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Thesis Bound

Savoring a rite of passage

By Bates College

May 19^th, 2023

It's Time to Celebrate

It’s a college ritual like none other. (Trust us: We've checked.)

Each spring, seniors take to public spots on campus, whether Coram Library porch of the walkway in front of Hathorn, to engage in what has become a big ritual of the Bates spring: placing a print copy of their completed thesis into a rigid black binder, as friends and faculty and staff gather around in raucous support.

On May 6, the Bobcat stopped by congratulate seniors William Symmans (left) of Houston and Evan Koch of Shelburne, Vt., during their thesis-binding celebration on the Historic Quad in front of Hathorn Hall.

Symmans’ neuroscience thesis is “A Data-Driven Taxonomy of Olfactory System Principal Neurons.”

Koch’s is “A Comparative Analysis of Gene Expression in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Autistic Individuals Across Age and Sex.”

They're Super!

“Each of these students wrote a thesis that would have been terrific in any year, but after all they and their classmates have gone through during their Bates careers, each thesis is especially phenomenal.” — Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies Rebecca Herzig

From left, seniors Tyler Shambaugh, Serena Sen, and Elliott Vahey jump for joy after binding their senior theses on the Ladd Library Terrace in front of classmates, staff, and faculty, including Herzig (right), seen hoisting their three theses above her head.

“She’s an incredible adviser,” Shambaugh said, speaking of Herzig’s ability to spend significant time with each of the three and their very different thesis projects.

Shambaugh, a double major in biology and gender and sexuality studies from Chevy Chase, Md., wrote on “Sex on the Brain: An Analysis of 10 Neuroendocrinological Articles on the Impacts of Hormone Therapy on the Transgender Brain.”

Sen, a gender and sexuality studies major from New York City, wrote on “‘The Snowflakes’ Aren’t Who You Think They Are: Tracing the Word ‘Comfort’ in The Bates Student.”

Vahey, a double major in gender and sexuality studies and German from Shaker Heights, Ohio, wrote on “Bodies That Bleed: Framings of Menstruation in American Puberty Informational Texts.”

‘A Source of Love’

“In many ways, my honors thesis has been a source of love, for which I will forever be grateful.” — Sam Jean-Francois ’23

On May 10, about 50 students, faculty, and staff gathered on the front steps of Coram to celebrate the completed senior honors thesis of Sam Jean-Francois, an Africana major from Medford, Mass.

Jean-Francois’ thesis is titled, “Colonialism as the Disaster: Retelling the Fight for Haitian Sovereignty.” The project was a "heuristic exercise centered in my journey to uncover more about my history, my family’s history, and Haiti’s history as the world’s first free Black republic.”

“Through this thesis I’ve had the opportunity to engage with the works of Haitian scholars such as Myriam Chancy, and reconnect with my mother tongue, Kreyol.”

Serving as “proud adviser”was Associate Professor of Africana Sue Houchins.

Laughing at calls from the crowd to read the whole thesis aloud (all 126 pages of it), Jean-Francois read the acknowledgments aloud, then bound the thesis, helped by Verina Chatata ’26 of Lilongwe, Malawi. A joyous shake-and-pop with a bottle of champagne, adorned with a Haitian flag, followed.

‘The Best Things in Life’

“The best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories.” — Mencius

From left, seniors Brady Chilson, Kush Sharma, and Trijit Pico Banerjee huddle on the steps of Coram on May 12 as they bind their senior theses before a large gathering of friends.

Chilson, an English and politics double major from Carlisle, Pa., wrote his English thesis on “Toward a ‘World Elsewhere’: Integrating Frameworks of Queer Theory and Political Representation in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus” and, in politics, “The Impact of Electoral Institutions on Urban/Rural Policy Attitudes: Toward a More Holistic Urban-Rural Divide.”

Sharma, a theater major from Delhi, India, wrote an honors thesis on “Practicing a Collaborative Directing Style, Ecotheater, and Theater for Social Change with Madeleine George’s Hurricane Diane.”

Banerjee, an English and philosophy double major from Morristown, N.J., wrote an honors thesis in English on “Encountering Impossibility: Georges Bataille’s Acéphalic Lifework” and, in philosophy, on “Does the ‘Divine Marquis’ Subordinate? Pornographic Subordination in Literary Fiction.”

With Help From Great Friends

“My thesis is about the evolving role of French in Maine, and as a Franco American and French speaker, Herb has been a great friend and contributor.” — Martha Coleman ’23

Martha Coleman (left) of Seattle, a double major in French and Francophone studies and in American studies, took to the steps of Coram Library on April 17 to celebrate her honors thesis.

To help bind her thesis, which explores the evolving significance of French in Maine, Coleman tapped a Bates staff member, Herb Saucier (right), who drives the college shuttle.

Saucier is a 73-year-old retired Lewiston policeman whose father spoke only French, thus he grew up learning and speaking French at home. He and Coleman got to be friends this year when Coleman took the shuttle to Lewiston High School, where she helped to teach French as a Bates education minor. “Three days a week we would talk French," said Saucier. "She would ask me questions on my upbringing. That was really neat.”

Saucier has been a “supporter and cheerleader,” Coleman says. His presence at the thesis binding “is a nod to how important community work and community members have been to this project.”

Two fellow seniors joined the party. Allison Fischman, a sociology major from Woodbridge, Conn., got help from Sam Manogue ’26 of Wynnewood, Penn., to bind Fischman's thesis on “Adverse Childhood Experiences: Conceptualizations in Research and Policy.” Professor of Sociology Emily Kane advised the thesis.

Liam Daly-Smith, a physics major from Montclair, N.J., got help from fellow senior Jing Fang of Beijing and Adriana Pastor Almiron ’25 of Asuncion, Paraguay, to bind his thesis on “Tidal Energy in Cobscook Bay: An Analysis of Tidal Range Energy and Tidal Barrage Generation Paradigms.” Professor of Physics John Smedley advised the thesis.

Thesis Splash

Environmental studies major Nathan Huynh ‘23 of San Diego wrote "come for a spectacular event that will end with a splash!" in the Google calendar invite he distributed for his May 23 thesis binding at the Keigwin Amphitheater.

Huynh asked Darin Stockhammer '26 of Lawrence Township, N.J., to do the binding honors for his thesis, titled “Navigating Shifting Tides: Resilience Amidst Climate Change, Overfishing, and Industrialization Through Diverse Media Perspectives.” Then he got a running start from the amphitheater's terraced steps to throw himself into Lake Andrews, where he continued the celebration.