Hall on Oct. 16. We recited the mourner’s kaddish together to mourn the many lives lost in Israel and in Gaza. At the end of the vigil, Reverend Valerie Bailey Fischer said that “quiet is paying attention and waiting, which is a great position to be in to listen and to support each other.”
I was initially scared to speak out — afraid of potential responses that would make me feel afraid to exist in my own community — and content with the quiet being a position to receive support from others. Jonah’s article broke the silence, and since the bloody papers tell me that I should be afraid to voice my opinion, I too must speak up.
I mourn innocent Gazans killed during the war, and I understand that people are responding to that violence, which is traumatic. However, sending intimidating messages is not only unproductive but also unacceptable. While I recognize that their anonymous nature may have risen from a fear of being doxxed, I still believe responding anonymously rejects open discourse, keeping our community from healing and finding common ground. To then comment about the content and the anonymity of the bloody newspapers together, if their only intention was to intimidate, then the act is deplorable; if not, then the anonymity does our community a disservice.
If we are to heal as a community, we must engage in open discourse. I believe that the Record has allowed us to move towards healing by sharing our perspectives and giving other members of our community an opportunity to discuss those opinions further. Without the latter, we will never heal. After I read Jonah’s piece, I read the op-ed from Julian Speyer ’24. While I don’t share every sentiment that Julian’s argument puts forth, I’m glad that I can read his opinions and know he openly stands behind his words. The bloody papers, on the other hand, make me ashamed to be in a community with members who are not willing to heal through open discourse but rather wish to intimidate.
I also write to make my opinion known to the administration. President of the College Maud S. Mandel wrote to each of us in her Oct. 12 email explaining that she had not commented on the terror attacks in Israel because she wants “to focus [her] energy on caring for students in the moments that are important to [us].” President Mandel, there are students who need that care now. This is no longer a matter of commenting on an international event; there are at least some members of the Jewish community who are scared because of actions perpetrated by some in the Williams College community.
A college campus is no place for intimidation. Such actions should be called out for what they are. Dean of the College Gretchen Long’s email on Oct. 20, presumably responding to the bloody newspapers, failed to acknowledge their intimidating nature and offered no words of care or reassurance for students who might have felt fear as a result of them. Even if valid contact information — which, per Dean Long’s email, can be an anonymous email address — were present on the bloody hands, I would still feel unwelcome. Not recognizing the fear-instilling aspect of the bloody newspapers permits such actions to happen again.
To our administration: Lead by example. Show us that we can stand against all attempts at instilling fear in our community members and that we should not allow ourselves to be scared into silence.
I expect there to be people in this community who oppose my views. I request those who do to challenge my arguments through civil discourse. I write this piece in order to share my views and support an exchange of ideas in an effort to allow for us to heal as a community.
Noah Cape ’25 is a mathematics major from Seattle, Wash.
