Well played, Mr. Shapiro. Well played.

Over the weekend, a college friend came for a visit. I took this as an excuse to go for a walk through the new student center at Williams College. New Baxter Hall (not the true name of the building, but that is definitely how I think of it) is an impressive venue. The public spaces are very nice, and seemed quite comfortable. The building was largely empty -- although another acquaintance of mine, who works for Williams Dining Services, offered us a brief cook's tour of the kitchen, which was an added behind the scenes bonus -- so it was hard to tell how the building serves the needs of its target audience.

I'm also not sure about the enormous fireplace(s) in the center of the great hall. They look nice, to be sure, but it's hard to tell how conducive they will be to social engagement. I suspect students may gravitate to the basement-level pub (especially in the wake of the Spring Street fire that has taken the Purple Pub out of commission), or to the snack bar, although I will not be disappointed to learn my assessment was incorrect. Indeed, I will note that I saw notices for fireside storytelling, which suggests that the students will find their own ways of putting a stamp on the building, and of making the most of what is available to them (which, again, is just a hell of a lot).

While none of the administrative or organizational offices were open, it was clear just by peering through the that the occupants had some very nice spaces in which -- and with which to work. In particular, the Chaplain's Office looked very nice, as did the space devoted to The Williams Record, which looked like it just might be the envy of any major newsroom.

In terms of alumni nostalgia, I was particularly taken with the New Baxter snack bar. Located in the curved front section of the building, the new snack bar has much of the same architectural feeling of the original snack bar. More importantly, the design team did an absolutely bang-up job recreating the overall feel of the place, using tables and booth designs that were very similar to what existed in the Baxter of old. Again, it's hard to tell much standing in an empty room; the true test of the space will be to experience it when it is filled with students -- although won't that make me feel old? -- but if first impressions count for anything, then color me impressed.