Upcoming Events

We have an exciting slate of events planned for Spring 2024. Keep an eye out for upcoming lectures, concerts, dining, and social events!

Faculty Club Lecture: Social Media and the 2024 Elections

A talk with Ethan Zuckerman ’93

Friday, April 5th at 4:15 pm, Faculty House Lower Lounge

Please join us for a talk about the challenges of studying the current social media landscape, why that’s dangerous for the upcoming elections, and what could be done to fix it.
Ethan Zuckerman ’93 is Associate Professor of Information, Communication and Public Policy at University of Massachusetts Amherst, and directs the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure. He is the author of Rewire (2013), Mistrust (2021) and co-author of the Illustrated Guide to Social Media (forthcoming in 2024 from MIT Press). He and his family live in Lanesboro, MA.

Friendly Fridays!

April 5th, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm

● Halal Mini Chicken & Waffles w/ Maple Dijon
● Bruschetta w/ Tomato, Basil, Olive Oil and
Parmesan Cheese
● Spinach and Feta Triangles
● Tortilla Chips and Salsa
● Iced Oatmeal Cookies
● Coffee, tea, and decaf; cash bar

 

Spring Chamber Music Concert Series

Monday, April 8th at 5:30 pm

Concerts featuring student ensembles in the Williams Chamber Music Department were incredibly popular in the Fall ’23 semester. We are delighted to bring them back in 2024 for a series of three concerts. Light refreshments and a cash bar. This event is free and open to the public.

If you have ideas for future programs please contact [email protected], and we will check them out.

Past Programming:

  • March 4th, 2024, Chamber Music Department Student Concert: About 40 faculty, staff, community members and students enjoyed another of our highly popular evenings of music from Williams’ student chamber ensembles.
  • March 1st, 2024, Friendly Friday: More than 50 club members were on hand to celebrate the coming of spring with lively chats and zesty meatballs!
  • February 10th, 2024, Cupid’s Culinary Feast: 45 club members enjoyed a four-course gourmet meal during the club’s premier dining event.
  • February 2nd, 2024, Friendly Friday: More than 40 club members braved the cold to enjoy yummy appetizers and good company!
  • January 24th, 2024, Chamber Music Department Student Concert: Nearly 50 attendees enjoyed a rousing evening of music from Williams’ student chamber music ensembles.
  • January 13th, 2024, Family Friendly Club Pizza Party! More than 70 club members and little ones enjoyed pizza and ice cream plus face painting, crafts, games and more! Thanks to the Office of Spouses & Partners for their contribution to this event.
  • January 12th, 2024, Friendly Friday: 55 club members turned out to enjoy a delicious appetizer menu and good company!
  • December 1st, 2023, Friendly Friday: About 40 club members made the wise decision to spend a rainy start to December in front of a roaring fire at the Faculty House!
  • November 13th, 2023, Chamber Music Department Student Concert: Nearly 40 attendees enjoyed a delightful evening of music from Williams’ student chamber music ensembles.
  • November 3rd, 2023, Friendly Friday: 60 attendees celebrated Fall with a delicious Thanksgiving themed menu.
  • October 30th, 2023, Chamber Music Department Student Concert: More than 35 attendees enjoyed a stirring performance from these remarkable students. Don’t miss another performance on Monday, Nov. 13th!
  • October 13th, 2023, Friendly Friday: A good number of attendees chose to end a beautiful Mountain Day day with us.
  • September 15th, 2023, Friendly Friday: was attended by 74 lively people, including 52 faculty staff and retirees. Everyone enjoyed delicious appetizers and had lots of laughs and lively conversations.
  • June 19th, 2023, Artist’s Talk with Jack Leavey. Faculty Club Board Member and local artist Jack Leavey (johnleavey.com) gave a talk about his painting currently on display in the Faculty House living room, and shared stories from his fascinating life and career.
  • May 8th, 15th & 22nd, 2023, Faculty Club “Chip & Sip” Golf Nights at Waubeeka. A dozen intrepid Club members learned how to putt, chip & drive on three consecutive beautiful evenings. Many thanks to Erik Tiele and the staff at Waubeeka Golf Links!
  • May 12th, 2023, May Friendly Friday & Faculty Club Annual Meeting
  • April 19th, 2023, Williams Chamber Ensembles Concert. About 20 community members, staff, and students enjoyed a live concert featuring members of the Williams College student Chamber Music Ensembles.
  • March 3rd, 2023, Friendly Friday. An amazing 90 members turned out to sample sparkling cider from Berkshire Cider Project.
  • February 11th, 2023, Cupid’s Culinary Feast. 50 members enjoyed a delicious gourmet meal of Surf & Turf and delightful company.
  • February 3rd, 2023, Friendly Friday. More than 50 club members braved the frigid temperatures to enjoy a delicious Lunar New Year inspired menu.
  • January 13th, 2023, Lecture with Williams College Provost, Eiko Maruko Siniawer: Waste: Consuming Postwar Japan.
  • December 14th, 2022, Lecture with Journalist James Bettner Brooke: Ukraine’s Winter War Changes The World Order.
  • December 2nd, 2022, Friendly Friday. More than 75 club members attended this final Friendly Friday of 2022. The festive menu was delicious and talented members of the Williams student chamber music ensembles were on hand to provide entertainment.
  • November 4th, 2022, Friendly Friday. More than 60 club members enjoyed a special concert by members of Williams student chamber music ensembles. Attendees were thrilled with the performance and we are excited to welcome them back in December.
  • October 14th, 2022, Family Friendly Cookout. Co-sponsored with the Williams College Spouses & Partners Office. More than 70 club members and 20 children enjoyed a gorgeous Fall afternoon with hot dogs, burgers, and cornhole! It was a lovely conclusion to Mountain Day!
  • September 2, 2022, Friendly Friday. We had a menu to warm the soul, featuring chili and cornbread. The food was plentiful and delicious! This event was attended by over 60 Faculty, Staff, Retirees, and Community members. Departments and colleagues took this opportunity to talk, have good food, and fun! Try it sometime.
  • May 20, 2022, Friendly Friday & Annual Meeting. We took this opportunity to celebrate the Club’s surviving the past 2 years. Yeah. we did it!
  • May 8, 2022, Mother’s Day Brunch. The Club co-sponsored a delicious brunch at Sweetwood of Williamstown.
  • April 8, 2022, Friendly Friday. More than 70 people enjoyed a beer tasting with local brewery, Bright Ideas. This event was attended by a lot of campus departments. Think about inviting your colleagues to a future Friendly Friday!
  • March 4, 2022, Friendly Friday. More than 60 people enjoyed the St. Patrick’s Day themed menu. Everybody was Irish on this day!
  • February 4, 2022, Friendly Friday. Legendary Williams College Football Coach Dick Farley was on hand to do a brief talk about his book: Why I never left Williams College, and did a book signing as well. A limited number of books were be on hand for purchase. We still have some left, so if you are interested email [email protected], and we will get a copy to you.
  • February 12, 2022, Cupid’s Culinary Feast. This was our first Cupid’s in two years, and both attendees and staff were excited to be having an event in person. Members enjoyed a generous discount for the delicious Surf and Turf menu. Looking forward to next year!
  • January 8, 2022, Faculty Lecture. Retired Professor Dustin Griffin ’65 P’93 ’91, presented a lecture on the subject of: The Presidency of Phinney Baxter, President of Williams College, 1937-1961 via Zoom.  This lecture was very well attended with over 100 attendees. You can view the lecture on the Williams’ YouTube channel.
  • October 1, 2021, Friendly Friday. Our first in-person event in the Faculty House in more than a year was attended by 40 members who were delighted to see one another–behind masks, yes, but at least not behind a screen!
  • October 3, 2021, Cocktail Evening at The Distillery. We hosted a cocktail evening at The Distillery at Greylock Works. Two sessions were well attended and people enjoyed host Ryan Riley, as he demonstrated his cocktail making skills.
  • October 26, 2021, Zoom Lecture with with ThinkerAnalytix, Boston-based nonprofit that teaches the skills of logical reasoning and charitable interpretation.​
  • April 9, 2021, Baby Animals Tour with Hancock Shaker Village. This Zoom event was well attended by people of all ages. Thanks so much to the staff of HSV for sharing the wonder of new life!
  • March 5, 2021, Faculty Lecture. Professor Emeritus James Carlton presented a Zoom lecture on: The Age of Plastics Meets the Age of Invasions: How Ocean Rafting, Coastal Development, and Climate Change May All Be Related. 120 people attended this very informative lecture, which you can view here.
  • Friday, January 29, 2021, Faculty Lecture. Lois Banta, Chair and Professor of Biology presented From Research Labs to Shots in Arms: What goes into developing a vaccination strategy? More than 90 people attended this webinar.
  • October 16, 2020, Faculty Lecture. Professor James McAllister, Fred Greene Third Century Professor of Political Science, continued the Faculty Club tradition by conducting a talk about the 2020 Presidential election to more than 200 attendees.  You can view a recording of talk here.
  • February 7, 2020, Friendly Friday. We celebrated Chinese New Year with the Asian Studies Department. 65 attendees were served delicious coconut shrimp and dumplings to name a few items on the menu. Special thanks to our friends in the Asian Studies Department who helped sponsor this event!
  • February 15, 2020, Cupid’s Culinary Feast was attended by 65 guests. Chef Guiden and his staff did an awesome job and the Sea Bass was the star of the meal. Kudos to Chef Guiden and  his staff!
  • January 17, 2020, Friendly Friday drew 55 cheerful attendees despite it being Winter Study and freezing cold!
  • January 7, 2020,  Abigail G. Wattley ’05, Managing Director of Williams College Investment Office, provided an update on the Williams endowment – it’s role in supporting Williams’ mission, portfolio construction, and performance.
  • December 6th, 2019 Friendly Friday, was attended by  70 guests and Julia Choi ‘20 played the piano.
  • December 12, 2019, Holiday Buffet Luncheon
  • December 3, 2019, Faculty Lecture.  Peter Low, Professor of Art, lectured about Notre Dame, its  history, significance and renovation, to a crowd of over 50. The Board is grateful for the time Prof. Low put into this amazing lecture and stunning visuals.
  • November 1, 2019, Friendly Friday, was enjoyed by @70 attendees.  We celebrated the Mexican tradition of All Souls Day ( Dia de los Muertos).  Mexican food was served and members of Ritmo Latino joined us  for a short dance performance.
  • October 23, 2019, Bowling League Open House. Snacks were provided, and bowlers signed up for teams.
  • October 4, 2019, Friendly Friday. We had an Octoberfest themed menu, and almost 70 retirees,  faculty, staff and community members enjoyed warm conversation and a fire in the fireplace!
  • May 12, 2019, Mother’s Day Brunch, Sweetwood of Williamstown. We appreciate the willingness of the gracious staff at Sweetwood to participate in programming with the Club.
  • May 10, 2019, Friendly Friday and Annual Meeting, featuring a talk/food demonstration by Darra Goldstein, Willcox B. and Harriet M. Adsit Professor of Russian, Emerita. Darra demonstrated a recipe from her new cookbook that’s coming out next winter. Read more about Darra and her remarkable career at: https://darragoldstein.com/ Darra showed us how to make 20-minute pickles. The pickles were easy and yummy, and the food selected by Darra that complimented her demonstration were delicious! This was a well-attended and fun event. Thanks Darra!
  • May 7,  2019, Faculty Lecture. Sam Edgerton, Amos Lawrence Professor of Art, Emeritus, spoke at Sweetwood of  Williamstown on the Murder of Jane McCrea, a young woman who was killed during the Revolutionary War in Fort Edward, NY. The Williams connection is James Phinney Baxter who supported the version of events in his 1887 history of Burgoyne’s campaign. The more than 30 attendees were on hand to enjoy this informative talk. Thanks Sam!
  • April 26, 2019, Friendly Friday featuring Rich King, visiting assoc. prof at Sea Education Association, formerly at Williams Mystic, who spoke about his forthcoming book about Moby Dick, Ahab’s Rolling Sea and showed an awesome power point. Doug Paisley and Andy Burr were also on hand to perform some sea shanties. The Board and the over 70 attendees appreciated their lending their time and talents to this event.
  • April 8, 2019 Fireside Chat with Presidents Mandel and Oakley who spoke on the topic of Presidential leadership – now and then, was very well attended with the Downstairs Lounge packed with students, faculty, staff, alums and community members.  The Faculty Club Board appreciates their taking time out of their busy lives to provide insight to the history of Williams over the past 50 plus years.
  • March 12, 2019 lecture by Phil McKnight, Williams Graduate, who spoke on “The Shakespeare Nobody Knows.”  Phil put a nice spin on who might or might not have been the real Shakespeare, and kept the 47 attendees glued to their seats.
  • March 1, 2019, Irish -themed Friendly Friday featured Trevor Murphy (OIT), Felix Sun (Assistant Coach of Men’s and Women’s Tennis) and Patrick Gray Sr. and Jr. (OIT) in an evening of lively entertainment with classics like ” Danny Boy”, and “The Man Who  Never Returned.” This event was attended by over 90 guests. The food was also excellent and plentiful.  The wait staff was also efficient and helpful. Thanks to all who made this an awesome event!
  • February 16, 2019, Cupid’s Culinary Feast was a great success with attendees enjoying delicious food, excellent service and fun with friends and family.
  • February 2, 2019, Tea Ceremony hosted by the Asian Studies Department at Center Stage in the ’62 Center. It was well attended and a very enjoyable time.
  • February 7, 2019, Tea and Conversation in the Faculty Club Living Room.  Around 25 attendees had delicious tea and tea sandwiches and enjoyed gathering around the fireplace for warm conversation.
  • December 4, 2018, Dustin Griffin lectured at Sweetwood of Williamstown on the topic: An Introduction to Paradise Lost: the Greatest Poem in the English Language. About 35 people attended, both residents of Sweetwood and community members.  The staff at Sweetwood did a great job hosting the talk and provided lovely refreshments.
  • Faculty Club members had a great time Thursday evenings in July and August 2018 partnering with our colleagues from the Williams College Museum of Art. For more information on WCMA programming go to: https://wcma.williams.edu/

Emails wanted!
If you would like your email added to the club’s listserv please email us at [email protected]. Even if someone else in your household has their email on the list, you may add your own to make sure you receive all messages and newsletters.

Benefits of Membership
We know in this tough economy we are all paying more attention to where our money goes. The cost of goods and services is going up all the time, and this affects the Faculty Club too. The staff and board work together constantly, striving to offer to its membership quality and variety, while keeping the cost to you down. As a member, you receive value every time you participate in an activity at the club. From the wide array of treats at Friendly Friday to low-cost, delicious lunches, to  stimulating presentations and splendid meals at the wide array of evening events regularly presented, members’ fun, food, and fellowship are all subsidized by the Faculty Club Board. We encourage you to come out and participate in as many activities as possible, and make the most of your membership.

Reservation/Cancellation Reminder
Club Policy requires that members be charged for reserved events unless they cancel their reservation 48 hours prior to the scheduled event, unless otherwise noted.