Religion & Spirituality

CLiA Community Outreach Summer Fellowship

This paid summer program trains a small team of Williams students to help build better community service and experiential learning opportunities at Williams.  The selected rising Sophomores and Juniors are initially oriented to the Berkshires and trained in key skill areas before spending the balance of their time immersed and leading others in community engagement work.  This 8-week, 35-hour/week position reports to the CLiA Director.

Additional Information & Application:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/community-outreach-summer-fellowship

 

Great Ideas Committee

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Luke Baumann ([email protected])
Meeting Time/Place: College Council Suite, time according to members’ schedule

The Great Ideas Committee solicits ideas from the community to improve student life at Williams. These ideas can be conveniences (such as installing water fountains or buying chargers for the library), policy changes, improved communication systems, or anything else, though the scope of the projects is generally smaller than the larger policy questions debated by College Council or faculty committees. We draw from the CC Projects fund.

Website

Healing Hands

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Taylor Jackvony ([email protected]), Kevin Mercadante ([email protected]), Jesse Rodriguez ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Fr. Gary Caster ([email protected])
Meeting Time/Place: Wednesday evenings, Griffin 3

We founded our group last fall as a means of fostering an active pre-medical community on campus. Our goal is to engage in local service projects aimed at understanding and assisting health care concerns in Berkshire County. Last year, our group hosted a community event in which doctors, nurses, and patients from North Adams Regional Hospital as well as Williams professors and other community members spoke to the Williams community about the impact that the closing of the hospital had on the area and about what Williams student and faculty could do to assist in re-establishing services at the hospital. We also hosted local doctors and alums to speak to pre-medical students on campus about their professions and about the many complexities of patient care. Next year, we hope to continue to host doctors in these informal Q&A sessions and to volunteer at a local free medical clinic.

InterFaith

Student Leaders: Giovanni DiRusso
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Seth Wax
Meeting Time/Place: Once a week 5:30-6:30 PM, Mission Dining Hall

InterFaith serves as a discussion group and mediating body for individuals and groups of various faith backgrounds and life philosophies on campus. We aim to provide a safe and intellectually engaging space for people of different worldviews to come together to discuss themes they may encounter form their different backgrounds. We also offer resources on and access to various forms of faith-based and faith-related community service and activism. Finally, we plan to collaborate with the Chaplain’s Office to facilitate discussion between various other groups of faith on campus.

Muslim Student Union

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


We provide a space for the spiritual and cultural enrichment of all Muslims on campus, regardless of degree of worship. We also partner with other faith and MinCo groups to foster cultural exchange and to unite members of different backgrounds. Our events range from weekly congregational prayer to campus-wide potlucks; from speaker events to movie nights. The MSU is committed to serving the Williams community with absolute inclusiveness. Everyone—regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation—is welcome in the MSU space at all times.

Sikh Student Association

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


The Sikh Student Association is a religious group for members of the Williams College community to practice, express, and embody the Sikh faith. We plan to hold prayers, spread awareness of Sikhism, and do community service as prescribed by the Sikh principle of Seva. We plan to enact these goals through panels, interfaith dialogue, awareness events, and celebration of holidays that hold importance to the Sikh community.

Williams College Gospel Choir

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


We are a Christian-based, student-led music group that fosters love and compassion among the members of the choir through song. Every semester the choir host a concert where we ask the community to join us in song. We extend beyond the Williams campus and engage with the community around us, performing at local churches and events; people of all faiths or no faith are invited to join.

Williams College Jewish Association

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


WCJA is a pluralistic Jewish organization that hosts many cultural and educational activities along with religious events. Our main goal is to create a strong Jewish community on campus.

Williams Secular Community

Student Leaders: Coly Elhai ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Colin Adams
Meeting Time/Place: Tuesdays 6 PM, Paresky

The purpose of the group is to build an inclusive community of agnostics, atheists, and all skeptics to socialize and connect in a variety of ways. We also aim to create a safe, non-religious space for anyone to engage in fulfilling discussions of their personal lives, current events, religion, life philosophy, or anything else. We do this through regular dinners and discussions that are open to everyone.