{"id":168206,"date":"2025-04-08T12:50:29","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T16:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=168206"},"modified":"2025-06-04T16:06:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T20:06:14","slug":"slideshow-this-month-at-bates-67","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/08\/slideshow-this-month-at-bates-67\/","title":{"rendered":"Slideshow: This Month at Bates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From buzzer-beaters and Broadway guests to sunlit praise on the Historic Quad, March offered moments of joy, reflection, and renewal. With every performance, project, and passing connection, students leaned into the turning season \u2014 ready for what\u2019s next, but fully alive to what\u2019s now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around the World in One Night<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Carly Philpott ’27 for Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students who attended and hosted the annual International Dinner pose for a group photo in Gray Athletic Building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While new cohorts of students prepare and present dishes from around the world to the community each year, the decades-old tradition maintains continuity through James Reese, the longtime dean who supported the founding of the event by the International Club shortly after he arrived in 1977. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Passing It Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Moments
Theophil Syslo\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A gathering of the Bates Men\u2019s Soccer Alumni Mentorship Program in Commons gave current Bobcats a chance to connect with soccer alumni to receive guidance, support, and a start on a path toward careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bold in the Black Box<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sammy
Sammy Weidenthal ’27 for Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kyle Woodworth ’25 (left) of Nova Scotia, Canada, and Kennedy Mathis ’27 of Brookline, Mass., act in Body Awareness<\/em>, directed by Emma Seitz \u201925 of Brooklyn, N.Y., for her senior thesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With humor, heart, and fearless honesty, she guided the tight-knit cast through a sharp, poignant exploration of intimacy, identity, and discomfort \u2014 all within the close quarters of the Martin Andrucki Black Box Theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Says Seitz, \u201cDiscomfort with hard topics is the very reason we should see them on stage\u201d \u2014 especially a stage on a college campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doubles and Wins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eric Diop \u201928 of Roslindale, Mass., won his doubles and singles matches vs. Connecticut College in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Great Day, Big Wins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With fists raised and the Bobcat beaming beside him, President Garry W. Jenkins congratulated donors during the livestream that rolled throughout Great Day 2025, held on March 13. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, 2,499 donors gave a total of $1,247,332 to support the college \u2014 increased numbers on both fronts from 2024. The annual Bates giving day is named after the famous Bates cheer, \u201cIt\u2019s a great day to be a Bobcat,\u201d coined by the late, beloved football and lacrosse coach Web Harrison \u201963<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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All in the Swing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Team captain Lizzie Frekko \u201825 of Lake Forest, Ill., rips a two-handed backhand during a singles match vs. Tufts in Merrill Gymnasium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Power of Memory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Phyllis
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Amy Bradfield Douglass celebrates her appointment as Whitehouse Professor of Psychology with a talk in Commons. Douglass is a social psychologist who explores psychology and law, specifically eyewitness testimony, including how witness memory can be profoundly distorted by subtle interactions with other witnesses and investigators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work of supporting Bates students, she says, \u201ccan range from helping a student accomplish their goal of speaking up in class more, to connecting them with a community partner to advance criminal justice reform, to preparing an honors thesis for publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In all cases, having the opportunity to work closely with students is deeply meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taste, Told from Memory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Guest chef Susan Reid \u201979 serves up her butterscotch apple oatmeal cookies during the lunch rush at Commons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cookbook author and former King Arthur recipe developer, Reid returned to Bates for a three-day culinary residency with Bates Dining Services featuring a seminar on differences between flour types (with warm, buttery biscuits on hand to illustrate her points, and in Commons, lunch service with recipes from what she calls her \u201cidiot savant talent: I can taste something in my head and write you a recipe that will make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New Turf, Same Game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lefthander Christopher McGrail \u201925 of Dedham, Mass., delivers a pitch during the Bobcats\u2019 game vs. St. Joseph\u2019s College. Bates hosted the Monks on the new hybrid surface at Leahey Field, where turf covers the infield area and natural grass remains on the outfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pitch Perfect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Moment\u2019s
Theophil Syslo\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ella Beiser \u201925 of Chicago took top honors, and a big check for $15,000, at this year\u2019s Bobcat Ventures pitch competition for her project, the Campus Reporting Network. Co-developed with Micah Clark Moody, a Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern University, the platform offers resources to empower student journalists to report on campus discipline systems with confidence and care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, she accepts the check from judge Pranav Ghai \u201993 as fellow judge <\/a>Chris Barbin \u201993 addresses the audience; also serving as a judge was Benjamin Schippers \u201904. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bobcat Ventures judges were so impressed that they awarded the entire prize pool to a single pitch for the first time in the competition\u2019s decade-long history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Garcelon on the Go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lauren Wong \u201926 of Walpole, Mass., moves past a defender during Bates’ women’s lacrosse game vs. Plymouth State at Garcelon Field. Wong contributed three goals and an assist in the team\u2019s  21\u20139 win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Science with a Welcome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From left, April Horton, who is the Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM, Nora Gilmer \u201928 of Fairfax, Va., and Nisan Ozmert \u201927 of Nicosia, Cyprus, speak with prospective students during the Bates Beginnings program for newly admitted students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joined by current STEM Scholars, Horton shared an overview of the STEM Scholars Program and led a tour of Bates labs, giving students an inside look at how equity and excellence intersect in the sciences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kicking off with a greeting from Bates President Garry W. Jenkins, Bates Beginnings offers admitted students hands-on academic sessions, student panels, and interactive tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Under Pressure, She Delivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
 Photograph by Vincent L. Rinella<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sophie Spolter \u201826 (No. 2) of Blacklick, Ohio, and Elsa Daulerio \u201826 of Auburn, Maine, celebrate the Bobcats\u2019 55\u201353 win over Southern Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Division III women\u2019s basketball tournament in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spolter\u2019s basket with 10 seconds remaining \u2014 a layup as she fell to the ground \u2014 sealed the victory for Bates. The Bobcats finished at 17\u201310 following a second-round loss to host Scranton the following day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Art Imitates Everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jack Hagan ’27 of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, playing Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplev, and Kirk Read, professor of French and francophone studies, as Pyotr Nikolayevich Sorin, act opposite one another in The Seagull<\/em>, staged in Schaffer Theatre in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The play was guest directed by Joshua N Hsu. \u201cThere is an important, meta-theatrical aspect to The Seagull<\/em> that I think is relevant for students who are creating art, for artists who are building something,\u201d says Hsu, reflecting on the staying power of the Anton Chekhov play, which was originally staged in 1896.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Game On<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Phyllis
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alison Montgomery, head coach of women’s basketball, flashes a double thumbs up as she and the team set off to Scranton, Pa., for the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament, which they participated in for the third time in the last four years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Singing in the Aisles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Carly Philpott ’27 for Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Man-Ops (Manic Optimists for those not in the know) perform a cover of Rihanna\u2019s \u201cUmbrella,\u201d in the iconic style of actor Tom Holland. The Man-Ops were among the five Bates a cappella<\/em> groups that performed in Gomes Chapel before an SRO crowd during Sex Week programming sponsored by Well-Being at Bates<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Sunbreak<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\""It's
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As mid-March temperatures touched 60 degrees, Daquan Johnson \u201927 (right) of Euclid, Ohio, called the respite from the snow \u201ca great day to praise the Lord because we are all from different corners of the earth soaking in the sun in one location.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kicking off March break, Johnson played worship music, sitting in the sun on the Historic Quad, alongside Vera Song \u201927 of Naperville, Ill., and other friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018Across Common Grounds\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Assistant
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Assistant Professor of Dance Tristan Koepke choreographed and performed a multimedia dance piece with Shey ‘R\u00ed Acu’ Rivera R\u00edos as part of the Bates Museum of Arts “Across Common Grounds” exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Across Common Grounds,” which closed March 15, was the first major exhibition at the museum organized by Assistant Curator Samantha Sigmon since she arrived in Maine from her home region of Northwest Arkansas in early 2023. It featured more than a dozen contemporary artists from \u201coutside the center,\u201d including Koepke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI came from generations of farmers, quilters, and builders,\u201d Sigmon said of the exhibition. \u201cWorking in the arts away from international cities and art fairs made me feel passionate about contemporary art that isn\u2019t often seen as part of the wider art world, or is, but is not interpreted regarding the context of rural cultural landscapes. I want folks to see that artists can create communities and engaging artworks in and about anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spring in Their Step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Bates
Theophil Syslo\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the second day of spring, Xander Frey \u201928 (facing camera) of Potomac, Md., celebrates his goal vs. Wesleyan with Jack Goldbach \u201928 (No. 50)  of West Caldwell, N.J. That’s Riley McClure \u201927 (right) of Georgetown, Mass., trotting over to join the fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scene by Scene<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Playwiright
Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Chase Hall’s Skelton Lounge, Tony-nominated actor and playwright John Cariani (center) works with Bates students in an acting master class taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater Sally Wood, offering physical prompts and improvisational exercises to the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cariani was on campus during the month as a Learning Associate, and in addition to working Bates students in both acting and playwriting classes, he gave a talk on March 17 about his love for theater and the opportunity it gives him to share stories from “unthought of” places such as rural Maine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood is directing the world premiere of Cariani\u2019s latest play, Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars<\/em><\/a>, at Portland Stage, a story of intertwined teenaged and young adult lives in northern Maine. It opened in April and runs until early May in Portland. Cariani is best known for his first play, Almost, Maine<\/em>, which is one of the most-performed plays in the world with nearly 6,000 productions to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Golden Moment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Maximillian
Theophil Syslo\/Bates College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Max Cory \u201826 of Dublin, Calif., poses for a portrait<\/a> in the Alumni Gymnasium trophy lobby with his championship trophy a few days after winning the100-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s awesome,” he says. “It\u2019s a career-defining swim for me, and it puts my name in the books, but more importantly, it\u2019s going to garner more attention to Bates as a program as a whole, to help it grow into something even greater, which I have got no doubt that it can be.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From buzzer-beaters and Broadway guests to sunlit praise on the Historic Quad, this month offered moments of joy, reflection, and renewal. With every performance, project, and passing connection, students leaned into the turning season \u2014 ready for what\u2019s next, but fully alive to what\u2019s now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":168319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"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":""},"categories":[223,11012,11009],"tags":[11075],"class_list":["post-168206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-slideshow","category-student-life","category-the-college","tag-this-month-at-bates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168206"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169606,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168206\/revisions\/169606"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}