{"id":174185,"date":"2026-09-04T14:45:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T18:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=174185"},"modified":"2026-09-04T15:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T19:35:30","slug":"opening-convocation-at-bates-welcomes-class-of-2030-encouraging-evolution-positive-social-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/04\/opening-convocation-at-bates-welcomes-class-of-2030-encouraging-evolution-positive-social-influence\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening Convocation at Bates welcomes Class of 2030, encouraging evolution, positive social influence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"faculty
Phillips Professor of Mathematics Peter N. Wong leads the way as Mace Bearer for the 2026 Convocation procession. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Welcoming the Class of 2030 and new transfer students to the official start of the new academic year at the Sept. 1 Convocation, President Garry W. Jenkins reminded the group gathered on the Historic Quad that there is no expectation of perfection ahead of them and recommended that they focus instead on \u201cthe notion of evolution.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no single end goal,\u201d Jenkins said, encouraging both the class of 552 first-year students and 13 transfer students to use their time at Bates to be adventurous in their thinking, ways of moving through the world and exploring their sense of self. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like each individual, Jenkins said, Bates itself continues to change. \u201cInstitutions evolve. We don\u2019t stand still. We hit bumps in the road, and we make mistakes. We have aspirations and ideals that we may not always reach \u2014 but we continue to grasp for. And it\u2019s that grasping, that trying, not absolute perfection, that is our goal as an institution and our goal for you, our students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jenkins closed by offering the incoming class the advice that his own mother gave him when he first left home for college. Her four core words of advice: \u201clearn, care, share, and enjoy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"President
President Garry W. Jenkins welcomes the Class of 2030 at Convocation on Sept. 1. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ava B. Steinberger \u201927 of Wilmington, Del., and Mohammad Zayd \u201927 of the Bronx, N.Y. \u2014 co-presidents of Bates College Student Government \u2014 greeted the new class with a joke, namely that they were the only people not happy to be attending Convocation. Why? This represented their first \u201clast\u201d they said, marking the beginning of their senior, and last full, year at Bates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steinberger and Zayd continued the theme of exploring and trusting the unfolding experience. \u201cTake the plunge,\u201d they said. The two co-presidents reminded the Class of 2030 that they chose Bates, but Bates also chose them. They encouraged incoming students to attend events, try something new, volunteer with the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, get to know Lewiston, and be a part of the \u201ccollective effervescence\u201d of the community they are joining.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"student
Mohammad Zayd ’27 of the Bronx, N.Y., and Ava B. Steinberger ’27 of Wilmington, Del., offer greetings as co-presidents of Bates College Student Government. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whitehouse Professor of Psychology Amy Bradfield Douglass took the stage to offer the Convocation Address. Jenkins introduced Douglass by explaining, \u201cThe convocation speaker is chosen by the outgoing senior class as a gift to the incoming first-year class \u2014 and Professor Douglass was the choice of the Class of 2026 for the Class of 2030.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Douglass spoke on the theme of \u201csocial contagion\u201d as a force for good. \u201cSocial contagion,\u201d a term coined in the late 19th century by French social psychologist Gustave Le Bon, originally referred to the ways that crowds \u201close rational thinking and personal identities fade.\u201d This concept need not be negative, Douglass told the audience, as she tied the concept to the Bates mission statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"professor
Whitehouse Professor of Psychology Amy Bradfield Douglass was selected by graduating seniors last May to give the Convocation address. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the ways that social contagion can serve as a force for good right here on this campus is through the process of cultivating intellectual discovery,\u201d Douglass began, sharing a story about her own experience discovering the connection between psychology and law, which drove her career path. \u201cTake advantage of the passion we faculty have for our chosen pursuits and let social contagion work its magic by creating excitement about a field you never heard of or one you thought you already knew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Bates, in our commitment to be a \u201ccollaborative residential community,\u201d there is another opportunity to focus on the \u201cpower of positive interactions,\u201d she said. In awkward conversations where connection is a challenge, Douglass encouraged the Class of 2030 to expect the best in these moments: \u201cIn whatever way works for you, listen intently to those around you and focus on the goal of producing a positive interaction rather than preventing a bad one.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Douglass encouraged students to connect the positive outcomes of social contagion to the component of Bates\u2019 mission that celebrates the transformative power of our differences. Using examples from Bates graduates and a recent Short Term course, Douglass elevated the ways that Batesies are improved through their interactions with students who come from different backgrounds, share different experiences, or hold different beliefs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multifaith Chaplain Rob S. Benson closed the ceremony with a benediction as the class recessed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"student
Kazumi Haag \u201928 of College Park, Md., on violin, set the tone of the Memorial Tree Planting following Convocation. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following Convocation, a tree was planted near Gomes Chapel in remembrance of members of the Bates community who have died in the past year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazumi Haag \u201928 of College Park, Md., opened the ceremony with the first of two pieces she played on violin, <\/strong>followed by a welcome from Benson. Jenkins read the poem \u201cOn the Death of the Beloved\u201d by John O\u2019Donohue and Bobby Bosse, supervisor of Post and Print, the college\u2019s mail and package service, read the names of those the Bates community lost in the last year, including his late colleague Laurie Henderson, who joined Bates in 1992 and died in April at the age of 64.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following are the names of who were remembered: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin Andrucki \u2014 Professor of theater, Department of Theater and Dance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judith Andrucki \u2014 Beloved member of Bates Community and spouse of Martin Andrucki<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harold Williams \u2014 Head of security, Campus Safety<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Susan Gangemi Murphy ’70\u2014 Assistant director of technical support services, Information and Library Services<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruth Leahey – beloved member of Bates Community and spouse of Chick Leahey, former head coach of Bates baseball<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laurie Henderson \u2014 Director of Post and Print<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric Mackey \u2014 Head coach of alpine skiing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jane Katherine Frizzell \u2014 Network services administrator, Information and Library Services<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John K. Pribram \u2014 Professor of physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"tree
A new tree planting to remember members of the Bates community who died in the past year. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Myronn Hardy, associate professor of English and the recent recipient<\/a> \u2014 along with his colleague in English, associate professor of English Jessica Anthony \u201996 \u2014 of a Guggenheim fellowship, read his poem \u201cThe Moth in the Dryer\u201d at the ceremony. Water from Lake Andrews was available for attendees to water the young tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The college welcomed the Class of 2030 and new transfer students to the official start of the new academic year at the Sept. 1 Convocation on the Historic Quad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1917,"featured_media":174197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":["myronn-e-hardy","amy-bradfield-douglass"],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"bates_author_byline_override":"","_estimated-read-time":"","_post-template":"\/usr\/local\/webserver\/webpve\/htdocs\/new-www.bates.edu\/wp-content\/themes\/b\/news\/single-big-header-image.php","_header-color":"","_photo-credit":"Theophil Syslo","_header-effect":"parallax","override_related_with_tag":"","_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],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-174185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-batesnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174185","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\/1917"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174185"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":174305,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174185\/revisions\/174305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}