"Bates as a whole isn't a religious campus, it's a spiritual one," says Sam Goldman '03, co-vice-president of the Jewish Cultural Community (JCC). Goldman nonetheless believes that students who are religious will have a meaningful experience at Bates.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Goldman chose Bates, in part, because he didn't want to attend a school with a large Jewish population. "At predominantly Jewish schools, everything is already set up for you," he explained. "Here, you have to work to get religious programming to happen."

The JCC, a "small, but dedicated" student-run organization which raises religious awareness and activity on campus, inspires Goldman with its campus activism. A resident of Holmes House, a community service theme house, Goldman is a bit of an activist himself, both on and off campus. As part of his year long service project, he is working with residents of Lewiston–Auburn on the anti-Walmart expansion campaign. At Bates, he sits on the student conduct committee and represents the Outing Club in the student government. He has also been named a Dana Scholar for academic excellence and leadership.

A political science major, Goldman sees many connections linking his activism with his studies Ñ including such classes as "Contemporary Moral Disputes" and the "Politics and Ecology of Maine." Such overlaps suit Goldman just fine: "If I can consciously connect my classroom learning with outside political activity, I can get a lot out of Bates." — By Jennifer Giblin '01