Week of October 11, 2021

Below please find a summary of recent announcements and upcoming events.

Ken Emerson, Director of Compensation and Benefits, reminds us that In conjunction with the Health Center, the B Well program will once again be offering flu shots on-site.  This year they will be at the Underhill testing center during covid testing hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 am – 1:00 pm beginning Tuesday, October 5th and ending on Thursday, October 14th.  If you already have a COVID testing time scheduled you need not do anything as you can get the flu shot at the same time as your COVID test.  If you have not signed up for a COVID test then we ask that you do so through the Garnet Gateway then you can either use that appointment for a Flu shot, a COVID test or both.  If you sign up for a COVID test just to get a flu shot be sure to delete future appointments from your calendar. You cannot schedule an appointment on the same day as each day’s schedule is locked down at 4:00 am (if you want to schedule a flu shot for  tomorrow, you have to book an appointment before 4:00 am  tomorrow morning).

The type of flu shot that will be offered is the Standard Injectable Quadrivalent.  There will also be High Dose flu shots available to those employees who are age 65 or older. Due to the Pandemic, only employees will be able to receive the flu shot at the testing center.  An employee’s family members are encouraged to seek a flu shot in their community.  

A flu shot registration table will be set up outside of Underhill for you to pick up and complete a flu shot consent form.  The Flu shot consent form requires you to answer a few questions on how you feel that day.

  • If you are a member of the Bates Medical Plan your medical billing information has been completed.
  • If you are covered under a non-Bates provided medical plan please be prepared to enter your medical coverage information on the consent form (plan name, group number and ID).

In the event of bad weather an email will be sent if the registration table is relocated.

Josh McIntosh, Vice President for Campus Life, and Geoffrey Swift, Vice President for Finance and Administration, wrote to provide updated information about visitors on campus.  Please take a moment to read the details associated with our visitor policies on this webpage

Next, upcoming events. 

EACS/GEO Lunch and Talk

Tuesday, 10/12/21, noon-1:00 pm

noon-1 pm:   PIZZA on the quad outside of Carnegie (weather permitting)

12:10 – 1:00 pm: Lecture in Carnegie Science 204

“Hydrological Regime Shift in a Warming Arctic Climate, Linnedalen, Svalbard” by Mike Retelle (Professor, Department of EACS)

Save the Date!
Technology Showcase
Thursday, October 21

4:30-6pm
Scattered throughout first floor of Ladd and first loor of Coram

12 of your colleagues will be demonstrating ways they are using technology in their teaching.  Food and drink will be served!  Come and have a beer, talk with some friends, meet some of our new colleagues (face-to-face!) and learn a few new things. The program will be coming out soon, but I hope you will put this on your calendar now.

Oasis (Confidential Support Circle)
5-session conversation this semester Mondays October 11-November 8
8:00-9 p.m.
163 Wood Street (to the right after coming in the door).
Questions or additional support contact Andee Alford or Brittany Longsdorf
Please share with students who you think might benefit from sharing in this processing space.


In previous years, the Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA), and Multifaith Chaplain, Brittany Longsdorf, have facilitated a confidential conversation circle called Oasis to allow survivors and friends a place to process if they or someone they love has been impacted by stalking, dating or domestic violence, sexual harassment, or sexual assault. 

These harmful actions can affect our physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual health; social lifestyles; and spiritual practice. Oasis is a safe space to give and receive support, reduce social isolation, and to process within a community. This is also a place to come together if you are simply overwhelmed by the culture of sexual violence that affects our everyday lives.  Faculty are so often a deeply meaningful source of support for students processing these issues and have frequently connected students to Oasis and other resources on campus.

RSVP via email is encouraged but not required.  E-mail Andee at sava@bates.edu or Brittany at blongsdo@bates.edu.

Lunch discussion with renowned photographer and physician, Dr. Jon Kolkin!

Thursday, October 21st – 12:00pm

Benjamin Mays Center

Dr. Jon Kolkin is an internationally recognized artist with a lifetime of experience pursuing his passions of medicine and photography.  His new book “Inner Harmony:  Living in Balance” includes a forward by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama and features 200 award winning photographs that capture the calm and mindfulness of modern Buddhist practices.  Join us for lunch to engage in a robust Q & A, view some of Dr. Kolkin’s stunning work, and hear his reflections on gaining practical strategies to live a balanced and less stressful life.  RSVP here. 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2021 Lecture
Monday, October 11th – 4:10 PM

Location: Pettengill G25 / Zoom

HHMI and the Bates SACNAS Student chapter are cosponsoring a talk with Dr. Belin Tsinnajinnie in community conversation on colonial mindsets in education.  The title of the talk is: “Justice and Equity in Mathematics come with Land Back:  Coming to Grips with the Relationships Between Mathematics and Settler Colonialism.”  This event is open to staff, faculty and students.

Register for this event at this link: https://bit.ly/BatesSACNAS_IDP21

Noontime Meditation
Mondays 12-12:30
Peter Gomes Chapel
If you would like to receive a reminder of Monday meditations on Sunday night, please sign up.  Join us for a 20 minute mindfulness meditation guided settling followed by silence