What is the etiquette for the Goodrich line? I find it so annoying when people spend forever talking to the barista when the line is long, but I don’t want to be rude if I know the barista myself.
Prioritize moving the line above all else. No one likes the stress of having to calculate if you will make an 8:30 a.m. class with an iced latte in hand when you get to Goodrich at 7:48. If you absolutely need to chit-chat, you can always settle for a quick, “Hey, how are you?” (in the rhetorical way, not like you actually care) and then go straight into your order. No time wasted. Keep that line rolling.
I grew up in NYC, and now I am in the middle of nowhere. Feeling culture shock. How should I adjust?
Girl, you and every other Eph. Call this place Little NYC for real. I think there are lots of reasons why so many NYC Ephs choose Williams. 1) No rats. 2) Open clean air. 3) Green space (aside from Central Park). 4) Friendlier people. 5) A chance to wear their $250 Patagonia raincoat and $200 Blundstones and look cool and granola and not like an idiot. Embrace these things, and by the end of your four years, you will feel out of place in NYC instead of Williamstown.
Zach from Spring Street Market knows my name. I’m embarrassed that everyone will now know I go there all the time. How can I rectify this?
Ephelia knows a lot, but Zach knows all. You’ve just got to play it off like you are a really good customer and not like you are afraid of eating alone in the dining hall. Say hi to everyone everywhere you go out to eat. Then maybe your friends will just think you are really friendly. Another option is changing your name every time you go to Spring Street Market. No one will be able to keep up with that one, and everyone will probably just be confused but not ask you any more questions.
I hate hiking. I hate the outdoors. I hate dirt. But, most of all, I hate missing out on things. What should I do for Mountain Day? I like eating doughnuts and vibing, but I don’t want to be miserable hiking.
Well, the good news is that there are plenty of options for people in it just for the vibes. What no one tells you is that the Mountain Day hikes are intense. You can go up Stone Hill and see the a cappella groups perform up there, but unfortunately, in Williams language that only counts as an amateur stroll, not a hike. In recent years, they have also offered an option of taking a bus to the bottom of the mountain instead of having to hike. There you can enjoy doughnuts and cider without the burden of hiking. It’s all vibes and not even that dirty! That is the #EpheliaApproved option.
Who is Mark Hopkins, and why is he always on that log?
Mark Hopkins was president of the College from 1836 to 1872, not to be confused with Mark Hopkins, current professor of computer science. Legend has it that someone said the ideal college is Mark Hopkins on one side of the log and a student on the other. In my opinion, the logs on campus have bad back support and are too low to the ground. I am not sure Mark Hopkins would settle for this.
