10%

‘It fills my heart’

For alumni, parents, and families, the magic of Back to Bates is ‘to grow young once more’

By Bates College

October 11^th, 2024

Place of the Heart

With events ranging from engaging poster presentations, spirited sports contests, lively performances, and good food enjoyed in community, Back to Bates weekend showcases the best of Bates.

This year’s edition was held on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29.

On Friday, Marianne Jones ’93 and her son, Elias Jones ’27 of NewYork City, took a moment for a photograph outside of Commons. “Bates is one of my favorite places in the world,” Marianne says. “It fills my heart with only good memories.”

“All good,” Elias echoes.

‘Grow Young Once More’

“Why not come back to Bates and grow young once more in contact with the undergraduates?”

— Harry W. Rowe of Class of 1912, in his capacity as alumni secretary, extending an invitation to alumni to return to campus for the inaugural Back to Bates, held in 1920

Friday Family Portraits

So Happy Together

Outside Merrill Gymnasium, Jasmine Gray ’27 of Atlanta enjoys a visit with a four-legged friend, Cookie.

Arriving and Reconnecting

“Back to Bates is an occasion for closing shop, for taking an extra day off, for planning that maiden voyage in the new ’46 sedan, for turning north or south, and revisiting alma mater.”

— Bates Magazine, reporting on the 1946 edition of Back to Bates

Passing the Baton

Members of the classes of 1974 and 1975, one class coming off their 50th Reunion year, and the other getting ready for theirs, in June 2025, came together during Back to Bates for a “pass the baton” event.

Sharing Summer Research

Around five dozen Bates students had funded academic experiences last summer. Some had off-campus academic internships, while others did research on campus, working alongside Bates professors across 14 academic disciplines.

During a Friday afternoon poster session, visitors could stop by, ask questions, learn, and be amazed by these phenomenal student-scholars.

Shabbat Dinner and Services

On Friday evening, Shabbat evening services and dinner, hosted in collaboration with the Bates Jewish Student Union, offered a warm and welcoming space for students and families to come together and observe the Jewish Sabbath.

The Pride Game

Friday night was Pride Night for the volleyball team, as its match against Tufts included a fundraiser for LGBTQ+ youth through OUT Maine.

Event organizer and team captain Julia Neumann ’25 of Norwell, Mass., told The Bates Student how she and the team “really wanted to do something that involved the whole community and wasn’t just athletics-based. I think that events like these will continue to push our team to be one of the most inclusive groups of people, ever.”

Iconic A Cappella

Families and alumni joined students for the annual a cappella concert in the Gray Athletic Building.

Looking Back

Early Saturday morning, the Rev. Raymond Clothier, who is the associate multifaith chaplain at Bates, led a contemplative walk through Gomes Chapel, with a focus on the figures depicted in the stained-glass windows.

The windows, many donated by Bates graduating classes, depict great Western thinkers, from Homer to Marie Curie. They were designed by the famed Boston studio of Charles J. Connick, whose work in the Gothic Revival style is found worldwide.

Later in the morning, Pat Webber, director of the Muskie Archives and Special Collection Library, offered a campus tour highlighting the early history of the college. The had a logical starting point: the steps of the college’s first building, Hathorn Hall.

Armchair Conversation

The Olin Arts Center Concert Hall was the setting for a moderated panel featuring members of the college’s senior leadership team, who spoke about the importance of the liberal arts today and in the future — and Bates’ particular strengths in preparing leaders for coming times.

Panelists were President Garry W. Jenkins, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Leana E. Amáez, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Erin Foster Zsiga, and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Malcolm S. Hill.

The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the college’s multifaith chaplain, moderated the discussion.

Sister, Sister

“I could hear her shouting. She’ s so loud! She was telling me where to go, like, ‘Take baseline, do this, do that.’ And it was really helpful, actually, because we’ve always connected really well on the field.”

— Anna Cote ’25, on the great feeling of hearing her sister and former teammate Paige Cote ’23 shouting encouragement from the stands during the Bobcats’ Back to Bates victory vs. Amherst

‘Believing in the Future’

Back to Bates included the official opening of the newly renovated Russell Street Track and Field, where the grass playing surface was replaced with synthetic FieldTurf, creating nearly year-round playability, and stadium lights now surround the complex.

The $3 million project was a donor-college collaboration. Alumni, parents, and friends contributed $2 million, and Bates provided the balance.

Director of Athletics Jason Fein, President Garry W. Jenkins, and women’s soccer senior captain Anna Masumoto ’25 of Seattle offered remarks. Masumoto spoke about what it means for Bates athletes to have the the support of both the college and donors.

“We feel the benefits every time we step out onto the field,” Masumoto said. “This field is more than just a new space for us to play, it is a symbol of the future we’re building for Bates athletics.

“On behalf of all student-athletes at Bates, I want to express deep gratitude to Garry Jenkins, Jason Fein, donors, alumni, and parents for making this dream a reality. Thank you all for being with us today to celebrate this step forward and for believing in the future of Bates athletics. Go ’Cats!”

For Art’s Sake

On Saturday afternoon in the Marcy Plavin Dance Studio, student performers brought fresh energy, creativity, and perspective in a lively showcase of their engaging artistry.

MOSAIC Moments

MOSAIC events seek to build community among members of the Bates community who, through the years, may not immediately “see” themselves represented on the Bates campus.

Events welcome family members, guardians, and support networks of underrepresented racial, ethnic, LGBTQIA+, first-generation-to-college, and international Bates students, as well as MOSAIC alumni, to enjoy connection and conversation.

Footnotes

Produced by the Bates Communications and Marketing Office with photography by Phyllis Graber Jensen, Rene Roy, Theophil Syslo, and Eno Little '27. Text by Jay Burns.

Button Label

FootNotes

Produced by the Bates Communications and Marketing Office with photography by Phyllis Graber Jensen, Rene Roy, Theophil Syslo, and Eno Little '27. Text by Jay Burns.