Thanks for coming! We are The Gale, a group of alumni and friends dedicated to the success and integrity of our beloved alma mater, the College of William & Mary.
If you’re in Williamsburg for Homecoming this weekend, welcome. Campus is beautiful this time of year, the weather looks to be excellent, and if you haven’t visited in a while, we especially recommend you check out:
- Hearth, a powerful and stirring memorial to W&M’s enslaved people, located off Jamestown Road near College Circle;
- A brand-new PBK and a slick new Tucker Hall;
- Plus the 2024-25 CAA Championship banner for W&M women’s basketball, to be installed in the Kaplan Arena rafters on Saturday morning.
But you won’t see anybody calling us “The College of William & Mary.”
Since 2014, W&M has avoided using “The College” to refer to the whole institution. In recent years, it’s been using the word “university” as often as possible. They’re trying to erase our distinctiveness.
William & Mary has, of course, been a university longer than any other American institution. But for more than 300 years hence, we have proudly called ourselves a College nevertheless. That fact alone gives our name matchless integrity.
“The College” signifies convivial scholarship, intimate size and a strongly woven community. Hundreds of thousands of students, faculty, staff and alumni have gathered here in thought and service, in struggle and in celebration. We’re gathering right now. Calling ourselves a “public research university” — the current styling — says none of that. Even though we are one, that language belongs to other places. It’s not ours, and it doesn’t distinguish us. “The College” — and all it entails — heralds our special character. We must hold onto it.
If this resonates with you, please join our mailing list. We promise fewer than 10 emails per year, we will not provide your address to anyone else for any reason ever, and we solicit no donations.
If you got here thanks to one of our little calling cards, please leave it somewhere new for someone else to find.
But most importantly: We know there are many (so many) more important and deeply concerning things happening in higher education, in our cities, around our country and across the world. Please spend your time and energy where they matter most and take care of yourself along the way. If you still have a moment for W&M after that, join us. Happy Homecoming, everybody. Take care of our College.
Image credit: u/facerealityalready via Reddit
