Food in the Bates curriculum: A tasting menu

By . Published on April 17, 2009

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Above: Josh Parker '08 of Winchester, Mass., a student in the Short Term course "Food, Culture and Performance," inhales the aroma of Langres, a French cheese. Below: Geology students in the course "Limnology and Paleolimnology of Lakes in Northern New England" explore a pond. Spring has sprung at Bates College, and students are taking advantage of the weather by flinging Frisbees on the Quad, relaxing by the Puddle...or digging for "bodies" at three mock crime scenes during Bates' annual five-week Short Term. Short Term, an integral part of Bates tradition since 1966, began as a way to enable students to graduate in three years instead of four. But it quickly grew to become one of the most beloved times of campus life, effortlessly blending dynamic creativity with academic rigor.

You eat where you are: In her course “Back East, Down South, Out West: Regions in American Culture,” history professor Margaret Creighton looks at eating habits as part of a greater examination of regional identity. In the East, deep South and West, the course explores the intersection of demographic and economic history with cultural invention. Creighton’s readings include America Eats! by Pat Willard, a collection of experiences from writers of the Works Progress Administration who describe dining experiences from chitlin struts to squirrel hunts. [and five more. . .]

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