1. Class of 2008 at a glance
Bates is welcoming 467 new first-year students when fall semester starts Sept. 8. The College received 4,250 applications from more than 100 countries and all 50 states for the Class of 2008. In all, some 1,690 students are expected on campus this fall, with another 59 in Bates-sponsored programs in Japan, Berlin, Cape Town and London. www.bates.edu/x57770.xml

2. Bates gets high marks in the college guides
Bates College continues to get high marks in the major college guides. In the U.S. News & World Report 2005 edition of "America's Best Colleges," Bates is ranked 22nd among 217 national liberal arts colleges. The magazine says its rankings are based on a mix of peer assessment, rates of student retention and graduation, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. www.bates.edu/x57671.xml

3. Seniors 'Jump Start' planning for life after graduation8
The Sept. 12 Senior Jump Start program, now in its fifth year, is a premier event for seniors, designed to provide them with vital information, realistic perspectives, a running start to engage the career/life planning process during their final year at Bates. This day-long event — a joint effort of the Office of Career Services and College Advancement — consists of topical break-out sessions, alumni panels and interactive discussions, and culminates with the Senior Dinner. www.bates.edu/career/jump_start03.html

4. Worldwide 'Welcome to the City' night Sept. 22
The seventh annual Bates, Bowdoin and Colby Welcome to the City events will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 22. These events, all happening on the same night all across the world, are an opportunity to meet alumni in your area as well as an introduction to Bates events for recent graduates. No RSVP required — just join in the fun! www.bates.edu/x57659.xml

5. Mark your calendars: Homecoming Oct. 29-31
As part of a Homecoming Weekend vacation, be sure to attend a special Harvest Dinner program, "Bates Plans for the Future." During the program, President Elaine Tuttle Hansen and key Bates leaders will explain why the College is launching a $120 million fund-raising effort, The Campaign for Bates: Endowing our Values. Learn the specifics of our plans to endow academic programs, increase student financial aid and begin a renewal of residential facilities. The President and her team hope for a lively discussion after the presentation. During the dinner, the Distinguished Young Alumni Award will be awarded to Peter '92 and Kitty Northrop Friedman '95 and the Community Service Award will be given to Jim Carignan '61. Other Homecoming Weekend highlights include soccer, field hockey and football vs. Colby; training sessions for class officers and class agents; and the grand opening of the Marcy Plavin Dance Studios and the Bert Andrews '74 Room, a cardiac fitness facility. www.bates.edu/homecoming-2004.xml

6. Reunion planning workshop Oct. 31
Attention all alumni from the classes of '45, '50, '55, '60, '65, '70,'75, '80, '85, '90, '95 and '00: it's time to start thinking about your Reunion! Members of each class are already working on plans for Reunion Weekend (June 10-12, 2005) and would welcome your help. Please join us from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. as Alumni and Parent Programs staff members guide you through the process of planning a fantastic Reunion weekend. www.bates.edu/rpw2004.xml

7. Weekly election talks start this month
Beginning Sept. 15, an open discussion for Bates students about the presidential election will take place in the Rowe Room in Commons at 6 p.m. each Wednesday. Professor of Political Science Jim Richter will host the sessions, which are designed to provide an informal atmosphere for students to express opinions about the election. Other faculty and occasional guests from the community will join in during the six sessions.

8. On summer in Lewiston
Matt Heffernan '05, who spent the summer living in Lewiston and doing archival work at the public library, likens life on one's own to a current credit-card commercial: "Power bill, $30. Rent check, $750. Being a grownup, priceless." For the Bates students who stay around during the summer, the season offers a taste of adult life, whether it's because they're running their own households, meeting new career responsibilities or forming new kinds of relationships. www.bates.edu/x57650.xml

9. Are you subscribed to Sports Update?
The latest updates from Bates Athletics are always available online, but they are also available as e-mail delivered right to your inbox. Results, records and stories are sent weekly to anyone interested, free of charge. To subscribe, simply visit www.bates.edu/sports-update.xml and follow the instructions.

10. Reilly, King to be honored by New England Basketball Hall of Fame
Bates College's Joe Reilly will be recognized as the New England Division III Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, and Emily King '00, a two-time All-America selection for the Bobcat women's team, will be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame on September 24 at the University of Rhode Island. The New England Basketball Hall of Fame was conceived by Bates Trustee Dan Doyle '72. Former Bates head men's basketball coach George Wigton serves on the Selection Committee, and five recent alumni will work at the event as interns. www.bates.edu/x56818.xml

11. This month in Bates history: Maine State Seminary opens in 1857
The Maine State Seminary, from which Bates College would emerge, was scheduled to open on Aug. 26, 1857. By July, Hathorn Hall was nearly complete, though the tower was still bell-less. Parker Hall was built up to the third story, but the Lewiston Journal nevertheless issued a request for citizens to board students in case the dorm wasn't ready. Oren Cheney, founder of this new "fitting school," was himself resigned to starting school amidst barely dry paint and plaster. "Students who come may or may not be disappointed," he wrote in The Morning Star, a Free Will Baptist newspaper. "No special promises or pledges are made...All we can say to our young friends is that we promise to do what is in our power to make easy what is hard — smooth, what is rough."

The school missed its scheduled opening by less than a week; on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 1857, Hathorn and Parker opened their doors and classes began for 115 students and six teachers. To find out why Bates' founding year is officially 1855, go to www.bates.edu/x57821.xml.

12. Bates People in the News
As the war continues to dominate the American consciousness, the homecomings from Iraq of alums B.J. Prendergast '90 and Christopher Russell '00 made the papers. Meanwhile, with the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks looming, the parents and a good friend of 9/11 victim Peter Goodrich '89 are honoring his memory by supporting a school in Afghanistan. In politics, juniors Oliver Wolf and Benjamin Yoon entered the media spotlight thanks to their activism during the Democratic National Convention, with Wolf going on to the GOP convention as a delegate from Lewiston. Also at the GOP event: Darrell Crate '89, who spoke for Massachusetts in nominating George W. Bush. www.bates.edu/bates-in-the-news.xml