Paresky Lawn is the center of the campus. During warmer months, students often bring their lunch out onto the lawn and steps of Chapin Hall, affectionally called Paresky or Chapin “beach" by the student body.

Paresky Center is our student center. It is open 24 hours a day to students during the academic year, and serves as a hub for student life. The centerpiece of the building, Baxter Great Hall, is considered the "campus living room." The wood and slate give a feel of a modern ski lodge.

Highlights of Paresky include:
•Meeting rooms with A/V equipment and blackboards/whiteboards
•Study spaces (Class of ’58 Lounge, Henze Lounge, Quiet Room)
•Pool table on the lower level
•Paresky Auditorium: a 150-seat theater-style space with A/V equipment, a green room, and dressing room behind the stage
•The mail room for all students
•Space for campus organizations to table on the first floor

Many administrative and student offices are located on the top floor of Paresky, including:
•College Council
•The Williams Record
•Peer Health
•Chaplains' Office
•Student Life
•Williams Outing Club (WOC)
•Minority Coalition (MinCo)
•Student Activities Resource Center
•Academic Resource Center (tutors offered for every single class; no extra cost to students)

In Paresky alone, there are several popular dining options — Whitman's, Lee Snack Bar, '82 Grill and Grab n' Go. Whitman's includes a buffet-style counter with made-to-order sandwiches and salads. '82 Grill has personal pizzas, wings, soup and salad at meal times. Snack Bar and Late Night offer a wide range of food, from gelato to hamburgers to pancakes and waffles. There are three main dining halls at Williams — Whitmans' (in Paresky), Mission Park, and Driscoll. There’s also Eco Café in the Science Center.

We have some kosher, halal, vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free options.
Dining Services works closely with the Environmental Center and WRAPS (a student group that distributes surplus food to families in need) to prioritize sustainability in the dining process, alongside diversity of food options and intentionality in meal preparation.

Our food is locally sourced whenever possible and made right in our dining halls — it is never contracted or outsourced. In 2017-2018, Dining Services sourced about 17% of its food products locally; about half of dairy products, a third of eggs, and a fifth of produce were from local farms.

All first-years are on the 21-meal plan, but after your first year, smaller meal plans (14-meal plan for sophomores and juniors; 5- meal plan or the 50-meal block for seniors living off-campus/in co- ops) are available.