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The 154th Commencement of Bates College is at noon, Eastern Daylight Time, May 31, 2020.

News & Updates

Check here for the latest information on Commencement 2020.

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During the unexpected and trying conclusion of their senior year, the members of the Class of 2020 have made us proud with their resilience and commitment to one another. Through this year’s virtual Commencement on May 31, we will honor, in an exceptional way, our exceptional class of soon-to-be Bates College graduates.

News & Updates

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  ‘We got you. We got each other:’ Words of encouragement to the Class of 2020, from a millennial professorJuly 1, 2020
  Take it from millennials and a multitude of Black authors: You are not alone, writes English professor Therí A. Pickens.
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  Bates College graduates 463 in historic virtual Commencement ceremonyMay 31, 2020
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  Commencement 2020 LivestreamMay 31, 2020
  The ceremony will be conducted remotely via livestream. The livestream will be public — any friends and family members will be able to watch. The complete video will be available for replay immediately afterward on Facebook and YouTube. The full commencement program is also available for viewing on livestream.com and Facebook. The Program and Speeches The program with complete list…
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  Faculty and Staff Messages to the Class of 2020May 30, 2020
  Over 100+ Bates College faculty and staff members submitted personal videos to congratulate the Bates Class of 2020 as they prepare to graduate from Bates on the College’s 154th Commencement.
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  A Pause to AcknowledgeMay 30, 2020
  Bates President Clayton Spencer, VP for Equity and Inclusion Noelle Chaddock, and Bates Multifaith Chaplain Brittany Longsdorf take a moment to reflect and pause as our nation grapples with the recent, yet sadly familiar events, of continuing race-based violence. “This weekend, as we celebrate the many accomplishments of the Bates Class of 2020, it is important that we acknowledge the…
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  Bates Athletics Senior Student-Athlete CelebrationMay 29, 2020
  Join us as we honor the #Bates2020 seniors with a virtual awards ceremony.
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  Senior Cookbook RecipesMay 29, 2020
  You can download the complete Senior Cookbook of recipes here, or download individual recipes below. Baklava Bates Bobcat Sandwich Bates Crunchy Turkey Melt Bates General Tso’s Chicken Bates No Bake Cookies Bates Italian Almond Cookies Bates Paws Granola Bates Scallion Chicken Sautre Bates Salted Toffee Bark Bates Vegan Blueberry Muffins Bates Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Bavarian Apple…
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  Class of 2020 by the NumbersMay 29, 2020
  Four hundred and sixty-three members of the Class of 2020 are set to graduate on Sunday, May 31. 37 States (plus D.C.) represented 38 Students from Maine 52 Countries represented (including U.S.) 32 Receiving departmental honors 41.5% varsity athletes 12.3% first generation to college 63.9% studied abroad* * Defined as a semester or more. Academics The Class of 2020 has…
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  Class of 2020 Ivy Stone Installed: ‘Congratulations!’May 28, 2020
  For Bates mason Ron Tardif, installing the class ivy stone each May is a labor of respect for the graduating class.
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  Slideshow: 17 happy, proud, wacky Bobcat portraitsMay 26, 2020
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  Q&A: Senior Speaker Alexandria Onuoha ’20 and her hope that ‘Bates has students who love all people’May 26, 2020
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  Celebrate With Bobcat Lawn SignsMay 21, 2020
  Want to show your Bobcat pride? Celebrate your graduate with these lawn sign designs. Just download and order through your local copy & print business. 12×18 PDFs Proud of a Bates Grad! Proud Bates Grad! Proud of my Bates Grad! 12×18 PNGs Proud of a Bates Grad! Proud Bates Grad! Proud of my Bates Grad! 18×24 PDFs Proud of a…
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  Bates Cooking Class Episode 3: Salted Toffee Bark, Vegan Pad ThaiMay 21, 2020
  Executive chef Owen Keene continues our series of how-to videos on favorite Bates dishes for the Class of 2020.
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  With ‘The EngAging Project,’ Grace Ellrodt ’20 Aims to Ease the Ache of Loneliness in Old AgeMay 21, 2020
  Featuring Ellrodt’s own photographs and interviews, “The EngAging Project” is an impressive new resource for lonely elders and those who support them.
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  Vanessa German to Offer Greetings at CommencementMay 20, 2020
  Vanessa German is a dynamic and versatile artist whose exhibition “Miracles and Glory Abound” appeared at the Bates Museum of Art in 2019–20.
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  Bates Cooking Class Episode 2: Omelettes, Corned Beef HashMay 19, 2020
  Cooks Joseph Graziano and Bradley McArthur host Episode 2 of a Dining Services cooking show for the Class of 2020.
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  Bates Cooking Class Episode 1: Scallion Chicken, Salted Toffee Bark, Italian Almond CookiesMay 18, 2020
  Sous chef Michael Staffenski and head baker Daisy Taylor kick off a multi-episode cooking show as a gift to the Class of 2020.
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  ‘Bobcat Box’ Delivery and Pickup for On-Campus SeniorsMay 12, 2020
  In recent days, 460-plus Bates seniors around the world have received their Bobcat Boxes, filled with items for their Commencement on May 31, including gown, cap, tassel; a Bates pin from the college; and a 2020 class flag and Nalgene bottle, both selected by the senior class co-presidents. The box also included a letter inviting parents and loved ones to…
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  A Message from Senior Co-Presidents to ClassmatesMay 8, 2020
  “We are cognizant of all that we have to be thankful for,” write the Class of 2020 co-presidents. “Nevertheless, we know that it is extremely hard not to think of the unfairness of it all and the pain we know that many of us feel.”
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  2020 FAQsMay 1, 2020
  The 154th Commencement of Bates College is at noon, Eastern Daylight Time, May 31, 2020. The ceremony will be conducted remotely via livestream.
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  Senior Thesis ExhibitionMay 1, 2020
  This year’s virtual Senior Thesis Exhibition celebrates 15 studio art majors whose artwork, poignant and pivotal, is “essential to protecting and celebrating our humanity.”
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  Class of 2020 FaceTime PortraitsMay 1, 2020
  Bates photographer Phyllis Graber Jensen teams up with 10 members of the Class of 2020 to create FaceTime portraits.
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  Encouragement from the PastApril 21, 2020
  In 2012, the late journalist Gwen Ifill offered these inspiring words to the graduating seniors: “Look up.”
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  The Eighth Commencement ‘Location’April 21, 2020
  This year’s remote event marks the eighth different location since the college’s first Commencement, in 1867, at a downtown church.
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  Bobcat Box: Coming Your WayApril 15, 2020
  “With every box, I think of every senior,” says Assistant Vice President Dining, Conferences and Campus Events Christine Schwartz.
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  Announcement About CommencementApril 6, 2020
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  Voices of 2020: Sam Findlen-Golden and the Unexpected Joy of MathematicsFebruary 4, 2020
  “Math manages to work its way into a lot of places that I didn’t expect,” says Findlen-Golden.
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  Voices of 2020: Maddie Hallowell ’20 and the Lows and Highs of Data CollectionDecember 13, 2019
  Inspired by her childhood in a Maine island community, Hallowell is developing sensors to track climate change.
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  Voices of 2020: Jesse Saffeir and Lines of Poetry Sparked by Lines Through NatureNovember 4, 2019
  An Otis Fellowship summer of hiking alongside power lines produced a new understanding of our place in the world — and a book of poems.
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  Voices from 2020: Ryan Lizanecz Found a Home at BatesOctober 4, 2019
  A first-generation-to-college student from Portland, Maine, Lizanecz at first felt “anxious, curious, scared” on campus. The Bobcat First! program gave him a foothold.
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  Voices of 2020: Topher Castaneda builds community as a Residence Life leaderSeptember 19, 2019
  What’s Topher’s story? Using stories to build understanding among first-year students.