The beating heart of Bates in November: a presidential election — and a rhetoric class dedicated to staging a simulated one — plus performances, athletic competitions, lectures, and community engagement. Please join us in reviewing the latest This Month at Bates.
Upside Downstage
Kiara McGinness ’27 of North Andover, Mass., demonstrates her flexibility while dancing in the piece The World Slowed Down as I Was Moving.
Sarah Senator ’25, in collaboration with the cast, choreographed the piece as part of her senior thesis for the 2024 Bates Fall Dance Concert in Schaeffer Theatre.
The concert also featured thesis performances by fellow seniors Jane Drumm, Lydia Frew, and Cate Pope, and an original piece by faculty artist Kate Marchessault, with artistic direction by Assistant Professor of Dance Brian J. Evans.
Insight from an Alumna
Award-winning writer and activist Ru Freeman ’93 talks with students following her Literary Arts Live talk in mid-November.
Earlier in the day, Freeman joined a writing class taught by Lecturer in English and fellow author Jessica Anthony ’96. She answered questions and led a few writing exercises, such as posing hypothetical “what if” questions about immigration and asking Anthony’s students to craft short fiction responses.
Freeman talked about how, for her, each essay, story, and book feeds into the next. “It feels like if I didn’t write that novel, or that short story, I couldn’t write the next thing.”
Freeman has published extensively since her acclaimed debut novels, A Disobedient Girl and On Sal Mal Lane, a decade ago. During her talk, she read from her most recent collection of short stories, Sleeping Alone.
Born in Sri Lanka, she also read from an essay about her first year at Bates, which began her journey toward American citizenship during her first few months living in Maine.
Playing Press
Every two years, students in the course “Presidential Campaign Rhetoric” fan out across campus to mount and run a simulated presidential campaign. They nominate candidates, run ads, deliver speeches, engage with the media, and navigate crises — all the while learning rhetorical skills and collaborating across academic disciplines.
Here, Aidan Stark-Chessa ’26 of Falmouth, Maine, prepares lighting equipment for a press conference covering news of a zombie virus outbreak.
The course is taught by Stephanie Kelley-Romano, professor of rhetoric, film, and screen studies.
Kids on Campus
Energized students, costumed families, vast quantities of candy, and unseasonably warm weather came together in perfect harmony on Alumni Walk during a college-sponsored Halloween trick or treat event for the Lewiston-Auburn community.
Around 40,000 pieces of Halloween candy, courtesy of the Ferrara Candy Co., was funded by Greg Guidotti ’92 and his 1992 Bates classmates.
“Hopefully, together, we made Halloween a bit happier!” said Guidotti, Ferrara’s chief marketing officer. “I have a lot of love and incredible memories from Lewiston. Bates and Lewiston are part of who I am.”
Running Yards, Breaking Records
Ryan Lynskey ’27 of Cranford, N.J., gobbles up some of his rushing yardage vs. Bowdoin, in which he set the single-game Bates and NESCAC all-time rushing record. That’s wide receiver Ryan Gleason ’27 of Millbury, Mass., helping out.
In the early November game, Lynskey ran for an astounding 344 yards, breaking the Bates record held by Sean Atkins ’03, who ran for 302 yards, also against Bowdoin, in 2002. For his epic performance, Lynskey won the coveted Golden Helmet Award.
Chatting with the Governor
Carly Philpott ’27 of Centennial, Colo., who is managing news editor of The Bates Student, interviews Maine Gov. Janet Mills during the governor’s visit to Commons one day before the November election.
As Mills shook hands and exchanged smiles, her repeated refrain could still be heard above the usual din of Commons during the noontime rush: “Have you voted yet?” and “Are you planning on voting tomorrow?”
Watching History Unfold
Assistant Professor of Politics Seulgie Lim joins students, faculty, and staff at an Election Night watch party in Chase Hall Lounge.
Bates’ watch party spanned multiple campus locations, all featuring live TV and free pizza.
President Garry W. Jenkins; Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Stephanie Kelly-Romano; Professor of Politics and Associate Dean of the Faculty Stephen Engel; and Professor of Politics John Baughman also attended the event.
‘To Humanize the Dead’
In late October, students in the course “Political Violence in Latin America” created a Day of the Dead altar, known as an ofrenda, in the lounge of the Program in Latin American and Latinx Studies, located in Pettengill Hall.
“Our course touches on death constantly,” said their professor, Associate Professor of Politics Clarisa Pérez-Armendariz, including politically motivated murders and killings of journalists, citizens, environmental defenders, and political candidates.
To celebrate the Día de los Muertos holiday on Nov. 1, the class took time “to remember these individuals who have died — to humanize the dead, to remember them in a non-academic way.”
Her students brought to class photographs of victims of political violence worldwide and spoke about each person. They placed each photo on the altar, which also featured paper marigolds and traditional sugar skulls.
Understanding Election Outcomes
A day after the 2024 election, politics professors (from left) Stephen Engel, John Baughman, and Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz talked about the election outcome with students, faculty, and staff, in Memorial Commons in Chase Hall.
One topic was voter turnout. “A lot of people misunderstood the degree to which a network of Trump supporters — especially the role of white evangelical churches — mobilized people outside conventional party organizations,” said Baughman.
Honoring Those Who Served
Geoff Swift, Bates treasurer and vice president for finance and administration, holds his hat over his heart for the playing of taps during the annual Veterans Day observance at Veterans Plaza.
The gathering included reflective readings and interfaith prayers, the observing of silence, and the ritual of laying flowers to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans.
Dedicated in 2020 and located near the Benjamin E. Mays Center, the plaza honors Bates veterans and invites “reflection on the impact of war on the lives of everyone it touches.”
Holding Her Own
Captain Amanda Zerbib ’25 of Larchmont, N.Y., puts up a stiff defense during the field hockey team’s victory over Stevens Institute of Technology in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Bobcats followed up with a road victory vs. Babson, before falling to Tufts in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Bates finished at 14–6, setting a program record for wins in a season, previously held by the 1975 and 2023 teams.
A Class Victory
Zaylan Washington ’25 of Atlanta holds an American flag during the presidential swearing-in ceremony presented by students in the course “Presidential Campaign Rhetoric” as part of their simulated presidential campaign this fall.
Washington was campaign tech director for winning candidate Claire Bennett, played by Leah Belber ’26 of Washington, D.C.
Moment of Truth
In one of the culminating events of the simulated presidential election on campus, Professor of Politics and Associate Dean of the Faculty Stephen Engel (left) administers the oath of office for newly elected president Claire Bennett (Leah Belber ’26, center, of Washington, D.C.).
Holding a constitutional law textbook, the president-elect’s husband, John Bennett (George Wan ’25, right, of Hong Kong), stood beside Bennet in the traditional pose of spousal support.
Delicious Dining
Students, faculty and staff, and families gather for the annual Harvest Meal in Commons. A Bates tradition for over 30 years, the meal invites Bobcats and community members alike to a night of delicious food, community, and fun.
On the walls at right are the four class banners; each incoming class chooses their class banner image early in their first semester on campus.
Ice Cream Indulgence
From left, Eliza Skillings ’25, Maria McEvoy ’25, and Jeremy Felton ’26 enjoy Baked Alaska ice cream and meringue cake from an expansive post-Harvest Meal dessert display in Gray Athletic Building.
Students, faculty and staff, and families mingled, took photos, and indulged in sweets while waiting for the 19th annual Trashion Show to commence.
Teamwork Makes Trashion Magic
First-years Mari Nolasco Alcantara (left) of Tlaxcala, Mexico, and Shristi Tamang of Kathmandu, Nepal, high-five backstage before the 19th annual Bates Trashion Show.
Alcantara modeled Tamang’s Nepali-inspired design, which featured a colorful, flowing skirt and jewelry handmade from resin-encased flowers.
The Trashion Show invites students, faculty, and staff to get creative with their definitions of beauty and waste by creating and modeling outfits made from trash.
Strut Your Style
Professor of French and Francophone Studies Kirk Read shows off his “academic leisure” outfit to the Trashion Show judges.
Read is a regular at Bates’ annual Trashion Show and collaborates with retired Assistant Dean of the Faculty Kerry O’Brien to get the “trashionista” job done. This year’s outfit was created from recycled The Adventures of Tintin calendars. (Read is a big Tintin fan.)
Eight designer-model teams participated in the 2024 show, creating outfits from recycled materials including food packaging, gift wrapping paper, grocery bags, and printed academic readings.
From left, this year’s judges were Assistant Director of Sustainability Tom Twist, President Garry W. Jenkins, Robin Graziano of Dining Services Retail Operations, Senior Associate Dean for Purposeful Work Allen Delong, Associate Professor of German Jakub Kazecki, and Multifaith Chaplain Brittany Longsdorf, with her two children.
Gather and Give
Jil Moukarzel ’28 (left), a politics major from Beirut, Lebanon, joins Aleisha Martinez Sandoval ’26 of Mexico City, Mexico, in organizing the first annual Bates College Menstrual Product Potluck.
The organizers hope to collect donated period products from students and establish a free-of-charge menstrual period product bank at the Lewiston branch of Maine Family Planning.
The community initiative, sponsored by the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, is dedicated to addressing period poverty by ensuring access to essential menstrual products for Lewiston and Auburn residents in need.
Chats with Coach
Men’s squash captain Harris Ramlee ’25 of Southville City, Malaysia, confers with head coach Reinhold Hergeth during the Bobcats’ late-November match vs. the U.S. Naval Academy.
Colorful Moves
Sophomores Alexis González (left) of Hanford, Calif., and JJ Mariscal of Mission, Texas, perform a ballet folklórico dance during the annual Cultural Showcase in Schaeffer Theatre.
González wore a traditional Mexican folklórico dress, while Mariscal sported a complementary green sash.
The Cultural Showcase invites students to celebrate and share traditional performances from around the world.
Puppet Performance
Josie Kim ’27 of Santa Monica, Calif., and puppet Jeenu perform in matching striped t-shirts during a student production of drama Wolf Play, by Hansol Jung, in the Martin Andrucki Black Box Theater.
Theater major Sophie Wheeler ’25 of Skowhegan, Maine, directed the play as part of her senior thesis.
Eyes on the Prize
Jahmir Primer ’25 of Hempstead, N.Y., eyes a possible pass during the Bobcats’ dominant 65–51 victory over Bowdoin in Alumni Gym in early December.
Rocking Out
Alex Kopko ’26 of Topsfield, Mass., jams out on the trombone during a Bates Jazz Band performance in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall.
Cry of the Bobcat
Bates superfan and nonagenarian Don Robitaille of Lewiston leads the Bates women’s team in a post-game cheer after the Bobcats defeated Colby to up their early-season record to 6–1.
