Our latest in an occasional roundup of quotable Bates quotes, this time about a terrifying regatta, why the Quad was like Candyland this fall, and the beauty and strength of being in solidarity with one another.
“I love the group so much. Couldn’t be happier to run behind anyone else. They’re like big brothers. They keep you protected on the field, and if I mess up, they keep me in line.”
— Ryan Lynskey ’27 of Cranford, N.J., a standout running back for the football team who set a single-game NESCAC rushing record vs. Bowdoin this year, on how he feels about the teammates who do the blocking on every play
“It feels like everyone knows everyone on campus, and they all hold on to little details about each other, and community forms around you really quickly.”
— Ramona McNish ’28 of Alameda, Calif., on what surprised her about her first 30 days at Bates
“Bates is one of my favorite places in the world. It fills my heart with only good memories.”
— Marriane Magid Jones ’93 on visiting campus, and son Elias Jones ’27, during Back to Bates
“I was absolutely terrified. It’s such a challenging course, but being in the boat was an incredible experience. The night before the rowers wrote me letters, just encouraging me and instilling a little bit more confidence. It was a real team mentality.”
— Hannah Herbst ’28 of Larkspur, Calif., a rowing coxswain on her first Head of the Charles Regatta, over the Charles River course, which is notoriously difficult due to its bends and bridges
“Above all else, we are citizens of Lewiston, affected by the tragedy and also showing up wherever and however.”
— Garry W. Jenkins, speaking at the campus Remembrance Service, held in Gomes Chapel one year after the Oct. 25, 2023 mass shootings in Lewiston
“We belong to one another, we have carried one another in this past year, and we will always tend to one another amidst celebration and grief. Not only are we strong when we are together, but, like this garland, we are beautiful.”
— The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the college’s multifaith chaplain, speaking at the Remembrance Service and referencing a garland created from strips of ribbon, on which community members wrote blessings, wishes, and hopes for Lewiston
“I was shaking in my boots. But I had some words of wisdom from my teammates and my coaches, and I just told myself, ‘Be speedy, be you, be the big goalie that you are.’”
— Ava Donohue ’28 of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., field hockey goaltender on overcoming nerves in her first-ever shootout, a victory vs. Wesleyan
“There is a symbolic difference between owning weapons for hunting and owning weapons for sport or defense. The former is not infused with the implication of violence against humans. The latter carries with it that possibility.”
— Professor of Sociology Michael Rocque, writing for Slate about the implications of the long decline in owning guns for hunting and the increase in owning guns for non-hunting reasons
“For those who identify as Latinex, it’s a chance to enjoy a comforting taste of home, while for others, it serves as a welcoming introduction to our vibrant traditions.”
— Alexis González ’26 of Hanford, Calif., club president of Raíces Unidas, on the annual Taquiza Familiar, a party, dance, and celebration
“It’s like Candyland.”
— Isabelle Larson ’25, of East Aurora, N.Y., scanning the fall colors of the Historic Quad as she settled into an Adirondack chair to do some reading before a morning class
“I heard someone say on the sidelines like, ‘She’s going to win this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, am I that far ahead?’”
— Phoebe Pohl ’25 of Wayland, Mass., on winning the Maine cross country championship as the Bates women won their eighth straight state title
“I just feel like I have an obligation.”
— Angus Carter ’25 of Camden, Maine, who came upon a blood drive in the Gray Athletic Building and decided he should give
“During the prior Trump administration, students said they didn’t want to go into public service, or into the foreign service office, or into the military. I have a really strong reaction to that. Diverse people need to self-select into government and public service jobs. You matter, and you can make a difference even in a bureaucratic position.”
— Associate Professor Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz, during a post-election panel discussion, asking students to seek out mentorship and guidance in considering a career in public service, and not abandon the idea out of fear that might not be warranted
“I love the atmosphere, especially when there’s a lot of people in the crowd. All the noise just kind of gets stuck in the gym. It echoes and it’s really cool.”
— Skye Higashihara ’28 of Honolulu, Hawaii, on the acoustically intense atmosphere in Alumni Gym
“I think it’s really important for someone who understands the gravity of those situations to be there.”
— Emily Scarrow ’25 of Washington, D.C., on volunteering as a wig and headwear consultant at Lewiston’s Dempsey Center, which offers personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma during her first year at Bates, she is now cancer-free
“I remember how much he hated it if we thanked him on air. Which, of course, we did regularly because he deserved our gratitude.”
— Craig Patton ’91, recalling the 24/7 support that adviser Gene Clough gave the fledgling campus television station in the late 1980s into the 1990s. Clough died Oct. 23 at age 77 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease
“I wasn’t that good in high school and wasn’t that good freshman year at Bates. So I had imposter syndrome, having to justify to myself that I’m good enough to be running with these people. I’ve been talking to a sports psychologist who helped me realize that these thoughts and pressures are just that — thoughts and pressures. So I can just run and have my best day. I absolutely believed that I deserved to be there.”
— Cross country runner Andrew Mottur ’25 of Rumford, R.I., on finishing fourth out of 104 runners at the Maine state championship, helping lead Bates to the state title
“My performance became less about perfection, and more about connecting with people and sharing the beauty of music.”
— Marrich Somridhivej ’26 of South Windsor, Conn., who performed Amy Beach’s “Summer Dreams” during an outdoor concert at Lewiston’s Looking Ahead Clubhouse, a vocational center for adults living with mental illness
“I see anti-trans panic as premised on a fundamentally troubling denial of our shared humanity.”
— Stephen Engel, a professor of politics and associate dean of the faculty, speaking at a post-election discussion, commenting on anti-trans rhetoric during the presidential campaign that was used to discredit Democratic priorities and deny the dignity and humanity of transgender individuals
“Honestly, there aren’t that many issues that Trump is personally invested in. A lot of what we hear him talking about are these transactional relationships that he has with allies. It’s a way to reward them for support in getting him elected.”
— Professor of Politics John Baughman, on how President-elect Trump’s approach to governance, often giving positions of power to loyalists for political gain rather than prioritizing specific issues himself
“We’re a bunch of big, fun, friendly, large humans.”
— Peter Simplicio ’25 of West Hartford, Conn., a member of the football team’s award-winning offensive line that was twice selected to D3football.com’s “Team of the Week,” on the unit’s work-hard, play-hard mindset: “We have a great time at practice, we joke around, but when it’s time to get things done, we get it done.” Besides offering consistent protection and strong run blocking, the unit did not commit one holding penalty all season
Categories Academic Life
