February is the shortest month of the year, but you’d never know it based on the many photographs that populate the latest edition of This Month at Bates. From screenings to snowstorms, from rituals to remembrances, we’ve taken the Bates pulse — and now we share it with you.
Warm Drinks, Cold Nights
![Happy Feet, Turmeric Lattes, and a Moment of Warmth
As January comes to a close, Andrea Perez ’28 glances down at her psychology flashcards before settling in at Le Ronj, the student-run coffeehouse on Frye Street. She joins her classmates for the Bates Outing Club’s movie night, a welcome pause from their studies to enjoy the 2006 animated film Happy Feet together.
Amid the cozy glow of the projector, Le Ronj employees Amelia Killackey ’25 and [NAME NAME] ’00 celebrate the launch of a new turmeric latte, a creation developed by the team and served for the first time on campus. The warm, spiced drink is a fitting companion on this cold February night.
As one of the Ronj’s longest-serving employees, Killackey and NAME NAME ’00 reflect on former classmates who helped shape this quirky, comforting and beloved Bates institution. Generations of students have gathered here, finding comfort in its familiar atmosphere a space that continues to evolve with each new year, filled with fresh hopes, challenges, and possibilities.
Happy Feet, Turmeric Lattes, and a Moment of Warmth
As January comes to a close, Andrea Perez ’28 glances down at her psychology flashcards before settling in at Le Ronj, the student-run coffeehouse on Frye Street. She joins her classmates for the Bates Outing Club’s movie night, a welcome pause from their studies to enjoy the 2006 animated film Happy Feet together.
Amid the cozy glow of the projector, Le Ronj employees Amelia Killackey ’25 and [NAME NAME] ’00 celebrate the launch of a new turmeric latte, a creation developed by the team and served for the first time on campus. The warm, spiced drink is a fitting companion on this cold February night.
As one of the Ronj’s longest-serving employees, Killackey and NAME NAME ’00 reflect on former classmates who helped shape this quirky, comforting and beloved Bates institution. Generations of students have gathered here, finding comfort in its familiar atmosphere a space that continues to evolve with each new year, filled with fresh hopes, challenges, and possibilities.](https://www.bates.edu/news/files/2025/03/BOC_MovieNight_LeRonj_2025_R5_SCW-22.webp)
On a chilly Winter Carnival night, students gather at the Ronj, the student-run coffeehouse, for a showing of the animated comedy Happy Feet. Amid the cozy glow of the projector, folks celebrated the launch of a new turmeric latte, a warm, spiced drink that’s a fitting companion on a cold winter night.
Flowers on Ice
Women’s club ice hockey enjoyed Senior Night with a celebration of their five graduating team members — Julia White, Lydia Carlos, Miranda Eisenman, Olivia Hall, and April McCall — and a 3-2 win over the University of Maine.
On the Court
On Senior Day, the men and women’s squash teams honored seven graduating students, including Labeeb Ali ’25 of Plano, Texas, competing here vs. Colby at the Bates Squash Facility.
Circle Up
Students in Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Stephanie Pridgeon’s “Screening Citizenship: Jewish Latin American Film” course prepare to give presentations at the Maine Jewish Film Festival following the films Torah Tropical and the The Klezmer Project.
Students studied how films made throughout Latin America by Jewish directors explore issues of identity, belonging, immigration, and assimilation.
Crowd at the Chapel
The college’s five a cappella groups, including the Deansmen, performed to a packed audience in Gomes Chapel during Winter Carnival.
Governor Lights the Way
Despite windy conditions at the Maine State House in Augusta, Gov. Janet Mills and Ellie Schueler ’25 of Colorado Springs, Colo., manage to light the ceremonial torch for Winter Carnival.
While bad road conditions suspended the usual torch run back to Bates, it re-emerged a few hours later, in time for students to use it to light the traditional bonfire for the Puddle Jump.
Sofa Studying
Aaron Martinez ’26 of Elmwood Park, Ill., studies in Perry Atrium, a campus crossroads filled with light and warmth, students collaborate, converse, and tackle projects.
Clearing Hurdles
At the Bobcat Tune-up meet, Seneca Moore ’27 of Holt, Mich., clears a hurdle on the way to winning the 60-meter hurdles finals and setting a Bates event record of 8.23 seconds, a few hundreds of a second faster than the prior record — his own!
Lights, Fire, Action
The student-run Robinson Players put on a fiery production of Incendiary, presented in Gannett Theater. Synthetic fog posing as smoke from fires clouded the theater as the story of a pyromaniac fire chief falling in love with the detective investigating her fires unfolded onstage.
All Clear
Facility Services plows walkways on the Historic Quad after a snowstorm, clearing the way for students to navigate their way all over campus.
Exploring Eternity
In the Immersive Media Studio, dancers clad in white performed against a projection of shimmery hues and fiery colors the next during “My Love Is Like Eternity,” choreographed by dance major Lola Buczkowski ’25 of Jersey City, N.J., for her senior thesis.
Celebrating Black Life
Associate Professor of Sociology Marcelle Medford speaks during a gathering in Perry Atrium on the anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death, the second installment of the Africana program’s Celebrating Black Life and Legacy series.
Thirteen years having passed since Martin’s death, many current Bates students are unfamiliar with the tragedy. In 2012, the unarmed 17-year-old Martin was shot and killed in Florida by a neighborhood watch coordinator, George Zimmerman. He was acquitted on all charges, sparking the founding of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Style on the Snow
Outing Club members participate in a Nordic ski relay race on campus during the Winter Carnival, each team clad in playful, themed outfits like this Stars and Stripes cowboy get-up. Other notable fashion choices included a neon leotard over leggings, a bath robe patterned with images of rubber ducks, and swimming goggles worn in lieu of ski goggles.
Cultivating Connection
Students from Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby gather for the second annual Black Student Summit, hosted this year by the Student Center for Belonging and Community in Chase Hall.
The day kicked off with a student and alumni panel and included workshops covering burnout prevention, imposter syndrome, and Black masculinity, leading to deep conversations about identity, resilience, and self-care.
The Summit also included a Fireside Chat with student affairs leaders who offered insights on supporting Black students on campus and closed with a Black Student Union mixer and dance at the Benjamin E. Mays Center.
Wintering
The Historic Quad’s colorful Adirondack chairs await students who will rush over at the first sign of spring.
Team Spirit
Women’s squash player Tia Billimoria ’27 of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, cheers on her teammates during a match on Senior Day.
Icy Endeavors
Before you can have a Puddle Jump, you need a hole in the ice.
On the morning of Feb. 7, members of the Bates Outing Club and college staff worked together to cut a hole in Lake Andrews’ six-inch ice, using chain saws and ice block tongs, and staying steady with ice cleats on their boots.
The Pros Are Back
Puddle Jump founders and 1978 classmates, from left, Lars Llorente, Chris Callahan, and Scott Copeland respond to the cheers of students and alumni as they kick off the 50th anniversary of the Puddle Jump on Feb. 7.
They warmed up before their jump in matching boxing robes and hats specially made and embroidered for the historic occasion.
Gather ‘Round
Seen from the upper windows of Pettengill Hall are the three stages of the Puddle Jump. At middle, student shuffle like penguins along the icy path toward their date with destiny. At right, students jump into the Puddle. Then comes the rush to the warmth of the bonfire, seen at top.
Ready to Throw
Marie-Ève Maillet ’28 of Saint-Antoine, Canada, executes one last rotation of her weight throw during the Bobcat Tune-up Meet on campus, ultimately placing second in the weight throw and shot put finals.
Making Splashes
Swimmers Sophia Clausman ’27 of Edina, Minn., and Elena Trundy ’28 of Bath, Maine, cheer on teammates competing in the annual CBB Meet against Colby and Bowdoin at Tarbell Pool.
Up-Close
Marc Begin II ’27 of Jacksonville, Fla., the 2024 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Year, drives to the basket during a game against Trinity in Alumni Gym.
Winter’s Fleeting Grip
Icicles close in on the entrance to Gray Athletic Building on a sunny, albeit cold, February day.
The inscription above the entrance is drawn from1 Corinthians 9:25-27, a modern translation being, “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.”
The Seniors Take It All
Women’s basketball team captain Alexandra Long ’25 of Milton, Mass., accepts congratulations from teammates during Senior Day introductions prior to the Bobcats’ game vs. Tufts. Long led the team to a 62-46 victory.
