Jay Burns
As the editorial director for the Bates Communications Office, Jay guides Bates Magazine and BatesNews.
Stories by Jay Burns
FAQs: What to know and expect at the inauguration of Bates College President Garry W. Jenkins on May 4
Monday, April 22, 2024 10:55 am
On May 4, 2024, Bates will install a new president for only the eighth time in its 168-year history.
Those infamous 1800s pistol duels? They actually served a purpose
Friday, April 12, 2024 1:49 pm
Even before the musical Hamilton, the Burr-Hamilton duel had most people figuring that pistol duels were deadly and irrational. But for the most part, they were neither, according to new research by Bates economist Paul Shea.
Bates alumni in the eclipse’s path are totally ready for their moment without the sun
Friday, April 5, 2024 12:23 pm
From Texas to Maine, we checked in with alumni in the path of eclipse totality to hear their preparations and plans. Some know exactly where they'll be on Monday. Some still don't.
From Bates History: inaugural keys, silver chalice, and a 1908 Rand Hall midnight party
Friday, March 15, 2024 2:38 pm
A few items from the Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library and elsewhere on campus, including a Peter Gomes '65 chalice and a 1908 midnight party by the women of Rand Hall.
CatFacts: Celebrating ‘Great Day’ success with fun facts, like how a bobcat is Irish
Friday, March 15, 2024 12:05 pm
During our stint on the Great Day to Be a Bobcat livestream yesterday, we shared a few fun CatFacts with viewers — and a couple with St. Patrick's Day in mind — which we now share with you.
A cool Bates rowing ritual: putting out the docks, earlier than ever before
Friday, March 15, 2024 9:37 am
A historically warm winter meant that the Bates rowing teams could put out their docks and get onto the water earlier than ever before.
Recalling when venerable Alumni Gym had a 6-foot growth spurt
Friday, March 1, 2024 12:47 pm
On the eve of Bates hosting two rounds of the NCAA women's basketball tournament, we look back to when the Bobcats earned the right to host the first-ever home NCAA tourney game, but had to hit the road — because Alumni Gym was 6 feet too short.
From Lake Andrews to 17th-century Japan, two student-built boats now part of TV series Shōgun
Tuesday, February 27, 2024 4:41 am
Two traditional Japanese river boats, hand-crafted by Bates students and launched into Lake Andrews five years ago, are part of the historical re-creation of feudal Japan for the TV adaptation of Shōgun, which debuted this week on FX.
What’s in a Lewiston Name: Gile
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 2:54 pm
Older alumni might recall Mount Gile in Auburn as a recreation spot, a ski slope, a destination on the annual Stanton Ride, and where a stone monument marks a 19th-century tragedy.
Rabies tag, Softee edge control, and other items in Bates library’s Lost and Found on Feb. 8, 2024
Friday, February 9, 2024 12:37 pm
Just how did a rabies dog tag from Andover, Mass., find its way into the Lost and Found cubby in Ladd Library?