Slideshow: This Month at Bates

How does one define spring in Maine? Well, it can be called heartbreaking. One minute, you’re anticipating the bursting of magnolia blossoms. The next, you’re battening down the hatches for a snowstorm.

Either way, we’ve learned the art of optimism. And a quieter-than-usual Bates campus prompts closer attention to our surroundings. Once again, Maine has sustained us with the beauty of April becoming May.

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Spring Snow Showers

Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics Jacob Longaker crosses Campus Avenue at Nichols Street in April during an early spring snowstorm.

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Bursting at the Seams

A blossom on Hathorn Hall’s magnificent magnolia tree is ready to open in mid-April.

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Bird Watcher

Lecturer in Geology Alice Doughty enjoys some fresh air, walks her dog, Clara, and makes observations that she uploads twice daily as a volunteer for the Maine Bird Atlas.⁣

During a 50-minute outing with notebook and binoculars on April 16, Doughty logged four-fifths of a mile on campus, including this lap around Lake Andrews, while balancing responsibilities to self, the bird atlas, and Clara.⁣

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Ivy Stone

Installation of a class ivy stone is a Bates tradition dating to the 1870s. You can view this one from the Class of 1903 on the eastern side of Hathorn Hall.

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Patriot’s Day

Lance Brown of Lewiston, a member of the Revolutionary War Reenactors of Downeast Maine, waves to passersby on the corner of College and Vale streets in honor of the 245th anniversary of the Battles of Concord and Lexington. Patriot’s Day was celebrated on the following day, April 20.

(And, alas, the official holiday in Maine has the apostrophe in the singular position. So goes Maine….)

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Boxing Day

In Kalperis Hall in late April, Bates staffers prepared more than 460 “Bobcat Boxes,” filling each with an assortment of celebratory Commencement materials, including caps and gowns, that are now in the hands of most members of the Class of 2020.

“With every box, I think of every senior. We’re preparing for Commencement as we do every year, but in a very different way this year. What hasn’t changed is the pride and excitement we feel for our seniors,” says Christine Schwartz, assistant vice president of Dining, Conferences and Campus Events, as she carries empty boxes from the Kalperis lobby to an assembly line of staff in the College Store.⁣⁣⁣

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Campus Serenity

“What can I say! There is nothing like spring after a long winter in Maine. I’ve lived here for four years, and I still find myself amazed by the chirping birds, the blossoming trees, and the warm weather that May brings with it,”⁣ says Ariel Abonizio ’20 of Cuiabá, Brazil, during a walk on the Historic Quad. Abonizio is one of 60-plus Bates students remaining on campus during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Magnolia in the Window

A Hathorn Hall window reflects the magnolia tree that signals the true arrival of spring on the Bates campus.

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A Safe Stroll

Community residents take their appreciative dog for an Alumni Walk.

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Sunlight Strikes

Late-day sunlight gilds the entrance to Merrill Gymnasium.

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Greetings from Alumni Walk

With Lane Hall in the background, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Noelle Chaddock offers greetings.

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Cycle in Circles

Local bicyclists of various sizes tour the Historic Quad.

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Library Plaza

Barren-strawberry blossoms brighten the plaza between Coram and Ladd libraries.

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Cloud Cover

The Russell Street Track provides a venue for members of the community to walk and work out.

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Masked Wonders

Associate Professor of Theater Christine McDowell leads a team of Bates students — in residence — as they work in Schaeffer Theatre’s costume shop making coronavirus masks for members of the Bates community. To date, they have provided 340 masks for Dining Services, Security, Facility Services custodians, and Occupational Health and Safety.

From left, Wenjing Zheng ’21, Nicole Kumbula ’21, Jade Zhang ’21, McDowell, Gabi Gucagaite ’21, Zhao Li ’21, and Aidan McDowell, assistant technical director.

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Dusk at Dawn

Early sun seems to light the lamps on the Historic Quad.

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Howdy, Paw

A closeup of a rear paw of the bronze Bobcat that lives on the path to Merrill Gym. The sculpture, created by artist Forest Hart and made possible by the Class of 2004 and other donors, was dedicated on June 13, 2009, during Reunion.

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View from the Trees

Tree buds and blossoms frame Lake Andrews, shimmering in the early morning light.

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Petal Profusion

As Bates’ landmark magnolia tree creates a lush pink backdrop, its little sister, an azalea, casts a saturated magenta glow next to Hathorn Hall.

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