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It was a hoop

Full-court fun as students, faculty, and staff compete in an Alumni Gym game

By Bates College

April 12^th, 2019

Time to regroup

A friendly pickup game of hoops, like this one in Alumni Gym on April 8, has a magical way of taking people with familiar identities — in this case, professors, staff, and students, including President Spencer — and regrouping them in a fun new way: as teammates.

“I love how the game took us out of our usual campus roles and tossed us into new partnerships,” said Grace Coulombe, director of the college’s Mathematics and Statistics Workshop.

WARMING UP

“I was surprised at how well some of my colleagues can bring it on the court,” said Sam Boss, assistant director for community-engaged learning and research at Bates’ Harward Center for Community Partnerships.

“It was a ton of fun and a great way to connect with students and faculty with whom I don’t normally have too much interaction.”

Assistant Professor of Physics Aleks Diamond-Stanic warms up before the game in Alumni Gym.

President Clayton Spencer goes through her warmup.

ALL IN THE FAMILy

“The event was distinctively Bates because it was about community building and enjoying ourselves within the process of education,” said Michael Rocque, assistant professor of sociology.

Those who can’t play, coach

Sidelined due to recent knee surgery, Elmer Campbell Professor of Economics Lynne Lewis was recruited to coach the Garnet team. Celine Cunningham, senior associate director of athletics, coached the White team.

Like a real coach, Lewis had players chirping guidance in her ear during the game. “One was telling me we needed to put in our best players. Another wanted more playing time. I failed miserably!”

Still, she said, “it was a blast and a great way to celebrate community and the end of the semester.”

Economist Lynne Lewis (center) coached the Garnet team, whose members included sociologist Heidi Taylor (right).

TAKING OFF

Alison Montgomery, head coach of women's basketball, served as one game official; Mike Milliken, director of the college’s wellness program, was the other.

They let them play, so to speak, calling just a couple fouls. “It was really fun to just help facilitate the flow,” Montgomery said.

At first, she says, the students didn’t seem to know what to make of the elder hoopsters in their midst. “They were really hesitant to actually score and even attempt to score.”

But as the faculty and staff showed evidence of both effort and talent (longtime dean James Reese knocking down a three definitely helped break the ice), “it was kind of cool to see that they were all equal partners and trying to win.”

Scrappy but elegant

Off the court, Assistant Professor of Sociology Heidi Taylor’s expertise leans toward social inequalities and medicine. On the court, she saw healthy doses of Bates community.

“There are probably more interests than I realized connecting faculty, students, coaching staff, and others at the college,” she said, “whether that be athletics, the arts, or service to the community.

“Our interests are not as different as we might realize, and events like this bring us together.”

INTENSE AND EXHAUSTINg

The game was “a great reminder that each one of us has talents that might not reveal themselves in our day-to-day lives at Bates,” said Taylor.

'like Steph Curry'

A sophomore from Ridgefield, Conn., Julie Middlebrook plays guard for the women’s team. She was surprised by one part of the game, unsurprised by another.

The surprise: “Dean Reese’s deep range, like Steph Curry!”

What didn’t surprise: “The immediate connection and collaboration between students, faculty, and staff.” It was the Bates mission, writ hoops: “everyone supporting one another whether that be in the classroom or in athletics.”

Players and audience members react after James Reese, a longtime student affairs dean, makes a three-point shot.

four 10-minute nonstop periods are forever

Associate Professor of Biology Larissa Williams is an expert on issues of aquatic toxicology, running field and lab experiments that involve zebrafish and the invasive European green crab, among other species.

On Monday, she was doing another kind of running: up and down Alumni Gym. “I’d forgotten just how much running was involved in basketball!” she said. “I played at the beginning of high school, but haven’t since.

“From having the president of the college play as well as student athletes, it reminds you of how awesome our community of students, faculty, and staff is here.”