Stories about "Society and culture"
97-year-old Ralph Sylvester, Bates Class of 1950, arrives at the Bobcat Den on Aug. 17, 2021, where he renewed a morning routine, having breakfast with Alan Kelley of Facility Services in the Bobcat Den, which reopened today at 8 a.m. after being closed since March 20, 2020, due to the pandemic. “The Den is where Ralph and I became friends,” said Kelley, who is the mechanical and electrical services manager for Facility Services. “You can see a lot of people come through the Den who you might not see on a regular basis on campus," Kelley added. "It’s great to say hi, how you doing, and fill your belly with a good meal to start your day.”
Bates receives $1.3 million bequest from a World War II vet and alumnus who fought for the underdog

Thursday, May 22, 2025 2:08 pm

The bequest from Ralph Sylvester '50, who died in 2023 at age 99 will fund two new endowed funds at Bates that create a legacy of access, opportunity, and community.

Ancient ruins to white smoke: A Bates student’s up-close view of the papal election in Rome

Friday, May 9, 2025 2:32 pm

Feeling swept up in the election of a new pope doesn’t require you to be Catholic, writes Carly Philpott '27, who is in Rome with a Short Term course in classical and medieval studies. "All you have to do is absorb the moment."

Bates at Night: A visit to the historic Stephens Telescope

Friday, February 7, 2025 11:04 am

Walking to the roof of Carnegie Science Hall to visit the college's observatory feels like being in a boat — the strange feeling that the world outside is slowly moving around you.

Recalling when Jimmy Carter visited Bates to honor the ‘greatness of America’s character’

Sunday, December 29, 2024 3:38 pm

We pay tribute to the late, remarkable Jimmy Carter, who died today at age 100, by recalling his historic visit to Bates in 1985 to honor his friend Edmund Muskie '36 and to praise the greatness of another Bates friend, civil rights leader Benjamin E. Mays.

Faculty in the News: Michael Sargent’s research spotlighted on Hidden Brain

Friday, December 6, 2024 10:21 am

In a recent episode of the popular podcast, Associate Professor of Psychology Michael Sargent’s research on attitudes toward crime and punishment got a shoutout — and a ringing endorsement.

On Veterans Day, we pause to reflect and remember. During this morning’s gathering at Bates Veterans Plaza, Joe Castonguay of Facility Services lays a flower atop one of the basalt stones that comprise the plaza centerpiece. “I learned the value of human life in combat,” said Castonguay, a U.S. Army veteran who served for 15 months in Iraq. The Rev. Dr. Brittany Longsdorf, @bates_multifaith chaplain, guided today’s centering moment, which included reflective readings and interfaith prayers, the observing of silence, and the ritual of laying flowers to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans. Dedicated in 2020 and located near the Benjamin E. Mays Center, the plaza honors Bates veterans and invites “reflection on the impact of war on the lives of everyone it touches.” President Garry W. Jenkins was in attendance.
Veterans Day at Bates, and thoughts from a Bates combat veteran

Friday, November 15, 2024 2:52 pm

We caught up with Army veteran Joe Castonguay after Veterans Day, on a sunny morning when he and his grounds crew team were clearing leaves outside Rand Hall.

25 items (or 62, depending your count) in the Bates library’s Lost and Found on Nov. 11, 2024

Friday, November 15, 2024 12:54 pm

The sweetest lost item was a greeting card with the quote “Etre avec des gens qu'on aime cela suffit” (“Being with people you love, that’s enough”) from a grandfather to his Bates grandson in his first week on campus.

Then and Now: Vintage George French campus images (then) and gorgeous fall colors (now)

Friday, October 25, 2024 4:02 pm

This edition of Then and Now presents early 20th-century Bates images by famed Maine photographer George French, Class of 1908, and images taken this week during the waning days of a gorgeous fall foliage season.

Mic’d Up: Golf captain Will Phillips ’25 on lefty golf swings and the ‘damn shame’ of a missed putt

Friday, October 11, 2024 12:33 pm

College golf is a beautiful thing, which this quip-filled mic’d up video captures — walking a course on a beautiful fall day in Maine with teammates who are also friends.

Forty years ago, a Bates faculty vote heard ’round the country

Friday, October 4, 2024 12:21 pm

The vote by the Bates faculty to make SAT scores optional for admission led to Bates' leadership in the national conversation about promise, access, and academic ability in American higher education.

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