Our latest in an occasional roundup of quotable Bates quotes, this time about creating community through empathy, a rookie golfer’s first-tee nerves, and the malleability of time.
“Growing community is built on growing one’s empathy, the ability to perceive the world through someone else’s eyes. Grow your empathy to understand others’ experiences to help build a broadly interconnected community. Together we are Bates.”
— Sonja Pieck, Griffith Professor of Environmental Studies, speaking to the Class of 2028 at Convocation on Sept. 3, 2024
“I mean, it’s pretty amazing. It’s been a great week, I can’t lie.”
— Men’s soccer player Benny Bogyo ’27 of Redwood City, Calif., on the first week of the season that saw Bates win two games by a combined score of 5–0 over the University of New England and Trinity
“It was the perfect balance for me: fresh air and time on the ocean as well as lab work that I’ve worked so hard to learn at Bates.”
— Hannah Burdick ‘25, a biology major from Lyme, N.H., on her summer purposeful work internship with Ocean Rainforest, a sustainable aquaculture company located off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif.
“I’ve been playing football since I was 6. Truly, the first time I stepped on the field I immediately loved it. I wouldn’t change it for everything.”
— Football linebacker Ryan Rozich ’27 of Cromwell, Conn., on his love of football
“There are so few moments in our lives where we can actually feel palpably and concretely the sensation of hope running through us. This is one of those moments. As you explore more fully who you are and what you treasure, may you hold onto this hope. Let it take the shape of kindness toward one another, courage when waters get rough, creativity when a new route needs to be imagined, and deep care for this community.”
— The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, multifaith chaplain, offering the benediction at Opening Convocation
“In times of uncertainty, always take the leap, do something with someone new and enjoy the experience for what it is. The mindset has led me to some of the best experiences here at Bates and some of my closest friends. Even when it doesn’t, it will inform you of the person you want to be, the interests you want to share with others, and the people you want to surround yourself with.”
— Ethan Chan ’25 of Westborough, Mass., offering advice to incoming students at Convocation, where he was joined by fellow co-president of Bates Student Government, Sivani Arvapalli ’26 of South Windsor, Conn.
“The moral of the story is to reach out to people who interest you because in many cases, they are more than willing to help. There is so much to learn, and the best people to learn from are those who have experienced it firsthand.”
— Aydan Gedeon-Hope ’25 of Norton, Mass., on his Purposeful Work internship at MLS Next Pro league offices in New York City, and how it took him awhile to seize the opportunity to do some networking
“On the first tee, my coach said it looked like I was going to throw up.”
— Women’s golfer Isabelle Meltzer ’28 of Summit, N.J., on her first-tee jitters before her first collegiate match at the Husson Invitational, where she quickly settled down to card a 75, which earned her co-medalist honors with fellow rookie Sarah Wicks ’28 of Tampa, Fla.
“It’s going to be a challenging time in the U.S., but I believe in this community. I believe in Bates and that means I believe in each of you and in your commitment to openness, to engagement, to active listening, and to respect for those around you. This is the Bates I know and love. This is the community into which I’m so proud to welcome you.”
— Bates President Garry W. Jenkins, offering his welcome at Convocation and sharing his confidence in the college community
“Just watching those girls, sometimes I’d be on the sidelines, ‘Oh my God, these girls are so cool.’ And then you realize that they’re on your team and those are your teammates and you’re the one that’s pushing them in practice every day.”
— Field hockey player Haley Dwight ’27 of West Newbury, Mass., on what it was like joining the field hockey team in her first year, which saw Bates advance to the NCAA tournament
“Time’s malleability is one of the reasons why I suppose I have not grown tired of the novel. Time allows for an infinite parade of formal constructions. The writing of this novel encouraged me to reimagine how I communicate structure to the fiction writers here at Bates. The best tools for a writer are always the simplest, and time is a useful tetherer.”
— Lecturer in English Jessica Anthony ’96 explaining the power of time in fiction writing, which she employs with spectacular effect in her novella, The Most, whose plot unfolds over the course of just eight hours in a single day and which has been longlisted for the National Book Award
“I like to trash talk the player before he takes the penalty, just telling him it’s not his day, just trying to get in his head with all the pressure on him at the last second. But as a freshman, the pressure’s also on you.”
— Rookie men’s soccer goalkeeper George Nassar ’28 of Newtonville, Mass., on the mental games that take place moments before a penalty kick. In early September, his penalty save made SportsCenter’s Top 10
“To actually meet and connect with photographers I have studied or followed has been incredible.”
— Avery Lehman ‘25, a studio art major and accomplished photographer from Portsmouth, N.H., on her summer Purposeful Work internship as a curator for the Yancey Richardson gallery in New York City
“I just had to place it in the corner, but I was kind of freaking out in the moment, just being like, ‘Please don’t miss. Please don’t miss.’”
— Women’s soccer player Rachel Suh ’27 of Bellevue, Wash., on her goal vs. Trinity giving Bates a 1–0 victory
“Progressives should be more concerned about the crime and disorder that result from homelessness, because crime and disorder make it hard for everyone to live together peacefully. Crime and disorder also generate resentment toward those who are unhoused, making it more difficult to address the problem in a decent way.”
— Associate Professor of Philosophy Paul Schofield, who has become an expert source on the social and moral issues surrounding homelessness, on his hope to broaden the progressive response to the issue
“I don’t care, and I don’t check the record. I see we’re playing Bantams, and cats eat birds.”
Women’s soccer player Isabelle Bernal ’28 of San Francisco, Calif., on not being familiar with NESCAC opponents and her approach to a big game vs, the Bantams of Trinity, which the Bobcats won, 1–0, hence “cats eat birds”
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