{"id":172331,"date":"2026-03-26T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=172331"},"modified":"2026-03-26T16:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T20:24:45","slug":"in-the-news-march-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/26\/in-the-news-march-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"In the News: March 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"An
An architectural rendering of the future Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center, designed by internationally acclaimed Sasaki Associates Inc., the same firm that gave Commons its distinctive look and created the vision for Alumni Walk. The new 8,500 square foot center will look out on Ladd Library Quad. (Courtesy of Sasaki Associations Inc.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sun Journal<\/em>, Mainebiz<\/em> highlight new fitness and well-being center<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Lewiston Sun Journal<\/em> covered news of Bates\u2019 plans<\/a> to construct a new $45-million fitness facility, the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center. A $10 million donation from Bates alumni Jon W. \u201990 and Jocelyn Stoddard Brayshaw \u201988, P\u201925 brought the project within $4 million of its $31 million fundraising goal, the Sun Journal<\/em> reported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mainebiz<\/em> also covered the news<\/a>, sharing that the college is set to break ground on the project on May 1. The 8,500-square-foot facility will include upgrades to preexisting facilities, new locker rooms and coaches\u2019 offices, and a yoga and Pilates studio, among other infrastructure supporting fitness and well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-Profile<\/em> announces news of Bonney Science Center’s architectural Honor award<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Bates’ Bonney Science Center (Doug Hubley\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Boston Society for Architecture recognized the Bonney Science Center and its designer, Boston-based architecture firm Payette during the society\u2019s annual award gala, High-Profile<\/em> reported<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Payette\u2019s design for Bonney earned an Honor award, the highest category of design award bestowed by the BSA, for Built Design, Educational Facilities. Bonney\u2019s construction, completed in 2021, marked a significant advancement in Bates\u2019 scientific facilities. The center is home to cutting-edge teaching and research spaces for chemistry, biology, and neuroscience, in addition to classrooms and study spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BSA bestowed a total of 31 design awards to structures in and around Boston to \u201ccollectively recognize the power of the built environment to empower communities, promote change, and build a more sustainable and equitable Boston,\u201d High-Profile<\/em> wrote. Zweig List<\/em> also announced<\/a> the news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alabama Public Radio<\/em> features Anelise Hanson Shrout in its St. Patrick\u2019s Day coverage<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Shrout,
Associate Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Anelise Hanson Shrout (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alabama\u2019s WBHM, a public radio station, highlighted Associate Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Anelise Hanson Shrout\u2019s research about unlikely philanthropists during the Great Famine in Ireland in the mid-19th century. Reporter Andrew Gelderman, who hosts Alabama\u2019s All Things Considered<\/em>, asked Shrout about a group of enslaved people from Lowndesboro, Alabama, whose story she included in her 2024 book Aiding Ireland: The Great Famine and the Rise of Transnational Philanthropy<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This group raised money for the starving Irish, after their enslaver, Morgan Smith, asked them in the spring of 1847 to sacrifice for the Irish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe doesn’t suggest that they give money,\u201d Shrout told Gelderman. \u201cHe suggests that they give up one meal a day to aid the starving Irish. These enslaved people go away and confer with one another and they come back and they say, \u2018No, we’re not gonna give up one meal a day, but what we will do is give you this $50 that we have.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about why this act of generosity was so remarkable, listen to the full interview<\/a>, which aired on March 17. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carolina Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia premieres her film How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps <\/em>to accolades at the True\/False Film Fest<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A still image from How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps<\/em>. (Courtesy of Carolina Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carolina Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia, associate professor of art and visual culture, premiered her film How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps<\/em> at the True\/False Film Fest<\/a> in Columbia, Missouri, earlier this month to glowing reviews and mentions in multiple publications. The film is about her mother Beatriz, a Latin American domestic worker who has long resided in the U.S. and was the family\u2019s sole breadwinner when Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia was growing up. Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia recently told Bates News<\/em><\/a> that her goal was to create a narrative that fully captured her mother\u2019s experience \u2014 as a domestic worker in the U.S., but also as a full and complex person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the True\/False festival, which was celebrating its 23rd year, reviewers lauded her efforts, with publications such as Collider<\/em><\/a> naming How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps<\/em> one of the five best films at the festival and The Criterion Collection\u2019s The Daily<\/em> citing Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia<\/a> for receiving the 2026 True Life Fund selection for her directorial debut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Filmmaker Magazine<\/em><\/a> recommended the documentary (which includes fantastical elements) as one of \u201cfour world premieres (and one North American) that are worth checking out, whether you\u2019re on the ground at this epicenter for non-fiction fanatics or are just keeping your eyes peeled for these films\u2019 future festival stops.\u201d Their mini review: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCarolina Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia\u2019s debut feature feels particularly potent amid our current political climate. Confronting the prospect of being separated from her mother Beatriz, a Latin American domestic worker who has long resided in the U.S. and is the family\u2019s sole breadwinner, Valencia copes by creating a work of fiction that\u2019s rooted in truth. Elements of docu-fiction, dance and quotidian routines culminate in a story that is as personal for Valencia as it is her and Beatriz\u2019s overarching community. The result is an attempt to disrupt preconceived notions about labor, immigration, and belonging by way of sparking creative joy. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a thoughtful, full length review<\/a>, The Maneater<\/em> said Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia\u2019s \u201cblending and blurring of reality leaves the audience questioning their interpretation of the film and of the people they overlook in their own lives.\u201d Meanwhile St. Louis <\/em>magazine, which described the whole festival as long feeling like \u201ca homecoming for hip Missourians,\u201d described How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps<\/em> as \u201csurprisingly experimental\u201d and a \u201cvital text\u201d<\/a> about immigration. Reviewer Max Havey said, \u201cThe magic of this film is the way it consciously removes and applies layers of artifice along the way to tell Beatriz\u2019s story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mara Tieken discusses school closures in The<\/em> Maine Monitor<\/em>, Bangor Daily News<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"A
Professor of Education Mara Tieken (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Professor of Education Mara Tieken spoke to The<\/em> Maine Monitor<\/em> about school closures in Maine, offering context for a story about converting closed school buildings into housing<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enrollment in Maine\u2019s public schools has dropped 6.6 percent over the past decade, the Monitor<\/em> reported, leading to school closures or consolidation and leaving a host of empty school buildings across the state, particularly in rural areas. Declining enrollment, likely a result of Maine\u2019s aging population, and financial challenges are the primary reasons why schools close, Tieken said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are less young families, less young children,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools in smaller communities, with smaller tax bases, may be driven to closure when they can\u2019t afford to fund school improvements, Tieken explained. At the same time, as a school\u2019s enrollment drops, the state will decrease funding for the school per Maine\u2019s cost-per-pupil formula. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers in the Maine State Legislature are currently debating whether to create a $5 million fund that would help towns turn vacant school buildings into housing. Bangor Daily News<\/em> also published<\/a> the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women in Academia Report<\/em> publicizes Bates faculty tenure among women professors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Among the seven Bates faculty members who earned tenure and promotion to associate professor this spring, five were women, the Women in Academia Report <\/em>shared<\/a>. (There were nine total promotions announced at Bates this semester<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They include Yunkyoung (Yun) L. Garrison, associate professor of psychology; Lisa R. Gilson, associate professor of politics; Seulgie Claire Lim, associate professor of politics; Zhenzhen Lu, associate professor of Chinese; and Sarah B. Lynch, associate professor of classical and medieval studies and history. Their expertise includes everything from psychological well-being among people of color to literature in imperial China to education in medieval France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennebec Journal<\/em> covers career-best basketball performance for Mya Hicks \u201927<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Mya Hicks \u201927 (Sammy Weidenthal\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Women\u2019s basketball player Mya Hicks \u201927 of Ann Arbor, Mich., gave a career-best performance during a game against Smith College on March 7, the Kennebec Journal<\/em> reported<\/a>. Hicks scored 19 points and hit five 3-pointers, leading Bates to an 18-point comeback and victory in overtime \u2014 and securing the team\u2019s spot in the NCAA Division III tournament\u2019s Sweet 16, the Journal<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hicks, who the Journal<\/em> calls a \u201cutility-type player,\u201d only took the game-tying shot, which was drawn up for another player, because she ran the play wrong. With a split-second decision, Hicks stepped up to the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy role is very specific on this team, and I do that role with pride,\u201d Hicks told the Journal<\/em>. \u201cIn that moment, I knew my teammates had all the confidence in me. I had all the confidence in that moment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Coach Alison Montgomery, who describes Hicks as \u201cvery strong,\u201d was not at all surprised by her fantastic performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018Yeah, of course she did that,\u2019 \u2026 just knowing how capable she is,\u201d Montgomery told the Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theri Pickens\u2019 poetry collection recommended in The<\/em> Seattle Times<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Charles
Charles A. Dana Professor of English and Africana Ther\u00ed Pickens (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In advance of April\u2019s poetry month, The<\/em> Seattle Times<\/em> ran a recommendation from the Seattle Public Library of four poetry collections, including Charles A. Dana Professor of English and Africana Ther\u00ed Pickens\u2019 debut collection of poetry, What Had Happened Was, <\/em>published by Duke University Press in March 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pickens, librarian Okunyi B\u00ebhree<\/a> writes, \u201cseamlessly explores personal narrative, Black American life, systemic injustices, pop culture, history and chronic disability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See all the recommendations at The<\/em> Seattle Times<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Rocque comments on a controversial bad neighbors case in the Bangor Daily News<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Rocque comments on a controversial bad neighbors case in the Bangor Daily News<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Michael
Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean of Faculty Michael Rocque (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

News stories about some high profile poisonings of trees by homeowners in posh Maine locations who apparently wanted better views have captivated national readers. The New York Times<\/em> reported on incidents in Camden and in Rockport in recent years and the fallout \u2014 along with fines \u2014 continues. The Bangor Daily News<\/em> interviewed Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean of the Faculty Michael Rocque<\/a>, who studies criminology, about the poisoning in Camden, where a \u201cMissouri couple paid more than $1.8 million in fines, settlements, and cleanup costs after they poisoned a neighbor\u2019s trees and contaminated the town\u2019s only public beach in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rocque told the BDN, \u201cIt was a bit of a stunning example of somebody who\u2019s just like, \u2018The rules don\u2019t apply to me.\u2019\u201d Neighborliness and sharing natural resources are values widely shared in Maine, Rocque said. Seeing people act in ways that violate those norms is \u201ca shock to the senses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education<\/em><\/a> reports on Valerie Smith \u201975 retiring as Swarthmore College president<\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"A
President of Swarthmore College Valerie Smith \u201975 (Courtesy of Swarthmore College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Valerie Smith \u201975 is retiring as president of Swarthmore College at the conclusion of the 2026\u20132027 academic year, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education<\/em> reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith has held the role since 2015, when she became the college\u2019s first Black president. She also serves as Swarthmore\u2019s inaugural Roy J. and Linda G. Shanker Presidential Chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cServing as Swarthmore\u2019s 15th president has been one of the great privileges of my life,\u201d said Smith in a statement to the Swarthmore community. \u201cSwarthmore is defined by the students whose curiosity and conviction inspire us all; the faculty whose teaching and scholarship expand the boundaries of knowledge; by the staff members whose dedication sustains our shared work; and by alumni, families, and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to joining Swarthmore, Smith was dean of the college and the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Literature at Princeton University, and a faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vermont Daily Chronicle<\/em> on Hannah Sessions \u201999 launching a Vermont Senate campaign<\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"A
Hannah Sessions \u201999 (Courtesy of Hannah Sessions \u201999)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hannah Sessions \u201999 is running for a seat in the Vermont Senate representing Addison County, the Vermont Daily Chronicle<\/em> reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am running because my life experience has taught me not only to work hard but also to ask questions and listen, three skills that will help me represent you in Montpelier,\u201d Sessions said in her campaign announcement on social media. \u201cI want to build pragmatic coalitions to help improve the lives of current and future Vermonters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Democrat and native of Addison County, Sessions now owns and operates goat dairy farm Blue Ledge with her husband. If elected, Sessions would be the first full-time farmer in the Vermont Senate, the Chronicle<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sessions, who is also a painter, studied studio art and political science at Bates before moving home to Vermont, where her family ties date back generations. Her father William Sessions is a federal court judge in Vermont.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Media coverage of faculty member Carolina Gonz\u00e1lez Valencia’s film premiere, Anelise Shrout on Alabama Public Radio, women’s basketball’s winning season, and the news about the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":172408,"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":[1,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-172331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-batesnews","category-faculty-staff"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172331","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\/148"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172331"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172417,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172331\/revisions\/172417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}