Slideshow: This Month at Bates

By Phyllis Graber Jensen —
Published on May 7, 2019

We submit these images as evidence: Spring has arrived, albeit a bit late, to Bates. You’ll see it on the Quad, Alumni Walk, and the playing fields. Anywhere there is grass, trees, or water, you’ll experience the season.

It’s Short Term, and work in and out of the classroom continues with energy and purpose. And there’s a crescendo coming, too, as students begin to receive end-of-the-year recognition for their work.

Spring Catch Up

After a week of rain, a warm and sunny day filled with the sights and sounds of spring. "We're enjoying the first day that actually says like Short Term, says Anais Ranque ‘21, a double major in music and psychology from Vesenaz, Switzerland, as she tosses a tennis ball with Jake Bart '21, a psychology major from New York City. The two took to the lawn outside of of 280 College Street, where, like many of their classmates, they soaked up the Monday afternoon sun. "It's been a long, cold winter," Bart said.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

“We’re enjoying the first day that actually feels like Short Term,” says Anais Ranque ‘21, a double major in music and psychology from Vesenaz, Switzerland, as she tosses a tennis ball with Jake Bart ’21, a psychology major from New York City.

The two sophomores, and many others, took to the lawn outside 280 College Street to soak up the afternoon sun.

Educational Conference

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

Educational Conference

During a campus symposium showcasing the work of Bates education students, Sarah Rothmann ’19 (right) of Andover, Mass., listens to Anais Gonzalez ’20 of Hanford, Calif., talk about her internship with KIDS Legal, a program of Pine Tree Legal Assistance that addresses the needs of low-income Maine children.

The internship, part of a Purposeful Work infusion course in education, allowed Gonzalez to create a proposal to local school districts on diversity, tolerance, and inclusion.

Great Falls

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

Spring rain and mountain snowmelt create a roaring Androscoggin River at the Great Falls between Lewiston and Auburn.

The Raking Begins Here

“It’s nice to be outside. And it’s nice to give back to the campus too.” . — Economics major Mike Somma of Colts Neck, N.J., on why he has signed up to help Facility Services freshen up campus during Short Term. . Others pictured include campus horticulturist Mike Fox, grounds worker Jeremy Lavertu, Henry Buckley ‘19, Sam Hastings ‘19, Ruth van Kampen ‘19, Will Sanders ‘19, Michael Somma ‘19, Zach Guion ‘19 and Benjamin Powell ‘22.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

“It’s nice to be outside. And it’s nice to give back to the campus too,” says economics major Mike Somma ’19 of Colts Neck, N.J. Somma has signed on to help Facility Services with a huge job: the annual spring work to rake flowerbeds, lay down mulch, and do general campus cleanup during Short Term.

50 Years of Dance

As part of the celebration of 50 Years of Bates Dance, the Bates Dance Archives Interactive Exhibition, set up in Gannett Theater, was curated by Sara Hollenberg '19 (black tank top), a double major in dance and mathematics from Stamford, Conn., and Rebecca Howard '19 (black long sleeved shirt) of Aspen, Colo,, a double major in art and visual culture and religious studies (with a minor in dance) Sara: I think one of the most important things about this, for me has been recognizing both the depth and the breadth of what the Bates dance program has been. And also, you know, we lost our founder a couple years ago. And so this has been another way to sort of weave her memory in, in a permanent sense. And reminding people of that. Rebecca: I think it's also a lot about showing how connected the generations of dance are, how we've all had all these experience with a lot of great professors and we all know the other, like reunion class year, and we get to meet older alums and especially we can see it through pictures and costumes that like, there are things -- like I'm looking at those pants that are right there. And somebody wears them every year in a concert just because they're so popular, and everyone gets to come here and bond and be like, I wore the pants. I wore the pants. I wear the pants and it's this great experience where you have this community that is your class and the classes around you. And then you get to add to that with all these other alums who have shared the same awesome experience. Sara: The network is really incredible and super important and very much a part of what it means to be a Bates dancer and in that community

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

In Gannett Theater, Sara Hollenberg ’19 of Stamford, Conn., makes last-minute adjustments to costumes that she and Rebecca Howard ’19 of Snowmass, Colo., curated for an interactive dance archives exhibition. The project left Howard impressed by “both the depth and the breadth of what the Bates dance program has been.”

Hollenberg is a double major in dance and mathematics; Howard is a double major in art and visual culture and religious studies with a minor in dance.

Elective Reading

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

A beautiful May day on Alumni Walk finds Charlotte Collins ’22 (left) of Woolwich, Maine, and Catherine Butler ’22 of Galax, Va., enjoying “the perfect opportunity to read books for pleasure,” says Butler.

Let the Building Begin

Theophil Syslo/Bates College

President Clayton Spencer (left) joins Michael Bonney ’80 and Alison Grott Bonney ’80 for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site of the new Bonney Science Center, now under construction on Campus Avenue at Nichols and Bardwell streets.

Later the Bates community gathered in Memorial Commons for a celebratory reception to honor the Bonney family.

Shark Tank

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

As part of a Shark Tank–style presentation, So Kim ’21 of Thornhill, Canada, and Jack Arend ’20 of Newfields, N.H., pitch their idea for a rewards-based recess program at a local elementary school.

Their presentation was part of a course on sport and exercise psychology, taught by lecturer Su Langdon, in which students engaged with community partners to created viable and relevant programs for each partner.

Cause for Celebration

Bates defeats Bowdoin 3-2 at Bates on April 19,2019.

Theophil Syslo/Bates College

Christian Beal ’21 (No. 2) of Flossmoor, Ill., and his baseball teammates celebrate a 3-2 win over Bowdoin in April.

Community Leader

Bates Harward Center for Community Partnerships Annual Award CelebrationElijah McLean '20 of Providence, R.I., Harward Center Award for Outstanding Community Volunteerism and Student Leadership

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

The Harward Center for Community Partnerships honored Ellijah McLean ’20 of Providence, R.I., with one of its 2019 Outstanding Community Volunteerism and Student Leadership awards.

McLean has displayed “extraordinary commitment” in his work to have a “transformational effect on young men in this community,” said Ellen Alcorn, director of the Harward Center’s Bonner Leader Program and assistant director of community-engaged learning.

Fantastic Forehand

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

All-American Jacob Kauppila ’20 of Chesterfield, Mo., defeated his Middlebury opponent in straight sets in a home match at the Wallach Tennis Center.

STEM Coach

Professor of Biology April Hill in her Carnegie Science Lab, Room 404, training two "new scientists." “For me, it’s like being a coach," she says. Names forthcoming. The two students in the lab with Hill are Sara King ’21 of Newton Center, Mass., and Jasmine Nutakki ’21 of Augusta, Maine. Hill says: “They were learning to use a technique called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify genes from freshwater sponges. Both students (and some others) will be working over short term on a project funded by my NSF grant to study the gene networks involved in animal:algal symbioses. In this case, the animals are sponges and the algae are Chlorella.”

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

“For me, it’s like being a coach,” says April Hill, Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM, as she works with young biology students, including Sara King ’21 of Newton Center, Mass., in her Carnegie Science lab.

Taking the Higher Ground

Bates students visit Damariscotta to meet with the town manager and talk about sea level rise and climate change impacts while participating in Lynne Lewis and Francis Eanes short term course 'In Search of Higher Ground' on May 1, 2019. In Search of Higher Ground: Sea Level Rise, Coastal Flooding and the Future of the Eastern Seaboard Climate change, increased storm frequency and intensity, and sea level rise have created an urgent need for adaptation planning for many communities along the U.S. eastern seaboard. In this course students examine adaptation strategies and vulnerability assessments with a goal of understanding social and economic vulnerability and the complexities of coastal retreat. Utilizing climate adaptation planning tools, mapping technology, and on the ground observation, students examine adaptation strategies including managed retreat, buyouts, living shorelines, and and green infrastructure. Students consider the current and future role of FEMA’s national flood insurance program as a major mechanism for incentivizing resilient or reckless coastal development. Based in experiential learning, students engage in discussions with experts, practitioners, and residents in highly vulnerable coastal areas in Maine, as well a ten-day trip to coastal communities in Virginia and North Carolina. Recommended background: ECON 250 or other statistics course. Prerequisite(s): ECON 101 or 222, or ENVR 209. New course beginning Short Term 2019. 1.000 Credit hours

Theophil Syslo/Bates College

Bates students in a Short Term course examining sea-level rise along the East Coast visit Damariscotta, Maine, to meet with Town Manager Matt Lutkus (at left center, wearing a green shirt) to discuss the impact of rising water on this community situated on a tidal river. The course is team-taught by Elmer Campbell Professor of Economics Lynne Lewis and Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Francis Eanes.

Floating Their Boat

After a week of rain, a warm and sunny day filled with the sights and sounds of spring. "I feel really bad because a polar bear doesn't belong on the Bates Puddle." -- Matt Clayton of Wayland, Mass., who with his friends bought the blowup boat online in November. They plan to be out on the Puddle, where thy have installed an orange buoy to anchor the craft, every nice day they get. They rationalize that by floating around on a Bowdoin mascot, they are "sitting on top of Bowdoin." Sitting alone without oars and white hat: Jackson Elkins '22 of Deerfield, Mass., Nic Stathos '22 of Wellesley Hills, Mass., and Matt Clayton '22 of Wayland, Mass. Fourth to join the boat: Max Bartley '22 of Presque Isle, Maine, sits on far right.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

Hanging out in their inflatable craft are first-years Jackson Elkins, Nic Stathos, Matt Clayton, and Max Bartley. They plan to take their boat onto the water each warm and sunny day during Short Term.

Dodge That Ball

Moments from the 2nd Annual Student vs Faculty Dodgeball Tournament at the Grey Cage on April 26, 2019. The tournament is a fundraiser and raised $536 for the food pantry at Farewell Elementary School.

Theophil Syslo/Bates College

Jared Schell ’21 of Media, Pa., lets loose during a student-vs.-faculty dodgeball tournament in the Gray Athletic Building. The fundraiser netted $536 for the food pantry at Farwell Elementary School.

Walking and Talking

“Community engaged learning and working with the Harward Center have been central to my time at Bates. I have met some of my closest friends and mentors by working and living in such a welcoming community. Lewiston offers the chance to meet, interact with, and learn from an amazing group of people.” . — Dylan Metsch-Ampel ‘19, an environmental studies major and Bonner community leader from Montclair, N.J., leads a walking tour of historic downtown Lewiston for newly admitted members of the Class of 2023. . Metsch-Ampel ‘19, whose senior thesis focused on Lewiston's Kennedy Park, discussed the Bates mission to advance the greater good along side the college's community partners.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

“Community-engaged learning and working with the Harward Center have been central to my time at Bates,” says Dylan Metsch-Ampel ’19, an environmental studies major and Bonner community leader from Montclair, N.J., as he leads a walking tour of historic downtown Lewiston for newly admitted members of the Class of 2023.

Lewiston, he says, offers the “chance to meet, interact with, and learn from an amazing group of people. I’ve met some of my closest friends and mentors by working and living in such a welcoming community.”

Androscoggin Dream

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

“It’s a dream,” says Peter Steenstra, head rowing coach at Bates, of this stretch of the Androscoggin River in Greene that Bates rowers call home.

The late-April practice session led to a victorious President’s Regatta for the Bobcats three days later.

Personal Best

Bates women's track and field placed second of eight teams at a heptathlon competition on the Russell Street Track on April 20, 2019.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

Ayden Eickhoff ’19 of Corvallis, Mont., won the 400-meter dash in a personal-best time of 57.64 seconds. She’s now No. 3 on Bates’ all-time performance list and, in 2019, among the top 30 athletes in NCAA Division III in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meters.

Hanging on Alumni Walk

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

The hammocks were out in full force on a May afternoon as the sun warmed hearts and minds.

Environmental Portrait

The Committee on Environmental Responsibility hear from Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Geoff Swift that the college essentially has reached carbon neutrality.Tom Twist

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

Tom Twist, the college’s sustainability manager, attends a recent Committee on Environmental Responsibility meeting in Commons.

Creative Outlet

Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

“I love pottery because it gives my brain a creative outlet,” says biology major Bobby Dee ’19 of White Horse Beach, Mass., who set up outside of Commons to sell his ceramic arts.