{"id":6078,"date":"2023-01-24T10:15:16","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T15:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/?page_id=6078"},"modified":"2025-06-26T12:09:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T16:09:48","slug":"commencement-2023","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/annual\/commencement-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Commencement 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<style id=\"bates-page-specific-css\/css\" class=\"wp-block-bates-page-specific-css-css\">#bates_related_content_widget-5 { display: none; }<\/style> \n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__list is-grid has-dates has-author wp-block-latest-posts is-layout-flow wp-block-latest-posts-is-layout-flow\"><li><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__featured-image alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/06\/02\/video-ready-for-their-2023-bates-commencement-closeups\/\" aria-label=\"Video: Ready for their 2023 Bates Commencement closeups\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP-400x267.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP-400x267.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP-900x600.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP-200x133.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP-942x628.jpg 942w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230528_Commencement-Video_Screen_Grab_WP.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/div><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/06\/02\/video-ready-for-their-2023-bates-commencement-closeups\/\">Video: Ready for their 2023 Bates Commencement closeups<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-author\">by Nicholas O&#8217;Brien<\/div><time datetime=\"2023-06-02T18:20:00-04:00\" class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-date\">June 2, 2023<\/time><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-excerpt\">As bleary-eyed seniors slowly arrived on Commencement morning, we were there, inviting them to pose for slow-motion portraits. Slow no more!<\/div><\/li>\n<li><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__featured-image alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/06\/02\/video-do-you-drink-the-water-or-the-wave-asks-baccalaureate-speaker-chris-schiff\/\" aria-label=\"Video: \u2018Do you drink the water or the wave?\u2019 asks Baccalaureate speaker Chris Schiff\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"265\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3-400x265.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3-400x265.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3-900x596.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3-768x508.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3-1536x1017.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3-200x132.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3-949x628.jpg 949w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/original3.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/div><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/06\/02\/video-do-you-drink-the-water-or-the-wave-asks-baccalaureate-speaker-chris-schiff\/\">Video: \u2018Do you drink the water or the wave?\u2019 asks Baccalaureate speaker Chris Schiff<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-author\">by Nicholas O&#8217;Brien<\/div><time datetime=\"2023-06-02T15:49:00-04:00\" class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-date\">June 2, 2023<\/time><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-excerpt\">It&#8217;s a line from a postmodern novel: \u201cWhich do you drink? The water or the wave?\u201d We plan to drink the water. But then the waves come crashing, says Chris Schiff in his Baccalaureate address.<\/div><\/li>\n<li><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__featured-image alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/06\/01\/slideshow-hour-by-hour-with-the-bates-class-of-2023-on-commencement-day\/\" aria-label=\"Slideshow: Hour by hour with the Bates Class of 2023 on Commencement day\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505-400x267.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505-400x267.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505-900x600.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505-200x133.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505-942x628.jpg 942w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/11-32-44-AM_230528_Commencement_2_1505.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/div><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/06\/01\/slideshow-hour-by-hour-with-the-bates-class-of-2023-on-commencement-day\/\">Slideshow: Hour by hour with the Bates Class of 2023 on Commencement day<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-author\">by Nicholas O&#8217;Brien<\/div><time datetime=\"2023-06-01T20:18:00-04:00\" class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-date\">June 1, 2023<\/time><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-excerpt\">&#8220;A great, unpretentious, family-style Commencement!&#8221; is how a livestream viewer from Santa Fe, N.M., described this year&#8217;s Bates graduation. Here&#8217;s how it went, hour by hour.<\/div><\/li>\n<li><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__featured-image alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/05\/28\/be-better-do-better-be-an-arc-in-the-bigger-circle-graduates-told-at-bates-college-commencement\/\" aria-label=\"&#8216;Be better. Do better. Be an arc in the bigger circle,&#8217; graduates told at Bates College Commencement\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184-400x267.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184-400x267.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184-900x600.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184-200x133.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184-942x628.jpg 942w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/crop_230528_Commencement_2_1184.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/div><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/05\/28\/be-better-do-better-be-an-arc-in-the-bigger-circle-graduates-told-at-bates-college-commencement\/\">&#8216;Be better. Do better. Be an arc in the bigger circle,&#8217; graduates told at Bates College Commencement<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-author\">by Nicholas O&#8217;Brien<\/div><time datetime=\"2023-05-28T16:41:00-04:00\" class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-date\">May 28, 2023<\/time><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-excerpt\">The 157th Bates Commencement saw degrees conferred on 439 Bates seniors and an address by author and scholar J. Drew Lanham \u2014 a self-described &#8220;bird-loving Black kid&#8221; from South Carolina \u2014 who spoke about freedom and Benjamin Mays, and called on the graduates &#8220;to be better, to do better&#8221; and &#8220;to be an arc in the bigger circle&#8221; that gives power to our freedom. \n <\/div><\/li>\n<li><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__featured-image alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/05\/25\/bates-class-of-2023-ivy-stone-points-to-the-future\/\" aria-label=\"Bates Class of 2023 ivy stone points to the future\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092-400x267.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092-400x267.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092-900x600.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092-200x133.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092-942x628.jpg 942w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/06\/230517_Ivy_Stone_Installation_0092.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/div><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/05\/25\/bates-class-of-2023-ivy-stone-points-to-the-future\/\">Bates Class of 2023 ivy stone points to the future<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-author\">by Nicholas O&#8217;Brien<\/div><time datetime=\"2023-05-25T19:03:00-04:00\" class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-date\">May 25, 2023<\/time><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-excerpt\">The Class of 2023 ivy stone was designed by Abby Segal, who is a professional magician. But there\u2019s no dazzling illusion in the design, just simple storytelling about a class navigating COVID.<\/div><\/li>\n<li><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__featured-image alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/05\/25\/qa-bates-commencement-senior-speaker-rishi-madnani-discovered-a-big-part-of-who-i-am-at-bates\/\" aria-label=\"Q&amp;A: Bates Commencement senior speaker Rishi Madnani discovered a &#8216;big part of who I am&#8217; at Bates\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264-400x267.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264-400x267.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264-900x600.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264-200x133.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264-942x628.jpg 942w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/files\/2023\/05\/230515_Rishi_Madnani_Senior_Commencement_Speaker_2264.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/div><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/2023\/05\/25\/qa-bates-commencement-senior-speaker-rishi-madnani-discovered-a-big-part-of-who-i-am-at-bates\/\">Q&amp;A: Bates Commencement senior speaker Rishi Madnani discovered a &#8216;big part of who I am&#8217; at Bates<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-author\">by Nicholas O&#8217;Brien<\/div><time datetime=\"2023-05-25T17:10:00-04:00\" class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-date\">May 25, 2023<\/time><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-excerpt\">This year&#8217;s Senior Address at Commencement will be offered by Rishi Madnani \u201823 of Langhorne, Pa., who came to Bates with two major expectations about his path forward. And both were upended.<\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"bates_author_byline_override":"","_hide_page_title":false,"_header_override":"","_template_width_override":"","_page-specific-tagline":"","_dimp_site_id":"","_dimp_override_contact":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"_sidebarChoice":"","footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":0,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"class_list":["post-6078","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6078"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6817,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6078\/revisions\/6817"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}