1. Bates named No. 1 'best value' by Princeton Review
Bates experienced a confluence of national recognition in April. Topping the outside endorsements of quality was The Princeton Review, which rated Bates the nation's "best value" in higher education. www.bates.edu/x64922.xml

Video news clips:
NBC "Today Show": www.bates.edu/x65176.xml
CNN "American Morning": www.bates.edu/x65173.xml
FOX News: www.bates.edu/x65186.xml
WCSH TV-6 (Maine NBC affiliate) feature: www.bates.edu/x65197.xml

2. Bates in top 5 percent of Division III athletic programs
In its highest rating ever, Bates athletics placed 19th out of 420 programs in the NCAA Division III winter rankings. www.bates.edu/x64907.xml

3. Bates selected as 'College with a Conscience'
Bates is one of the nation's best colleges fostering social responsibility and public service, according to The Princeton Review and Campus Compact. It is one of 81 institutions in 33 states that The Princeton Review commends and features in its forthcoming book, Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement. www.bates.edu/x64835.xml

4. $37 million needed in next 14 months, Bates audiences learn
With $37 million to raise in 14 months toward the $120 million goal of The Campaign for Bates: Endowing Our Values, Bates volunteers and staff during April took the campaign message on the road. Alumni, parents and friends in Bedford, N.H., Syracuse, N.Y., and York and Greenwich, Conn., heard about the distinctions of Bates today and about securing a stronger, more flexible Bates for tomorrow. www.bates.edu/campaign.xml

5. Business networking across the country
This month, Batesies will be connecting professionally across the country. On May 5, Mike Lieber '92, Rena Khan Leinberger '93 and Trustee Ed Wilson '62 will speak at a business card exchange in Chicago. Peter Baird '89 and Brad Smith '80 will discuss "Building a Career as a Consultant" in New York City on May 12, and in Washington, D.C., on May 23, Congressman Bob Goodlatte '74 will address the topic of "Internet Security Issues and Their Potential Impact on Future Business and Government." In San Francisco, Melissa Wong '01, Morgan Carter '03 and Andrew Smith '90 are organizing a networking reception for May. To register or for more information on these programs: www.bates.edu/alumni-events.xml

6. From the Archives: Commencement through time
See the Commencements of bygone days in this month's historical slideshow. Also on the Sesquicentennial Web site this month: a link to the senior thesis of Tim Larson '05 on Bates' progressive tradition, 1855-1877, through the lenses of race, gender and class. www.bates.edu/150-years.xml

7. Did You Know?
In the past year, IBM has made three recruiting visits to Bates and offered jobs to all 39 seniors and one alumnus that company recruiters interviewed. One recruiter commented: "Bates makes my job so easy. I don't have to weed through applications, because the Admissions office has already done that for me."

8. Between two majors, Bertrand '05 has found a world view
A double major in chemistry and environmental studies, Erin Bertrand '05 has learned the art of seeing both the trees and the forest. As one of the students participating in associate professor Rachel Narehood Austin's ongoing study of the decomposition of hydrocarbons, Bertrand has proven herself an exceptional researcher. And as a dedicated activist, she has worked diligently on campus to raise awareness about government policy in the realms of science and the environment. www.bates.edu/x64941.xml

9. This Month in Bates History: The First Short Term
Around the time the Beatles sang "Eight Days a Week," Bates was pondering ways to squeeze even more work from students and faculty. One idea, debuting in 1965-66, was a three-year graduation option. Accelerated students took a heavier course load during the fall and winter semesters, then attended a special May-June semester each year. The Mirror called it "an academic endurance race." Business and busy-ness were goals of the plan. Keeping faculty and facilities at work longer each year would increase efficiency, while the student would save a year of tuition. But the law of unintended consequences ended up ruling the day. The three-year plan didn't catch on, but Short Term quickly became a freewheeling intellectual, social and recreational jamboree. Read comments about the very first Short Term, in 1966, from The Bates Student: www.bates.edu/x65011.xml

10. Bates People in the News
Dean of Admissions Wylie Mitchell spoke for Bates as The Associated Press covered the college's No. 1 ranking in The Princeton Review's 2006 America's Best Value Colleges. NBC, CBS Radio and CNN were among other national news organizations on the story. Bates oral historian Andrea L'Hommedieu (also featured in the latest Bates Magazine) talked to the local NBC affiliate about the completion of the Edmund Muskie Oral History Project. And The Salem News reported on a rescue at sea in which sophomore Gaylord Noblitt IV played a prominent role. www.bates.edu/bates-in-the-news.xml